I previously owned a 1.2 16V Punto and part-exchanged the 1.4 8V Dynamic which arrived last week. I have since done 40 miles. In comparison with the 1.2 16V, this car is very quiet inside even on the motorway (thanks to those sound absorbers built-in).
When moving the car forward from stand-still, the 1st gear reaches its threshold very quickly but the car seems hardly accelerated, so I found myself force to switch to 2nd gear very soon for more acceleration. And this is not very good either. I had to rev the engine up to 2500 rpm to get a decent speed of 25 mph in 5 seconds. Normally in 5 seconds I would have been in 4th gear at 25 mph in my 1.2 16V Punto. I guess 16V makes a big difference in comparison to the 8V. I cannot understand why Fiat(UK) didn't lanch the 16V petrol at the start and bother with the 8V petrol version.
Secondly, when I am on the motorway doing 70 mph exact. The rpm reads 3500. Now in the 1.2 16V it read only 3100. This means that my 1.4 8V petrol consumption will definitely be more than with my 1.2 16V at motorway speed. However, the inside of the car remains very quiet at such speed which I can compromise with.
My average fuel consumption after 40 miles is 32.5 mpg. My previous punto experience tells me only around 7000 miles mileage is reached would the average fuel consumption be close to the official figure of approx. 46 mpg.
In conclusion, I am only disappointed with its slow start and painful to watch a SMART car overtaking me. :bang: Otherwise, the car is perfect! If you are a petrol fan, worth waiting for the 16V. Also ask for a free Fiat floor mat sets!
When moving the car forward from stand-still, the 1st gear reaches its threshold very quickly but the car seems hardly accelerated, so I found myself force to switch to 2nd gear very soon for more acceleration. And this is not very good either. I had to rev the engine up to 2500 rpm to get a decent speed of 25 mph in 5 seconds. Normally in 5 seconds I would have been in 4th gear at 25 mph in my 1.2 16V Punto. I guess 16V makes a big difference in comparison to the 8V. I cannot understand why Fiat(UK) didn't lanch the 16V petrol at the start and bother with the 8V petrol version.
Secondly, when I am on the motorway doing 70 mph exact. The rpm reads 3500. Now in the 1.2 16V it read only 3100. This means that my 1.4 8V petrol consumption will definitely be more than with my 1.2 16V at motorway speed. However, the inside of the car remains very quiet at such speed which I can compromise with.
My average fuel consumption after 40 miles is 32.5 mpg. My previous punto experience tells me only around 7000 miles mileage is reached would the average fuel consumption be close to the official figure of approx. 46 mpg.
In conclusion, I am only disappointed with its slow start and painful to watch a SMART car overtaking me. :bang: Otherwise, the car is perfect! If you are a petrol fan, worth waiting for the 16V. Also ask for a free Fiat floor mat sets!