Although I have never had a Punto, I have seen a total of 5 pass through the hands of my family and so feel qualified to write a few words about it Our first Punto was a 1995 M 55SX - a good reliable little car with no problems at all. This belonged to my mother in law, who then replaced it with a brand new 1998 S 60SX, which she still has. Now nearly 6 years old, this has been an excellent car, with the only issues being a burnt out wiper motor at the back (a common Punto problem) and a sticky electric window The car returns excellent economy, costs very little in the way of servicing, is very well built and still looks nice. Much to my surprise, there is no sign of rust anywhere, and the seat fabrics are still like new. Excellent For a couple of years she also ran a new shape X-plate Punto alongside this, which was also unfailingly reliable and economical. However, the build quality was atrocious and not a patch on the older car Pedals squeaked, doors rattled, the boot wouldnt shut easily, and the seats wore through very quickly. It also fell victim to depreciation rather badly, although the full effects of this were avoided by swapping it for a much more expensive car The other Puntos were an R-plate Team special edition (an excellent car) and an N-plate 55S which was dreadful. At only about 3 years old, the car was making some very strange noises, which turned out to be the ECU - a repair that was avoided by getting rid very quickly. I wonder if this car (purchase second hand) had been cared for properly by its prior owner.. So, a mixed bag but generally positive. The older shape is definitely better than the more recent one, although all provide decent motoring on a budget. |
