I'm doing not much better then 40-41 MPG. 
General Twin Air Help & Advice Please
- Thread starter Dragonbreff
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General Twin Air Help & Advice Please
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Yes - but haven't you tuned yours? Or is it still the standard 85?I'm doing not much better then 40-41 MPG.
Panda 4x4 TA Antarctica
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As others have said, the TwinAir is a potent, if slightly vocal little unit, with strong torque and the potential for good economy, if you can keep throttle openings small and progress leisurely.
Contrary to some people's opinion, this engine doesn't need high revs to make progress and indeed doing so just elicits a louder clatter, poorer mpg and virtually no additional progress. It's at it's best between ~1750-4500rpm, where it's spirited torque delivers a good dollop of urge and a pleasingly gruff growl.
Compared to, say, a VW Up! Or Skoda Citigo, which many cite as the leaders in the supermini class, the TwinAir engine has significantly more 'go' and is (in my experience) smoother (in all respects) at motorway speeds, too, despite being a cylinder short of the VAG-offering's 3-cyl motor.
I'm speaking from the perspective of a 4x4 TwinAir owner, with the 6-speed manual gearbox, so non-4x4 ride-comfort may differ.
MPG - it's fairly easy to get >40-45+mpg, but realistically 50+mpg is only achieved when driving deliberately economically and keeping speed down on motorways etc. Flowing A/B roads deliver conditions most conducive to high-mpg. Enjoy your test-ride. The engine is easy to love for an enthusiast and may deliver a more diesel-like drive than you first imagine, in it's useful rev-range.
Contrary to some people's opinion, this engine doesn't need high revs to make progress and indeed doing so just elicits a louder clatter, poorer mpg and virtually no additional progress. It's at it's best between ~1750-4500rpm, where it's spirited torque delivers a good dollop of urge and a pleasingly gruff growl.
Compared to, say, a VW Up! Or Skoda Citigo, which many cite as the leaders in the supermini class, the TwinAir engine has significantly more 'go' and is (in my experience) smoother (in all respects) at motorway speeds, too, despite being a cylinder short of the VAG-offering's 3-cyl motor.
I'm speaking from the perspective of a 4x4 TwinAir owner, with the 6-speed manual gearbox, so non-4x4 ride-comfort may differ.
MPG - it's fairly easy to get >40-45+mpg, but realistically 50+mpg is only achieved when driving deliberately economically and keeping speed down on motorways etc. Flowing A/B roads deliver conditions most conducive to high-mpg. Enjoy your test-ride. The engine is easy to love for an enthusiast and may deliver a more diesel-like drive than you first imagine, in it's useful rev-range.
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In my experience, 'Nippy' needs qualification. Once the turbo kicks in it will keep going and pull pretty well but to get it going from a standstill you need to wring its neck a bit. Make sure you try a steep hill from a standing start. If you're okay with leisurely it will do fine. And yes, the mileage is shocking for such a tiny engine. At least you'll be getting a low tax band if you're buying used.
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In my experience you can make fairly rapid progress without wringing the neck of the thing. I can't imagine thrashing it to the point where I can get below 40mpg - I would imagine that's a lot of noise and not necessarily the best use of the power and torque bands. I don't hang about and the worst I've seen is 45mpg - during its first 1000 miles. Since then the mileage has improved.
I have a Cross which I bought new nine months ago. The gearing is likely different from the Easy, so that will also be a factor.
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It might be just me - but after only driving small normally aspirated cars for years it's taken me several months to learn how to get the best out of this engine. It's really not like anything I've driven before. For me, that's part of the appeal, it's an engine with real personality - and for that reason I think it will become a future classic.
9 months... has it done enough to free off?.
My HEAVY 5 door punto wouldnt pull 6th gear for a while until itd started to break in.
Does high 40's running around AND 55mpg at 70 mph on a road trip..
Agreed 4wd will not help..but the biggest factor is the 15000 miles they take to properly free off.
P S .. newbies.. have a look at the panda TA that did the record breaking Cape to London trip
Charlie
gar074
Prominent member
My experience may well be different from that of other TA owners, but my Cross has now done 23k miles, and I haven't detected any performance gains since new. The fuel economy is also unchanged - it continues to average 41mpg, as it did from day 1.
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Part of the problem here is we're not all comparing the same cars. The AWD models have different gearing, are heavier and the transmission must also make a difference too. So comparing 2WD and AWD is like comparing apples and pears. Even the Cross and the Panda 4x4 are different.
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Disaster has struck.
The Panda should have been delivered to the dealers yesterday and they were going to phone me to arrange the test drive.
Today they phoned to say when the car was leaving their other branch to come down here, it stopped at traffic lights and a motor cyclist ran into the back of it. The motor cyclist they said wasn't paying attention and hadn't noticed the Panda had stopped at the lights, and swerved to avoid the car and clipped the offside corner.
They said it could be repaired, but they are replacing the whole rear bumper, and spraying the bumper and anything else to blend in the metallic blue paint so it doesn't notice.
The car won't be ready to test drive for a week or maybe two they said.
Hmmm...... If it could be repaired then they would have surely, rather than put a whole new rear bumper on it. And I'm wondering what other damage the bump has done.
What else could have been damaged that's unseen? Rear suspension? Shocks? Exhaust brackets? Anything could have been done.
Hopefully they'll go over it thoroughly and if, when it finally gets down here, I'm not happy about anything then I'll get my deposit back.
The car's a 2015, so the paint will have faded slightly, but they assured me it would be scanned with a computer and matched perfectly so it won't even notice it's had a bump.
If I'm happy with the way it drives I'll probably ask for a price reduction due to the accident what the odds of that happening who knows.
To say I'm disappointed is an understatement, it's the only Twinair for sale within about 200 miles, in the colour I want.
Any opinions and advice?
The Panda should have been delivered to the dealers yesterday and they were going to phone me to arrange the test drive.
Today they phoned to say when the car was leaving their other branch to come down here, it stopped at traffic lights and a motor cyclist ran into the back of it. The motor cyclist they said wasn't paying attention and hadn't noticed the Panda had stopped at the lights, and swerved to avoid the car and clipped the offside corner.
They said it could be repaired, but they are replacing the whole rear bumper, and spraying the bumper and anything else to blend in the metallic blue paint so it doesn't notice.
The car won't be ready to test drive for a week or maybe two they said.
Hmmm...... If it could be repaired then they would have surely, rather than put a whole new rear bumper on it. And I'm wondering what other damage the bump has done.
What else could have been damaged that's unseen? Rear suspension? Shocks? Exhaust brackets? Anything could have been done.
Hopefully they'll go over it thoroughly and if, when it finally gets down here, I'm not happy about anything then I'll get my deposit back.
The car's a 2015, so the paint will have faded slightly, but they assured me it would be scanned with a computer and matched perfectly so it won't even notice it's had a bump.
If I'm happy with the way it drives I'll probably ask for a price reduction due to the accident what the odds of that happening who knows.
To say I'm disappointed is an understatement, it's the only Twinair for sale within about 200 miles, in the colour I want.
Any opinions and advice?
Do not buy this car, however much discount they offer. There will always be that nagging doubt at the back of your mind about just how seriously it was damaged.
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Thanks, that's what would happen too, I'd always be wondering what else was damaged and cause problems in the future.
I only have their word for it that it was a motorcycle that went into the back of it. For all I know it could have been another car. And being a corner shunt, the chasiss could be twisted or something.
I'll just have to wait until another Panda Twinair comes up for sale somewhere.
Thank you for your swift reply too, much appreciated.
I only have their word for it that it was a motorcycle that went into the back of it. For all I know it could have been another car. And being a corner shunt, the chasiss could be twisted or something.
I'll just have to wait until another Panda Twinair comes up for sale somewhere.
Thank you for your swift reply too, much appreciated.
gar074
Prominent member
Granted, but my point is still valid. I haven't noticed any improved performance or fuel consumption as the miles have piled on. No comparison with a 2WD or 'ordinary' 4x4 involved in that observation.
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Yes. I take your point - you were talking about economy gains and I was remarking on how the economy seems to vary wildly between owners. The other aspect I failed to mention was terrain - which is likely to be the biggest contributor.
gar074
Prominent member
Why not ask them to text you some photos of the car, in its damaged state, and with the bumper removed? That might provide some reassurance (or not) over the seriousness of the impact (although, before someone jumps on me, I do know that even modest-looking impact-damage can conceal underlying chassis damage)
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I think I'd always be worried what other problems had been caused and are lurking to show up in the future.
Although they had put extra warranty on it, up to March 2019, so any problems would show up in that time surely?
Although they had put extra warranty on it, up to March 2019, so any problems would show up in that time surely?
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Panda 4x4 TA Antarctica
Member
They aren't 'rare' - another will come up. Get your deposit back and have a look around.
Why not test drive some of the competition, whilst waiting to find another TwinAir Panda? That way you'll have some frame of reference for comparison. You might find a 4x4 in-budget? We don't use ours off-road especially, but we appreciate the high ground clearance and seating position, deep spongy tyre walls and that low ratio first gear every day when driving around town, negotiating vicious speed humps, rattling along rough pot-holed roads and performing hill starts and low speed manouvering in tight multi-storey car parks.
Not to say the regular panda is not perfectly capable - just don't feel the 4x4 is purely for the true outdoorsman!
Why not test drive some of the competition, whilst waiting to find another TwinAir Panda? That way you'll have some frame of reference for comparison. You might find a 4x4 in-budget? We don't use ours off-road especially, but we appreciate the high ground clearance and seating position, deep spongy tyre walls and that low ratio first gear every day when driving around town, negotiating vicious speed humps, rattling along rough pot-holed roads and performing hill starts and low speed manouvering in tight multi-storey car parks.
Not to say the regular panda is not perfectly capable - just don't feel the 4x4 is purely for the true outdoorsman!
