| Product: |
Fiat Panda |
| Date: |
01.02.02 (2097 review reads) |
| Rating: |
 |
Advantages: See Opinion
Disadvantages: See Opinion
I was lent a Fiat Panda 1000cl for a few months after the Nissan Micra packed up. I was planning on using this car only for a few months while I was looking for a new car. In the 4,500 miles I covered in the time I had the Panda I had a very strong opinion on the car.
What is a Panda?
The Fiat Panda is a city/town car, which was made to rival the likes of the Ford Fiesta and Austin Metro. The Panda was in production from 1982 up to 1995 (M reg). The Cinquecento came to take the cars place, the cinquecento started production in 1993. The Cinquecento was taken over by the Seicento.
Exterior.
The earlier Fiat Pandas rust very badly which is one of its worst enemies. The Fiat Panda sold well in its earlier days (around 1984). Fiat Pandas on a C- plate are very rare, as most were taken off the road due to rust. The Fiat Panda is a very small boxy car, yet it’s quite high which is one of the reasons its road holding is UN steady.
Interior.
The interior on the Panda in the front is quite spacious as it’s the rear passengers that suffer. There is a handy little hole on the passenger’s side at the front, which is quite deep, which gets filled with rubbish; the hole is big enough to store the emergency phone. The rear seat is massive compared to the Micra which reduces legroom so this car is built for those with fat ar**s and skinny legs. The seats in the Fantasia are green and blue check.
Size=11’ 1” x 4’ 9”.
Model Range.
If you bought new you would have the choice of 4 quite economical engines, which include:
· 750 cc
· 900cc
· 1000cc
· 4x4.
If you bought later on in the Pandas life you would have had the choice of the 1100 Selecta. All the engines are very willing but very noisy. If you buy a Panda spares or repairs I can put money on it that’s its nothing to do with the engine.
Bu
ild Quality.
The Panda has very poor build quality. All the switches in the car feel weak and delicate. The engines build quality is better than anything else on the car. The 1000 cc engine can easily be capable of 90,000 miles maybe even more if serviced regularly and correctly.
Performance.
The 1000cc engine I would say could possibly be capable of 90mph at a push. I would not recommend you take this car out onto fast roads, as the engine is very very noisy and would leave you with a bad migraine if travelling more than 30 miles. I would estimate the 0-60mph of the Panda 1000cc to be around 14 seconds. It’s a very nippy car as it’s a very light and delicate shell.
Servicing.
This car NEEDS REGULAR SERVICING as it’s a delicate car. It’s recommended that you service the car every 6000 miles. Servicing at a Fiat dealer would be expensive, I would not recommend you go to a dealer as there very expensive and a servicing is probably going to cost more than the value of the car.
Equipment
The Fiat Panda Fantasia is only available in luminous green. Standard equipment is as followed.
· Rear Wash Wipe
· Radio Cassette
· Full cover wheel trims.
· Full roll off sunroof.
· Rear seatbelts.
· Sad Personality.
This list is short and sweet but remember the cars from 1988/1989.
Value.
The Fiat Pandas have a very low list price in the Parkers guide. E.g. the value of an E/F reg 1000cl in above average condition for its year is only £225, and yes that’s one that works! You can buy Fiat Pandas very cheap but you can’t rely on them.
Economy
The Fiat Panda has not got the best mpg results in its class, the Micra 1000 (1.0) which is a heavier car gets more m.p.g.
4cyl 750cc = 33-48 mpg
4cyl 900cc = 33-52 mpg
4x4 1000 after 1986 =32-50 mpg.
4x4 before 1986 =30-45 mpg.
Thes
e results are not brilliant but far from poor.
Parts.
You may think because these cars are Italian and no longer in production its hard to find products, if you do your… WRONG. And far from it. My Fiat Panda had worn Brake Pads @ £19! Parts are not hard to get at new. But if you can’t afford to buy new there’s plenty of Pandas in scrap yards because of their rust problem. At my scrap yard I had a headlamp and bumper for £25.
Cornering and Braking.
The Fiat Panda is not built to travel around round a bouts at speed and its not built to win the shortest braking contest. Well before the brake pads were fitted the cars was awful. It braked better on the handbrake and after the brakes was still not ‘ good’ but reasonably acceptable.
Cornering is a problem in the Panda because as it’s a nippy car you tend to take bends quick which can be quite scary especially when its getting to the point your about to go on 2 wheels, yep go on laugh now but it can and has happened. You get the feeling of UN steadiness when cornering this car and I think if my life depended on it I could quite easily tip it.
Summer Fun.
The car I borrowed was the special edition Fantasia model which had a complete roof roll off sunroof. The roof was I think made of canvass, and was still in tiptop condition and had never been replaced.
Extras.
The Fantasia model was special edition from August 1987.
The car did cost somewhere in the region of £4,400 new.
This car has also Lancia parts.
Things to watch out for.
Cold starting problems.
Rust.
Oil leaks.
If you have to have a Panda (God help you) then take along a Parkers guide which will guide you through all the things to look for and give you a price, its then up to you how much you want to spend.
Other Cars to consider.
Volkswagen Polo MY 2ND CHOICE.
Austin Metro
Ford
Fiesta Mk 2.
Peugeot 205. PARKERS CHOICE, MY FIRST CHOICE.
Thanks for reading my opinion. Sam Williams ©
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sidneygee - 02.02.02 One of those cars which are worth a negative amount, IMHO. I would not accept one 'free of charge' ..... |
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