[NST440]

@sukeshs: are you saying that Figo tdci titanium is for 6.45L? well i have just got a booking done for the same and its price is 5.40 Lacs,ex-showroom Punjab which i am very very sure of, other expenses:

14k insurance
500 temp no.
4500 (extra fog lights, which are not available elsewhere)

additional they are giving me floor mats,no. plates (which maruti has stopped giving with Swift Vdi)

[arishi1]

If the car price difference is so less then go for Punto. Its a good car and you won't regret your decision. At the end what matters is that you need to get the maximum satisfaction from your investment.

[gemithomas]

The Punto is THE CAR to buy if
- You have the Budget
- You love Driving
- You have time to spend at the Service centre for the small niggles.
- You dont mind the Leg space at the rear.

This is the only car in close budget range that would give you a smile, be it driving or parking and walking away.

[sukeshs]

Originally Posted by NST440

@sukeshs: are you saying that Figo tdci titanium is for 6.45L? well i have just got a booking done for the same and its price is 5.40 Lacs,ex-showroom Punjab which i am very very sure of, other expenses:

14k insurance
500 temp no.
4500 (extra fog lights, which are not available elsewhere)

additional they are giving me floor mats,no. plates (which maruti has stopped giving with Swift Vdi)

Ex-showroom in Thane (with octroi) is more like 5.6L here, insurance is 20K, Plus there was RTO registration of 45k+. The quote also includes the essential pack and extended warranty cost. The total cost quoted came around 6.45L

I have included these costs while comparing Figo with Punto because FIAT dealer is giving me underbody coating, teflon coating free, two yrs extended warranty free. Fiat is offering free insurance and 15K discount. So with all this the difference the two is between 55-60K and not 1L as most people here are saying.

[spindoc]

I took a TD of the Punto MJD E yesterday. It was a 2010 model. Here are my observations:

Build Quality - Punto feels like a vault (as has been noted by many here), but the Figo feels better put together (On the Punto - noticed quality issues with key slot panel, seat height adjustment lever, door lock mechanism (didn't lock easily without a firmer than normal push on some cars), glovebox etc.)

Exteriors - Totally subjective, though Punto is more to my liking (proportionate, classy, will possibly age better)

Interiors - Quality of plastics seems to have improved a lot from the '09 models, on par with Figo - better dash design and feel, but some small parts do not feel built to last (such as the seat height adjustment lever)

Space / Comfort - Front seats very supportive, excellent driving position (Figo felt great too but I felt the punto's seats were more supportive - I am 5'10"+).

Rear seat - shoulder, elbow and leg room lesser than the Figo, felt a tad more comfortable but I am not sure about that (there was an interval of 3 weeks between the Figo and Punto TDs)
Ride better than Figo, glides over bad roads, moderate bumps and potholes with aplomb.

Engine - Felt as refined if not better than the Ford TDCI. There is a boom at higher RPMs but it isn't annoying. Idle / low rpm NVH levels better than Figo. Performance - as noted by others. I am a novice and I didn't have any major issues with turbo lag.

Handling - I felt more comfortable driving the Figo (felt like a small car as against the Punto which "felt" bigger) but didn't have any issues with the Punto either. i don't have adequate experience to judge cornering capabilities, but a friend places the Punto higher than the Figo overall. I think the visibility that the Figo offers all around is a definite plus though.

Equipment Levels - The Punto E+ is way ahead of the Figo Titanium (at a higher price point though)

For me, between the two, the Punto seems better on many aspects (I am paranoid about the service backup but I am leaving that out of the equation, especially since Ford hasn't historically been renowned for service either) but the rear seat / boot might play a big role in my decision. I think passengers would appreciate the Figo's rear seat better and I expect to carry 3-4 people around every now and then.

This will be my first car (very late by T-BHP standards!) and while I don't have major budgetary constraints, I do have parking space considerations and would also like the ease of use / practicality that a hatchback brings to the table.

I guess I will look at the i20 too now, although I had held off on it, owing to reports from BHPians of poor rear seat comfort (backrest incline), inadequate AC (major turn-off w.r.t. Madras) and poorer steering / suspension / GC (I am sure as a novice, I wouldn't have a problem with the steering but can appreciate the other issues).

It'd be great to know if anyone has a different perspective / opinion on the Punto / Figo.

[commodore]

Originally Posted by spindoc

Engine - Felt as refined if not better than the Ford TDCI. There is a boom at higher RPMs but it isn't annoying. Idle / low rpm NVH levels better than Figo. Performance - as noted by others. I am a novice and I didn't have any major issues with turbo lag.

Handling - I felt more comfortable driving the Figo (felt like a small car as against the Punto which "felt" bigger) but didn't have any issues with the Punto either. i don't have adequate experience to judge cornering capabilities, but a friend places the Punto higher than the Figo overall. I think the visibility that the Figo offers all around is a definite plus though.

My TD experience of the Punto was a bit different. I found the low rpm booming sound of the engine disconcerting though it did not seem worse at higher rpm's. The 2nd gear has very poor pick-up and city drive-ability. Users agree with this but say that it improves over time. Turbo lag is there but less noticeable esp. when compared to the Swift DDiS. I found the NVH in the Figo less at low rpms but worse at higher rpms. Almost no turbo lag made it awesome to drive in the city.

I agree with your assessment of the handling. The Figo does feel 'lighter' whereas the Punto feels like a bigger car.

I finally booked the Figo considering the overall package..and of course, the fact that its a good drivers car did help! Ultimately my impressions are that of a newbie so take it with a grain of salt.

[rahulmd]

Thank you all for the good feedback. Couple of points I thought I would add:
1. Seat support - I think the Punto offers good underthigh support when the seat is at the uppermost position, but Figo offers better support at the lowest position. Having said that, the issue of support is very subjective :-)

2. Engine refinement - I had heard feedback that the 2010 Punto was more refined than the 2009 models. But I never got to test drive the same at either of the Fiat/ Tata dealerships I visited.

3. Service - I have had the misfortune of giving my Fiat Petra 1.6 for a regular oil change service to Concorde Motors on Mysore Road in Bangalore Feb 2010 (I usually visit Hariprasad Automobiles in Chamarajpet). While Concorde probably changed the oil, they broke the fuel flap. No replacements flaps are available in the market. After 2 weeks of follow up and 2 weeks of shouting they did a 'jugaad' replacement - they put a palio 1.2 fuel flap which does not lock!!!

When you consider point 2& 3 above, Im not convinced that the Fiat-Tata partnership, is working out for Fiat.

But the Figo has a negative which I did not talk about - Waiting Period. At the time I booked there was a 6 week waiting period. What I heard last week was that the wait is as long as 75 days for certain models in certain cities!!! While the wait per se is not good, what that tells me is that the Figo should hold its value much better than the Punto in the longer term.

Having said all that, if it is features you are after (climate control/ alloys/ steering mounted audio controls etc), then I think the Punto is a great value for money for car :-) Even though I cry and crib about the Petra Service and spare part availability, every time I come back from a long highway drive, Im grinning ear to ear :-D

I got delivery of my Figo on saturday 29 May. While my 1st preference colour was for a sea grey with ebony dash, I got a silver grey (my 2nd preference colour) with a black dash. Have done about 250km in the car so far. Loving it at the moment :-)

[CliffHanger]

Originally Posted by gemithomas

- You have time to spend at the Service centre for the small niggles.

Looking at the reports from other Punto owners, I would say almost none had to make frequent visits to get their niggles sorted out. Except for the intial crop of Puntos, the rest didn't have almost any of the niggles mentioned by the owners of the first batch. Even a lot of Figo owners have reported niggles similar to those that were in Punto. It just happens in the first lot of any car.

I, having driven my car more than 20,000km, didn't face any niggles and have made only 2 visits to the workshop till now. I for one wouldn't accept the fact that Punto has bad quality plastics. Except for 1 or 2 parts, Punto's plastics are really good, feels durable and premium.
But yes, the service from TASS is sub-standard, far from the industry standards.

[spindoc]

@commodore, @rahulmd and @CliffHanger - thanks much for sharing your opinions.

Rahul - Here's wishing you 1000s of happy miles with your Figo! It is an extremely well thought out decision, given the depth of your research.

I think the Punto's OTR prices are up by a minimum of 24K in Chennai, owing to a 2 p.c. increase in lifetime taxes and the withdrawal of the 10K gift cheque offer. It could be even more, with a rumored increase in prices (around 6K) for the BS4 engine. What makes things sour is the fact that I lost time owing to the Fiat dealerships' indifferent attitude (TDs were promised but never happened).

Need to check the price hike on the Figo too.

[gemithomas]

Originally Posted by rahulmd

Even though I cry and crib about the Petra Service and spare part availability, every time I come back from a long highway drive, Im grinning ear to ear :-D

And that is the grin that no car brand in anywhere close pricing would give you. Only a FIAT owner would know that.

[gopikb]

gemithomas, absolutely agree with you. The punto or for that matter any fiat car gives you a wide grin definitely after or during a highway drive. I have driven about 800kms in a single day of my highway drive without a sweat and still left with energy.
I would suggest people under confusion to choose between Figo and Punto the following.

1. The Figo at the current pricing is an absolute value for money car. It is really good for city drives and occasional long drives. If one is tight on budget and go only on occasional long drives, look no further than Figo

2. If you are the kind of people who hit the highway very frequently and love driving then I would strongly recommend the Punto even if you are stretching the budget.

[SPARKled]

I have owned both a Fiat and Ford and I can tell you both of these are wonderful cars and give you that lovely 'drivers car' feeling which my Spark does not give me. But if I were to choose between a punto or a figo I would surely go for a punto simply because it is a newer design, better looks and the handling dynamics are slightly superior if not too much.

[arunkk]

I am in the same confusion of Punto Vs Figo right now.. How about reviewing all the facts in the current scenario (Figo's price hike) ?
Rahul has finally opted for Figo due to its price advantage over Punto MJD E+. But how about comparing it with Punto MJD Emotion. Both Figo Titanium TDCI & Punto MJD Emotion comes around 6.5L OTR Bangalore. Here we are eliminating all the goodies that comes with E+ like alloy wheels, steering audio controls, blue & me etc.

[mechadios]

Am also confused between FIGO and Punto I am new to diesel cars but after having driven both the cars I felt the FIGO is more comfortable in city driving as I could leave the accelerator in 2nd/3rd gear but still it was going fine tried the same thing with Punto which gave up after some time and had to start it again and tried this many times so couldn't be a coincidence. (May be too crude a way of testing things but this works for me).

On the other hand felt the ride in FIGO was more bumpy compared to Punto. FIGO and PUNTO both were equally stable on higher speeds but going over potholes etc. PUNTO was more smooth and the ride quality was definitely better than FIGO. Only difference being in PUNTO we were only three inside the car but with FIGO we were five, if that would made any difference and also this particular FIGO car I drove was pretty beaten up even the driver side ORVM was broken so just want to confirm is it with me or this actually is the case?

[BMW-X5]

I was in the same dilemma before I have decided to go ahead with PUNTO MJD E+. I have tried I20 CDRI, FIGO and PUNTO (8 times).I was slod to PUNTO's looks ever since I saw it 2006 in UK. All 3 cars are good but not perfect. Go ahead and deiced based on your priorities. If you have enough budget and looking for an excellent city car look no beyond I20(I heard it is not bad on higways too).
With in budget and still need an amazing diesel car then it is FIGO.
Then the question is why PUNTO???
I have no answer .
I simply loved it,looks..ride and big car feel but that was not the deciding factor. My heart told me PUNTO is the car for you, so went by heart.

Delivery experience was nothing to speak about .. very average. It came with a mis aligned bonnet, glove box, crack on rear wiper and wheel balancing issues. But next day I got all this rectified to my satisfaction and enjoying every bit of it since then. But nothing much to complain as I was prepared for it But one thing surpirised me was the kind of support I got from FIAT. Mr. Ravi Bhattia assured me all support and he has called me up as soon as I post my concerns about FIAT services experience and spare parts availability. From the dealer I got to hear that he has called them up on the day of delivery to make sure that everything should be smooth (though they have messed up the whole experience)