Panda 4x4 Opinions

Hawk Tuah

Hawk Tuah

Hawk Tuah

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
14,276
Location
Sandwich, Kent
The missus has been looking for something to replace the ageing Rover. She's been looking at small 4x4's, but all the ones we've test driven so far have fallen someway short of the mark. (Jimny and Terrios).

However toda she's been looking at the new Panda 4x4's. They seem pretty good value. A few years old 20ker is around 5 grand, like this one.

I've read a few reviews and they all seem positive. I know James May raves about them.

There is a garage near us, so might take a test drive tomorrow.

So what do you guys think about them?
 
Not knowing much about pandas, whats the point of the 4x4 version, can't you get the 2wd 1.4 for that money?

That would be a better option imho.
 
Firestar_3x said:
Not knowing much about pandas, whats the point of the 4x4 version, can't you get the 2wd 1.4 for that money?

That would be a better option imho.
Click to expand...

Oooo. More importantly we could get a 1.3 miltijet for that money.

66mpg and 5 seconds quicker to 60 sounds a bit more paletable.
 
the new pands is a very good car.
even captain slow has one :p

can't see why you'd want the 4x4 though unless you live in a field..
 
I'm not sure how effient the transmission is, the quoted 0-60 time for the 4x4 is much higher then the 2wd version.

As for the 1.4, I test drove one, lots of fun but the ride is deffinately sporty, speed bumps were not fun.
 
It the extra diffs and weight that drag the 0-60 time down, more gears = more mechanical drag.

Then you have the lower MPG factor as well.
 
These things are slow, when I worked for a Fiat Dealer I had one through the winter.

Averaged about 35mpg but was good fun to drive, I enjoyed driving the one I had.

100hp are the nuts though.
 
Well, we went to a Fiat dealership on Sunday and took a look at a few pandas.

We looked at the 4x4, a 1.2 Dynamique and the 100hp. They only had one available to test drive at the time, and sadly it was the poverty spec 1.2 dynamique.

My god, what a hunk of crap that was. For a start, my eye line was above the top of the windscreen, and the seats dont height adjust in that model. Oh, and the dash is a horrible thing to look at. The seats were terribly uncomfortable. But then it drove ok.

So when we got back from the test drive we had a sit in the other models. The 4x4 standard spec is way better than the dynamic. The seats were really comfortable and they height adjusted. Plus, in a 4x4, the dash seemed more appropriate. The 100hp was nice too. With a better level of spec, the car was a lot nicer place to be.

One thing that was surprising was just how much room there was. Even the rear seats, with me right back, hand plenty of leg space.

However they also had the Fiat 500's in the showroom, so we got looking in a few of those. Now that IS a pretty car, and the dash has some really nice touches. Bit pricey though!
 
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