[better4worse]

Beyond that there isn't much really, one could crib about the obnoxiously large cutting radius, the high pedals and maybe some more, from there on the cribs/rants would vary from person to person. Punto has absolutely brilliant bits as well as pathetically ordinary bits ! On the whole, I'd still say its a bluddy good car especially speaking from my price point.

@anshuman - Oh man ! The ignition key well is such an eyesore along with the entire console between the steering and the dashboard, that I'd pay to have them replaced if only there were better quality replacements available. The first time I saw all this at the dealership, I was convinced that I am not gonna spend my 5 lacs on this!

[funkykar]

Anshuman: Nice report. Hope you have a Fiatful time ahead.

After going through all Punto threads, I wanted to book one for my dad. But instead I booked a Palio today because I am booking a Punto 90HP for myself.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

Very honest report anshuman. I have a few questions if you can answer them
1) Are there any rattles? I can do with slightly worse plastics but not rattles
2) Do you feel its underpowered when compared to your swift?
3) Do you regret buying the Punto over Swift?

1. There are some rattles from rear seats, and some squeaking sounds from front seats.
   
2. The Driveability is as good as the Swift, infact in the city Punto with linear power delivery is much more comfortable to drive. The first 2 gear ratios are annoying though. Overall performance was much better in Swift. To me even Swift was not a rocket, it was peppy but not in a hot hatch league.
   
3. No i do not regret buying Punto over Swift. But i absolutely hate Tata-Fiat service support, every time a new issue or rattle crops up i feel annoyed not because of the issue but with the thought of going to a Tata-Fiat dealership again.

Every time my car comes back from the workshop i get a call from Fiat pune to take a feedback, the process of taking feedback takes more than 10minutes, but off late i have realised this is a waste of my time and now i have asked them not to call me from now on. I have given the feedback more than 10 times since i bought the car and i have not even felt slightest change in service quality.

Some Fiat fans here might feel that i am just bashing Fiat for fun. Someone who has paid more than 6.5lac rupees for a PREMIUM hatchback deserves better quality components and better service than a Indica taxi owner.

It takes ages to procure frequently replaced parts recommended to be changed at every service, some might suggest i should drive 40+40kms to get an AC pollen filter to some other dealership in some other part of city. We have 3 Tata-Fiat Dealerships in Gurgaon, all of them are Poor.

I love Fiat Italy for designing such a magnificent automobile, the Grande Punto but i hate Fiat India and Tata equally for ruining the car in process of localisation and providing poor service support.

[PaddleShifter]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Someone who has paid more than 6.5lac rupees for a PREMIUM hatchback deserves better quality components and better service than a Indica taxi owner.

It takes ages to procure frequently replaced parts recommended to be changed at every service, some might suggest i should drive 40+40kms to get an AC pollen filter to some other dealership in some other part of city. We have 3 Tata-Fiat Dealerships in Gurgaon, all of them are Poor.

I love Fiat Italy for designing such a magnificent automobile, the Grande Punto but i hate Fiat India and Tata equally for ruining the car in process of localisation and providing poor service support.

Anshuman, would you still pick Punto over i20 now since both of these cost the same(Ex-Showroom Chandigarh). Or forget the price difference & fuel economy, just looking at the maintenance cost, cars and the company, what would you pick?

Do you have any idea if petrol i20's maintenance cost is significantly higher than Punto 1.4?
I'm in a serious dilemma.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by PaddleShifter

Anshuman, would you still pick Punto over i20 now since both of these cost the same(Ex-Showroom Chandigarh). Or forget the price difference & fuel economy, just looking at the maintenance cost, cars and the company, what would you pick?

Do you have any idea if petrol i20's maintenance cost is significantly higher than Punto 1.4?
I'm in a serious dilemma.

Paddleshifter i have not driven the i20 petrol, and since i never had a intention to buy a Punto petrol i never considered the car seriously.

Talking about Diesels, I rate both i20 CRDi and Punto MJD equally good, both cars have their strengths and weaknesses. When i bought Punto last year budget was not a restraint.

Maintenance cost of Hyundai cars is not that expensive, the service support is excellent. If peace of mind is important to you, pick an i20 over Punto with your eyes closed. Believe me i own a discontinued car, the Hyundai Elantra CRDi, cost of maintenance and sourcing spares has never been a problem.

[gemithomas]

Its quite interesting. Fiat gave us cars that held together inside out for years and no one was really interested in them. Now that people have started looking/buying their cars things start falling apart quite soon. I really feel bad for such a good car.

If the service centres were a bit more pro active i'm sure the brand would have been easily doing double or even triple their current numbers.

[rohan_iitr]

The OP has honestly posted his ownership experience - including both good and bad experiences with his Punto. We should appreciate his honesty.

He is not trying to relieve his frustration or scare off potential customers by posting his experiences. He has only mentioned the facts.

Buying a car is not just about the product. The sales and service experience is equally important.

Potential buyers are already aware of the strengths of the product. But they also need to be aware of the ownership experience. Only after evaluating the pros and cons, one can arrive at an informed decision.

Whether poor quality of plastics and bad A.S.S. matters to a customer is his personal preference. But a potential customer who is browsing Team-BHP for information regarding a car should be made aware of both sides of the coin by existing customers.

Once again, I thank and appreciate the OP for sharing his honest ownership experience with us.

Rohan

[Concorde]

I love Fiat Italy for designing such a magnificent automobile, the Grande Punto but i hate Fiat India and Tata equally for ruining the car in process of localisation and providing poor service support.[/b][/quote]



Exactly! I bought the Punto because I love the way it looks, drives and handles. Now, I am delaying sending it to the TATA-FIAT service because I am not sure what they will mess up this time. The product except for some bits is superb. Just hope FIAT gets it right in time.

[Concorde]

I own a Punto too. And believe me, the after-sales of TATA-FIAT is scary because it Is pathetic. team-bhp is one of the few places where people can get to know about the ownership experiences. And I would say after-sales is more important than a product itself, because purchase is a one-time. It is important to highlight the poor after sales of TATA-FIAT because its a norm, not an exception.

[arun1100]

^^Hope Fiat India reads your above posts and understands the emotions of Punters and future Punto buyers.

Anshuman, your report brings out the true colors of all issues of a Punto. Hope you continue having a good time ahead with your Punto and other cars.

[.anshuman]

I tried a new car wax today on my car. Yesterday i went to buy another box of Formula 1 car wax, i have been using Formula 1 for close to a decade. Formula 1 was not available so i thought of trying this new polish- Motomax, it's made in Brazil and marketed in India by Pidilite industries. I bought this polish for Rs.160.

I washed my car and applied the polish. Motomax is easier to apply compared to Formula 1 but required more effort to remove.

The results are shocking, all the swirl marks and oxidation has gone. The paint has a real deep shine now. In comparison the Formula 1 was close to the Gloss but it was not as effective on swirl marks and light oxidation. At 160 bucks its cheaper than Formula1. It remains to be seen how long does the gloss last.

Posting some pictures taken from cellphone cam. Please excuse for the poor quality.

[amit_mechengg]

^^
Motomax is a very average product and doesnt last much. I have already finished 1 tin of motomax for the very same reason, dint find formula 1 anywhere. There are lot of fakes.

try out Turtle wax. costs Rs.250. its a wonderful product and lasts long.

Your punto in RED looks very exotic.

Regarding tata motors. forget Fiat cars, up North they dont even service TATA cars properly.

In maharashtra things are on a bit better side.

[.anshuman]

^^ Compared to Formula 1 it does get rid of swirl marks much better. I don't remember when i last polished my car before this, so the car had lots of swirl marks and oxidation. Now after polishing the paint is as good as it was the on the day car was delivered.

Most polishes are sourced through un-organised grey market channels by Accesory shop owners, finding Turtle wax will require a lot of effort in Gurgaon. For now i am stuck to Motomax until it gets consumed, next time i'll surely try Turtle wax.

[download2live]

Try Reliance Autozone for Turtle Wax. Rs 240.
And results are good as compared to Waxpol. At least it is easier to remove. And gloss is also deep. But do not know how long it will last.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...-india-22.html

[krreddy]

I've already made my 4th trip to TATA-FIAT since the free 15,000 KM service. The under body plate and the left front door rattles like crazy. That problem just wouldn't go. TATA suggests that i replace the under body plate (It costs Rs 3000), and i just don't trust them!

And god i hate their customer surveys. The next time, i'll just hang up.