AdyG said:

Surely they are manufacturing defects though and should be sorted under warranty?

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Not considered a defect, it's just how it's built ... If you want precision shut lines on doors, bonnet etc then buy a BMW ... Price will dictate your expectations

It's an education I can tell you that! ?

PsFiat said:

Not considered a defect, it's just how it's built ... If you want precision shut lines on doors, bonnet etc then buy a BMW ... Price will dictate your expectations

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That's if it was built that way, 2 years down the line you never know what's happened to the car and who has bodged it together

AdyG said:

It's an education I can tell you that! ��

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In 40 years of driving eight new Mazda's I experienced exactly three warranty issues; a missing handle on a seat adjuster, a missing screw on a dashboard and something else so minor I can't even remember. This one Fiat has had more problems than all of them put together; clutch failure (twice) boot switch failure, skewed bonnet, Stop/Start problems, etc. so I can empathise. Gotta love the car though.

Piccolo Nero e Bella said:

This one Fiat has had more problems than all of them put together; clutch failure (twice) boot switch failure, skewed bonnet, Stop/Start problems, etc. so I can empathise. Gotta love the car though.

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Got to agree - I bought my Panda Multijet a few months ago to use as a hack, not expecting to actually like it.

I have found plenty of niggles, some of which have been corrected thanks to the guys on this forum, but it still has issues. Two that continually annoy me are:
1. Nowhere to stash anything (phone, glasses, sunglasses, etc).
2. Bad road roar on roads with granite chippings (plenty of them round here).

But it grows on you. It brings a smile. I really enjoy buzzing around in it, and I guess I'll keep it and eventually run it into the ground.

Sweetsixteen said:

Got to agree - I bought my Panda Multijet a few months ago to use as a hack, not expecting to actually like it.

I have found plenty of niggles, some of which have been corrected thanks to the guys on this forum, but it still has issues. Two that continually annoy me are:
1. Nowhere to stash anything (phone, glasses, sunglasses, etc).
2. Bad road roar on roads with granite chippings (plenty of them round here).

But it grows on you. It brings a smile. I really enjoy buzzing around in it, and I guess I'll keep it and eventually run it into the ground.

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Oh, I have niggles galore - quite apart from the breakdowns. The 500, and especially the 500C, is probably one of the most impractical cars on the planet. As you say there's no real storage. I also find the climate control unnecessarily fiddly. What's with the .5 increments on the temp setting for example - changing up or down needs two button presses for every degree (and I really can't tell the difference between 22.0 and 22.5 degrees), a rotary control would be so much simpler and less distracting. And, while we're there, what I wouldn't give for a rotary volume knob on the stereo...

On the other hand it's made driving fun again and that's something the Mazda's could no longer do - each new model is blander and less engaging than the last.

As an ex Mazda 3 owner I agree. The Mazda did everything boringly well, but was lifeless and dull. The 500 isn't perfect but just a pleasure to drive. Noticed after I bought the Fiat, friends family want to see the car and even have a ride in it- never happened with the (yawn) Mazda!

Piccolo Nero e Bella said:

. And, while we're there, what I wouldn't give for a rotary volume knob on the stereo....

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Not really that hard, although, with the wheel buttons and (imporved) speed sensitive volume, I can't say I use the knob for volume that much:

UFI said:

Not really that hard, although, with the wheel buttons and (imporved) speed sensitive volume, I can't say I use the knob for volume that much:

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Thanks for the the pix - smart looking unit. I gather it doesn't interface with the Blue&Me (and can't be controlled through the TomTom?) but if it functions with the steering wheel controls that's probably not an issue. What about voice control?

It looks good with your interior colours I must say and gives every appearance of being OEM. Where did you source the surround? If I were to fit such a unit in mine it would clash somewhat with the ivory though perhaps the black-painted dash panel would ameliorate the effect.

I lost all B&M function (including voice command), at the time I didn't care, as UFI isn't my daily. I'm pretty sure this can be fixed but I have yet to try.

The fitting kits are on ebay etc, and I actually have a spare new ivory one if you go that route

It's nearly a 1kg weight saving, which is mostly what I cared about. The head unit itself is awesome though, I'm about to order my third one

Should be able to get a patch cable to be able to control the HU with the steering controls, but won't get B&M back normally - not that its a great loss from personal experience

UFI said:

I lost all B&M function (including voice command), at the time I didn't care, as UFI isn't my daily. I'm pretty sure this can be fixed but I have yet to try.

The fitting kits are on ebay etc, and I actually have a spare new ivory one if you go that route

It's nearly a 1kg weight saving, which is mostly what I cared about. The head unit itself is awesome though, I'm about to order my third one

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Thank you. I need to consider all the pros and cons ($!) for a while yet but I appreciate the offer.

Did you upgrade the speakers too?

One more thing; would you mind posting the model No. etc of that unit?

I've always been a Pioneer fan, at least for home audio, the last car came fitted with an entry-level Kenwood which I literally wore out in eight years and replaced with another that was still going strong five years later when I traded for the 500C, so I know they're reliable.

Piccolo Nero e Bella said:

Thank you. I need to consider all the pros and cons ($!) for a while yet but I appreciate the offer.

Did you upgrade the speakers too?

One more thing; would you mind posting the model No. etc of that unit?

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It'll cost you about $400 DIY including the CANBUS adapter.

I haven't upgraded the speakers yet, I know they're riveted in so I can't easily weigh them to see if the new ones will be lighter (a requirement ). I still need to get the windows tinted and the door handles replaced so I will do it all at the same time so the door cards only need be removed once.

I will be going for light weight neo magnet fronts with american type mid's at the rear for a bit more bass as I don't want/ need a sub.

The head unit is a Kenwood KIV-701. I've still got Kenwood's first ever MP3 player ($1400 at the time!) in my off road only Jeep (so vibration hasn't killed it even with the motorised face plate), it's being replaced soon but will go on in another car.

UFI said:

It'll cost you about $400 DIY including the CANBUS adapter.

I haven't upgraded the speakers yet, I know they're riveted in so I can't easily weigh them to see if the new ones will be lighter (a requirement ). I still need to get the windows tinted and the door handles replaced so I will do it all at the same time so the door cards only need be removed once.

I will be going for light weight neo magnet fronts with american type mid's at the rear for a bit more bass as I don't want/ need a sub.

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Mmm, just about managable. I'd like to upgrade the speakers too even though I find the factory units acceptable. It's just on the general principle that OEM speakers will be 'good enough'.

Window tinting is perhaps a greater priority to reduce internal heat. I would have liked the ivory fabric on the roof if I'd had a choice - both for appearance (I think it would look good on a black car) and to reflect at least a little heat.

Many thanks for the information.