General Long haul Panda

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General Long haul Panda

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Nov 7, 2014
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Just completed a 185 mile trip via the M62 and back in the 'Underpowered' 1.2 Pop. - Faultless. A brief spurt up to 90 to see just how fast the 3 series was willing to go in order to overtake me (answer VERY), average inc roadworks and rush hour return, 54 MPH. Returning 56.2 mpg. Not knackered. - Small cars have come an awful long way.
 
Did a Yorkshire to Hampshire (and back in a day) trip a few weeks ago in the Trekking, really happy on the motorway and very comfortable.

I don't class the Panda as a small car anymore though, even the 2 door 500 is huge compared to the mk2 panda which by the way is also very comfortable on long motorway journeys too!
 
Two trips in as many weeks to London from Manchester, both times my passengers snored like asthmatic Hippos - always a good sign of a relaxing motorway car. Fiat bill the Panda as all the car you will ever need, for once the marketing hyperbole is not wide of the mark.

Po is now being fondled by the repairer and I have a Pug 208 courtesy car. It has instantly joined my top 3 of "worst car I have ever had the misfortune to drive" parade. Dreadful gearbox, clutch and steering and as for the plastics on the dash:yuck:
 
Just completed a 185 mile trip via the M62 and back in the 'Underpowered' 1.2 Pop. - Faultless. A brief spurt up to 90 to see just how fast the 3 series was willing to go in order to overtake me (answer VERY), average inc roadworks and rush hour return, 54 MPH. Returning 56.2 mpg. Not knackered. - Small cars have come an awful long way.

Very good! No surprises with the 1.2, to be honest it's the general comfort of the 500 and Panda that poses more of a problem on longer journeys. The 1.2 has plenty of power in most situations (hills at high speed not necessarily one of them;))

Your figures are bang on what I would expect from a 1.2 for that sort of journey; just a tad over the official mixed consumption figure.

And with cheaper petrol prices now, I bet you weren't all that far off doing 100 miles for under a tenner in fuel!:)
 
My 1.2 easy as covered just under 10,000 miles in the last six months,the computer shows an average of 54.2mpg and 32mph.
 
Interesting posts here. Our Panda does have to go on the dual carriageway twice a day on Mrs TA's commute and she is fine with it, as she was with the 500 previously. She does find the 4x4 quite a bit slower than the 500 and is more reluctant to overtake on single carriageways.

We are likely to be hiring a 1.2 Panda in Italy next month so it will be interesting to compare and contrast.
 
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Mrs takes ours (Ok its hers) on the A1 most days, albeit for 10 miles or so. I don't often get the chance so a round trip to the Trafford Centre was just the ticket!
 
70miles up the A303 / M3 / M25 to s/w London and back is a journey I am very happy to do in our T/A 4x4. It is comfortable and plenty fast enough on inclined sections not to be an obstacle for other traffic (unlike our previous Mk3!!). The Panda 4x4 is certainly a car one could live with as an only car. I am fortunate to have the use of other cars as well, however I do most of my annual mileage in the Panda, these days. Well done FIAT (y)
 
I hate it when people do as the OP claimed and deliberately speed up to stop me overtaking. I tend to stick cruise control on at 70 and inevitably make progress against slower cars that I subsequently move to overtake. Part way through the manoeuvre the driver wakes up and puts his foot down. So I dutifully drop in behind, only to see him slow down again and try to impose his speed on me. It is inconsiderate dangerous and a major cause of road rage.
I am not tempted to join in in these silly games and perhaps that is because I am either in our 1.2 Pop or my Scenic rather than a BMW driver.
 
For what it's worth I have the exact experience on cruise in my C class. I think it's more psychological than deliberate. However on this occasion he just didn't want to be overtaken by a Panda and was willing to go just short of 3 figures to stop it happening. I can only presume he's not getting any..
 
I accelerated away from a 30 limit to nsl in second gear catching a BMW who was very interested in my rear bumper (I assume as he got very close! ) napping. He 'showed me' though by almost colliding with an oncoming car whilst overtaking later on. Some people do have something to prove obviously. Morons.
 
Q: how can you tell the difference between a hedgehog and a BMW*?

A: the hedgehog has the pr1cks on the outside.

*in some versions of this riddle, BMW is now replaced by Audi. When I first heard it, back in the day, the comparison was between a hedgehog and a Ford Capri.

God, that makes me feel very, very old.
 
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Just stopped near Pisa on our annual spring trip to Italy in the 4x4 TA. This year we've stopped off in Provence for six days walking holiday - it's full of hills, we're totally knackered. I'll do a write-up in July when we get back to Pudding Island but all as good as ever so far.
 
Two trips in as many weeks to London from Manchester, both times my passengers snored like asthmatic Hippos - always a good sign of a relaxing motorway car. Fiat bill the Panda as all the car you will ever need, for once the marketing hyperbole is not wide of the mark.

Po is now being fondled by the repairer and I have a Pug 208 courtesy car. It has instantly joined my top 3 of "worst car I have ever had the misfortune to drive" parade. Dreadful gearbox, clutch and steering and as for the plastics on the dash:yuck:


I'm going from the 208 back to a Panda. I don't know what the hell I was thinking when I bought it. Gearbox is not fun, clutch doesn't seem to exist. I was grinning like an idiot after 30 seconds of test driving a new model panda, bought it on the spot.
 
Looking forward to that write-up ... Provence ... Pisa ... can you feel the waves of envy heading in your direction? Enjoy your trip!
 
Tested the Panda yesterday 642 mile round trip.
12 hours 11 minutes driving time.
53 mph average speed.
56.3 mpg.
info from trip computer.
I must say i was very impressed with the car,I've done this journey several times over the last 18 months,but this is the first time without staying over night.the trip took 16 hours overall but i felt like i could have carried on for longer.
 
Tested the Panda yesterday 642 mile round trip.
12 hours 11 minutes driving time.
53 mph average speed.
56.3 mpg.
info from trip computer.
I must say i was very impressed with the car,I've done this journey several times over the last 18 months,but this is the first time without staying over night.the trip took 16 hours overall but i felt like i could have carried on for longer.

1.2 or TwinAir?
 
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