just completed a 400 mile round trip from London to York and back in my 2014 model. It's a surprisingly comfortable long-distance car - did the York to London leg in one stint and felt fine when i got back. It rides exceptionally well at motorway speeds, glides over undulations in the road and is reasonably quiet. Having cruise control definitely helps. They're good little cars
Having owned one for about a year now and done a couple of long distance trips I can attest to this. Really wish it had a bit more torque lower down though and it has a pretty short first gear. Steering isn't particularly direct given that the ride can be quite firm. But cabin noise is minimal and once you get up to speed it cruises quite easily, so you can concentrate on worrying about roadworks, caravans trying to overtake each other, etc.
WELL DONE !! .... You said, 'Door Mirrors' instead of wing mirrors. ... I like you already, and an honest review of a great little, often underestimated small family alternative to many of others out there.
hello again! just to say your review has helped me to go buy myself a 1.2 8v active it will do till i can afford the insurance for a fiat grande punto sporting! but your review is the best review on youtube for this car :)
Honestly I know loads of people call Fiat shit. But since I was born I've never hated the Punto. Yeah it might not be the best looking hatchback ever but it's definitely not shit. Their really comfortable actually and if i got this as my first car then I wouldn't be complaining 👍 the Punto is definitely underrated
Adam, realy good review! I'm a big guy so when I whatch a video like this it's difficult to unerstand how a tall guy will feel inside. The only thing that is missing are a few words for the back seats, but overall it is great, realistic review. Thank you!
Really awesome review! Thank you so much, I have been looking at this car fro my first car ahhh! And I think this has settled me on buying it all thanks to you!
It's important to remember that this car was made in 2006, so for those comparing it with today's car trends is to be unfair. At the time of release it was way beyond it's time with its packed features.
Bought one with 200,000kms and a 1.3 Multijet 70hp. To be fully honest, it feels much quicker and powerful than I thought it would be. Really lively on 90km roads and makes a great sound whilst being thrown around 😁. The only gripes I have are with the gearbox. 1st, 2nd and 5th are far too short for their intended use. Could really use a 6th gear on motorways (130kmh @ 3k rpm isn’t the greatest feeling). Also, no synchros in reverse make putting the car in reverse far too crunchy than it should be. Otherwise, absolutely great car!
To be fair, brake balancers send 70% to the front and 30% to the rear when you press the pedal. you make quite a thing about drums on the rear. its a small car, its not designed for the nurburgring or silverstone track days. if it was a hot hatch version then i would expect discs on rear, but its not. and given the brake bias on cars and bikes, except its the riders place to brake seperatly on front and rear brake obviously. that comes down to the teacher and experience. anything sub 100 hp dont need discs on rear, but its nice lol
Away to get a 1.2 petrol soon as my first car. Would have preferred a 1.4 petrol, but very helpful video and now just looking forward to driving it. A car is a car if it runs well and does the job then I`m happy...
What about 1.9 mjtd engines with 131hp, what do u think about that? And even if I remap him a little it would be a lower fuel consumption if I dont go pedal to the metal, so what are your opinions?
i have a grande punto 1900diesel with 120hp for almost 11years now,with now almost 300000km and its still going:-) very nice,so im very satisfayed,its a pretty good car,my other car is a bmw e90 318d,but i prefer mostly to take the fiat because its more powerful and nice driving in the city. grts from Belgium....and thanks for the comment
Great little review. Buying a used small car for everyday use, as my Qashqai is unnecessary for regular city/town driving. And I can't decide between this, a Alfa R. Mito or a DS3..... lol
+Dominic Joseph The Mito shares a lot of it's parts with the Grande Punto (it's essentially a posh version of it). The DS3 is very nice too, and easily on par with the Mito (more practical too). It depends what you want from a car. The Punto is better if you want a cheap run around. The Mito and DS3 are better if you want a more upmarket small hatchback.
its a good car for a 1st car good on petrol tax and insurance only down side is the door locks seem to go a lot. ive put some vids on my channel for easy cheap fix's
I've owned 2 of these both 2007 models... 1.2 TD 6 speed and a 1.4 petrol 5 speed... they blow the comparable Japanese cars into the weeds in all areas... good solid cars with heaps of room... especially headroom... the 1.4 petrol is super economical and the small diesel is so economical you'd think the fuel gauge needle is stuck... great little cars I thoroughly swear by...😉
metal rules it's certainly a lot nicer inside than the Fiesta. I've got a 2014 Punto, so it's got the updated interior. It's a much classier design than the Fiesta and so much bigger inside. Seats 4 adults very comfortably.
I'm not being harsh or anything I just think the guy in the video isn't used to a turbo diesel he's talking about hp and how it only has 90 hp and then on the duel carriageway he gets it in 3rd and floors it he does not talk about the torque it has this has about 150 lbft ish and I reckon in top gear after you get the turbo spooled up it will feel a lot quicker than if your revving it hard this car has loads of torque compared to other diesels of the same engine size you just have to get used to using the power in a different way and getting used to a decent sized turbo
James, one of our presenters, actually owned the car in this video for 3 years, and has said: "on the dual carriageways and motorways it's not TOO bad, but the turbo just doesn't feel optimised for the engine. It's a tiny diesel, and the turbo just doesn't give it the speed for overtaking that it needs. Great if you've managed to figure it out, but after 3 years I was always left wanting more oomph when it mattered the most".
+Late Again It'd be a great first car. They're definitely cheap enough now and the insurance is pretty good. Fuel economy is better on the diesels and the larger petrols. The smaller petrols sometimes struggle so can be slightly thirsty on the motorway.
+Late Again We had that particular one in the family for over 7 years and the only real major problem it had was the ECU randomly dieing one morning, which was around £650. Other than that, it was fine. Expect things to start becoming a bit pricier once you get past 90,000 miles though.
iLaKzi There isn't one, but you have usb port in glovebox. Also some cars have Blue&Me system which allows you to connect your smartphone to your car via Bluetooth so you can take calls etc. Acceleration is decent on 1.4 16v it is good enough for occasional passing just don't expect to go racing. Seats that come with sporting version are nice and comfy.
From what we've been told, you can do ECU remaps to increase the power a little, and also decrease the lag when pulling away in 1st. But we've not seen this in action.
It's a 2006 model 06 plate. It's the 1st generation, so still has the blue Fiat badges before they revised the range in 2007 with red badges and some engine tweaks.
Yeah, the 1.2 petrol (65 hp) is very lazy to accelerate uphill, and when going from 80 km/h to highway speeds (100 - 120 km/h). You'll also need to keep the revs up (4-5k) to have movement.
How is the Grande puntos reliability and do you still own one? I want a Grande 1.4 by the end of the year as my punto is getting on a bit now so I'd love a upgrade but I want something more reliable then my punto so how's the Grande?
Overall reliability was good. We had it in the family from brand new up until it had done 90,000 miles and was 7 years old. Only real problems it had during that time was the ECU needed replacing. Other than that, it was fine! But, being Italian, keep an eye on the electronics and general mechanical wear and tear. Ours was fine, but others haven't been so lucky!
This is not a sport Car...the 1.3 mjt its not only "enough to move the Car"... The 1.3 gives you 200 nm and a 0-100 in 11.9 seconds one of the best times of this category...it is a very agile Car for this...the petrol engine like the 1.2 69 HP and 1.4 77 HP are worst than the 1.3 Tdi...trust me
This will be my first ever car. Expected to have it by tomorrow. I'm a bit worried about the visibility and the sluggishness, but hey, at the end of the day it's a magic frikking box that takes you to places.
Thinking about getting this for my first car, I've looked at various reviews, quite hesitant because of its reliability. 2007 1.4 Grande Punto or SEAT Ibiza 1.4 2007? What would you suggest?
Dave@autoanimals - If both the cars are petrol, and of a similar age i.e. 10 years old I would just buy the one where you have easy access to spares or a mechanic who can fix either a Fiat group or VW group car, and with the best service history. I would stay away from the Multijet diesel at this age but petrols should be fine, as will the SEAT. Buy the one you prefer to drive.
I honestly believe that while the Grande definitely looked good at the time, it is now rather dated, and it wasn’t really a very good car, they did improve it a little in later years then for seemingly no reason at all, killed the Punto in 2018.... what was once one of Europe’s best selling cars, is no more 🙁
I have the same car, bought it of my parents and damn, as a car enthusiast i hate this car. Once had 3 fat friends and a load in the trunk it didnt really manage to get up a hill. Visibility ,customisability (tuning) Speed and Cornering and are awfull. Brakes, Gas/mileage, comfort and reliability are awesome.
"Very long arms and very short legs" Man we are not beasts from The lord of the rings, I'italian and I have that car, the wheel is too far for me too, that set up is just poorly thought by you can always adjust it to some extent
+Zlatko C As mentioned earlier, it was a joke.... Also, it's worth pointing out, Giorgetto Giugiaro is extremely hard to pronounce in English! Which was pretty much the joke.
@@autoanimals Why is Giugiaro hard to pronounce in english, when it sounds almost like jiu-jitsu, and You Guys pronounce jiu-jitsu just fine. It's jiu-jiaro :P
@@robertpakulski1738 he means In India Fiat known for Build like tank Because even polo is 2nd to Punto Indian version solid safe weight 1200 kgs to 1240 kgs And Linea weight 1260 kgs Fiat Multijet engine are used almost every brand in India suzuki Tata Chevy some cars MG new hector and many more . It's reliable and cheap and easy to Maintain . I have seen so many Fiat in India has done over 500,000 miles to 700,000 miles on odo without major issues Still going strong
hit like if you own a punto
199 like it's the model number of grande punto ,coincidences?
Really Top notch review. He clearly did know about the designer because he then went on the explain how he worked with Maserati and such.
just completed a 400 mile round trip from London to York and back in my 2014 model. It's a surprisingly comfortable long-distance car - did the York to London leg in one stint and felt fine when i got back. It rides exceptionally well at motorway speeds, glides over undulations in the road and is reasonably quiet. Having cruise control definitely helps. They're good little cars
Having owned one for about a year now and done a couple of long distance trips I can attest to this. Really wish it had a bit more torque lower down though and it has a pretty short first gear. Steering isn't particularly direct given that the ride can be quite firm. But cabin noise is minimal and once you get up to speed it cruises quite easily, so you can concentrate on worrying about roadworks, caravans trying to overtake each other, etc.
Effortless great review......and James May voice.
My first car on Need for Speed Most Wanted :)
Fanfarrão YES!! I always chose the Punto as my first car. I've even beaten the game a couple times with the Punto.
Same and first car in real life as well its slow but decent for first car
Me too
@@mattbankes8202 im considering to buy it as my first car, would you recommend it or not?
Really smooth handling punto
WELL DONE !! .... You said, 'Door Mirrors' instead of wing mirrors. ... I like you already, and an honest review of a great little, often underestimated small family alternative to many of others out there.
hello again! just to say your review has helped me to go buy myself a 1.2 8v active it will do till i can afford the insurance for a fiat grande punto sporting! but your review is the best review on youtube for this car :)
Glad we could help! :D
i have bought 2 months ago grande punto 1.3 diesel 75hp.... i found it good... till now there isnt anything wrong with this car... its my opinion...
Good review- Thanks
Honestly I know loads of people call Fiat shit. But since I was born I've never hated the Punto. Yeah it might not be the best looking hatchback ever but it's definitely not shit. Their really comfortable actually and if i got this as my first car then I wouldn't be complaining 👍 the Punto is definitely underrated
Its my first car :)
Adam, realy good review! I'm a big guy so when I whatch a video like this it's difficult to unerstand how a tall guy will feel inside. The only thing that is missing are a few words for the back seats, but overall it is great, realistic review. Thank you!
Thanks for the kind words
Can you count all these stereotypes he mentioned on one hand? Probably not, very good review not biased at all
Really awesome review! Thank you so much, I have been looking at this car fro my first car ahhh! And I think this has settled me on buying it all thanks to you!
It's been 6 years. Did you get the car? And would you recommend it as a first car, if you did?
@@mahfuzurchowdhury2765 I want to know too
It's important to remember that this car was made in 2006, so for those comparing it with today's car trends is to be unfair. At the time of release it was way beyond it's time with its packed features.
The car designer is Giorgetto Giugiaro. He was awarded car designer of the (20th) century in 1999.
Dhaval Patel issa joke
issa ah trini?
Bought one with 200,000kms and a 1.3 Multijet 70hp. To be fully honest, it feels much quicker and powerful than I thought it would be. Really lively on 90km roads and makes a great sound whilst being thrown around 😁. The only gripes I have are with the gearbox. 1st, 2nd and 5th are far too short for their intended use. Could really use a 6th gear on motorways (130kmh @ 3k rpm isn’t the greatest feeling). Also, no synchros in reverse make putting the car in reverse far too crunchy than it should be. Otherwise, absolutely great car!
great review 👍
To be fair, brake balancers send 70% to the front and 30% to the rear when you press the pedal. you make quite a thing about drums on the rear. its a small car, its not designed for the nurburgring or silverstone track days. if it was a hot hatch version then i would expect discs on rear, but its not. and given the brake bias on cars and bikes, except its the riders place to brake seperatly on front and rear brake obviously. that comes down to the teacher and experience. anything sub 100 hp dont need discs on rear, but its nice lol
Can you connect your phone to this via the Blue and Me software? Great vid as always!
I think the triangle small glass on the side windows serve aerodynamics and prevent turbulence noise from the mirrors that are placed behind those.
Late answer but it is actually a safety feature that helps not to crush you if you ever roll the car over.
Very good analysis! Good review!
Wow voice commands thats nifty for such an old car
I'm looking at this for my first car, tax and insurance is pretty cheap, do you think it would be a good first car?
We'd say it is, yes.
Reiids hey mate I just got one yesterday as a first car and I have to say it's a good runner and easy to park! go for it
Sorry for the late reply, I am going to look at one this week and will likely get it, thanks!
Zyzz brah!!!
You should turn up the shutter speed, motions are very blurry. Good review btw
My first car
Nice review
Reviewing Italian cars, knowing nothing about Giorgetto Giugiaro,is a crime
Honestly. He even deliberately murdered his name, even though he knew his history with other car stints.
Away to get a 1.2 petrol soon as my first car. Would have preferred a 1.4 petrol, but very helpful video and now just looking forward to driving it. A car is a car if it runs well and does the job then I`m happy...
I am getting a 1.2 petrol too (second hand of course :) ). I really enjoyed my test drive, what was your experience with it in the end Callum?
What about 1.9 mjtd engines with 131hp, what do u think about that? And even if I remap him a little it would be a lower fuel consumption if I dont go pedal to the metal, so what are your opinions?
Brilliant reviewer 👍🏼
very nice review
Love this man
lovely review guys-Keep up the good work
Thanks for the Preview!!
Does it have something for an aux cord?
Astroworld Rodeo no, with mine I got a kenwood radio fitted instead, it was a blessing in disguise that my old radio died so now I have an aux cord ;)
@@emmalouisexx9092 I have just bought a 2006 Grande Punto and the standard radio does have a Aux port.
i have a grande punto 1900diesel with 120hp for almost 11years now,with now almost 300000km and its still going:-) very nice,so im very satisfayed,its a pretty good car,my other car is a bmw e90 318d,but i prefer mostly to take the fiat because its more powerful and nice driving in the city. grts from Belgium....and thanks for the comment
The designer, Giugiario, also designed the DeLorean
Great review
Great little review. Buying a used small car for everyday use, as my Qashqai is unnecessary for regular city/town driving. And I can't decide between this, a Alfa R. Mito or a DS3..... lol
+Dominic Joseph The Mito shares a lot of it's parts with the Grande Punto (it's essentially a posh version of it). The DS3 is very nice too, and easily on par with the Mito (more practical too). It depends what you want from a car. The Punto is better if you want a cheap run around. The Mito and DS3 are better if you want a more upmarket small hatchback.
Claydon? Nice!!!
its a good car for a 1st car good on petrol tax and insurance only down side is the door locks seem to go a lot. ive put some vids on my channel for easy cheap fix's
I've owned 2 of these both 2007 models... 1.2 TD 6 speed and a 1.4 petrol 5 speed... they blow the comparable Japanese cars into the weeds in all areas... good solid cars with heaps of room... especially headroom... the 1.4 petrol is super economical and the small diesel is so economical you'd think the fuel gauge needle is stuck... great little cars I thoroughly swear by...😉
@@Joox_02 At the time diesel was about $1.35 per litre so about $5 to $6...
Punto is very awesome old but still best car
Great Review! I'm considering one as my first car, however the reliability issues with Fiats do make me hesitate :/
Siyath Widyaratne so which car did you get? is it the one in your picture?
Kilaprofi1998 nah, can't even dream about insuring an ST, but I'm still looking at cars, leaning towards a first gen Focus!
@@SiyathWidyaratne so which car did you get? :)
Which one is you frefer machan, I mean petrol or diesel bcz I’m going to buy a fiatPunto
The cubby holes are next to useless but it's lovely to drive.
better than fiesta imo.
metal rules it's certainly a lot nicer inside than the Fiesta. I've got a 2014 Punto, so it's got the updated interior. It's a much classier design than the Fiesta and so much bigger inside. Seats 4 adults very comfortably.
when you can't see the speed dial you set the steering wheel to high for your size. You'r head isn't even near the top of the car..
Great vid, i am looking to get rid of my mgzr and buy gp 1.3diesel 90. Use it mostly on motorway so will be just right for me. Have had fiats before.
What model is that you can talk to it
I'm not being harsh or anything I just think the guy in the video isn't used to a turbo diesel he's talking about hp and how it only has 90 hp and then on the duel carriageway he gets it in 3rd and floors it he does not talk about the torque it has this has about 150 lbft ish and I reckon in top gear after you get the turbo spooled up it will feel a lot quicker than if your revving it hard this car has loads of torque compared to other diesels of the same engine size you just have to get used to using the power in a different way and getting used to a decent sized turbo
James, one of our presenters, actually owned the car in this video for 3 years, and has said: "on the dual carriageways and motorways it's not TOO bad, but the turbo just doesn't feel optimised for the engine. It's a tiny diesel, and the turbo just doesn't give it the speed for overtaking that it needs. Great if you've managed to figure it out, but after 3 years I was always left wanting more oomph when it mattered the most".
only one thing for it then get the 1.9 haha
Would this be a good first car and does the fuel last
+Late Again It'd be a great first car. They're definitely cheap enough now and the insurance is pretty good. Fuel economy is better on the diesels and the larger petrols. The smaller petrols sometimes struggle so can be slightly thirsty on the motorway.
+Auto Animals thanks and what about the reliability 😁 ive read loads of reviews on people saying the car is unreliable
+Late Again We had that particular one in the family for over 7 years and the only real major problem it had was the ECU randomly dieing one morning, which was around £650. Other than that, it was fine. Expect things to start becoming a bit pricier once you get past 90,000 miles though.
I'm looking at the 1.4 Sporting Petrol version as my first car, what do you think about the steering and acceleration?
Also, is there an AUX cord?
iLaKzi There isn't one, but you have usb port in glovebox. Also some cars have Blue&Me system which allows you to connect your smartphone to your car via Bluetooth so you can take calls etc. Acceleration is decent on 1.4 16v it is good enough for occasional passing just don't expect to go racing. Seats that come with sporting version are nice and comfy.
Thanks
I have a 75cp version 1.3 multijet . How can i ingrese the power of this car ? What can i change on it ?
From what we've been told, you can do ECU remaps to increase the power a little, and also decrease the lag when pulling away in 1st. But we've not seen this in action.
Does this have an AUX
what's the year of the tested model ?
It's a 2006 model 06 plate. It's the 1st generation, so still has the blue Fiat badges before they revised the range in 2007 with red badges and some engine tweaks.
Ok thanks for reply !
i would check for 2007 model (their are too much problems on 2006 model)
Good introduction to the car,
Yeah, the 1.2 petrol (65 hp) is very lazy to accelerate uphill, and when going from 80 km/h to highway speeds (100 - 120 km/h). You'll also need to keep the revs up (4-5k) to have movement.
I have 2006 1.9 jtdm grande punto with a chip (around 160 hp).. it goes like crazy haha
Only way to change gears to speed up
How is the Grande puntos reliability and do you still own one? I want a Grande 1.4 by the end of the year as my punto is getting on a bit now so I'd love a upgrade but I want something more reliable then my punto so how's the Grande?
Overall reliability was good. We had it in the family from brand new up until it had done 90,000 miles and was 7 years old. Only real problems it had during that time was the ECU needed replacing. Other than that, it was fine! But, being Italian, keep an eye on the electronics and general mechanical wear and tear. Ours was fine, but others haven't been so lucky!
+Auto Animals thanks your review was very helpful I'm starting to look about for a grande now but this is very helpful 😊
@@autoanimals how much was the ECU replacement
Good review
Is it a suitable car ?
This is not a sport Car...the 1.3 mjt its not only "enough to move the Car"... The 1.3 gives you 200 nm and a 0-100 in 11.9 seconds one of the best times of this category...it is a very agile Car for this...the petrol engine like the 1.2 69 HP and 1.4 77 HP are worst than the 1.3 Tdi...trust me
Any punto is a sports car bro stfu
This will be my first ever car. Expected to have it by tomorrow. I'm a bit worried about the visibility and the sluggishness, but hey, at the end of the day it's a magic frikking box that takes you to places.
Are you happy?
give us your review mate
Thinking about getting this for my first car, I've looked at various reviews, quite hesitant because of its reliability. 2007 1.4 Grande Punto or SEAT Ibiza 1.4 2007? What would you suggest?
Dave@autoanimals - If both the cars are petrol, and of a similar age i.e. 10 years old I would just buy the one where you have easy access to spares or a mechanic who can fix either a Fiat group or VW group car, and with the best service history. I would stay away from the Multijet diesel at this age but petrols should be fine, as will the SEAT. Buy the one you prefer to drive.
@@autoanimals why stay away from the multijets at this age? Whats wrong with them? They're the only ones im looking at as tax is £30
Nice car
How is it on higways?
Boring
I honestly believe that while the Grande definitely looked good at the time, it is now rather dated, and it wasn’t really a very good car, they did improve it a little in later years then for seemingly no reason at all, killed the Punto in 2018.... what was once one of Europe’s best selling cars, is no more 🙁
Anyone to tell us about reliability?!
I have the same car, bought it of my parents and damn, as a car enthusiast i hate this car. Once had 3 fat friends and a load in the trunk it didnt really manage to get up a hill.
Visibility ,customisability (tuning) Speed and Cornering and are awfull.
Brakes, Gas/mileage, comfort and reliability are awesome.
@4:12 The whole car comes at a price. ^^
Original Punto sold " quite well?" Mk1 nearly 3.5m units Mk2 just under 3m units - quite well????????????
"Very long arms and very short legs" Man we are not beasts from The lord of the rings, I'italian and I have that car, the wheel is too far for me too, that set up is just poorly thought by you can always adjust it to some extent
This or a corsa?
PUNTO
Love how all these presenters always sound so pompous regardless of what car
how can you not know who giugiaro is?
Luis Gomez you really can't tell its a joke
You pretend to know something about cars, but you don't know Giorgetto Giugiaro ??!!! WTF?
+Pandemoniumusic It was a joke
Whow, he's a so good actor I didn't notice ^^
I owned one of these for a year when it was brand new. Build quality is BAD.
Heavy breaking made the bumper grill fall out!!!
You don't know who is Giorgetto Giugiaro???
Don't call yourselves an Auto Animal please.
+Zlatko C As mentioned earlier, it was a joke....
Also, it's worth pointing out, Giorgetto Giugiaro is extremely hard to pronounce in English! Which was pretty much the joke.
He was taking the piss , a bit of jeremy Clarkson style
@@autoanimals Why is Giugiaro hard to pronounce in english, when it sounds almost like jiu-jitsu, and You Guys pronounce jiu-jitsu just fine. It's jiu-jiaro :P
Lo zi sa macchina è del 2005 e tu mo la recensisci
own one,really ROBUST
Mehul Shah what do you mean robust?
@@robertpakulski1738 he means In India Fiat known for Build like tank
Because even polo is 2nd to Punto
Indian version solid safe weight 1200 kgs to 1240 kgs
And Linea weight 1260 kgs
Fiat Multijet engine are used almost every brand in India
suzuki Tata Chevy some cars
MG new hector and many more
.
It's reliable and cheap and easy to Maintain
.
I have seen so many Fiat in India has done over 500,000 miles to 700,000 miles on odo without major issues
Still going strong
Man, u can't spell Giugiaro. That seriously affect your credibility.
Shut up you smelly Italian.
@@123mcgarrigle i never knew italian do smells more then indians,😂😂
Scrap