Grande Punto Team 1.4 Thoughts?

BrookieD

Hi All,
Was looking around at a run around and spotted this at Cloghran Car Sales / Used Car Store.
Does anyone have any thoughts on the motor - They seem to get a very good write up in general. - looking for cheap to buy and run motor

What about Cloghran or Used Car Store. Anyone have delaings with them etc..?


http://www.carzone.ie/search/Fiat/Grande-Punto/1.4i-TEA/131584615124924/advert?channel=CARS

Thanks
Brookied

Ardennes1944

they are a nice car. very reliable but timing belts do have to be done every 36k and suspension parts are weak enough. if i was you i would get a sporting seeing as how your getting a 1.4. dont know how age matters to you http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2764169

shamwari

Drive it first and see what you think. The 8v 1.4 won't feel terribly quick. 16v is better.

BrookieD

not a boy racer anymore to be honest, so 8-16v makes no odds to me. More of interested is the Timning belt info above
@Ardennes1944 how much would this be - i would also be asking the dealer to replace before i decide to pick this up

Speedway

I drove a 2006 1.4 16v sporting for about 18 months. (You could probably search and find some advice I've given on this before somewhere here)

I've had several Fiats and loved my GP sporting. It was the 16v non turbo 95bhp version. From 2008 they did a 120bhp turbo that was much more fun to drive.

But overall great car, very comfortable and cheap to run. Suspension components are weak and if you hit too many speed bumps hard you'll start to damage cv joints and wishbones. Listen out for clunking sounds during test drives.

as I said I've had several Fiats and loved them HOWEVER, buy it knowing that you will probably not get your money back.
I paid about 12k for a 2006 car and after 18 months I was struggling to even get 4k for it. Nobody wanted to take it from me at all, dealers just didn't want it. They just saw it as a bog standard grande punto, didn't matter to them that there was piles of extras in it.


So overall, great car, fun, comfortable, economical and very cheap to own and run, but they depreciate like a stone!

BrookieD

i see the value is very low to be honest, cheap to buy so little chance of anything after 5 years or pottering around.

I have a choice between this and a Alfa Mito 1.4 95hp 2009 at 10k both have 70k on the clock but Fiat have the Mito and will fully service the car with belt changes if needs be,
dont know why but the Mito looks a safer bet? something about the punto not sitting well with me

Speedway

I think given that choice I would probably go for the MiTo. I haven't driven one but they have a slightly more upmarket interior and a more premium feel.

Also I know personally I like driving a car that you don't see hundreds of on the road.

Day to day you probably wouldn't notice much of a difference between the two but I think for me the Alfa would feel a little more "special".
Everything else being equal, go for the one that puts the bigger smile on your face

BrookieD

true but there is a €50 euro pm difference in cost per month to finance

Sorry cost 50 euro more pm month for the Mito

Longer term would i be right in that 4 years down the line the MITO would have held much more value?

Ardennes1944

fiats are great cars. very reliable too if you look after them (like all cars really).
the 8v in the one you linked is very reliable and simple to work on. i havent looked at the details but the blue and me system would be handy to have, im 99% it has it anyway given the year and spec of it.

the timing belt is about 350e. might get it less from an indy mechanic.
i practically had a red gp sporting bought last year but having got it checked out by a fiat dealer the suspension was in bits so i left it. just make you get the suspension and timing belt change looked at before you buy. i would recommend the car though

Ardennes1944

BrookieD wrote: »

true but there is a €50 euro pm difference in cost per month to finance

Sorry cost 50 euro more pm month for the Mito

Longer term would i be right in that 4 years down the line the MITO would have held much more value?

the vito would probalby have more value due to its rarity but alfas dont exactly hold value well anyway. the punto is cheap enough for a 2010 (you'd probably haggle them down a good bit) and theres a good few 2010s on donedeal ever so often that are cheaper again. loads with low miles