really like that model,though the penguins would have to go for me im afraid.

I'm not the biggest contributor to the forum and this is my first post on this Panda section although I do regularly visit. My previous Panda's were the previous version 4x4, and when I sold that for my Audi Quattro I began to miss the Panda smile I used to get when driving the 4x4 so I went a bought a 100HP just for fun. I sold that in Sept last year when I went all sensible and bought a Motorhome (Fiat Ducato chassis of course) and bought a Volvo too.


However over Christmas dinner my brother in law happened to mention he got employee discounts with Fiat etc.. which got me thinking..... So after a few beers last night in the pub, I got him to e-mail the list of latest offers, and sure enough there was the Antarctica on the list.


So today I went and bought one - it's class !!! I just love little cars that put a smile on your face when you drive them, I've had all sorts of cars in the past, this is now my 50th, and you just can't beat small cars for fun. I've had Smarts, IQ's and Panda's, they're all brill.


So here it is at the garage (pic to follow, problem uploading) , its the multijet, should be collecting it later next week Thursday or Friday, can't wait, love the orange interior and privacy glass, only thing it doesn't have which I would have spec'd is the heated seats and heated screen. As mentioned above though not sure about the penguins on the side, funky, but not for me, they may have to come off pretty sharpish, although a smaller one on the hatch may help brighten it up a little, may have to commission a penguin style graphic.


Mike

I agree with all of your points but still loving it! Main gripe is the lack of rear interior light. But at £12k is a third of the price of other 4x4's that I've owned with a massive saving in running fists so that makes up for it. The wife likes it so much she now wants to replace our C-max with a 500L Trekking

Great choice Mike n Helen and perfect timing as the Fiat offers have only just been made much better.

DismasX said:

2. The height adjustment on the drivers seat is great.

Now for the bad/annoying - it's important to understand I love the car and some of these are really minor gripes but someone may find this info useful...

2. Climate control is neither standard nor an option and I'm really missing that
5. WhyTF is the eco (Sport) button - something I use multiple times on every trip - hidden behind the gear stick and lots of other 'once in a blue moon' buttons are front and centre below the radio?!?!?!?!
6. WHY, WHY, WHY! does the lane change indicator flash 5 times???? Every other car I've ever owned (including the 500) flashes 3 times which appears to be optimum.
7. The cup holders are properly rubbish all either too big, too small or just plain the wrong shape - how many squirkle shaped drinks containers have you come across this year???

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I agree with some points but disagree with others, (and can't comment on others because I have a Lounge not a 4x4.)

The two 'features' which I find most annoying are:
1. The laser-bright main beam tell-tale.
2. The reflections from the PANDA pattern on the top of the dashboard. Polarised sun-glasses are only a partial solution, because there are times when there are reflections but sun-glasses are not appropriate.

* At 5'11", I don't have the height adjustable seat and don't feel any need for it.
* Despite many years of designing climate control electronics (and presenting our 2008 proposal for the Fiat 139 ECC - was this the Panda ?) I don't miss climate control. Air con is great, but climate control includes comfort algorithms which suit some people but not others. The climate control on my Multipla is awful for the first half hour (due to Magneti Marelli's 'winter warm-up' algorithm) then it works fine !
* ECO button - agreed.
* I wouldn't find three flashes enough warning, so five flashes is right for me. (The only other car I've driven with this function was an Alfa Giulietta, in Italy, which also had five flashes.)
* I haven't had an issue with drinks holders - bottles of water are generally made with incredibly thin plastic, which deforms, so the squircle shape is more likely to fit different diameters of bottle. Coke bottles seem to fit a holder behind the handbrake.

Each to our own Either way, it's still a great car.

Agree about that blue laser! In our alfa GT its just as bright but is positioned lower in the right dial and as a result is not in the direct line of sight. Clearly no one drove a panda at night with main beam during development testing!

Indeed can't believe I missed out the blinding blue full beam light. I'm actually seriously considering slapping a bit of tape in front of it to mitigate the blinding effect it has.

Eco button? Not found that one yet! Lol

Eco Schmeco!

Teflon said:

I agree with all of your points but still loving it! Main gripe is the lack of rear interior light. But at £12k is a third of the price of other 4x4's that I've owned with a massive saving in running fists so that makes up for it. The wife likes it so much she now wants to replace our C-max with a 500L Trekking

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I totally agree about the lack of a rear light. Didn't really realise until the dark nights arrived.

philboo said:

I totally agree about the lack of a rear light. Didn't really realise until the dark nights arrived.

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Okay I can understand how this could be frustrating but this really isn't an issue for me as I hardly ever need the rear seats.

I haven't had an issue with drinks holders

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At first I took this as 'fair enough I haven't used the car enough' but to be honest I'm now very clear - THE CUP HOLDERS ARE A JOKE - Fiat the f*c* were you thinking...

1. I've already had several cans of pop 'fall/flop' out of more than one of the supposed holders - are you joking? what a bloody mess!!! :bang:

2. The only 'cup holder' that can fit a drinks cup (McD/KFC etc.) or an aluminium drinks cup is positioned so it's impossible to see or reach the cup from the front seats - again what were you thinking Fiat??? :bang:

3. The cup holders in the door pockets - well what can I say, they're about as much use as a chocolate fire guard... aaaaaarrrgghh!!! :bang:

DismasX said:

At first I took this as 'fair enough I haven't used the car enough' but to be honest I'm now very clear - THE CUP HOLDERS ARE A JOKE - Fiat the f*c* were you thinking...



1. I've already had several cans of pop 'fall/flop' out of more than one of the supposed holders - are you joking? what a bloody mess!!! :bang:



2. The only 'cup holder' that can fit a drinks cup (McD/KFC etc.) or an aluminium drinks cup is positioned so it's impossible to see or reach the cup from the front seats - again what were you thinking Fiat??? :bang:



3. The cup holders in the door pockets - well what can I say, they're about as much use as a chocolate fire guard... aaaaaarrrgghh!!! :bang:

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Okay I can understand how this could be frustrating but this really isn't an issue for me as I hardly ever need the drinks holders ;-)

DismasX said:

At first I took this as 'fair enough I haven't used the car enough' but to be honest I'm now very clear - THE CUP HOLDERS ARE A JOKE - Fiat the f*c* were you thinking...

1. I've already had several cans of pop 'fall/flop' out of more than one of the supposed holders - are you joking? what a bloody mess!!! :bang:

2. The only 'cup holder' that can fit a drinks cup (McD/KFC etc.) or an aluminium drinks cup is positioned so it's impossible to see or reach the cup from the front seats - again what were you thinking Fiat??? :bang:

3. The cup holders in the door pockets - well what can I say, they're about as much use as a chocolate fire guard... aaaaaarrrgghh!!! :bang:

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I agree they are as good as useless. From my point of view its not as issue as I never use them as cup holders

triumph7 said:

I agree they are as good as useless. From my point of view its not as issue as I never use them as cup holders

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Perhaps we could pour our choice of beverages into the cup holders and have long straws. This would mean drinking while driving (non-alcohol... Obviously) would be hands free and immeasurably practical. No cup tipping problems, no trying to find squircle shaped bottles. I'm a genius. The only issues I can see are bacteria, dust, if you corner too sharply you might lose half your ribena, turn the wheel again and your shloer might go amiss. And God forbid that the beverages mix while sloshing around.

Other than that, I have just solved all our problems, feel free to thank me...

Alsatian1 said:

Perhaps we could pour our choice of beverages into the cup holders and have long straws. This would mean drinking while driving (non-alcohol... Obviously) would be hands free and immeasurably practical. No cup tipping problems, no trying to find squircle shaped bottles. I'm a genius. The only issues I can see are bacteria, dust, if you corner too sharply you might lose half your ribena, turn the wheel again and your shloer might go amiss. And God forbid that the beverages mix while sloshing around.

Other than that, I have just solved all our problems, feel free to thank me...

Click to expand...

Flawed genius!

I like the fact we are all actually having a laugh about these flaws ;-)

The flaws are tiny really. Every car has them and many are far more significant than those on the panda I think

Picked mine up this afternoon, couldn't help smiling all the way home. Haven't had a good look around the car yet as it was raining when I picked it up. I did notice what looks like two small nipples down next to the front fogs, any idea what they are??

The quibbles about the drinks holders all seem to be based on the notion of using them while driving, which is madness. If you're in such a hurry that you can't stop for a few minutes for refreshments, and a bit of relaxing exercise, you should have got up earlier.

I'm also intrigued by the nipples.