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Hatchback
The biggest draw, apart from price, is the amount of space you get. There's plenty of headroom and legroom throughout and you can fit three in the back without too much sweat.
Even the boot is a decent size and you can swell the carrying capacity with the split/fold rear seats fitted to most models. Visibility is good, although the height-only adjustment for the steering wheel may compromise the driver's seating position.
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Most will find it comfortable, though. The switchgear can take a bit of getting used to. Some of the controls are seemingly scattered at random, such as the door mirror controls sited beneath the handbrake lever. Handling is competent, rather than fun. The steering's too vague and the body rolls too much. Most engines are willing but the 60bhp 1.2 can struggle and the 85bhp 1.9 JTD diesel is a bit noisy at speed.
Running Costs
Only high if you're its first owner and you were unwise enough to pay list price. From new, the Punto loses value faster than a Christmas decoration in a Boxing Day sale. That's great news for the used buyer, because second-hand examples are cheap. Be careful, though, not to pay too much for a nearly new example Fiat dealers often hand out whopping discounts on new cars, so don't pay too much for a nearly-new car.
Fuel bills will be low. Look to get 42-50mpg from the 1.2s, mid-40s from the 1.4 and mid-30s from the 1.8 HGT. The 1.9 diesels are capable of over 50mpg and the 1.3 bumps that up to 60mpg or more. Service costs are likely to be dearer than for a Ford Fiesta or Vauxhall Corsa, but typically you can save about 35% by going outside the Fiat network. Insurance costs are competitive, though.