[gopikb]

Originally Posted by ra'ul M

Hi raj,
You have a great ride there . One that people love to hate. I'll be glad if you could answer some queries for me:
1. What is the top speed that you have achieved?
2. Is there a constant boom sound when travelling at high speed? I noticed it in the 75HP one and couldn't figure out the problem. Maybe it's the tyres!
3. When you say the car is slow, what are you comparing it with? How would you rate it in comparison with other Multijet's on sale.

I have booked a New Swift ZDi and these questions would be helpful in my head vs. heart battle!

ra'ul, I saw you have been hunting for some answers about Punto in multiple threads. I am just posting my experience here based on the the past two years with my 75BHP diesel Punto

1. What is the top speed that you have achieved?
Gopi: The absolute top speed that I have acheived is 160km/hour. Note that I just did it for one or two minutes on a empty expressway. Not advisable to do this on a regular road. Also, as a buyer, my advice is not to look at top speed, but look at comfortable highway cruising speed.

2. Is there a constant boom sound when travelling at high speed? I noticed it in the 75HP one and couldn't figure out the problem. Maybe it's the tyres!

Gopi: The 75BHP version can cruise comfortably at 110~120kmph speed without booming noise and straining the engine. The NVH levels upto 110km/hour are low and you wont even realize that you are cruising at 110km/hour. It feels like doing 80km/hour in my Santro. But as the speed crosses 120km/hour, you can start getting the booming noise inside cabin which increases with speed.

The stock Punto came with GT3 195/60 rubber which was noisy at speed in excess of 110km/hour. After 13000kms, I changed my stock tyres to Yokohama C drive with the same dimensions and there was a visible improvement in ride comfort and decrease in NVH levels.

3. When you say the car is slow, what are you comparing it with? How would you rate it in comparison with other Multijet's on sale.

Gopi : Yes. When I first took delivery of the Punto, I thought I made a big mistake since it did not freely rev as petrol engines where I can get linear acceleration. But in case of Punto, we had to wait until rpm reaches 2K before it can pull normally. Below that rpm number, the engine felt very sluggish. It was a huge struggle in bumper to bumper city traffic for the first week as we hardly can get the rpm above 2K. But this issue is complete history post 5K kms on the odo. Now it is more free revving and eager to move and behaves like a petrol engine. This is a remarkable improvement on this front as we crunch more miles.

Bottomline, the advantages I have seen in the Punto so far is as below

1. The sense of security you get once you sit inside the car because of its tank like build.

2. It is a perfect highway cruiser in its class. I have heard Polo and Fabia to be equally good. But compared to my earlier Santro, it is a class apart. no comparison at all.

3. The mileage I get on highway drives. My driving style is to keep about 80~90kms / hour speed on undivided 2 lane roads where I get the best mileage of 21~23kms/lt with 100% AC on. On 4-laned divided roads I cruise at 110 km/hour which I have seen is a very safe speed for this car. I get 20kms/liter at this speed with 100% AC on.

4. The stability at high speeds, ride and handling makes us enjoy the drive without getting tired.

5. Blue and me is a very useful feature while driving.

I suggest you take a test drive and see what is best for you. Swift with its new avatar I think is also a very good car with nice interiors. But I have never driven a swift in the past. Hence I am unable to compare Punto and the Swift.

[parimal_g]

Originally Posted by ra'ul M

Hi raj,
You have a great ride there . One that people love to hate. I'll be glad if you could answer some queries for me:
1. What is the top speed that you have achieved?
2. Is there a constant boom sound when travelling at high speed? I noticed it in the 75HP one and couldn't figure out the problem. Maybe it's the tyres!
3. When you say the car is slow, what are you comparing it with? How would you rate it in comparison with other Multijet's on sale.

I have booked a New Swift ZDi and these questions would be helpful in my head vs. heart battle!

Raj, i hope you dont mind if i answer to Rahul's queries..
1> Raj to answer.
2> Yes the Sound reduces after change of tyres, but the sound is less in 90 HP engine, but we can always use sound dampening materials.
3> The Swift has edge in acceleration, due to many factors, tuning of engine, turbo speed, vehicle weight, in Punto, 1st and 2 nd gear you will feel little slow but 3 gear is best one, its very good. Even Palio Multijet feels faster than Punto, but Punto from 3rd Gear is awesome.

[ra'ul M]

Originally Posted by gopikb

Gopi: The absolute top speed that I have acheived is 160km/hour. Note that I just did it for one or two minutes on a empty expressway. Not advisable to do this on a regular road. Also, as a buyer, my advice is not to look at top speed, but look at comfortable highway cruising speed.

Thanks for the detailed feedback. Yes I have been hunting primarily because I haven't yet been able to test drive the 90HP one yet.
Also, I am quite a sedate driver. The reason why I asked this is because it's the only car other than Linea which I would love to make a dash in this side of a Beemer, from whatever I have driven. And I found Linea to be running out of breath at 110 kmph.

Originally Posted by parimal_g

2> Yes the Sound reduces after change of tyres, but the sound is less in 90 HP engine, but we can always use sound dampening materials.

I, on the other hand thought that it's one of the best damped cars, hence was pretty bemused with that boom sound.

Thanks for answering.
I'll leave Raj's thread alone for now

[parimal_g]

Originally Posted by ra'ul M

Thanks for the detailed feedback. Yes I have been hunting primarily because I haven't yet been able to test drive the 90HP one yet.
Also, I am quite a sedate driver. The reason why I asked this is because it's the only car other than Linea which I would love to make a dash in this side of a Beemer, from whatever I have driven. And I found Linea to be running out of breath at 110 kmph.

Linea running out of breath at 110 Km/hr if am not wrong Satya from our forum only took his Linea more than 170 Km/hr, even i drove it till 145 Km/hr on NH4 and it easily manages the same.

[ra'ul M]

Originally Posted by parimal_g

Linea running out of breath at 110 Km/hr if am not wrong Satya from our forum only took his Linea more than 170 Km/hr, even i drove it till 145 Km/hr on NH4 and it easily manages the same.

It does. Out of breath was more in context to the strain experienced on the engines. I am used to Hondas so maybe not driving it correctly.
Sorry for comparing apples to oranges, as I have never owned a diesel.

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

Budget is not an issue, just want to know if the 90hp is any better in terms of driveability within the city? Haven't taken a TD of the 75 hp yet

If budget is not an issue, go ahead with the 90 HP. Driveability 3rd gear onwards is much more improved, compared to the 75 bhp.

Originally Posted by kiren

I fully agree. Guys need to drive and then comment.

A friend of mine who has been driving a Swift VDI for nearly 4yrs was always cribbing as to why I had bought an Punto. The day he drove my car (Punto 90HP) he has realised why and always want to drive when we are together.

Kiran

Many here judge the car based on it's general perception or it's brand image, which is disheartening.

Originally Posted by ra'ul M

Hi raj,
You have a great ride there . One that people love to hate. I'll be glad if you could answer some queries for me:
1. What is the top speed that you have achieved?
2. Is there a constant boom sound when travelling at high speed? I noticed it in the 75HP one and couldn't figure out the problem. Maybe it's the tyres!
3. When you say the car is slow, what are you comparing it with? How would you rate it in comparison with other Multijet's on sale.

I have booked a New Swift ZDi and these questions would be helpful in my head vs. heart battle!

1) I have not taken her to a full fledged highway yet, so it is 140 kmph.
2) There is no boom noise as such but there is tyre roar at high speeds because of the crappy but grippy Goodyear GT3!
3) I am comparing it to the Scorpio mHawk. I know its unfair.

[raj_5004]

As far as quality control is concerned, FIAT still has a long way to go.

1) The hose/pipe connecting the rear washer spray from the water container (in the bonnet) came off from its joint, which meant the rear washer dint work. I was okay with that since its not raining these days & I thought I will buy a clip & secure it firmly. Now the same happens with the front windshield washer too. I opened the bonnet to see water dripping from some engine parts, which confirmed that water was leaking.

To see where the water is leaking from, I put my head inside the engine bay & pulled the lever for windshield washer. Before I could react, a jet of water directly sprayed on my face (from the disconnected hose) leaving my shirt drenched!!! To make matters worse, this was in my office complex & two girls standing nearby were watching this all the while & giggling!

2) If you have a Punto, make sure you open all the doors atleast once a week. If you dont, the door becomes difficult to open as the beadings stick together. I am not kidding!

3) Initially, the bonnet used to act weird. If you open it & then try to close it, it would not close & used to pop out even if u tried to close it forcibly. Something was wrong in the latch (a spring mechanism inside the latch dint function properly) & one knock with a screwdriver or something on the latch would be enough to rectify this.

I had gone to Hotel Leela (its a 5 star hotel near Mumbai airport) with a friend. The security asked me to open the bonnet for checking. I did & then it would not close. When I saw him banging the bonnet desperately to close it, I had to ask him to leave it like that. I had to get down (to give a knock to the latch!) & close the bonnet. But it was pitch dark & it took me some time & guess what... it was raining! I was almost fully drenched again!

Why am i writing all this? To vent my frustration? to dissuade you people from buying a punto? NO WAYS!!!

Infact, I love my car. Apart from the above small niggles, it has not given me any other major issue. Mechanically, it is running absolutely fine. Of course, it just 8500 kms old! Its a joy to drive, looks like a million bucks & has a "soul" which comes standard with the car. I forget all this when I get one looooong drive in my car... its an awesome feeling - a punto on an open road! the steering response, the steering feel, the brake bite, the handling, the ride, I can go on & on! Suddenly, after all this, you tend to think that all electronic gizmos in the car like ACC, Blue&Me, etc are just secondary. The most basic & important thing is how the car is engineered. And that is where the FIAT PUNTO excels.

If I still want to crib, I would say that wish FIAT has given better gearing for the Punto. Inspite of being powerful, I think the gearbox is not allowing us to exploit the full potential of the car. The chassis says "go go go you fool, press the throttle harder" & I reply "shut up you idiot, ask the gearbox to behave". Also, I want FIAT to improve the quality so that more people are happy with their cars & these cars sell in more numbers, as I believe, they deserve to.

All said & done, Punto is not a "Fill it-Forget it" type of a car. To be fair, the car has not given me any "issues" as such. Such minor complaints are expected in any car, even if its a TO-YO-TA! But its only aggravated or hyped when FIAT is involved.

There maybe other cars which offer better performance, better features, better A.S.S. or more value for money...

But those are just good "machines"... My Pintu is my companion... for life.

[ishlinea7260]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

As far as quality control is concerned, FIAT still has a long way to go.

1) The hose/pipe connecting the rear washer spray from the water container (in the bonnet) came off from its joint, which meant the rear washer dint work. I was okay with that since its not raining these days & I thought I will buy a clip & secure it firmly. Now the same happens with the front windshield washer too. I opened the bonnet to see water dripping from some engine parts, which confirmed that water was leaking.

To see where the water is leaking from, I put my head inside the engine bay & pulled the lever for windshield washer. Before I could react, a jet of water directly sprayed on my face (from the disconnected hose) leaving my shirt drenched!!! To make matters worse, this was in my office complex & two girls standing nearby were watching this all the while & giggling!

Yeah I had this problem in the linea too. They changed the plastic channel that divides the water from the reservoir to the two nozzles free of cost.

Not only the doors should be opened once in a while it is advisable to open windows too because after prolonged non usage they tend to make silly screeching noises especially if you got tints.

[sdp1975]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

Why am i writing all this? To vent my frustration? to dissuade you people from buying a punto? NO WAYS!!!

Infact, I love my car. Apart from the above small niggles, it has not given me any other major issue. Mechanically, it is running absolutely fine. Of course, it just 8500 kms old! Its a joy to drive, looks like a million bucks & has a "soul" which comes standard with the car. I forget all this when I get one looooong drive in my car... its an awesome feeling - a punto on an open road! the steering response, the steering feel, the brake bite, the handling, the ride, I can go on & on! Suddenly, after all this, you tend to think that all electronic gizmos in the car like ACC, Blue&Me, etc are just secondary. The most basic & important thing is how the car is engineered. And that is where the FIAT PUNTO excels.

If I still want to crib, I would say that wish FIAT has given better gearing for the Punto. Inspite of being powerful, I think the gearbox is not allowing us to exploit the full potential of the car. The chassis says "go go go you fool, press the throttle harder" & I reply "shut up you idiot, ask the gearbox to behave". Also, I want FIAT to improve the quality so that more people are happy with their cars & these cars sell in more numbers, as I believe, they deserve to.

All said & done, Punto is not a "Fill it-Forget it" type of a car. To be fair, the car has not given me any "issues" as such. Such minor complaints are expected in any car, even if its a TO-YO-TA! But its only aggravated or hyped when FIAT is involved.

There maybe other cars which offer better performance, better features, better A.S.S. or more value for money...

But those are just good machines... My "Pintu" is my companion... for life.

Well said.

I've had my share of niggles in my Punto like beading issues, but overall I've been satisfied with my car - no major complaints ( touchwood). Service has been reasonably satisfactory, although there have been occasions where I've had to follow up and revisit the ASC to get my niggles sorted out. I've got 29,000+ km on my odo and 2 yrs since my purchase.

Last week I went on a long drive with my family and the car felt so good on the highways, I'm just waiting for my next opportunity to hit the highways.

[CliffHanger]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

Why am i writing all this? To vent my frustration? to dissuade you people from buying a punto? NO WAYS!!!

Infact, I love my car. Apart from the above small niggles, it has not given me any other major issue. Mechanically, it is running absolutely fine. Of course, it just 8500 kms old! Its a joy to drive, looks like a million bucks & has a "soul" which comes standard with the car. I forget all this when I get one looooong drive in my car... its an awesome feeling - a punto on an open road! the steering response, the steering feel, the brake bite, the handling, the ride, I can go on & on! Suddenly, after all this, you tend to think that all electronic gizmos in the car like ACC, Blue&Me, etc are just secondary. The most basic & important thing is how the car is engineered. And that is where the FIAT PUNTO excels.


But those are just good "machines"... My Pintu is my companion... for life.

You just have written my mind here, Raj. I have driven a lot of other cars, but they were all just cars, Punto is something else. I miss my Punto, when I'm back I will buy either the 90HP Punto or Panda.

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by ishlinea7260

Not only the doors should be opened once in a while it is advisable to open windows too because after prolonged non usage they tend to make silly screeching noises especially if you got tints.

Oh, now thats news to me! Will start operating all windows every sunday as a routine!

Originally Posted by sdp1975

I'm just waiting for my next opportunity to hit the highways.

I wanna take my car to the mumbai - pune express highway & floor it. while coming back, I wanna use the old highway & use the twisties & Punto's finely tuned & balanced body manners to the fullest.

Originally Posted by CliffHanger

You just have written my mind here, Raj. I have driven a lot of other cars, but they were all just cars, Punto is something else. I miss my Punto, when I'm back I will buy either the 90HP Punto or Panda.

Will Panda (relatively being a tall boy) be as indulging to drive as a Punto?

[dj_turbo]

I think most of the actual owners of FIAT cars would agree that their cars are really awesome in terms of ride and handling, feel of the steering etc and the small niggles and pain caused by TASS can be ignored for sheer pleasure of ownership.

PS: oops, my ownership thread title looks like copied from yours I will have to think of a new one.

[gopikb]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

I wanna take my car to the mumbai - pune express highway & floor it. while coming back, I wanna use the old highway & use the twisties & Punto's finely tuned & balanced body manners to the fullest.

Originally Posted by dj_turbo

I think most of the actual owners of FIAT cars would agree that their cars are really awesome in terms of ride and handling, feel of the steering etc and the small niggles and pain caused by TASS can be ignored for sheer pleasure of ownership.

Absolutely agree with you guys. Cant wait to hit the highway with the Punto. Just did a Bangalore-Palani trip two weeks ago over a weekend and now waiting for the next weekend to drive on the Ooty ghats. The highway behavior is impeccable. I never had the impulse to do such frequent trips in the other cars that i owned.

Leaving the minor niggles, the overall satisfaction that the car gives is simply unmatched. Even after driving this car for close to two years, I still keep raving to my wife on the steering feel and handling everytime we are driving on the highway. My daughter and wife look at each other and I read their mind as "There he goes again....".

[neoonwheels]

The best thing about a FIAT is, when you drive one, you and the car become one single entity, period.

[architect]

Well, my ownership status is also full of 'niggles' and 'parts quality issues' but at the end of the day, I realise that Fiat cars have a soul. The kind of soul that comes when a car is designed with passion and an ultimate aim of making them fun to drive.

I also feel (strongly) that Fiats are very well-engineered. They are, however, let down by quality issues, always. Of course, the service support sucks, but I really appreciate the fact that the service center I go to tries to take as good care of me as Fiat lets them.