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Hatchback

Modern Fiats fall into two categories: the retro models and those with more functional designs.

Cars in the first camp appeal to the heart and include the 124 Spider sports car and the 500 series: a hatchback, a convertible, an SUV and two MPVs.

By contrast, the remaining models rely on their practicality and attractive pricing, with the Panda city car, Tipo hatchback and Fullback pick-up truck all prime examples.

Fiat can trace its roots back to the 19th century but is now part of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group, along with Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Jeep and Maserati.

FIAT

GRANDE PUNTO

The Grande Punto gives you a lot of car for your cash, but it's far from perfect.

Used Fiat Grande Punto 2006 - 2011

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 Grande Punto gives you a lot of car for your cash, but it's far from perfect. 

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.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Spacious enough for four adults to sit comfortably</li> <li>Logically laid-out interior that doesn’t</li> <li>feel too cheap</li> <li>Mature driving manners </li> <li>Decent-sized boot</li> <li>Competitive buying and running costs</li></ul>

Small cars, or superminis as they’re also known, used to be bought almost exclusively as first cars or by people with no children – but the likes of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/review/n106">Ford Fiesta</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/ibiza/hatchback/review/n17359">Seat Ibiza</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/polo/hatchback/review/n83">Volkswagen Polo</a> have grown to the point where they can be considered all-round family transport, albeit with the odd compromise.

Small

The list of potential problems with the Grande Punto is quite long. The interior doesn't appear to be very well bolted together, with lots of items squeaking, working loose, or simply falling off. This not only concerns things such as the glovebox and door cards, but also the headlining.

The doors can prove problematic, either not being fitted properly, dropping over time, or not staying shut. The opening mechanism also has a habit of failing, locking people in or out. Suspension, brake and engine gremlins are also reported. To cap it all the electrics can be temperamental, and some of the switchgear can need replacing.

There have been a number of recalls on the Grande Punto since its launch in '06, with some potentially dangerous problems. The worst concerns possible steering failure. Owners should have been automatically notified of recalls, but you should still check that they've all been carried out.

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.

Used Fiat Grande Punto 2006 - 2011 reliability

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Used Fiat Grande Punto 2006 - 2011 review

The list of potential problems with the Grande Punto is quite long. The interior doesn't appear to be very well bolted together, with lots of items squeaking, working loose, or simply falling off. This not only concerns things such as the glovebox and door cards, but also the headlining.,The doors can prove problematic, either not being fitted properly, dropping over time, or not staying shut. The opening mechanism also has a habit of failing, locking people in or out. Suspension, brake and engine gremlins are also reported. To cap it all the electrics can be temperamental, and some of the switchgear can need replacing.,There have been a number of recalls on the Grande Punto since its launch in '06, with some potentially dangerous problems. The worst concerns possible steering failure. Owners should have been automatically notified of recalls, but you should still check that they've all been carried out.

What to look for when buying a Fiat Grande Punto 2006 - 2011, covering common problems to check for and overall vehicle reliability.

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Used Fiat Grande Punto 2006 - 2011 reliability

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