Used Fiat Panda 2004 - 2012 review

What's the used Fiat Panda like?

As an all-rounder in the miniature car market, few city cars impress in as many areas as the Fiat Panda.

Dynamically, first of all, the Panda is terrific. A range of three small engines give spirited performance, and handling is good for the most part, even though the car sometimes struggles to find enough front-end grip. The steering is responsive and well weighted, too.

Overview

Cheap to buy and a pleasure for driver and passengers alike

Pros

• There's plenty of space for four, it's fairly refined and cheap

Cons

• The 1
• 2 engine is noisy and base cars are under-equipped

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Fiat PANDA

1.2 Dynamic 5dr

£450

Fiat Panda

1.2 Dynamic 5dr

£700

Fiat Panda

1.2 Dynamic 5dr

£790

Fiat Panda

1.1 Active 5dr

£990

Fiat Panda

1.2 Mamy 5dr

£995

Fiat PANDA

1.1 ECO Active 5dr

£995

Fiat Panda

1.2 Eleganza 5dr

£999

Fiat Panda

1.2 Dynamic 5dr

£999

Fiat Panda

1.2 ECO Dynamic 5dr

£1,095

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The ride is great, and it deals capably with most surfaces. Refinement is also excellent, putting many bigger cars to shame. Wind-, road- and engine noise are extremely well contained, especially for a city car.

The interior space is just as impressive. Even the base models that don't have a sliding rear seat offer excellent accommodation for four six-footers, while the higher-specification models that do are even more commodious. The boot is also a good size.

Our recommendations

Which used Fiat Panda should I buy?

The 1.3-litre turbodiesel is great - it has 70bhp and it's quicker and more flexible than the petrol engines. Unfortunately, it's significantly more expensive to buy.

For that reason, we'd recommend the 60bhp 1.2-litre petrol. Like the 54bhp 1.1-litre you might also consider, it's peppy and responsive around town, but the extra performance of the 1.2 is a real help, especially on the motorway.

The base Active trim level lacks some essential equipment, but you do get electric front windows, power steering and twin front airbags.

Dynamic trim adds a CD player, height-adjustable steering wheel and remote central locking, while the Dynamic AirCon gets, you've guessed it, air-con - and that makes it our favourite.

The Dynamic Skydome has a full-length electric sunroof, while the Eleganza has climate control, alloy wheels and roof bars. There's also a 4x4 version available with the 1.2-litre engine, too.