Drive magazine Comparison Test: Fiat Punto GT vs Peugeot 106 GTI
250 Horses on the road....
What's better? Charged induction or more valves per cylinder combined with more cubic displacement? Noone can answer this with certainty, and this is why the two methods of adding "vitamins" to an engine will always be a confrontation to prospective buyers, bith having their own minus or plus points.
Design - Body - Interior space
Punto - 106 GTI: 1-0. Since the Punto is the bigger of the two, and, though it has been some more years in the market, it still feels like a fresh design. And the fight continues, since this is not the first thing asked from the buyers of such cars.
Build quality - Equipment - User friendliness
Punto - 106: X. It's a difficult fight, this one, too. The Punto has height adjustable steering wheel and driver's seat. The Peugeot's are fixed. In both cars, however, one can find a very good driving position. The 106's seats offer better side support. The instrument panels of both cars are full with dials. Both test cars came with air conditioning, a very useful accessory in the hot climate of recent years. Also, both have a driver's side airbag, as standard. Quality of both marques has been criticised in the past, but they are both really uprated nowadays.
Engine - Transmission
Punto - 106 GTI: 1-0. The Italian engineers chose the solution of a small motor (1372 cc, a tax advantage, in Greece), only two valves per cylinder, one overhead camshaft, low compression and forced induction, using a turbo. All these end up producing 133 BHP at 5750 rpm, and tons of torque low down: 20.8 kgm at 3000 rpm.
The French have chosen about 200 more cc's, 4 valves per cylinder, two overhead cams and a high compression, contributing to give 122 BHP at 6600 rpm and torque 15 kgm at a high 5200 rpm. All else is similar, they both are front engined and with the front wheels driven through manual 5-speed gearboxes. The 106 GTI has a little shorter final transmission ratio, which somehow is trying to compensate for the Punto's explosive nature. The superiority of the turbocharged engine's power is obviously, despite the smoother power delivery of the 106 GTI.
Performance - Fuel Consumption
Punto - 106 GTI: 1-0. When one thinks of these cars, he/she never really cares about the trunk's displacement. Things that matter in these cars are the stop light drag races (a reality we don't approve, but we can't also ignore), or the top-speed search in an empty long stretch, or, (more important for us), a fast drive in our country's beautiful and scenic b-roads. Speaking of absolute numbers in a straight line, the Punto is king, here. But, as a king, the Punto needed a king's budget to pay for the fuel! Consumption for these rockets was 11.2 litres/100km for the 106 GTI and 14.6 litres/100 km for the Punto GT. In a fast comparison drive we did with both cars, the 106 never exceeded 11.7 l/100 km, while the Punto asked for 17.6 l/100 km.
Handling - Brakes
Punto - 106 GTI: 0-1. This is the hard part. In between them the Punto looks as soft as a... Citroen, while the 106 reminds a kart! How they behave, is partly the driver's option, as is the engines' response to the throttle. We must note here that the Punto is the more understeering of the two, especially when the turbo gets into a corner's equation, while the 106's tail is more sensitive when you lift off the throttle. In total, they both demand concentraion from their drivers, even though the Peugeot is more fogiving, being more progressive in its power delivery. The brakes are good in both cars. They both have discs all around, the fronts being ventilated.
Comfort - Ride
Punto - 106 GTI: 1-0. We said it before: The Punto reminds us of a... Citroen. It's suspension has more travel and more compliance when confronted with the Greek roads. At the same time, the interior comfort and the less aerodynamic sounds make it look like a much bigger car, from the inside, when compared with the kart like hard and short suspension of the Peugeot. On the other hand, the Punto leans lots more in corners, and in some occassions it floats over large undulations, giving the driver and passengers a boat like feel.
So...
It's not an easy comparison test, this one. If logic prevailed, we would choose the Punto GT, being better in absolute numbers, as well as in value for money. However, our heart would dictate the Peugeot, as it is a more user friendly "toy" and it helps it's driver/pilot move briskly in town or out of it, without the need for him to be 100% concentrated and of course with less fuel.
