Fiesta, 207, Punto or Clio?

Kitte

I've been running around in an old 306 diesel for quite a time and have decided to get myself something a bit newer.

For £3.5k I can get an 07 model of either the Fiesta, 207, Punto or Clio.

I've not yet driven either, or even been to any garages, I've only looked online.

My favourite in terms of looks is the 207 (I know it's a marmite car), and I've found a few nice looking 07/57 plate cars within my budget locally.

I only do about 4k a year, most journeys under 3 miles and only a handful of 50+ mile journeys a year.

Looking for owners experiences of any the above :cool:

Johnny_Barnes10

Drove a hire 207 for 3 weeks, beautiful to look at and drive. So roomy as well, nothing bad to say about it. Just a shame it's out of my budget

What's age is your 306, anything wrong with it?

Kitte

Thanks Johnny. Nothing major wrong with my 306 but it's getting on a bit now as it is 16 years old with 162k on the clock. Having had a few nicer cars before, I miss the air-con/climate and the feeling of a newer 'tighter' car. It does have a few minor things wrong with it but still does the job so I'm not in any major hurry to change.

TrickyWicky

Fiestas are more reliable than Renaults and Fiats.

Renaults have the toys.. and the high parts prices (and high frequency of needing them). Fiats can go terminal pretty easily.

paulwellerfan

i have a pug Had it a few years. Very reliable. Never ( touch wood broke down)
great car.

mikey72

TrickyWicky wrote: »

Fiestas are more reliable than Renaults and Fiats.

Renaults have the toys.. and the high parts prices (and high frequency of needing them). Fiats can go terminal pretty easily.

I had a Fiat for 100,000 miles, it never missed a beat.
It was fun to drive as well.
We also have a peugeot, like yours, seem to go on forever.
Fiestas may be ok, but seem so boring.

gilbert_and_sullivan

207 is a decent car IMO, but it is quite heavy so try not to get the standard 1.4 petrol engine, it really needs a bit more oomph..

1.6 petrol is fine, as is the standard 1.4 Diesel or the 90hp 1.6 Diesel, and no DPF on these Diesels.

TrickyWicky

mikey72 wrote: »

I had a Fiat for 100,000 miles, it never missed a beat.
It was fun to drive as well.
We also have a peugeot, like yours, seem to go on forever.
Fiestas may be ok, but seem so boring.

I've heard good things about Pugs in other places too.

As for the Fiat, you may of got lucky but they're generally not good cars. I was talking to a delivery driver once who had his lorry stacked up with new fiats outside the dealer. He actually said to me he'd never buy one even at staff rates because they're so bad. Sure they look nice but the build quality just isn't there. Must be said after the experience I had with ours, I'd believe him.

I'm not keen on any of Fords small cars like the fiesta or ka but it must be said as boring as they both are the fiestas go for years with little trouble. The kas build quality is lacking and bits on those (apart from the engine and box) seem to fail quite frequently. I've known many people with fiestas and they've never had any serious problems with them.

Renaults are good if you don't want boring, they're full of gizmos but the reliability tends to be problematic and then the parts prices are a bit steep. They also don't seem to last very long either and so few people look after them properly because of this reputation that it makes it even worse. At least you can't be bored with all the things you have to fix though

mikey72

To be honest, we're looking at replacing the 106 we have, it's getting a bit old, (1997), and it's done 160,000 miles now. Just fancy a newer car really, and with power steering, but we're stuck trying to find something that'll do 55+ to the gallon, cruise up and down the motorway, be small enough to park anywhere, and most importantly, is a 5 seater (even with a lap belt in the middle seat) not a 4 seater with only 4 belts.

Nothing springs to mind, but the Punto looks nice as a diesel, maybe the Felicia (but it's wider), the phase 2 106 or the saxo is winning at the moment.

dorme

mikey72 wrote: »

To be honest, we're looking at replacing the 106 we have, it's getting a bit old, (1997), and it's done 160,000 miles now. Just fancy a newer car really, and with power steering, but we're stuck trying to find something that'll do 55+ to the gallon, cruise up and down the motorway, be small enough to park anywhere, and most importantly, is a 5 seater (even with a lap belt in the middle seat) not a 4 seater with only 4 belts.

Nothing springs to mind, but the Punto looks nice as a diesel, maybe the Felicia (but it's wider), the phase 2 106 or the saxo is winning at the moment.

you couldnt go any further wrong than getting such an unsafe car like the 106/saxo, especially when theres many more safer cars aorund the same price that are all round better, seriously, they are very old now and mostly ragged and abused.

fiats are dodgy ground, the engines CAN be competant sometimes, however the elctrics are full of gremlins and a nightmare to work on (im a mechanic), the punto especially is riddled in faults waiting for the next unlucky victim. modern grande puntos are better.

skoda felicias from the recent/not recent vw group takeover are excellent, as are most fiestas post 97.

clios from 2002 onwards are good, pug 207s are ok, if a little dull and have the odd brake/engine issues-nothing major though.

good luck in your search.

dorme

mikey72 wrote: »

I had a Fiat for 100,000 miles, it never missed a beat.
It was fun to drive as well.
We also have a peugeot, like yours, seem to go on forever.
Fiestas may be ok, but seem so boring.

lol, fun to drive fiat? new one on me, ive driven plenty (well, some wouldnt start but thats fiats!)

if you think a fiat is good to drive, then a fiesta will be a complete revelation for you! the chassis on fiestas from the era the op is looking at will make the fiat look like a cardboard box with cement on one side when cornering!

i suppose having a reliable car can become boring, in that case, the fiat is th emost exciting car on the planet!