Possibly the cheapest Grande Punto on TBHP? 1.4 EmoPack Background: I was looking at a decently priced, cost effective way of commuting to my workplace in Gurgaon for the next 6-8 months. With a daily commute of about 70kms, my choice of fuel is either gas (petrol) or CNG and have no interest in looking around for a diesel.
Initial discussions revolved around a Santro but the car felt a bit underpowered. Next up on my shortlist were a couple of used cars - a 1.3 OHC, a couple of Ikon Flairs and even a used Merc C-class (2 gens old) but every single lacked the all round appeal and cost effective value that I was looking for since I'll have to part with the car next autumn without taking on a huge hit in running costs or depreciation. Eventually, with time running out, I got back to looking at hatchbacks and during a cursory search for a GP, I found a fully loaded 1.4 EmoPack up for sale with a paltry 4000kms on the clock. After a pretty long test drive, I took the car to the local Fiat service center in my area to get a thorough inspection report which surprisingly, was free of cost. The seller wanted 4.9L for the car but I eventually got it down to 4.6L, including a valid insurance certificate for the next 8 months. The car has absolutely no mechanical or structural defects and the paint's in good condition. Of course, there's always some issue with any used car, so the the niggling bits are the multitude of tiny swirls in the paint (when will people ever learn to use a good wax and polish?) and the fact that some douchebag seems to have keyed the left rear door of the car leaving a scratch that's about 1/2" thick on the door.
Here are my intial impressions:
+ves:
1. Instantaneous fuel mileage - I like to extract the most amount of power in the least amount of fuel, so this helps me greatly.
2. Meaty steering wheel - Although this is a given in all the cars I've owned, I was a little surprised at how many cars that I test drove had fiddly wheels.
3. The front end looks gorgeous - My cousin in Delhi has a Maserati GranTurismo and the GP almost looks like a mini GT when parked alongside.
4. The suspension's pretty good - considering the pathetic state of the roads in our country, this is something that needs to included on every prospective buyer's list of things to check.
5. Airbags, ABS and EBD: Never bought a car without them and don't think I'm going to break that rule anytime in the future.
Ideally, I'd love to proclaim this car as perfect but sadly, there are a few negatives:
1. The seats aren't too comfortable. Maybe it's because of my taller frame but I couldn't see myself driving this all day long.
2. Gear changes aren't snick snick - Perhaps I'm too used to the slick shifting action in my other cars but I think the car could probably do with a short shifter.
3. Single reverse light - I've had more than a couple of people ask me if the reverse light on the right edge of the rear bumper had conked off.
4. The rear end looks a bit bland.
5. Acceleration in 2nd gear is a bit sluggish. The car almost jumps out in first gear and needs to kept at over 3500rpm to continue the surge ahead.
6. This is the first time I've bought a car that's not painted in either blue or white and I must admit, I still haven't warmed up to it.
7. The plastics on the dash aren't luxury league by any shot but I think I'm just nitpicking here.
Mods & accessories to be installed next week:
1. HID Xenons (4300K) - trying to source Philips ballast for cheap
2. Roof spoiler
3. After market alloys - sure the current ones look nice but they're a bit too ordinary for my tastes. I plan on getting a set of thin wired ones, something like an OZ Superleggera but slightly less understated.
4. Michelin rubber - I put the car through a few high speed corners and it seems that the current set of Goodyear GT3s aren't grippy enough.
5. Short shifter
6. Arm rest - My elbow keeps hunting for one every few minutes. Bad elbow!
7. 3M tint - I don't like people peering into other's cars.
8. Underbody rust coat
Overall, I'd rate the car a pretty good 8/10. The car should serve me well until the middle of next year. I just hope the depreciation keeps at sane levels.
I haven't had the chance to wax it yet and will upload shiny, new snaps once that's done.
Last edited by khan75 : 26th December 2009 at 18:20.
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