Help me counter a figoian

Sundar let me say this straight off that the Punto is not THE most perfect or the BEST car out there. BUT, none of the cars are the BEST. The BEST car is one that you feel most comfortable in. A lot of cars have been listed on this thread and all the listed cars have their negative's.

Hyundai i20:

- Poor straight line stablity.
- Dead steering which doesn't inspire any confidence at all.
- Expensive service costs. All that talk of cheap Hyundai service is bull.
- Average after sales service. Again, people may keep parroting about excellent Hyundai service but owner's seem to report something else. It's just that like poor Fiat ASC is stuck in people's mouth's, excellent Hyundai service is the line given by parrots out there.
- Very poor Air conditioning. A problem since the i20 was launched and despite many complaint's Hyundai has done NOTHING about it.
- Rattling Steering. Again, a problem since the i20 was launched. Hyundai has done nothing. Dealer's will either tell you 'Sir, all cars are like this' or 'you are imagining things!'
- I have been in the car and I really don't get the premium interior's bit about the i20. What is so premium in it? The plastic's are just about average and the design has no flair at all. Yes, they are built better then Punto's but is that enough to call it premium?

The only true premium interior's in a hatchback in India is in the VW group car's - Polo & Fabia.

VW Polo / Skoda Fabia:
- 1.2L 3 cylinder engines for 8 lakhs?! Enough said!
- Expensive service & upkeep costs specially for the Fabia.

Maruti Swift:
- Caution! The car has very poor brake's. I do hear the talks about how Zdi brakes are better but what does this mean? Maruti wants you to spend 8 lakhs if you want to save your life? It's amazing the car sells 20K units every month with such a critical flaw & safety violation. Even more surprising that none of the 20K people who get this car every month say anything about the brakes?!

Ford Figo:
- Seriously look at the car. It's so bloody outdated. Outdated in design , technology & engine. No wonder Ford can sell it for 4 Lakhs. Remember, if you give peanuts you will only get monkey's. Sure it ride's and handles really well and the diesel engine is great in the city with it's minimal turbo lag unlike the Punto's but it is OUTDATED.

Honestly, look at the Nissan Micra instead of the Figo.

Fiat Punto:
- Strictly average servicing experience with the Tata dealers. It's not a Maruti where you can go and get it serviced easily, you will have to take some effort. Just to hand over the car to service will mean you will have to take half a day off.
- Wait times for non running spares.
- Some niggling issues which Fiat has ironed out over the year's. The 2012 model's may not give you as many reasons to tear your hair out as the 2009 models did.
- The most time you spend in a car is inside. You wouldn't have a great time in the Punto. The design of the dash is among the best in the segment but the execution is pretty listless.
- 2012 models have an upgraded Air con. I have a 2009 model and I have to say the ACC in my car is strictly average. Better then i20 of course, but even a fan is better then the i20's air con .
- Irritating gear ratio's specially first & second. You will feel the car is under powered but third gear onward's the car starts moving. The advantage of this is that the engine works really well on the highway's.

If you see the above negitives listed about the cars, you will notice that the areas that matter the most, Fiat comes out on top. Fiat has engineered the car well. From personal expereince, the brakes are simply FANTASTIC - way better then Swift, the ride quality is THE BEST, the handling is way superior to any car in it's segment and a few above it ( I have a Honda City and the Punto has better steering, high speed stability, suspension, handling & brakes then the City).

All the talk about Can I drive a Punto as my first car makes me wonder why isnt it possible for a first time car buyer to drive a Punto? Why is it so intimidating? Is it a F-16 or something?

You just need one tip: It has a wide turning radius. Again, 2012 models have a narrower radius so it shouldn't be that bad.

As for Fiat shutting shop. I heard the same stories in 2003 when I bought the Palio. It's 2012 now and Fiat is still here.

I hope Fiat is reading this. Despite being in India for so many year's they haven't been able to put the message across to average Indian's that they are here to stay.

 

I understand there will be some niggling issues for the services. I am sure TFI can help me though this forum if I need any support regarding my car. Today I am going to VST Chennai to get a glimpse of punto and get a firm quote...Infact yesterday I went but they shut the anna nagar showroom by 6 PM, strange...I confirmed the timing of mount road branch and they will be open till 4 PM, so have to rush...BTW if you think any point I need to raise with the sales guy except finance pls let me know soon.

 

I am surprised a comparison between Punto and Figo was even entertained by anyone on this planet..

Punto is my first car and after having owned and driven it, i frankly feel unsafe in every other god-damn hatch in the country.. Punto excels in what matters in a car. The stability, build quality, drivability and other dynamics are simply beyond excellence.. All the Swifters, Figoers and whoever can go to hell beating their cheap tincans.. anyone who experiences Fiat once knows what he is missing in his car.

When i was looking for a car, i was cautioned by almost everyone i know against buying Fiat. I still went ahead and bought it and now its my group's favorite car. Also, having been driven in it, it has managed to silence all the critics without me mentioning a single word about anything. thats the power of a fiat..

Plastics, music Systems and other accessories arent the reason cars exist.. they exist to be driven and for the pleasure one gets by driving a car as refined as Fiat.

Think and decide for yourself why you are buying a car.. If you are buying for the sake of others there will always be people speaking against you and confusing you.. You buy what makes you happy and let the whole world go to hell with their opinions.. Once they have been in Fiat, they will realise its worth..

 

Today I went to VST motors showroom on Mount road with my wife. I told her lot about the car and so she too was very eager to feel the car. But to our disappointment showroom was closed when we went there around 2 pm braving scorching sun. Infact I even called those guys and confirmed that they would be working till 4 PM. On my way back to home we stopped by Renault showroom just to see what other have in their fold. The sales guy gave me the price list for two variants of Pulse. He told both has airbag options but when I asked about ABS the answer was big NO. The top variant's price was close the punto 1.3 L MJD Emotion, but still there are lots of features missing. Apart from ABS, bluetooth is also absent in any variant. I really dont know the purpose of the airbag when ABS must be there in first place for safety. Personally I dont like Pulse's design also. The driver seat is not adjustable and when enquired about it sale guy cringed to say that I can drag the seat back if I need free leg space. Good that I read about Punto which made me look at these feature and now I feel the real difference.

 

Ramjn, But now the current price of the Emotion variant is 7.7. L with all discounts...I want to go for emotion only...I never spent this much money on anything let alone a vehicle. It seems to be one of the important moment in my life. Guys give me your opinion and encourage me, so that I go for it confidently...

 

If anyone can help me to get good discounts I am very happy and go ahead for emotion 1.3 L MJD ASAP.