Used Fiat Grande Punto 2006 - 2011 review

It sounds like a cup of coffee but, as the name suggests, this is a larger supermini with space for up to four adults, and a good-sized boot. It's also got a five-star Euro NCAP crash rating and every model, except the entry-level Active, comes with side and curtain airbags.

The Grande Punto handles well, with good body control and ample grip though corners. The ride is a little too firm at low speeds, and can cause the car to fidget over poorly surfaced roads. However, at higher speeds the ride does improve.

Fiat has equipped the Grande Punto well, with electric front windows, remote central locking, a CD player, ABS and ISOFIX child seat mounting points as standard. The driving position isn't perfect, but the controls are well laid out and the cabin has a durable feel. Unfortunately, owners don't rate the car's reliability very highly, and it has performed badly in previous JD Power satisfaction surveys.

Your bank manager should thank you for buying a Grande Punto. Used prices are very reasonable, while fuel consumption, insurance costs and road tax are low. The less-powerful petrols do 47.9mpg, while the turbo-charged 1.4-litre manages between 42.8mpg and 40.9mpg. Both 1.3-litre diesels have an average of 62.8mpg, while the 1.9-litre comes in at 50.4mpg.

The diesel models are slightly cheaper to service than the petrol cars, but it's more expensive than rivals such as the Renault Clio and Peugeot 207. Compare quotes from different garages to bring your bills down. Opt for one of the newer cars, with a longer warranty, and you should save on repair bills.

If you're looking at Grande Puntos out of warranty, you may want to consider taking out an extended or independent warranty: owners aren't very complementary about the numerous small faults that crop up.

The five-door models give the best access to the spacious rear, but the three-door models aren't particularly compromised. The five-door typically costs between £300-500 more, depending on the model.

There's a wide range of petrol engines to choose from. These include a 1.0-litre, that's weak and noisy, an eight-valve1.4, which is better, but not perfect, and a 1.4 16v, which is smooth and refined but needs to be revved a little harder. There's also a turbo charged 1.4-litre T-Jet with 120bhp, and an Abarth version with 153bhp. Diesel options are the 1.3-litre, with either 75bhp or 90bhp; and a 1.9-litre with 130bhp. The first two are refined, quiet and worth considering, but the last suffers from excessive turbo lag.

Dynamic trim is a good bet and comes with alloy wheels, air-conditioning, steering wheel-mounted stereo controls, and an MP3-compatible stereo. The Dynamic Sporting is essentially the same car, but with foglights, a body kit and rear spoiler. In mid-2008 the range was revised and the Dynamic Sporting was replaced with GP trim. All models from this date onwards came with a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty.