Can't help with depression and anxiety, but maybe offer some consolation about the difference between a fast fancy car and the Panda.

We have a Cupra Ateca as daily driver, 300bhp, very fast and comfortable. But still both my wife and myself also enjoy driving our twinair Panda Cross. Which is still plenty fast, on a recent trip in Germany it comfortably cruised at 150km/h (93mph)...
Panda is mainly used as second car, and as my transport on the syndicate shoot I'm a part of.

Panda pondering

It is amazing to read all the supportive and affirming posts. I'd begun to think all the decent people had left.

I feel your pain regarding the loss of performance. On 24 December 2007 my beloved Citroen Xsara VTS broke it's cambelt. The spare parts were to cost $9 000.00 and in despair I took $1200 trade in and bought a Kia Picanto 1100. It was 12 years ago and I still miss my Xsara. I know there are hundreds of better cars but I loved it and also loved its performance. The Picanto was a solid little car but it never stood a chance. I mourned the Citroen until I bought my current car, and regained some of the performance I missed.

I currently drive a 2006 Grande Punto 1.4 sporting, a 6 speed manual and apart from "punto things" like the drivers door mechanism dying, creaking steering, a shuddering clutch and a run of weird failures following a $2200 dealer service ** it has been amazing. I love driving it and every time I go on a long trip I fall in love with it all over again.

My problem is that it's looking really scruffy. There are many scratches and small dings from supermarket parking lots and narrow alleys, the door handles and spoiler are all peeling and the interior while still rattle free at 129000 km has seen better days. This past year I've re-invented myself as a Real Estate Agent, after 28 years of teaching misery, and really would like something newer and shinier to match my new optimistic outlook.

Reading everyone's comments about how great their Pandas are might just be what I wanted to hear. There is a 2015 Twin air Panda for sale nearby for a steal. It has only done 45,000km and looks immaculate. My only worry is will I cope with an automatic and less HP?

If I bought it it would be car #49 , not bragging but I keep coming back to the Punto and reminding myself it's paid for, absolutely reliable and in a country full of used Japanese imports, it stands out. Difficult decision.

Anyway I hope you all have a fantastic New Years and may 2020 be filled with happy adventure.


**The dealers took 3 days to change the cambelt and do a full service. It arrived home with the air cleaner casing broken where it attaches to the cam cover. After a week the plastic cover underneath the car protecting the cambelt fell off leading to an alternator failure because it became full of mud, rain etc. The timing end coil failed and the repairer believed something heavy had been dropped on the engine, which would explain the broken air filter, the coil and the 3 day service?

Mussolinisrevenge said:

It is amazing to read all the supportive and affirming posts. I'd begun to think all the decent people had left.

I feel your pain regarding the loss of performance. On 24 December 2007 my beloved Citroen Xsara VTS broke it's cambelt.

Reading everyone's comments about how great their Pandas are might just be what I wanted to hear. There is a 2015 Twin air Panda for sale nearby for a steal. It has only done 45,000km and looks immaculate. My only worry is will I cope with an automatic and less hp.
I keep coming back to the Punto and reminding myself it's paid for, absolutely reliable and in a country full of used Japanese imports, it stands out. Difficult decision.

Anyway I hope you all have a fantastic New Years and may 2020 be filled with happy adventure.


**The dealers took 3 days to change the cambelt and do a full service. It arrived home with the air cleaner casing broken where it attaches to the cam cover. After a week the plastic cover underneath the car protecting the cambelt fell off leading to an alternator failure because it became full of mud, rain etc. The timing end coil failed and the repairer believed something heavy had been dropped on the engine, which would explain the broken air filter, the coil and the 3 day service?

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Hi and happy new year.

49th car.. I am nearly there..in FIATs

Much as I love Twinairs.. I cannot recommend an auto.

The modern auto uses a lot of tech to function..and its a nightmare when it starts ageing

Less power?

It probably has more than a petrol grande


But its 'different'..
You have to drive one to understand

varesecrazy said:

I cannot recommend an auto.

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Me neither.

Particularly when you're so far away from its home. Repairing failing dualogics seems to be particularly problematical and expensive for Antipodean owners.

You might want to read this thread before deciding.

Motorcyclist Colin said:

When I had, had one too many corporate takeovers of the decent firms I had been working for I set up on my own account. One of the decisions I made was that on no account would I borrow money, even if it restricted business. The other decision was I needed a new car, as a lot of travelling was anticipated. So, obvious choice then was a new 2CV. Thrashed it for 88000 miles in two years, everywhere flat out, It never let me down, until the chassis rotted away. by which time I could afford another car, got a second hand Fiesta which was OK but I never loved it like the "Deuch"
I've had a couple of others before the Panda. Mind you for a motorcyclist the 2CV is a four wheeled bike!

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Recollections of dad driving down a steep hill onto Romney Marsh back in the 70's in his 2CV. The road was wet and it was doing 80mph on the clock when we reached the bend. I don't know if he knew how close I was to wetting myself at that moment. The thing leaned over nearly onto ots door handles and sort of shuddered as it did a perfectly balanced 4 wheel drift out to the edge of the road. Boy did that thing handle if you asked it to. Panda twin airs are also just four wheel bikes, but a bit more of a Goldwing me thinks.....

Goudrons said:

And here's another, my first car.
1982 Citroen 2CV Special (not the fancy Club version). Red with wiggly silver stripes down the side.
Traded that in for my first Fiat, a Mk1 Uno.



Insurance paid up alright, but didn't fancy another as it became apparent they all seem to get nicked.

The Sandero wasn't really it's replacement, I had it already, it was only bought to pull a small trailer as I couldn't with the Abarth.
Trouble is after the Abarth went, I was stuck with it everyday!

Times have certainly changed, after years of Fiats, they suddenly don't seem to have anything to suit me anymore.
We've still a couple of Pandas, the MIL's still got our old 2014 Lounge and the boy floats around in his 2012 Pop still, but I couldn't find anything to suit me at the Fiat dealers anymore and I'm a bit sad.

I don't want much, an easy to drive auto supermini with some active safety kit that doesn't look too mumsy.
After some umming and arhing I ended up ordering a new Clio RS Line TCe130 with the dual clutch gearbox with a couple of options like the Motorway and Highway assistance pack.
The fun's gone out of driving these days, so it might as well drive it's self.

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Trussardi.......

Only joking. Is this the ultimate exercise in pointlessness.

The Panda Nut said:

Recollections of dad driving down a steep hill onto Romney Marsh back in the 70's in his 2CV. The road was wet and it was doing 80mph on the clock when we reached the bend. I don't know if he knew how close I was to wetting myself at that moment. The thing leaned over nearly onto ots door handles and sort of shuddered as it did a perfectly balanced 4 wheel drift out to the edge of the road. Boy did that thing handle if you asked it to. Panda twin airs are also just four wheel bikes, but a bit more of a Goldwing me thinks.....

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You are absolutely right PN 2CVs really did handle when asked, problem was I suspect that most people backed off long before they got into a 4 wheel drift, or a wheel lifted.
A "bit more of a Goldwing" perhaps but only a bit. 4x4 TAs, methinks are a little less "sensible" for want of a better word, if you know what I mean

Motorcyclist Colin said:

You are absolutely right PN 2CVs really did handle when asked, problem was I suspect that most people backed off long before they got into a 4 wheel drift, or a wheel lifted.
A "bit more of a Goldwing" perhaps but only a bit. 4x4 TAs, methinks are a little less "sensible" for want of a better word, if you know what I mean

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All the better for it too. I am looking at chipping mine to get the 90HP I wanted. The first stage is I believe to 94HP. It will fall into the even more 'less sensible' category. There are three suitable / possible places within 20 miles of me. The temptation is to go the whole hog and go for 120HP but I am not convinced the rest of the car would appreciate this and I am getting too old for tearing around too....

Been running a TA 4x4 for just over a year now which I bought new. Live in a quite rural location with narrow roads and its probably the perfect car, plus its quick too oh and as someone else mentioned when a barge is coming the other way you can throw it off road to avoid getting flattened.

Wish I had thought of buying one of these years ago, a great car and it would be a shame if auto press reports suggesting Fiat are considering not replacing the current Panda when it finally goes out of production with a new model were true.

Have a photo somewhere of a fairly new example in dark met blue I came across last year in the Italian Alps belonging to the local police including blue light bar on the roof