Better car? - Rover 400 or Fiat Punto?

Question

Just want your very brief overall option - nothing to do with age or price of vehicle

Answer 1

The engines on the Punto's are very nice and as a car its quite nippy. The drawback is that they almost dissolve in the rain, they rust so fast.

The Rover 400 is a bit agricultural, but a solid, reliable workhorse, and rather cheaper to get parts for than the Fiat.

If you want something quirky and with a little panache, go for the Fiat. If you want something which isn't bad, but is just spectacularly average, then its the Rover.

Personally, I've got a 3.0 Alfa 164, and a fondness for Italian cars.

Answer 2

If the Rover has the 2.0 engine in it's like comparing a Clio to a BMW, but the 1.4 or 1.6 are frightfully weak. The Punto is a better car than those two, but personally I really don't like the flimsiness of the Punto. In an accident I doubt it would fare any better than the shopping trolleys you used to pinch when you were drunk for a ride in!!! The Rover with the 2.0 engine in though, may have a bit of an old man's image, but it's a fabulous car to drive, very fast because it's light, comfortable because Rover were very good with suspension and somehow it holds the road really well!! After driving both I'd have the Rover 420 over a BMW 320 or a Mercedes C200.

Answer 3

Fiat = Fix It Again Tomorrow
The fault these cars have are nearly always expensive, puntos have weak engines, weak gearboxes and weak suspension systems, not to mention weak bodies . In my job as mot tester and mechanic I'm always surprised how bad these cars are, in the last year i have personally had to repair 4 gearboxes about 20 collapsed clutches, about 15 head gaskets and god knows how many trailing arms on Puntos,
that said Rovers are far from perfect with similar problems including head gaskets and gearbox faults but the suspension and bodywork is much better than the Punto and the parts are not hard to come by and it's only certain engines that give problems with head gaskets, I've only had 1 in the last year for gearbox fault .
If i had to make the choice though i would have to recommend you get the rover less potential problems and definitely a better car

Answer 4

FIAT = Fit It Again Tomorrow

They can have stupid stuff break that only the dealer sells and they can charge a fortune.
Punto's lose value really badly - don't go to a dealer to buy one and you'll lose silly money fast!
The Sportings are fun with good spec and hold their price a little better, but some are over priced, look for a standard (unmodifed) one with lower mileage.
Beware the 'Speedgear' models - the gearbox's are weak and they do go (which'll prob cost more to repair than the car is worth)
I've owned mk1 (1997) and mk2(2001) punto sportings and enjoyed both of them - older one was held together better, newer one was nicer inside and out but have loads of issues.

Rover: 200's/400's like straight lines (ie: not corners), i've found them to be quite bad for grip in the wet - esp stopping.
Suppose alot depends on age and tires though.
Rovers can be quite well spec'd and are generally good, comfy cars. Beware of the Rover K Series Engines - renouned for head gaskets going costing £600 upwards, and just because it's gone once - won't mean it won't go again.
Also have really bad resale value - avoid buying from a dealer too.

Answer 5

Got to be the Punto - purely on image terms! Rover 400 - Old mans car.

Answer 6

Rover 400 - too little coolant reserve. Even a small loss causes overheating and results in warped cylinder head. But then I'm not wild about Puntos' either.

Answer 7

Rover, it is a Honda Civic with a decent engine, if you avoid the K series, get a 2 litre petrol or a diesel. Fiat is fragile with dodgy electrics.

Answer 8

No contest, Rover 400.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

Both crap... sorry mate ..... Go for Volvo 460SE... mine did 250,000 miles..! over 5 years and never let me down.... now have a V70 T5... The Best car i have ever had ..

My Rover SD1 V8 Went Bang at 130mph ... The Engine fell of its mounts ...!!! and i blocked the M25 for 4 hours...( Sorry all )..lol

As for a Fiat...they "Melt" in the Rain.... nuff said..

Good luck...hope this helps..