Fiat Punto or Ford Figo?


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Hi Guys,


Your Budget: 6.5 – 7.5 Lakh

New or Used: New Car

Your Location: Hyderabad

Top Five Priorities: Safety, Comfort, Power, Low Maintenance, Design, Luggage Space (in that order)

Monthly Running: 1000kms

Type of Fuel: Diesel (might exceed 1000kms in near future, plus my family wants me to take a diesel)

For What Purpose: Everyday use (office commute and highway runs)

Seating Capacity: 4 (5 occasionally)

Type of Segment: Hatchback


Had shortlisted only Figo and Punto, but am confused as hell. Please help!
 
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Re: Punto or Figo?

Strange, for some reason am not able to edit the posts, so reposting again

Hi Guys,


Your Budget: 6.5 – 7.5 Lakh

New or Used: New Car

Your Location: Hyderabad

Top Five Priorities: Safety, Comfort, Power, Low Maintenance, Design, Luggage Space (in that order)

Monthly Running: 1000kms

Type of Fuel: Diesel (might exceed 1000kms in near future, plus my family wants me to take a diesel)

For What Purpose: Everyday use (office commute and highway runs)

Seating Capacity: 4 (5 occasionally)

Type of Segment: Hatchback

This is going to be the 1st Brand new car in our family. Have a 98 M800 which has been troubling a lot lately. Am basically a bike freak and have learnt and been driving only from the past 1 year / 7k kms experience and most of it is in M800.

Reason for a new car

Off late our M800 has been troubling and i have been using that as an excuse to use my Duke. But my family is hell bent on me not using my bike so this new car thing came up. Will be selling my Duke[frustration]

Since i wont be having my bike i need a car which is Safer, comfy, fun to drive, Good fuel economy, low maintenance and boot space as well. Everyone wants Figo since one of our close friend works at Ford ASS and we all have good exposure to Figo. I like the Figo a lot but i always felt something was missing.

We almost booked the Figo, but Fiat showroom was just 500mtrs away. Convinced my dad and took him there. Test drove the car, my dad didn't like it. But i do.

Figo -

Fits in perfectly and on top of it, i dont have to worry about the service part. Only thing which could have been better is the seat cushioning. Getting the Titanium version for 6.8L OTR Hyd

How much avg are the current owners geeting btw?

Punto 90HP

All of us know the pro's

Con's according to my dad

Too noisy
Expensive(7.5L OTR HYD after discount)
Its a Fiat - Maintanance is going to be a P in the A
Lack of rear leg room
No proper road view
Bad re-sale (may be)


At the end, its my choice since i would be driving it the most. So am confused which one to go for!
 
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Re: Punto or Figo?

Figo should be easy to own and maintain as its service network is wider compared to Punto (except for Ground Clearance). Maintenance costs wise, both would be similar Year on Year basis albeit a minor difference.

You should also consider Swift/Ritz. They are stylish and also has Maruti tagging, giving peace of mind. They will also fit in all of your top priorities and has a good resale value too.
 
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Re: Punto or Figo?

Punto: A good car. Not known to have a good after sales and service like Maruti, but Tata has definately improved

Figo: car with excellent economy. Poor ground clearence and it gets worse when loaded with 3 at the rear. Ford's costly service is a gamble.

Any reason why you didn't consider swift?
 
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Mr.Onlinesathish, Both are Great cars but I Prefer the New Punto. Please wait for the facelift for punto. Its just around the corner.Please check out the new Chevy Beat too. Its looking awesome
 
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Re: Punto or Figo?

Strange, for some reason am not able to edit the posts, so reposting again

Hi Guys,


Your Budget: 6.5 – 7.5 Lakh

New or Used: New Car

Your Location: Hyderabad

Top Five Priorities: Safety, Comfort, Power, Low Maintenance, Design, Luggage Space (in that order)

Monthly Running: 1000kms

Type of Fuel: Diesel (might exceed 1000kms in near future, plus my family wants me to take a diesel)

For What Purpose: Everyday use (office commute and highway runs)

Seating Capacity: 4 (5 occasionally)

Type of Segment: Hatchback
Apart from these requirements, what is that you want in a car? That would make you to decide it better.

Everyone wants Figo since one of our close friend works at Ford ASS and we all have good exposure to Figo. I like the Figo a lot but i always felt something was missing.
Something was missing? Rear Power Windows? [lol] Yup, few goodies like Auto AC, Full MID, Rear Power Windows are a miss for sure. However, as Punto is your only next choice, do you have those in there? And if so, does it compensate the extra money you are putting on it? Do that math!

We almost booked the Figo, but Fiat showroom was just 500mtrs away. Convinced my dad and took him there. Test drove the car, my dad didn't like it. But i do.

Figo -

Fits in perfectly and on top of it, i dont have to worry about the service part. Only thing which could have been better is the seat cushioning. Getting the Titanium ersion for 6.8L OTR Hyd

How much avg are the current owners geeting btw?
FE can vary with the user and various other factors. In general, you can expect 13-16 in City & 16-22 in Highway, both with 100% AC.

More that that, you have someone in FASS, which is a real advantage.
 
Thread Starter #9
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Figo should be easy to own and maintain as its service network is wider compared to Punto (except for Ground Clearance). Maintenance costs wise, both would be similar Year on Year basis albeit a minor difference.

You should also consider Swift/Ritz. They are stylish and also has Maruti tagging, giving peace of mind. They will also fit in all of your top priorities and has a good resale value too.
Am tired of Swifts and Ritz's since they are our office pick up and drop cars and i always felt them to be a bit unstable at higher speeds plus poor braking. And i personally never liked it.

punto: a good car. not known to have a good after sales and service like maruthi, but tata has definately improved

figo: car with excellent economy. poor ground clearence and it gets worse when loaded with 3 at the rear. ford's costly service is a gamble.

any reason why you didn't consider swift?
Ground clearance might be an issue. Experienced it 1st hand on our HYD-GOA-HYD trip. 4 ppl on board + Luggage and it was scrapping almost all the speed bumps. But i don't think it would be a problem since i would be alone 90% of the time.

Now Fiat has broken up from Tata and have started their own A.S.S. Not sure how good they are, but am sure they should be better than before.

And i don't find Ford service expensive than Hyundai (main reason why am staying away from Hyundai )

Mr.Onlinesathish, Both are Great cars but I Prefer the New Punto. Please wait for the facelift for punto. Its just around the corner.Please check out the new Chevy Beat too. Its looking awesome
New facelift Punto might be above my budget. Am getting it for 7.5L after discount. Without it, its almost 8.6L which is way out of my budget and am sure Fiat would not offer any discounts on the facelift model.

Beat is out of the list because of its build. Thin sheet metal for the body. Else its a wonderful little car. We have one in our office.

Apart from these requirements, what is that you want in a car? That would make you to decide it better.



Something was missing? Rear Power Windows? [lol] Yup, few goodies like Auto AC, Full MID, Rear Power Windows are a miss for sure. However, as Punto is your only next choice, do you have those in there? And if so, does it compensate the extra money you are putting on it? Do that math!



FE can vary with the user and various other factors. In general, you can expect 13-16 in City & 16-22 in Highway, both with 100% AC.

More that that, you have someone in FASS, which is a real advantage.
I was waiting for your reply[;)]

Now that i don't have my Duke anymore i need a car which is very involving to drive plus safety (these 2 are priority). Next comes Build, FE, Power and maintenance and Features.

Figo came straight to my mind when i thought about it and i could not think of any other car. Just dropped by the Fiat dealership to check out the punto and i got a good deal. 70k INR more and i get almost 20BHP more (along with added weight), Dual stage airbags, Automatic climate control, MID, Rear a/c vents, FPS, Keyess entry, All Power windows :D and lots more and most important the stability of Punto in Highspeeds.

Now i feel its worth putting in that extra 70k for all these. But my concern's are

FE of Punto against Figo?
Are Spares costs of Punto more than Figo?
Which one has better rear seat comfort?
Any scary stories of Fiat service like that of Skoda and VW?
 
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@Satish

FIGO - A value for money car, my close friend own one since 3 years and no problems with service or anything else. Service costs are par with Maruti these days. Only things I did not like in this car is its soft suspension which scrap many times on speed breakers if you are not alert, the lag in 2nd gear which seems to be corrected in current model.

PUNTO - Excellent strong body, good ride experience, proven and popular multijet engine under the hood. I like this car personally. Rear seat is little cramped for my height 5'11", but since you said you drive it alone, then you will really enjoy its ride comfort. A.S.S has improved a lot these days after they opened up their own sales and service outlets. If you are near by try visiting Tejaswi motors in Jubilee hills.
 
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@Satish

I completely agree with Gurrala74. my close friend owns a Punto and I drive it regularly. the pros are fuel efficiency, power, handling, looks, good interiors.

Cons are cramped rear leg room space, very low ground clearance (keeps scraping every now and then)

Fuel efficiency clocks about 19- 20 highways and 16-17 kmpl on city roads. The A.S.S is really good. there are no issues with them. I'm sorry I've no experience with the figo. but I suggest you to checkout other options too like the Maruti Swift. I guess they fit your bill too.
 
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Am tired of Swifts and Ritz's since they are our office pick up and drop cars and i always felt them to be a bit unstable at higher speeds plus poor braking. And i personally never liked it.
Well put. Guess, you reflect my thoughts. Moreover, I don't feel any VFM concept on those cars, perhaps in any MS.

I was waiting for your reply
Wow, that's impressive. [;)]


Now that i don't have my Duke anymore i need a car which is very involving to drive plus safety (these 2 are priority). Next comes Build, FE, Power and maintenance and Features.

Figo came straight to my mind when i thought about it and i could not think of any other car.
Excellent! You have your requirements clear and that would make you to pick the right one for you than being one in the herds. By keeping Driving Pleasure as priority, you can't beat Ford in that. Figo is an ultimate Driver's Car. Also, on safety front, Figo Titanium is equipped with Airbags & ABS. Plus, the build quality.

Just dropped by the Fiat dealership to check out the punto and i got a good deal. 70k INR more and i get almost 20BHP more (along with added weight), Dual stage airbags, Automatic climate control, MID, Rear a/c vents, FPS, Keyess entry, All Power windows :D and lots more and most important the stability of Punto in Highspeeds.
You have put in a lot of positives for that 70K. I feel it's worth it. Some of them like ACC are just not only for luxury and comfort, but can also help you with FE. BTW, what you mean by FPS? Rather it's a typo of HPS?

My comments are inline (bold).

Now i feel its worth putting in that extra 70k for all these. But my concern's are

FE of Punto against Figo? - Definitely better than Figo. 1.3 MJD is known for that and the refinement matters too. Only issue is the live with the Turbo Lag, which you get used to in few days. But at the same time, remember that it's got 30Nm more torque than Figo's TDCi. So, that's a real advantage.
Are Spares costs of Punto more than Figo? - I don't really have a bench mark on it. I feel, it's at par.
Which one has better rear seat comfort? - I feel, both are at par.
Any scary stories of Fiat service like that of Skoda and VW? - Will leave it to Punto owners.
On the whole, based on your requirement, cost and various other factors, I personally feel, Punto suits better than Figo. Surprised, me being Figo user? Yeah, perhaps I too would do so if I were you!

You are already aware of the negatives of Punto and some of them are manageable. Eg: View from driver seat. I can guarantee that Figo's driving position and visibility is unmatched with whichever other cars I tried, but this is something you get used to in few days.

BTW, why not try Hyundai? Perhaps, i-20? Just a thought.

FIGO - Only things I did not like in this car is its soft suspension which scrap many times on speed breakers if you are not alert, the lag in 2nd gear which seems to be corrected in current model.
RK - Are you sure you wanted to mention that Figo's suspension is soft? I feel the fact is otherwise. The stiffer setup makes it a pain in City and pleasure on Highway! [:D]

2nd gear lag is merely a myth in my opinion. If one could manage the gear ratio and be on the right gear, it pulls effortlessly. BTW, do you personally feel TDCi lags more than MJD? Just asking as you had your hands on both.
 
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^^Figoian

To answer you precisely

What do you think on the reason for under body scrapping of Figo is due to lower GC or soft suspension, as my answer lies in that. Being a owner of Figo you can better in describing that

If you ask me between MJD and TDCI lag in 2nd gear, at times both look same to me, but with the turbo punch of MJD at 2000 rpm helps me to come out of that quickly OR else we need to down shift the gear to 1st[:)] but mind you MJD tuning and behavior is different in Ritz,Vista and Punto
 
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^^Figoian

To answer you precisely

What do you think on the reason for under body scrapping of Figo is due to lower GC or soft suspension, as my answer lies in that. Being a owner of Figo you can better in describing that
Well, it's complicated and combination of few factors, GC, Wheelbase, Load, Tyre Pressure are few to name. In my opinion, Longer Wheelbase is one, though Lower GC isn't excusable. However, the GC is not very different when compared to other cars and marginally varying. There are cars in this segment with lesser GC as well. More than all, what one thinks as under body scrapping is an important aspect as well as most of the time it's not under body but just that Mud Flaps. You know, the mud flaps in Figo are bigger than any other car and that's what scrapes most of the time over humps. Sometimes, a simple tyre pressure can manage the thing well.

If you want to really compare a softer suspension set up, try i-20 & Figo on a same road (bad ones) and you will realize what I am trying to convey.

If you ask me between MJD and TDCI lag in 2nd gear, at times both look same to me, but with the turbo punch of MJD at 2000 rpm helps me to come out of that quickly OR else we need to down shift the gear to 1st[:)] but mind you MJD tuning and behavior is different in Ritz,Vista and Punto
Well, I am confused. The longer it takes for turbo to kick in, the longer the lag, isn't it? If you say MJD gets turbo by 2000 RPM, TDCi gets it as early as 1300-1400 RPM. So, overcoming the lag is quicker in TDCi than MJD right?

BTW, we have hijacked the thread to a different dimension, though some of it are relevant to the topic. Sorry onlinesatish!
 
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Am tired of Swifts and Ritz's since they are our office pick up and drop cars and i always felt them to be a bit unstable at higher speeds plus poor braking. And i personally never liked it.
I respect your preferences.
Just as my thoughts, I have owned a Swift and Ritz but in my experience never felt the instability or braking issues with Swift and Ritz. But Ritz gives less confidence at very high speeds (130+) because of higher center of gravity. Swift can take potholes well at high speeds and is well planted also. Just take a look at the width to height ratio and compare this with other cars, you will be able to see the difference.
 

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