1996 Fiat Punto 90 ELX 1.6 Goes For a Drive

Fiat took the small car world by storm with the Mk1 Punto, come for a drive in a 1996 1.6 90 ELX Punto and see why it was so good.
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[@matt697n]

I'm italian and I can tell you that the Mk 1 Punto was so embedded in the italian society (every dad/uncle/grandma had one of these well into the 00s) that I can smell the interior from here. Great video as always, btw.

[@furiousdriving]

It was the smell that got me as soon as I opened the door - took me right back!

[@mfitzy100]

As an Italian what went wrong with fiat? We loved them here in Ireland but they’ve lost the plot since about 2000 with poor cars and poor marketing. Used be the no 1 selling brand here but they throw it all away. The current Fiat line up is barely a shadow of that time. Boring Korean makes have taken over and also the German and French makes

[@matt697n]

​@@mfitzy100 I just think that FIAT's golden days are gone. They built their reputation by making cheap, no-nonsense and reliable cars when those qualities were not taken for granted. Today every car is a good-enough car, and they are trying to create an image as a fancy, almost-upscale car maker (kinda like Opel did in the late 2000s), but they are struggling. They make almost 10 FIAT 500 variants, but they seem not interested in making another good economy car ( the Grande Punto is 15 yrs old...) and they are loosing market share (at least in Italy, I'm not so shure about the rest of Europe).

[@alphatrion100]

@@mfitzy100 it has to do with growing competion. Fiat was big in small cheaper cars. However, korean cars are so good now reliabillity wise and are no longer ugly. So they take a good chunk of the market away.

[@zsoltpapp3363]

We had a 96 model and loved it. Btw. i also remember the smell of the interior...:) It was nice dark green color, and overall a very practical, and a very good looking little car. We kept it for 13 years. Did not have anything Italian in the family since then, but my brother will receive his Alfa Stelvio in weeks. Anyway, its not a big deal to make a fun car for a lot of money, but if you want something affordable and still have a little fun in it, i think italian cars are still on the top. My dream car is a Fiat/Abarth 124 spyder. Cheers from Hungary.

[@tomthepetrolhead97]

I have to confess the mk1 punto is one of my favourite ever fiats

[@UltimatumDemon]

I bought one 3 months ago. 70k km, no rust. It's the 1.2 60 Star, with the big spoiler. The car is so simple and easy to work on... Kinda ironic because it doesn't break.

[@bluegtturbo]

Lucky you - you got the one reliable FIAT. I wasn't so lucky, having had two of them - the most economical cars I ever had - they spent most of their time in the workshop.

[@joaorodrigues-dy9rm]

Every car is apreciatable, i love cars and even so called "crap" cars by "normal" people, are apreciated by me, being economic cars, or cheap cars or light cars, they are all awsome.

[@alexisamtosta]

Nem mais

[@baronvonjo1929]

Same. I even like CUVs even though car enthusiasts hate them. Though I'll be honest supercars/hybercars dont do it for me.

[@bambloozr9951]

I love old cars too, when perfectly maintained and reliable they really do the job!

[@makarov__]

nem mais , o melhor da vida está nas coisas simples !

[@guitargeorge6423]

I got my license two months ago and I really appreciate my punto, my first car.

[@furiousdriving]

Great first car!

[@alexisamtosta]

And for sure you will want to keep it for a very long time

[@friedensgabel]

I loved these things as a kid. Such a clean and friendly design.

[@khew1]

Same

[@tech-rich]

I wish cars today had options for lighter and brighter interiors. Everything now seems to be black/dark grey and grim.

[@p166mx]

My 2017 Fabia has nice blue trim on the seat and a nice white panel on the dashboard, it makes things look a little bit interesting. Every car is just the same as every other these days though.

[@davebassman5339]

And, why do they all have to make beeping noises all the time?

[@terrificspokesman7416]

Except Volvo. They use pale colours which brighten up the interior

[@baronvonjo1929]

I do think some newer vehicles are bringing it back.

[@frazzleface753]

Fiat repeated the success of the Uno in terms of sales and leading the design evolution of the supermini. In terms of design, they were risk-takers and trailblazers in the 90s - Punto, Bravo/Brava, Barchetta, Multipla(!) - culminating in the Fiat Coupe. These days, there's little left of Fiat's flair for individualistic style, except for cute retro in the 500 I guess.

[@mattsbeamer]

Frazzle Face I want a bacon sandwich and a pack of frazzles now. I wish they sold them in russia. Lol

[@frazzleface753]

@@mattsbeamer Haha, I know how you feel. I live in the states now.

[@alexmcwhirter6602]

What about the 1970s and 1980s ? Great models like 127, 128, Uno and Panda. And the mid-engined X/19.

[@frazzleface753]

@@alexmcwhirter6602 True. The 70s and 80s were certainly innovative for Fiat. I'm a big fan of the Uno (I had one myself). I would love to have a mint 1st or 2nd generation Panda. I love its sheer basic simplicity and clean lines. The Tipo was a big step forward in car design too, offering relatively large interior space. There were very few duds from Fiat until we got to the turn of the century with the Stilo, which I think represented a turning point, as the company had dumped a ton of cash into what became a disappointing failure.

[@alexmcwhirter6602]

@@frazzleface753 I was lucky to own a Mark 1 Panda 1000CL from 1988 to 2003 when it failed its MOT owing to underbody corrosion. That's when I bought one of the last Mark 1 Puntos (built in Palermo in 1999) secondhand in 2003. I used that 1.2 Punto for 15 years. That Punto, compared with the Panda, represented a major upgrade in build quality.

[@francisbaymax4615]

I have Fiat grande punto 1.2 Emotion in India, 9 years still going strong!!!

[@sheppardpat47]

The most expensive one! My mother got the 1.3 jtd :)

[@andrewryan3084]

I have a Fiat Punto mk1, can say I'm quite happy with it. The fuel consumption is quite minimal, interior is comfy, and it just has that classic appeal to it.

[@bonofrancou2]

What version do u got?

[@andrewryan3084]

@@bonofrancou2 Fiat Punto_S

[@RichieRouge206]

The original Punto was amazing. Simple, classy and Volvo-esque tail lights. You don’t see them anymore. Great video indeed!

[@jz8638]

My lovely girlfriend drives one lovely Punto S in orange! Bare bone stock! No power steering, no... nothing! And you know what? I loooove to drive that little thing! :) These are actually so rare over here in Germany that everytime we see one we both get really excited... Well she does not so much ;) And as always, great video! Really enjoyed watching it :)

[@revivedfears]

My first car was a punto s in orange!

[@SpectrumLPZ]

I live in Italiy, and my family still owns a 5 door Punto S and a 3 door Punto SX. We had other two Puntos before, but we replaced them after some crash. They still work perfectly, in my opinion the Punto MK1 is one of the best cars of the 90's

[@SpectrumLPZ]

Unfortunately almost every italian car manufacturer were ruined... Now the german cars are the "best" for a lot of people... but we shouln't forgot that Italian cars were even better than BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, and sometimes better than Mercedes! For example, the first Golf was made starting from Fiat 128, which was considered the best car in that class...

[@davebassman5339]

So much better than a modern, bloated, overweight car with dodgy overstyling and too many electronic gimmicks..

[@badass6300]

Yup, but annoying ass safety regulations and dumbass emission regulations are screwing us over, along with people being bullshited to buy bigger cars by companies as that is more profitable...

[@GlamStacheessnostalgialounge]

Meh, 90s cars are still pretty bloated and ugly, and filled with dodgy electronics. The 80s is where it's at.

[@bambloozr9951]

@@badass6300 Cars nowadays are Huge...they barely fit in parking spots anymore.

[@badass6300]

@@bambloozr9951 and it's very sad and they are this big exactly due to safety regulations and to a lower extent emission standards. And they are so, so heavy, while using lighter materials than ever.

[@c0smoKram3r]

Oh boo hoo, cars have been bloating since the 1900s

[@miralemnermina142]

I remember that in 2000s there were a shit ton GT's on autoslalom's. At some point there was more then 8 Punto GT's in my little town and every single one was raced. I miss those days

[@byronmills5952]

The Mk1 Punto was a great car. Good to drive, spacious airy comfortable and roomy. The latter Mk2 onwards versions never had quite the same appeal as this original.

[@falkar]

mk1 had some serious success, and I can understand why a lot of people disliked the mk2. Yet it brought better safety features and (amazingly) shittier headlamp. The mk2.5 is definitely my favourite, since you can easily find the 1.3mjt for less than 1k and eventually remap it or just have fun with it as it is. Up until the latest grande punto, they all fit like gloves when driving and with just a handful of extra hps (compared to the base model) you can start having some serious fun to impress them teenage girls. Personally I keep buying them because I do a lot of green laning for work and have to cheap and widely available parts (always have some punto spares handy lol). I'm now longing for a serious late first model 4x4 panda with the 1.1 engine it's like a little roaring hive with at least some off road capabilities (can't compare it with a landcruiser, but definitely will give late 2000s SUVs a run for their money and often times a better bhp/kg ratio)

[@christineayres7094]

Daniele di Forenza Ive got a 2005 Punto but it drives terribly compared to the 1999 mk1 I used to own , ride quality is horrendous steering very wayward and rust everywhere only good thing is parts are cheap I’ve had to replace rear suspension and put new brakes on the front but it still drives like shit lol 😂 even my old Suzuki Wagon R was a better car much more reliable ,

[@adarbs6384]

@@christineayres7094 I bought a one year old 2005 model and after one week the electrical problems started. It was like the car was possessed! After 6 trips to 3 different Fiat dealers the last one took the entire dashboard out and thoroughly inspected it. Their verdict was that they couldn't do anything to fix it as it hadn't even been wired to the correct spec! As it was only one year old I then involved Fiat UK HQ....got absolutely nowhere so in the end I threatened to them I was gonna drive the useless P.O.S through their reception doors lmao

[@cheesyeurotrance95]

My first car was a 1998 Mk1 55 S, unfortunately it was a very bad example that was pretty tired of life when I bought it and it had a lot of problems (head gasket, thermostat, brakes, clutch, springs, exhaust, rust all over the place etc.), I wish I had more money back then to buy a better example with SX/ELX trim. After I sold it, I bought a 2004 Mk2.5 1.3 Multijet which I still drive, much more reliable than the Mk1 I had: so far I only replaced 2 injector washers, 1 glow plug and the glove box, that's all. Fuel economy is excellent (mine returns 61 mpg combined) and has a great mid-range torque (180 Nm/1750 rpm is quite a lot for a car that weights only 980 kg), also it has nearly every toy except power mirrors (the Mk1 had nothing).

[@christineayres7094]

A Darbs Yep 👍 shitboxes they are , my gearbox is now on way out too as is making grinding noise only done 88k miles so not good, I’ve owned Vauxhall’s VWs Hondas etc and their gearboxes usually are still good up to 150k miles anyway tomorrow I’m taking it to garage just gonna max out gearbox oil and hope it lasts me a few months as am starting a new job soon so need to save money 💰

[@JohnnyPaton]

It’s amazing how your opinion can change with time and dollops of nostalgia. At the time these were new I thought they were horrible pieces of poorly built Italian rubbish. Tinny with garish interiors and inferior build quality even compared to the Fords of the day. Now I think they look great compared to some of the horrific present day offerings. My friend was an AA roadside mechanic at the time and used to keep loads of the same parts in his van as he said it was mainly FIAT Puntos and Renault Meganes he attended. 😂

[@CGAT147]

Funny my wife had two mark 1s and never ever broke down despite doing over 80k miles in each.. the fiesta mark v however was a cheap piece of crap which we got rid of after a year !

[@stevetaylor8698]

In the 90s, FIAT still had a (undeserved) reputation for rust and so they would depreciate massively. I bought a couple of 6 month old, ex-hire Puntos and they were cheap and brilliant.

[@AndySnap]

Astonishingly, I'm sure the the Punto was FIAT's last supermini, as after a gap, they launched the 500 as their mini-supermini range. We need a new Punto!

[@steveGee5787]

I remember this being a very roomy car - I'm over 6' 2" and I didn't even need to move the drivers seat all the way back in a Punto, and many other small Fiats.

[@unfinishedtelevision8080]

Fiat Punto Mk 1 owner here. 35,000 miles on clock, electric windows!

[@furiousdriving]

Nice!

[@JonBrownbread]

Back in 1996 my mum had as a company car the Fiat Punto GT, exceptional car at the time, did 120mph from its 1.4 Turbo, but like most older cars very rare to see a standard one of the road nowadays but what a great car for the time.

[@PinaGt001]

I have one. And i love it.

[@1700iDiGuy]

People nowadays see cars as a fashion statement, or white goods. They want safety, gadgets, power, handling, big wheels blah blah. Many people now don’t appreciate what driving actually is, its a privilege, not a right. Its not about the toys or the interior or the looks, it’s about feeling the road, handling and the characteristics of each car. Older cars where very set out from eachother, they were all unique in their own nice ways. Newer cars are too similar (both inside and out) they are quite humdrum and over gadgetized (i’m 31 not an older bloke)

[@alexisamtosta]

You are right in all that you said. People now want cars with infotainment and a bunch of crap. Why for? To crash earlier? To many distractions in modern cars and takes the pleasure of driving away.

[@terryatkinson3182]

You got the poshest one there with plenty of power. We mainly got the 1108cc in Ireland as it was cheap to run. Design was brilliant for a budget car.

[@icecreamconn5948]

Indeed. At the time, why would you pay the higher rate of tax on a 1.6 engine to drive a Punto? Hence why no one bought that particular model

[@mit3t0]

Today i'm rescuing one of these , actually 99% the same because this one has a sunroof and i want to drive this car this winter. My ride has broken and this is the alternative. So there is so much fun in front of me with this car! I will enjoy it and keeping it safe ! One detailing work would back it 20 years ago and i will !! Cheering for the nice video! I have fiat 126p too (:

[@oneway1403]

I love the fact you review cars I saw when growing up in the 90’s, it brings me right back to that era. Also great to see some people take such good care of their motor!

[@intheshadows..2107]

I moved on from a 5 door mrk 2 Uno to a 5 door Punto metallic green I think it was the SX front fogs and front electric windows. The Punto was a massive big step up from the Uno comfier and much more refined, the engine was so much quieter. Like the Uno I bought the Punto for the space. Fiat were superb at making small cars that utilised space. A friend was a car nut, so he bought every car magazine in the country. None of them ever gave the Punto a decent write up in group tests they always had it well behind the Corsa and Fiesta, which I could never understand. I am also pretty sure my Uno had a Fire engine in it as well, maybe check that. I sadly ran into the back of another car and the insurance company wrote it off. I actually bought a mark 1 Polo estate with the money, which was less refined than even the Uno but still a car which had a personality.

[@alexisamtosta]

This is for sure the best review I have seen about a mk1 Punto. And I am surprised that it is from a german car owner. Normally german car ownes just trash talk Fiat but you my friend have a complete different way of seeing things. I own twou mk1 Puntos. A 3 door and a 4 door and I just love them. Both 55 from factory but one is now a 75 running on LPG. I would not swap my cars for nothing nor sell them. The 3 door mk1 Punto, is for me one of the best looking cars until today. These cars surprise many people. The space it has inside and also the boot, two features that you mentioned. The boot fits perfectly a baby push chair. The amount of things you put in a car like this blows your mind. Very reliable car and very cheap to maintain. Those 2 blank covers by the fog lights, one was for the air con. It is: front fog lights, rear fog lights, demister, air con and cannot remember the 5th one what it is for. You mentioned the sporting that is above this one but top of the range is the GT. These cars were sold a lot aldo in South America, I believe only in Chile and Peru and all were the 1.6 Keep up these good and honest reviews mate. Best regards

[@wakeywakefield4785]

Great review! I sold and still work for the same Fiat dealership since 1999 and we sold these in bucket loads, mainly 60 SX versions. Good times!

[@bollywoodjack6129]

My first car was same car. From France 🇫🇷 I had exactly the same punto 90 elx 1.6litres gray color with 5 doors. A superb Reliable and tireless car. It was also a rare model to find a punto 90 in 5 doors I have never seen. I was even registered on a Punto forum on the internet for years and I was the only punto 90 elx in 5 doors. My first car and great memories with it. A fool broke my back so it was declared a wreck at the end. Sad end for her but very good memories with this punto elx 90

[@furiousdriving]

Great first car, so good at everything you throw at it! What a pity to lose it that way

[@colinstone9562]

Great review - I had a S reg 1.2 S as my first car ..Was bullet proof and run on fumes for days..20 years ago I give it away in a pub and it's still going strong now 😂

[@kyto21]

Great video, brings back a lot of memories. My first car was a red Fiat Punto 1.1 SX Team with power steering and electric Windows. It really was a fun little car to drive.

[@neilwalsh4058]

Nice to see such a clean top spec Mk1 Punto looking so good. They were a total game changer for Fiat, and sold like hot cakes. Rare as hens teeth in UK but still loads and loads in Italy. The Uno was launched in 1983 so was only 10 years old when the Punto came out. Heard you mention something about being a huge change from the previous 20 years. It's Ford that keep punching out the same model and name with a few updates. Fiat launch a completely new model and the world sits up and listens

[@s.leochapman417]

This was such a loving, enjoyable review. Thank you. This car was hugely important at the time, as you say, and my Da had a red Sporting version of the second-gen Punto, which was even more stylish for its time, I feel (pre- ghastly facelift of course). We recall that cr so very fondly. Sad to see that FIAT have abandoned the segment. :(

[@jigrodrigues]

This car was a winner. It blew it's rivals away.

[@furiousdriving]

We had one in the 90s, it was so good compared to its predecessors

[@rahmann936]

I know someone who's still got their MK1 Punto. They bought it new over 20 years ago. With low mileage on it. Sadly due to ill health, he's not driving it, till he feels better.

[@alexmcwhirter6611]

Thanks for the video. Punto Mark 1 is truly an inspired car. I do believe, along with Panda Mark 1 and VW Golf Mark 1, it is one of Giugiaro's finest designs . I owned a 1999 Punto 60S Team which must have been one of the final Puntos made at Fiat's Palermo plant. I also hired several Mark 1 Puntos from Hertz UK in Scotland: 60S, 60SX and a Selecta version with a CVT auto box. One feature you forgot to mention was this car's aerodynamics which were probably the best in class in the 1990s.

[@joshbrailsford]

Excellent video. My brother bought a 55S as his first car about 5 years ago. I drove it and fell in love with it - as you say, it's a cleverly engineered little car - so much so that when I was looking for a convertible in 2016 I ended up buying an 85 16V Cabrio (with the 86 hp 1242cc FIRE engine which replaced the 1.6 MPI). It's a great car for commuting in the summer

[@furiousdriving]

2 great choices! Thats almost the 2 we had a few years ago (55SX and 90 ELX 1.6 cab)

[@wolfypl6609]

My grandfather still have his Green Punto mk1 with 1.6 petrol engine and it is pretty nice car to drive. I learned how to drive in it and it was great. And to this day still it doesnt have any rust on it this car is amazing and if anybody want small cheap reliable car it is still good choice parts are cheap Mpg is great. And also my uncle had Silver Mk1 Punto 1.7 TD 63hp model and it was nice too sow i guess this was great start to Punto line up :) and also i am glad Fiat made this car I cant imagine my childhood without it.

[@thebigbowler]

Had an R reg about 8 years ago, ran it for 2 years, cost me nothing! Brilliant looking design, still holds up today. One of the few cars that manages to pull off the lack of radiator grill at the front look.

[@joaofarinha7953]

I remember in the 90's in my home country , in Portugal , the Fiat Punto was very popular indeed!

[@brtmn7902]

I had a 2nd hand 1.7TD LX from 2005 til 2008 and I loved it! Mine was dark green with beige upholstery and black plastic bumpers. It didn't come with frontal fog lamps but it had aircon. It is a must in Spanish summers 🥵 I still remember it with nostalgia since it was my very first owned car. Love your car reviews. Keep it up! 😉

[@furiousdriving]

I think different markets got different standard spec - sunny Spain A/C is a must, in England we need foglight more often!

[@_B.M_]

Above the ELX was actually the Punto GT which was the turbo.

[@solent7430]

As someone who had Uno’s in 903, 1.0, 1.1, 1.4ie & Turbo form I always wanted a Punto. This would have been a massive upgrade in 1.6 form. Great review as always 👍🏻

[@furiousdriving]

Yes, the Uno was good but this was such a step up

[@sidsexist1003]

Love your video's. Great to see normal cars of the recent past. Keep up the good work!

[@carstenweiland7896]

The Punto MK1 was fantastic, still miss mine which I sold with 230 tkm I had no problems at all and the Mk3 (199) was a pretty bad replacement, hated the MK3 Seats which are also in the 2006 Corsa Models.

[@sufficetosay3339]

I drove one of these for a few weeks. Drove like a dream when it wasn't broken like a lemon.

[@FullBoostJ4]

Absolutely love the punto, right from the first one up until they changed to the stilo platform in the grande. Great little cars, fun handling and revvy nippy engines. Great review, really enjoyed it👍

[@darrenwilson8042]

Always preferred the Mk1 Uno - they shifted quite a few of those too. Had a couple of base models and they were awesome. Thats a lovely Punto BTW

[@livc444111]

My cousin had a base model version no central locking.. I remember closing the boot lid with the keys still in it.. A family member managed to get the car to unlock by using the old coat hanger trick down the side of the door. It was it was first attempt at doing this, ever..

[@AlexandraStarr1974]

Brings back so many memories, one of my girlfriends had a punto in 1995, cannot remember the spec but it was a lovely drive. I bought a mark2 in 2003 from new, 11 years later after an MOT i was told it had rotted away underneath, beyond repair, i was gutted at the time!

[@alexlipicz7787]

Back in Poland ( many years ago! ) we used those little Fiats as learning cars in driving schools. I trained on a basic, light green 3 door model with whooping 55 bhp!🤦🏽‍♂️😂 and it was a great! very easy to drive with great visibility all around.

[@peagles83]

I had a low mileage, bright red, 1996 Punto 1.6 Sporting that I bought for a steal about 12 years ago. It was used as a farmers car to go between fields so was absolutely filthy but once I spent a good week cleaning and polishing it, it was absolutely spotless. I loved the low down torque of the engine and it really caught out a few more expensive cars with it's performance. It was one of the few cars I genuinely regret selling!

[@bigjohno242]

We had a Fiat Punto from 1998 to 2010. The 1.2 version. Sold it with 140000 miles on the clock. Brilliant little car. Would swallow 5 adults with luggage and still cruise at 80, and give 40 mpg. Never went wrong once. A thorough yearly service (plus the usual pads, tyres etc) was all it ever needed. Miss that little motor.

[@bengenovese6591]

My uncle had one of these. The radio that clipped out was missing. It wasn’t the Philips one that that car has. As young boy I discovered that jamming a metal paper clip into the slot was enough to get the radio working again.

[@mrdeltaUno]

Great vid, I enjoyed watching this. 1990's Puntos were way ahead of anything else at the time. If you get a chance, try and get hold of the later Fiat Punto Gt3. It was a major step up in performance from the rest of the range.

[@BobM925]

Oh that's lovely. You;re absolutely right - they've just vanished which is a shame. It's interesting for me to see that there are more cubby holes and storage pockets in a 1996 Punto than a 2018 Astra...

[@simonhodgetts6530]

My 2nd car was the unusual Punto 55EX 6speed, which was superb, and a massive step up from a rather dismal Renault Supercinq. I loved its interior, the stacked rear lights, the fruity exhaust and the revvy engine. It was screwed together well too. Sadly I blew the head gasket and lost trust in it......so I traded it in for an Alfa 145!

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Oh, and I drove a mk1 several years later, and it was still a tremendous fun car to throw around country lanes

[@johnmoruzzi7236]

1.1 55 6-speed was the EL... came with rear anti-rollbar and 14" wheels.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

John Moruzzi Thanks - my memory isn’t what it was!

[@brusselssprouts560]

Very nice cars indeed. I drove a Mk 1 CVT model from Margate to Winchester and back and it was quiet, nippy and a total dream to drive. It was from the fleet pool my company had at the time, and was an absolute gem. At that time I had a Pug 306 Meridian which was being serviced, so I drove the Punto instead and was tempted to try and swap for it. Great around Town and great on the motorway, it fully deserved its Car Of The Year award.

[@spavatch]

It was my first car. Fifteen years or so later I still have it and I'm not intending to get rid of it. And it has both air con and electrically adjusted and heated mirrors. And a working sunshine roof ;)

[@99ron30]

My mum and dad went from an 80's Nissan Sunny to a brown Vauxhall Carlton to a blue Turbo Diesel mk1 punto. It seemed like such a modern car at the time. We later had a petrol Punto mk1 and a Brava but the TD was our favourite.

[@julianowens4071]

Fantastic review, always enjoy the detail of the content, Jules

[@luiginocm]

I have a Punto Mk1 bought in February 1999 with a 1242 cc engine 60HP. It clocked 132,000 miles (212,000 km). Well looked after. Quite sporty in spite of the smallish engine. Right as I write its engine is being overhauled by my mechanic who found it to be in good shape, save for a broken ring of one piston. I prefer this car from the modern over-complicated cars.

[@tramlad2]

The driving instructors favourite, these were great little cars, stylish little thing, and you could bling them up, decent price i remember, fond memories of these, some got a bit rusty due to poor maintenance , great video , always interesting and fun.

[@GiovaF12]

We sold our 1998 Fiat punto two years ago to get a 2013 model and honestly i prefer the old one. I miss it so much

[@filippogalli3477]

Quanti chilometri aveva percorso?

[@GiovaF12]

@@filippogalli3477 180000 se non ricordo male. Le avevamo anche installato un impianto a metano

[@paultaylor9652]

Lovely Jubbly, I ordered one of these, but after 6 months on order I gave up and went for a Clio and I had it within a couple of weeks. Great video again.

[@profrumpo]

Great review, I had a 1.3 Uno from the same dealer Cleveland Cars of Ash near Aldershot, defunct now like so many main dealers. The Uno was a hoot too, quite tinny but went very well indeed with a 1.3 engine.

[@torgeirbrandsnes1916]

We had two Punto, one mk 1 and one mk 2. I love Fiat! We are not many in Norway. I fell in love with Fiat when the Uno came out, also a car of the year. To wrap it all up; 74 127, 86 Uno 70SL, 91 Uno 60S, 87 Croma i.e. 95 Punto 75SX, 02 Punto 1,2 16v and my first car a Fiorino 1,7TD! The Uno`s and the mk 1 Punto we bought new. Is there a better feeling? I want to buy a Fiat again. In Norway now it is only electric cars. I think Fiat only makes them in Mexico and sell then in the US.

[@garysimpson3900]

Interesting to hear your comments on floor rusting. I had a Mk2 Punto 1.2 Mia model as my "runaround" second car: bought new in December 2001. Used as my daily till I sold it in December 2019 it covered 79k and save the usual electric power steering system (replaced/repaired 3 times) it was so reliable. Bodywork was great but for the 9/19 MOT it needed some floor welding & my garage advised me that once rot sets it its a losing battle. Reluctantly I let her go & note from the DVLA web site it failed its MOT 9/20 due to major structural floor rust issues.

[@utubeleplague]

Cars of the 90ies are definitely my favorite, keep analyzing them !

[@gord307]

We had a P-reg 55 some years back. On the plus side; it was spacious, economical (40+MPG), quite reliable, and the interior looked as good on the day it got recycled as it did when it was new. On the down side; the reflection on the windscreen from the light-grey dash really ruined visibility (look at the windscreen 8-minutes in, it is the same when driving), the speedo registered 70mph when the car was actually doing 60mph, the stability of the car could be frightening when braking hard at speed (remember we were going 10mph slower than we thought we were) on anything but a straight road, the engine would use 1/2 litre of oil every 1000-miles (That's almost an oil change worth in-between oil changes) and according to Fiat that was within specification, the overly light accelerator pedal would make my leg ache on long journeys, and the indicator stalk broke off in my hand on the way to work one morning. So it won European car of the year - how bad was the competition? It failed it's last MOT on corrosion around the seat belt anchor points at the back, after a very expensive few months of things wearing out. I really did grow to dislike the car. Not sorry to see it go.

[@seanjordan2005]

I do quite like these mk1 puntos. I currently have a 2010 Punto Evo with the 1.4 8v petrol engine its been great as its been reliable and doesn't cost much when things need doing Oil change just cost £23 doing it myself.

[@forza223bowe5]

I wish Fiat would bring out a new punto

[@notroll1279]

I bought a 55 S new in 1995. Although it was the only car I ever bought new - it was the one I had the most trouble with. After 4 months and 5,400 kms, the engine failed completely and had to be swapped under the warranty. During the first years, the plastics in the cockpit emitted a nasty stench in cold temperatures (probably due to inferior materials). So even in winter, I wound down the windows and put the vents on full blast to get the stench out. After 3 or 4 years, that subsided. Somehow the electrics in the rear light units never worked properly: brake lights and indicators were mutually exclusive: when you had your foot on the brake, the indicator wouldn't work. Neither Fiat nor Bosch found solutions that would last for more than, say, 3 months. And it was damn hard to sell on again. Despite all the "Car of the Year Award" (which had been given to duds like the Renault 14) and its success as a new car, residual values plummetted. It took an awfully long time to get rid of it without giving it away. Yes, it was roomier and probably safer than the cars I'd had before. But it made me vow never to buy a Fiat again.

[@furiousdriving]

Thats a really unlucky car, they were normally very good and trouble free, but there are always duds

[@notroll1279]

@@furiousdriving Well, I suppose the low resale values and the dwindling numbers suggest that only very few owners found them worth keeping alive. Fiat themselves aggravated this by handing out huge discounts at the end of the model's lifetime and for the successor so after 5 or 6 years a Mark I Punto wasn't worth much anymore.

[@superdario2425]

Had one as my first car 11 years ago, a 1.1 sx in burgundy! Loved it and remember there being plenty about and plenty in scrapyards. Cant remember the last time I saw one on the road!

[@superdario2425]

To add, its long gone, last seen wearing 17 inch wolfrace alloys from the chav I sold it to!

[@drywater2228]

My 1998 mk1 1,2 liter petrol Punto still running great in 2024 with no issues at all. Let's see how many modern cars will do that when they're over 25 years old.

[@willswheels283]

Great review Matt! I had a mk1 Punto a few years ago, think it was 2016, on a T plate 1999, it would have been one of the last mk1’s before the mk2’s came out, mine was a basic 1.2 60 S, it had been well looked after, almost as well as that one. It was a great car, very simple and basic, quite roomy for a small car, I loved it. It got sold on in favour of a Lexus GS300 mk1.

[@robertngreen6]

Thank you so much for putting this video out there. The Punto Mk1 is so rare now and it's great to see one is such lovely condition. My Mk1 Sporting 16V will be back on the road soon hopefully. Oh and we have a Cabrio too! Super little cars!

[@xyz2121]

Why is it rare now? We've gone from 'everyone had one' to 'rare'. Did they fall apart with age? Or are spare parts no longer available?

[@robertngreen6]

@@xyz2121 same happens with every car no matter how common when new. They become too expensive to repair compared to their value. The ones that survive are to be cared for!

[@stevesrover]

Great review. I upgraded from a Mk II Uno 45 to a Mk I Punto 55 when I was much younger and, yes, the Punto was a huge step up in terms of everything. Buuuut, my heart preferred the Uno, so the Punto was sold to my brother and I moved onto a Bravo (I was a car dealer’s dream!). I wasn’t a fan of how the dashboard was reflected into the windscreen and the suspension was softer than the Uno, so leant through corners more. That said, you could get my keyboard, amp and my mate’s drum kit (just) in the Punto, which you couldn’t at all in the Uno. And the Punto was very solidly screwed together. No squeaks or rattles at all. But, both cars were great fun and I’ve just bought myself an Uno because life’s too short!

[@angelanicholson951]

My son has recently bought one of these, a 2003 1.2. It obviously hasn't got all the extras as on this car, but he loves it. Light blue. Much preferred to the Mk 2 he had before.

[@MemoBar100]

Oh how I used to love that car!!! My dad has one and it was the best partner for family trips. I still remember my younger dream with me running the streets over a blue GT, ha, ha, ha. Regards from Chile.

[@isaac28283]

thanks to you i now like this car. you just made me appreciate a car i thought was boring every time i saw it on the street. great video by the way!

[@Grant0610]

I think it is astonishing that FIAT have never replaced the Punto! They now rely on frumpy looking versions of the 500 and the 500 itself. This Punto and the Uno before it were really popular and good cars!

[@livc444111]

So many cars I dismissed in the late 90s when I passed my driving test which now I wished I purchased. This is one of them. Awesome car

[@renevp2]

Great car, I had one as my first car in 2007. It was a 1.2 60hp from 1999, very agile, lots of space in the interior, still stylish nowayays, but mine had a few overheating issues though, could have been my model in particular. Loved it!

[@GTDpowah]

Drove a '98. Felicia with 75hp 1.6mpi. It was great to drive. A small car with a "big" engine is hitting the nail on the head. It wasn't fast (top speed wise) but it pulled like a champ and accelerated like it was on fire. :)

[@beds139]

Bought a nearly new lower spec model in 96. It had minimal security which meant I got it broken into twice outside my house but the biggest issue was that the thing would not demist. Got rid of it after a year.

[@error262]

I hated MK2 that my mother used to own but to make sure that she'll like her new car I helped out and got her a Grande Punto and man do I like that car, it's only 1.3 but turbo diesel with around 90HP, it goes well and I made a few trips with it averaging 65MPG, just chug it into 5th or 6th gear and keep it at 1500-2000rpm. I did it just to see how low I could get it tho, It averages 40MPG with 80% of driving being town driving. I'm even thinking about getting another one but with 1.4 T-Jet engine for fun. They're cheap and fun cars, cheap to repair too! Only problem is that storage went down by an insane amount form MK1 and MK2 to Grande. BTW MK2 was weak 1.2 and had around 180000km, 1.3 JTD has around 190000 now still going strong

[@shtech99]

My first car was a 1998 Punto 60S, fantastic little thing, and was a gorgeous metallic blue. Very basic (no PAS or electric windows) but was incredibly reliable. S914 TWE if you're still out there...

[@frazzleface753]

DVLA website says your old car is still on the road and taxed to June 2020!

[@furiousdriving]

Brilliant! Now shtick needs to track it down!

[@darrenwilson8042]

The mobile phone I had from work in 1996 needed that big tea shelf to place it on....... the smaller one probably wouldn't have accommodated it lol - it had an aerial !!!

[@Philippe...1983]

Oo ooh my first car ! I actually got a dark green ELX 90 as first car, in 2002. Damn good memories ! Was powerful, reliable (more than the 55/60 HP versions). Had it converted to LPG in 2004. I encountered more issues with the Grande Punto I got afterwards...

[@herrgolf]

I was in Berlin just last week and I saw very few contemporary Fiats. They must definitely struggling. They need to make high quality economy cars; 500 fever is over. Cars like the Panda and original Punto and Tipo and 128 are what they should aim for...

[@mikelangdon2534]

My first car was a 1.2 75 sx, I got a GT center console into it from the scrappy, from yellow to clear indicators and changed the original badge to the mk2 badge, god I miss that car, was the ultimate go kart with a shed load of room.

[@samgreen7077]

I remember my parents receiving a Mk1 Punto in around 2002 as a courtesy car while our phase 1 106 was in the bodyshop. It felt so much more modern and stylish inside compared to the 106

[@campbelltroup2750]

Had an 1995 55SX 5 door. and a 1998 75SX 3 door. Front fogs were standard on all but the basic S model. The 75SX brought you manual tilt & slide onto roof sun roof, steering wheel mounted stereo controls and rear headrests.

[@lash9400]

Such a charismatic supermini. I’ve driven the 55 SX and while it was slow it had such spirit and flair. I would love to see a review on the Fiat Uno if any are still around.

[@neilmustow368]

So great seeing a MK1 Punto still alive today owned three Punto's over the years first was a 1.1 SX 5 door early 1994 car in red first decent car I had bought second hand in the summer of 1998 loved it did have a notchy 3rd gear only gripe on it then a 1999 1.7 TDSX in green hated the sunroof on it manual winding did rob some headroom hardly used it then a new one in 2003 the Mk 2 Punto 1.9D Active 3 door in red owned till 2012 now own Toyota's the Yaris owned three now this decade

[@jordobanthora3660]

This engine and the Punto Mk1 was one of the best 'macchinas' that Fiat ever built!!!

[@TiaMantova89]

I had some fiat (Panda 750, Panda 1.1, Bravo Mk1 1.6 16v) and now a Bravo Mk2 1.4 with 175 hp...Each with some defects internally or externally, but with the engines of the two Bravo you can feel the italian passion...And they are reliable

[@ShortCycle.]

I learnt to drive in a mk1 5dr 1.2sx Punto... Choosen specifically because it didn't have power steering! Didn't think much of it at the time, but as you point out a groundbreaking and surprisingly decent car.. the scrappage schemes killed off the majority, now aside from a few of the sought after gt's and convertibles you hardly see them.

[@rydermike33]

Super little car and all credit to the owner for saving a lovely example. Many thanks for the review.