Like:
Small on the outside. While the turning circle leaves something to be desired, the exterior dimensions means I rarely have to look far to find a parking spot it will fit in.
4x4 system quite capable considering it's a viscous coupling. While I don't expect it to compete with a Subaru for on road handling and Jeep or Land Rover for off road prowess, it's effective enough that winter driving is more fun that it should be, and exploring uninhabited coves at the beach or dirt paths in the forest during holidays means the car itself adds to the experience of adventure.
Light controls (clutch, steering etc.), and I rather like the high gear lever position (close to the steering wheel). The electric power steering is great in town.
Diesel is quite economical in both fuel consumption and tax bracket. It has enough power to get out of it's own way in the city, and the torque helps on the highway, steep inclines, and off road.
Makes me want to go on adventures because I know it can handle it. This is more of a testament to the car as a whole, as it's just big enough for two people on a long road trip around the coast, or it has enough room for a couple friends if we want to do something spontaneous down town. While I know getting there will be a pain, I want to take this car to places I've never been. It makes me want to prepare a Sunday picnic and bbq, and go have a good time with friends in the middle of nowhere. The drivetrain makes me want to go do stupid things in the snow in winter. The size makes me want to take it into the city knowing I can find parking rather than worry about parking and take public transport. It has "character", as auto journalists love to put it. It's like a flawed but trusted and enjoyable friend or dog. It goads you into doing things with it, even if you didn't want to before you hopped in.
Dislike:
Small on the inside, as in there are cars with similar exterior dimensions that have more interior volume or better interior layouts and ergonomics despite having equal or better crash ratings (so it's not all down to newer cars getting fatter pillars to succeed in crash tests compared to older generations). Don't even get me started on how unnecessarily thick the gear column and dash part is. My knee reminds me every day.
Seats and driving position (ergonomics). The seats lack support, and the driving position is typical of an '80's or '90's Italian car, which most likely used orangutans when designing the ergonomics of seating positions because the steering wheel is always just a bit too far away if you get the pedal placement right, and the pedals are too close if you adjust according to the steering wheel. A telescoping steering column is the simplest and least costly of solutions that should have been available all along.
Noisy. The diesel is agricultural at low speeds, downright offensive at high speeds. Road and wind noise is also quite invasive at high speeds, but that's also coupled with the diesel roar due to the lack of a 6th gear. Coupled with the seats, long journeys are not a strong suit.
Economy. Yes, I wrote that in the likes section as well. Yes, it's economical in it's own right but compared to similar vehicles with similar engines and weights, it's not as good as it should be. A diesel Polo of the same year easily and consistently gets 7-10mpg more under the same conditions despite having more power and torque (and comparing within 30kg of weight) and all that discrepancy can't be down to the 4x4 system. It's also not a common car where I live, so once the warranty runs out the prices for parts, repairs, maintenance is worrisome (but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it).
Value. On an emotional level, it's all worth it. I'll put up with all the flaws because it puts a smile on my face when I least expect it. The economics of it, however, are a different story. While circumstances aren't really comparable because everyone is different, in my circumstances it was (and still is) a terrible value proposition. When I bought it (used), it was the least amount of car for the most amount of money. I bought it anyway, because I've wanted a diesel Panda 4x4 since 2008 but they were never imported here. This is the only one to have ever come up for sale in the country so I jumped on the opportunity. Since I've bought it, the depreciation and state of the national economy means while I probably won't lose money when selling it, I wouldn't be able to buy anything remotely comparable for that amount of money at this point (or in the future). The rarity of it here also means most buyers wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole for fear of out-of-warranty repairs and maintenance. For reference regarding how overpriced it was when I got it in 2014 (at 8000km, extremely low for a 2012 model), I could have bought a nearly new Hyundai i30 (under 5000km, 2014 model, 1.6 diesel auto with all the options ticked), or a slightly more used Suzuki Grand Vitara (40000km, 2010 model, 1.9 diesel), or even split the difference between two vehicles (I could have kept the Twingo I had, and bought another 1.2 Dynamic Panda with the massive sunroof and still under 80000km) with money left to spare. So basically, I sank all the money I had saved into this one car because I really really really wanted it, and now I'm stuck with it. A financially smarter person would probably steer clear considering all the variables, but then again... I'm the sort of guy that would be willing to eat breakfast cereal for a week before the next paycheck if it means I won't miss out on the experience of an epic night out with friends the weekend before. In the words of Forrest Gump, "I am not a smart man". So this part's a bit my own damn fault.
