More future shite?

[pogweasel]

What do we know of these?

 

 

I have my suspicions that anything like this is a potential ticking timebomb of broken plastics, electrical gremlins and detonated engines. Pretty bland to boot.

 

Mrs PW has other ideas, however, citing these as "cool" (esp with the girly button). Seem quite expensive to me, generally.

Any opinion welcome, contemplating downsizing from the Focus as we don't need a large 20k a year diesel any more as the kids are a bit bigger, I have the van for work and we have the BMW for holidays/ the Ikea run.

[Jazzy Jeff]

If you were to fly to Serbia and buy a Zastava badged one then you would have guaranteed shite status motoring on your drive.

 

http://zastavanacionale.com/Default.asp ... =zastava10

 

[pogweasel]

YOW! Had no idea they were still knocking out recycled Fiats. Quality.

[Volksy]

Had a JTD one as a hire car in Sardinia a couple of years back, Reasonably comfortable, reasonably quick, reasonably economical, reasonably fun to drive.. Build quality was erm.. yup you guessed it, reasonable..

[mk2_craig]

Not sure if the shite credentials will be on a par with those of the mk1 Uno... These don't really light my fire to be honest, Seat Ibiza of similar vintage a much better bet?

[outlaw118]

Ibiza's ride a bit harsh, mate of mines mrs has got a X plate Punto, had it from new, won't be parted from it. Been no trouble, just got to keep an eye on things.

[Dead_E23]

SWMBO's 150k mkI Punto 1700 turbodiesel seems pretty bomb-proof - she's had it for 90k of those, and apart from service items it has only ever needed an injector pipe and a starter motor. Mind you, it's probably a lot simpler than these newfangled ones - the only electronics are in the wireless

[Waderider]

I punt about in a 'modern' S reg Fiat Brava.I consider it shite, but have never run this opinion past the ministers of shite on this forum in case I get shoot down in flames.....That Punto is a good cheap small car, nothing shite about it (yet).

[Betaphile]

I had one of these as a renter over in Blighty a few years back - boggo 1.2 8V. Engine got caned senseless (by us, and, I suspect, more than a few before us) but did the job without fuss - quite a pleasant little lump as long as you keep the revs up. In general I think the mechanics and drivetrain are pretty strong. Would I buy one though? Erm...probably not, to be honest. Build quality on our renter was OK but wasn't going to be worrying VW any time soon. But that wasn't what put me off - it was just the unremitting sense that it wasn't a particularly nice place to sit, with mismatched greasy-feeling plastics everywhere and not a particularly nice interior aesthetic IMHO. Of course ours was absolutely pov-spec but the Grande Punto is a long way ahead in this respect. Personally if Mrs PW is still set on a small Fiat, I'd be looking at a Panda. The build quality is better and I think they're a little more reliable and interesting overall.

[stoterstangen90]

 

 

Still availeble, 128 shite

[reallyloud]

Talk your missus out of it pog. If she must have a Fiat, then the panda is the only modern one to consider. The Polish build quality is astonishingly good and they have proven to be quite reliable. The notiable downsides are the small boot and 1.1 & 1.2 are a bit gutless. The multijet ones are what I consider the best ones, searching the ads for a early 1.3 multijet might be an option. I have one and I'm pleased with my happy shopper.

[Mr Lobster]

We have Pandas at work and they are superb. Reliability is first rate and they seem well built and very durable - as rental cars they live a fairly hard life and seem to cope very well.The other Fiats don't seem to cope so well, new Bravo is nice enough but already had a couple of them into Fiat dealers for not insignificant mechanical failures.So talk Mrs Pog out of it if possible, if she really wants a Fiat then a Panda would be better.

[pompei]

The reviews of the Panda 100hp are superb, but they all say the suspension is too hard. I had a test drive in one as I was seriously interested, but would have ended up torching it after a day driving over Hull's speedbumps. I think Fiat are looking at revising it due to all the negative criticism.

[Richard]

Every few years FIAT bring out a range that looks radically different from, and better built than, what's gone before. Within a few years they start falling to bits just like all the old ones. It doesn't help that FIAT's credit terms have always appealed to people who can't really afford to run a new car, although that phenomenon has now spread to all makes.

[wuvvum]

Forget future shite, go for current shite. Import one of these.

 

 

 

[Milford Cubicle]

Would I buy one though? Erm...probably not, to be honest. Build quality on our renter was OK but wasn't going to be worrying VW any time soon.

Pshaw, stop with that local newspaper motoring hack talk. VWs only have an impression of build quality, not actual build quality.

 

I'd be quite keen on a Panda too, one of the only new cars I like. 1.3 diesel for mega mpg action. Punto may hold its value less though, so cheaper/shiter.

[Betaphile]

Apologies, I should have added hackneyed cliche alert. I like Fiats, but that's what I was getting at - I know Veedubs have mechanical malaises up there with the best, but purely in terms of the way they're put together (as a function of tactility), there is a sizeable gap between one of these and, say, a Polo. The myth has to have some grounding, after all...