considering buying a punto sporting have a few Qs

[sportingbiffa]

Hi all

I've just registered as i'm considering buying a mk2(a) punto sporting 1.2.
(i'm also considering the following cars)
1) saxo 1.4 furio (comes with a proviso... can't help but think they are a tad chavvy.. and from what i've read/been told they aren't very reliable either).
2)ford ka
3)fiesta 1.25/1.3

i can't really make my mind up as i do like the look of the saxo and the punto.. but the punto is obviously much a better car (in crash ratings..where saxo's seem to fall apart)

without getting too far ahead of myself, twittering on etc.

i would like to ask your opinions on which is likely to be a more reliable car between the saxo 1.4 furio and punto 1.2 sporting (both with less than 90k with reasonable (if not full) service history in good tidy form.

other question is.. security (what security did the sporting punto come with as standard?)

oh.. one last thing.. have people found them to be fairly reliable?

Thanks

rob

 

[Puntophilc]

Hi all

I've just registered as i'm considering buying a mk2(a) punto sporting 1.2.
(i'm also considering the following cars)
1) saxo 1.4 furio (comes with a proviso... can't help but think they are a tad chavvy.. and from what i've read/been told they aren't very reliable either).
2)ford ka
3)fiesta 1.25/1.3

i can't really make my mind up as i do like the look of the saxo and the punto.. but the punto is obviously much a better car (in crash ratings..where saxo's seem to fall apart)

without getting too far ahead of myself, twittering on etc.

i would like to ask your opinions on which is likely to be a more reliable car between the saxo 1.4 furio and punto 1.2 sporting (both with less than 90k with reasonable (if not full) service history in good tidy form.

other question is.. security (what security did the sporting punto come with as standard?)

oh.. one last thing.. have people found them to be fairly reliable?

Thanks

rob

Hey rob im new to the forum too i have personally owned my 2002 fiat punto sporting speedgear for a year now. It has about 48000 miles on the clock. I have had the occasional huccups with it tho. firstly my power steering will sometimes cut out on me (particularly in cold weather) i had to get my ignition coil pack changed (went over a speedbump pretty fast when it went?!?) and most recently i had to take off the rear light cluster due to corrotion to the earth connection effecting the gearbox (constantly trying to swich to reverse when i apply the brakes :S). i have been browsing this forum for a while and have noticed my problems are quite common.

on a lighter note when it does work its such a fun car to drive, its speedy and pretty sweet to look at.

oh it comes with standard immobiliser and central locking. no factory fitted alarm that i know of

 

[JustAndy]

The 1.4 saxo's are gutless, my mum has one and my old punto sporting could easily keep up with it and they are deemed chavvy too
The ford Ka's rust like theres no tomorrow
Cant comment on the fiesta

but with the punto being the 16v make sure that the cambelt, water pump, tensioner have being done because if any of them fail, you will have a useless engine and very bent valves
Even though the punto is only a 1.2 they still have 80 bhp so they can shift when you want them too.
If I were you, id choose the punto every time
Good luck hunting

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Doesnt really matter what we say you could go out and buy the best saxo ever made or the worst treated punto in history, every car you are talking about is getting on in years so they'll all most likely have many years of abuse under the bonnet.

In all honesty I would recommend a KA the engine is fairly bomb proof and I suspect the insurance is cheaper than the others. Just watch out for rusty examples. Fiestas higher insurance heavier car but the 1.25 engine is nice and the 1.3 is the same as the KA. Can also self convert into iron oxide quickly like the KA

Saxo furio? Wasn't that the one with all the stuck on plastic body pannels and multi coloured seat belts nice looking but if you have big feet like me they only have one pedal which does brake clutch and throttle all at the same time. Engines are awful insurance is high, and being a saxo I think they cam ore programmed to crash.

Punto is a nice little car interior plastics feel basic and much cheaper than the fords. 1.2 engine has its share of head gasket problems if not looked after. 8v is fairly bomb proof 16v is a little more delicate. Build quality is much better than the saxo though and insurance is cheap.

The car you pick should really depend on what you find and what state it's in.

Welcome to the forum btw