USED Fiat Panda Hatchback (04 - 12)

My car

Ive had this car for one year now and so far has exeeded my expectations. The car is great at overtaking lorries on the motorway and handles very well. There is a slight body roll while using roundabouts but isnt too bad. The fuel usage is very minor going 2 weeks on £10 of fuel if i am using to go to work, and if i use the motorway £10 of petrol will last a week and a half. This car does have a stigma attached to it though i.e. its a fiat, if anyone says what car are you driving i say a fiat panda and they say things like oh see it got you here without braking down or how did it get through the snow its a fiat, someone even said that bits would start falling off it because its a fiat, so i can honestly say fiat have a very bad repuation, and after 1 year the car has NOT broken down and HASNT had bits falling off it. As for the interior it does have a very plastic feel to it and the stereo could be better the seats however are very comfortable but the gear stick can leave you cramped because its high in the middle of the dash board leaving me less legroom than a ford fiesta (which i took my test in). There is some decent stowage in the side of the doors a glove box (which the sciento didnt have) and a temperature guage amongst the speedometer which some supermini's dont have. T

My car

I donwsized from a bigger estate car so bought 26k 06 Dynamic 2 weeks ago. The power steering packed up after 1 day. Thank god warranty covered £450+ repair.

Have had back for a week and so far it is very nippy, easy and fun to drive. The 'City' parking option seems to be unnecessary, the steering is really light already and a doddle to park. It's good on the motorway, easily reaches 70+mph and is much quieter than expected. The ride is very firm! Watch out for 'potholes'.

It's too early to comment on fuel consumption. It is showing 38mpg on trip readout and is rising every day. The gear change is smooth, slips from 2nd to 4th really well which saves even more fuel.

If buying a used car check that the fuel cap is lockable. It will set you back nearly £20. With fuel costs as they are and the ease with which fuel can be stolen it is a shame Fiat feel they have to squeeze more money out of you for something that costs them very little. Also, a boot light wouldn't bankrupt them either!

Overall, so far I am happy with the car.

My car

I was finding driving around London in a large saloon a pain so was tempted to get a small car as my next company car. My initial choice was the Fiat 500 but I opted for a Panda in the end due to it having 4 doors & being more practical. In June 2008 I collected my fully equiped, brand new 1.3 Multijet & have since done 6000 miles. Quite simply for what it cost & for what it is, the car is brilliant! I was initially concerned that driving around town I was only averaging 250 miles on a full tank of diesel but after a few weeks, this increased to 300 miles + and now I'm getting about 400 miles of urban driving from £30 of diesel! The engine has become more quiet & refined & the car is nippy & a joy to drive. On my odd journies up the A1 & around the M25, the car sits with languid ease @ 70+ MPH. For such a small car, it is surprisingly roomy both @ the front & the back yet you can park it in almost any tight space. I cannot praise this little car enough and cannot comprehend how SMART car drivers could prefer those rollerskate type vehicles to a Panda!

My car

After reading numerous reviews I bought this 35K 04 Eleganza a few weeks ago having run a Ford Ka for about 6 months.

Fiat dealers seem to come in for quite a lot of stick but I thought Pewsham Motors Chippenham where I bought mine were great - friendly, efficient and reasonable, they did everything they said they would with no fuss.

To me the difference between the Ka and the Panda is enormous, It's as if the Ford comes from a bygone era (which to be fair it does) whereas the Panda seems a thoroughly modern car - a real pleasure to drive. Equipment on the Eleganza is first rate, although it's a pity the parcel shelf doesn't lift with the tailgate.

Although it never let me down the Ka had numerous niggling faults but so far I can't think of anything I don't like about the Panda, apart from that shelf!

With 35k on the clock reliability may be a problem.... I'll let you know!