Frank_1
New member
What are the grande puntos like? are they a quality car?
Last edited:
General Grande Punto's
- Thread starter Frank_1
- Start date
Currently reading:
General Grande Punto's
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2007
- Messages
- 13,617
- Points
- 2,161
Think u will find most owners luv em Frank.... there are some odd wierdies as usual with FIAT but I think my 1.9 MJet Sporting is the dogs doodahs!!
Try one and u will probably buy one.
Quality car? Well its better than they used to be, but remember the price, its nowhere near as much as a Golf GTI or other similarly blessed quality marques, but still huge fun and 1.9 comes as standard with GRIN FACTOR!
Welcome to The Forum!
Try one and u will probably buy one.
Quality car? Well its better than they used to be, but remember the price, its nowhere near as much as a Golf GTI or other similarly blessed quality marques, but still huge fun and 1.9 comes as standard with GRIN FACTOR!
Welcome to The Forum!
OP
OP
Frank_1
New member
Do they do turbo diesel models? I was thinking of buying a vw bora 1.9 tdi but i will be taking the grande out for a test drive for sure.
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2007
- Messages
- 13,617
- Points
- 2,161
1.9 is a TD Frank, same engine as in Skoda vrs 130 bhp. Quick as standard but can be re-mapped up to 180 bhp I believe. Brakes excellent, stiff springs but handling is great. Got mine for £9,400 with 1500 miles on the clock, 56 plate. Damn site cheaper than a VW. And FAR better looking IMO. 
frank?
Remember this an owners forum, the majority of the contributers are young, keen and fanatical about their GP`s and will not say or hear a bad word said against them. If you want a totaly unbiased opinion of the the car you need to ask the question in a totaly unbiased forum.
I bought a GP last year as second car and the wife uses it far more than I do. I had the usual problems raft of problems with it when new that many other owners seem to have had, but the car has settled down now and is doing everything you would expect it to with no drama.......and thats about all I can say about it really.
My view is that there is far more to owning, using and living with a car other than how fast/powerful it is and for me it wouldnt be a contest. At the risk of sounding arrogant I am used to driving slightly larger, more comfortable, better built, less problematic and far more reliable cars than the GP and I would take the Bora first.......however its your money and your choice.
Remember this an owners forum, the majority of the contributers are young, keen and fanatical about their GP`s and will not say or hear a bad word said against them. If you want a totaly unbiased opinion of the the car you need to ask the question in a totaly unbiased forum.
I bought a GP last year as second car and the wife uses it far more than I do. I had the usual problems raft of problems with it when new that many other owners seem to have had, but the car has settled down now and is doing everything you would expect it to with no drama.......and thats about all I can say about it really.
My view is that there is far more to owning, using and living with a car other than how fast/powerful it is and for me it wouldnt be a contest. At the risk of sounding arrogant I am used to driving slightly larger, more comfortable, better built, less problematic and far more reliable cars than the GP and I would take the Bora first.......however its your money and your choice.
OP
OP
Frank_1
New member
Thanks for the advice mate yav got a point there i didn't think of it like that. Think ill just look at some reviews of different cars and take a few test drives and then decide which car ill buy next maybe ill end up with a grande who knows
i didnt like the grande punto tbh, im used to my punto mk1, small dash board, you can see the edge of the bonnet etc, the grande i was in the other day just seemed like a mass of plastic but all new cars are like that now tbh, cos its safer.
but all new cars are like that now tbh, cos its safer.
Very true!
Are you sure!!. Fiat have never had a tie up with VAG. I thought the Multijet engines were common to GM and Fiat
The engine isnt the same. Its similar in performance which i'm guessing in what was meant. Best thing to do is test drive a few cars. But the spec of the Grande's makes the, the best value. Especially the sporting, not many cars with a variable geometry turbo for £12k!!
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2007
- Messages
- 13,617
- Points
- 2,161
Exactly right AlanHoD.
And for the record Sledge, I am no youg gun, being married 20 years with teenagers who drive lol. I too got used to bigger, plusher "more comfortable" cars but the GP is best at what it does for the money. I dont need a bigger car now, and TBH, I would struggle to want a small car if the GP hadnt been around.... its not perfect, but it is very very good, I have some niggles, but then I did with my Merc and my big Pug, my BM 320D gave me and plenty other owners holy hell with their airbag warning lights, its just a cheap shot saying how bad FIAT cars are, you have to consider what it cost, and the dealers capabilities of course.
Happy mature GP owner.
And for the record Sledge, I am no youg gun, being married 20 years with teenagers who drive lol. I too got used to bigger, plusher "more comfortable" cars but the GP is best at what it does for the money. I dont need a bigger car now, and TBH, I would struggle to want a small car if the GP hadnt been around.... its not perfect, but it is very very good, I have some niggles, but then I did with my Merc and my big Pug, my BM 320D gave me and plenty other owners holy hell with their airbag warning lights, its just a cheap shot saying how bad FIAT cars are, you have to consider what it cost, and the dealers capabilities of course.
Happy mature GP owner.
Superboy
Member
"its just a cheap shot saying how bad FIAT cars are, you have to consider what it cost, and the dealers capabilities of course"
Mmmmm......very well put.
Mmmmm......very well put.
You will like the look of it as it sits on your drive,you will enjoy driving it, but you may also get to know the head tech at your local dealer pretty well.
Well Ffoxy I think it has to be said that you are lending credence to my earlier statement regarding owners who wont say or hear anything negative about the car and at the same time extoll its virtues at any given opportunity despite its problematic reputation.
I can accept that you think its value for money, that you like the car and that you want to tell others that you like the car, so do many other GP owners but just because you think that way is it right to assume others will? Personally I would be saying, here are my pros, here are the cons....they are all based on my experiences of owning a GP........go make your own mind up. What I find particularly amusing is the fact power and top speed are always the first things mentioned...never the fact it has a 5-star N-cap rating.
Without going into detail I bought a GP about 6 months ago, the problems started before I had even driven it home and it rapidly became a nightmare. It took the intervention of a solicitor to get the problems sorted and I have to say in 25yrs of car ownership I have never had so many issues with any car I have owned, be it used or brand new. I still dont know who is to blame, Fiat for making the car, the dealer for selling it and providing poor support or myself for expecting too much from both Fiat and my dealer.
As it stands and in fairness the problems have all been sorted, the car is now doing what I expected it to do when I first bought it and my negativity towards it, Fiat, and my dealer is fading although as I hope you understand, it will never completely dissapear.
You could say you I could have bought a fiesta/corsa/clio/207 etc etc and had the same problems, true I could have, but the fact remains, I didnt.
Regarding your comments about "plush" and "comfortable" cars.....I am going to Asda in the morning and I intend to take the GP..... because its good at that sort of thing. Next week I have a 650 mile round journy to make, I will be taking my company (and so far faultless after 70k miles) x-type.....because its good at that sort of thing.........choosing and owning cars is horses for courses, you buy what what suits your needs and that you hope meets your requirements
PS I understand and wont be surprized if you, or anyone else for that matter says "I would take the GP"
I can accept that you think its value for money, that you like the car and that you want to tell others that you like the car, so do many other GP owners but just because you think that way is it right to assume others will? Personally I would be saying, here are my pros, here are the cons....they are all based on my experiences of owning a GP........go make your own mind up. What I find particularly amusing is the fact power and top speed are always the first things mentioned...never the fact it has a 5-star N-cap rating.
Without going into detail I bought a GP about 6 months ago, the problems started before I had even driven it home and it rapidly became a nightmare. It took the intervention of a solicitor to get the problems sorted and I have to say in 25yrs of car ownership I have never had so many issues with any car I have owned, be it used or brand new. I still dont know who is to blame, Fiat for making the car, the dealer for selling it and providing poor support or myself for expecting too much from both Fiat and my dealer.
As it stands and in fairness the problems have all been sorted, the car is now doing what I expected it to do when I first bought it and my negativity towards it, Fiat, and my dealer is fading although as I hope you understand, it will never completely dissapear.
You could say you I could have bought a fiesta/corsa/clio/207 etc etc and had the same problems, true I could have, but the fact remains, I didnt.
Regarding your comments about "plush" and "comfortable" cars.....I am going to Asda in the morning and I intend to take the GP..... because its good at that sort of thing. Next week I have a 650 mile round journy to make, I will be taking my company (and so far faultless after 70k miles) x-type.....because its good at that sort of thing.........choosing and owning cars is horses for courses, you buy what what suits your needs and that you hope meets your requirements
PS I understand and wont be surprized if you, or anyone else for that matter says "I would take the GP"
Last edited:
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2007
- Messages
- 13,617
- Points
- 2,161
Hey Sledge
I would take a Jag too on a trip like that but I just got the GP now lol!
Points taken and fair enough, I was V nervous b4 buying the GP as wifey has a 1.2 Stilo which is Airbag hell! Now there are the front springs to worry about, so I contacted FIAT and told them I was worried, turns out so far my fears were mostly groundless, but I have developed the electric window foibles.... drivers side does what it wants or nothing at all lol! Did have that with the Mitsi tho.
Anyway power to the people and have a safe trip!
I would take a Jag too on a trip like that but I just got the GP now lol!
Points taken and fair enough, I was V nervous b4 buying the GP as wifey has a 1.2 Stilo which is Airbag hell! Now there are the front springs to worry about, so I contacted FIAT and told them I was worried, turns out so far my fears were mostly groundless, but I have developed the electric window foibles.... drivers side does what it wants or nothing at all lol! Did have that with the Mitsi tho.
Anyway power to the people and have a safe trip!
Common fault by all acount Ffoxy, and just one of the problems I had. Your dealer should sort it out under warranty. If like in my case your switch is found to be duff make sure they fit the correct one. Can you believe my dealer somehow fitted a replacement from a lesser model that didnt have the one-touch facility. When I brought it to their attention the service receptionist swore blind that my car didnt have the one-touch facility to start with! After the issue was clarified the correct switch was out of stock and I had to go back yet again to have the right one fitted.
OP
OP
Frank_1
New member
It sounds like there pretty unreliable lol cant be assed with things going wrong all the time with it but 130 bhp sounds tasty ecspecially for the price. Plus i will definately be getting it remapped! Its a very sexy car and most probly is alot of fun to drive which is tempting me to buy one but the factor of things going wrong with them is putting me off a bit. Can anybody tell me from experience how reliable is the 1.9 sporting?
ecspecially for the price. Plus i will definately be getting it remapped! Its a very sexy car and most probly is alot of fun to drive which is tempting me to buy one but the factor of things going wrong with them is putting me off a bit. Can anybody tell me from experience how reliable is the 1.9 sporting?
As I said elsewhere....I have never known a GP to be towed in.Yes there are annoying trim/lock issues but nothing major.
p.s.ask at your local honda garage how many engines they have changed recently!
p.s.ask at your local honda garage how many engines they have changed recently!
