Will be ditching my disappointing X3 later this year and am eyeing up the panda 4x4.

Live near the top of the Pennines down a reasonably long single track road and have a couple of months a year where 4x4 in snow is key.

Will probably get a slightly larger second car for longer runs in better weather.

Looking for advice... For the current panda 4x4 how do the engines vary in performance and efficiency... Especially given I'll be needing good performance off road. Is the 500x worth considering in 4x4 as an alternative?

Help appreciated!

Hello, and welcome!

The fact that the Panda 4x4 is ubiquitous in the higher reaches of the Alps tells you something about its mountain-goat-like ability when the going gets really tough. Mine astonished me (in a good way!) in the recent snow - and I was reminded once again of how useful the Panda's narrowness is, as I was able to squeeze through gaps between abandoned vehicles where a wider vehicle would have been stymied (something that will also prove very handy on those narrow Pennine lanes, as I discovered in the Lake District last year). But the Panda is, relatively speaking, a spartan, crude little beast, and won't cosset you like a premium 4x4. Neither is it a good mile-muncher, as the seats and driving position are poor. Having said that, I do a round trip commute of 130 miles in mine at least 3x per week, and haven't needed to trouble the chiropractor yet.

There are lots of threads on here on the subject of TA or diesel - you need to try them both, as the TA in particular is a marmite engine!

PS They cost buttons to tax and insure

srd11 said:

Will be ditching my disappointing X3 later this year and am eyeing up the panda 4x4.

Live near the top of the Pennines down a reasonably long single track road and have a couple of months a year where 4x4 in snow is key.

Will probably get a slightly larger second car for longer runs in better weather.

Looking for advice... For the current panda 4x4 how do the engines vary in performance and efficiency... Especially given I'll be needing good performance off road. Is the 500x worth considering in 4x4 as an alternative?

Help appreciated!

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While I love my own Panda 4x4 and my wife's Trekking, there is a new Jimny out very soon. The price should be more than competitive with a Panda 4x4 or Cross togther with updated ride and technology that the current Jimny lacks.

ambient white said:

While I love my own Panda 4x4 and my wife's Trekking, there is a new Jimny out very soon. The price should be more than competitive with a Panda 4x4 or Cross togther with updated ride and technology that the current Jimny lacks.

Click to expand...

That's an understatement!

Just hired a Jimny last week to get to Cofete beach on Fuerteventura.
What a rotten ride!

I thought it was bad on their ultra smooth tarmac roads, but on the dirt tracks it was almost undriveable, you might have thought it was due to age, mileage or use, but it was almost new.

I once though the old Rav 4's were the ropiest riding car on the planet, but the Jimny beats it hands down, my old Panda 4x4 was like a limo off road compared to it.

The only plus point was it didn't mind me bashing the dunes in it.
I don't think I would have attempted some of the things I treated the Jimny too in my Panda.

For me the Panda holds all the aces, the Jimny holds one a dog eared joker!

gar074 said:

...a spartan, crude little beast, and won't cosset you like a premium 4x4. Neither is it a good mile-muncher, as the seats and driving position are poor....

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I think this must depend on what shape you are. In a couple of weeks we'll be making our 4x4 TA's tenth trip to our home in Umbria. It's 2000kms/1250 miles door to door. We're both in our early seventies so we make three overnight stops each way to make the trip more relaxing but the car is fine and eats miles as quickly as traffic and speed cameras allow. It does 40mpg at 80+ mph and romps up alps with a load of wine and oil.

Goudrons said:

That's an understatement!

Just hired a Jimny last week to get to Cofete beach on Fuerteventura.
What a rotten ride!

I thought it was bad on their ultra smooth tarmac roads, but on the dirt tracks it was almost undriveable, you might have thought it was due to age, mileage or use, but it was almost new.

I once though the old Rav 4's were the ropiest riding car on the planet, but the Jimny beats it hands down, my old Panda 4x4 was like a limo off road compared to it.

The only plus point was it didn't mind me bashing the dunes in it.
I don't think I would have attempted some of the things I treated the Jimny too in my Panda.

For me the Panda holds all the aces, the Jimny holds one a dog eared joker!

Click to expand...

I wasn’t suggesting a new model Jimny might be better than a Panda 4x4, just highlighting a cheap alternative for someone who lives in the High Pennines.

I hire a Jimny for two weeks very year on Skiathos. The Jimny is the default 4x4 on the island as the only vehicle suitable for tackling many of the very steep, rough and often muddy tracks. Many of the JImnys on Skiathos are ancient and have been around the clock a number of times but seem to go on for ever.

I wouldn’t swap my Panda 4x4 for a Jimny but the new 2018 model might present competition to the Panda in the tiny 4x4 category

Fair point, but the uprated ride and technology might be a pipe dream.

Looks like the new Jimny it's still running leaf springs all round!

Had one of the most terrifying motoring experiences of my life test-driving a Jimny a decade ago. To coin Ralph Nader, I reckon it was unsafe at any speed.

I've tried negotiating a couple of local fords with a Panda Trekking, Dacia Duster 4x4 and a Jimny and I have to say the Jimny was the only one which had sufficient ground clearance. It's not great on road though, the boot is really tiny, and fuel economy is poor by today's standards, which in my opinion makes the Panda a much better day to day proposition currently. But if the new one can address these shortfalls without losing it's off road ability and low price it could be a winner.

dereham said:

I've tried negotiating a couple of local Fords with a Panda Trekking, Dacia Duster 4x4 and a Jimny...

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https://goo.gl/images/nw5VSX

Couldn't resist

[ame]https://youtu.be/dkDmpXR6qDs[/ame]

http://gfx.dagbladet.no/pub/artikkel/4/48/480/480620/suzukijimnyX004_858_1161603163_1161603176.jpg

Elk test at 30 mph.
Sweden banned them after this!
You'd think the drivers life may have flashed before their eyes, but I imagine it was just poo and lots off it!

Not an elk or bend in site, apparently is over heard someone mentioning a bend.
http://c7.alamy.com/comp/BM03E2/a-s...ts-side-for-repair-during-the-2009-BM03E2.jpg

With suspension lifted that high on a car that was already compromised on stability, it was never going to end well....

Just thought I'd add our Panda 4x4 TA was utterly outstanding in the snow - an absolute hoot. Couldn't get it stuck and tried hard - it is crucially fitted with great winter tyres - Nokians, which we use all year (in Wiltshire!). It just drove like a mini rally car and went where it was pointed with aplomb - HUGE FUN!! The TA is indeed a Marmite engine - I love it - bursting with 2CV-on-steroids-like character, but poor economy, although surprisingly fast. I've heard that you shouldn't choose the diesel if you are doing lots of short journeys as the DPF clogs, tries to unclog and you end up with the engine oil thinned down with diesel. Disaster. Probably posts about that somewhere?
But I will not now be without a Panda 4x4. Simple.