- Joined
- Oct 27, 2019
- Messages
- 41
- Points
- 62
I had seven glorious weeks in my Panda and, for reasons which were mainly specific to my own particular requirements , I swapped it for a Suzuki Ignis. My Panda re-invigorated my love of “driving just for the hell of it”, something which my previous few cars seemed unable to deliver. Now, two weeks after owning the Suzuki, it's time to put down some thoughts on both cars, even although a brief period of ownership doesn't qualify me to assess the full merits of either car in any meaningful way!
Also, some of the reasons that I went for the Ignis are specific only to the Lounge. Other Panda variants already include such features as better ground clearance, more powerful engine etc, so feel free to chip in and balance out my comments.
In addition, I should add that, generally speaking, the Ignis is a more expensive car which explains some additional features, so a direct comparison isn't entirely fair so please bear that in mind.
The Panda
The essence of the Panda is fun. If you want inexpensive giggles then buy a Panda. The rest of it is just details and comparisons with other cars are irrelevant. However, being honest, they could have made it just a little better without too much effort, but they didn't.
What they did do was build a boxy little four wheeler which has a decent 1.2 engine (which gives a nice little growl under acceleration) and is fun to chuck about. It lacks power on long steep inclines but generally good on the motorway. Good all round visibility makes it feel safe on the road plus the seat height adjustment can get you sitting quite high, adding to that feeling of being in command. You don't need parking sensors on a car like this because you know where the car is, all of the time. I also found the steering predictable, more so than the Ignis, and the wheel had a nice solid feel to it (I had to add a wheel cover to the Ignis to compensate for the weedy plastic thing that comes as standard).
Other nice touches that you get with the Panda are things like the phone holder (probably just as useful these days than a fancy inbuilt satnav), a good open oddments tray above the glovebox, a gear lever up where it should be and decent headlights (plus funky LED running lights). And, surprisingly, it's a really comfortable car on the road.
Where I found the Panda wanting was the pedal box – just a bit cramped for my liking and I really didn't know where to put my clutch foot some of the time. I also think that, for a car that's really well screwed together, the plastics on the dash tended to squeak a little too much for comfort, albeit we're talking about very cold conditions. Also, that rear wiper control was just silly.
But I guess that the lack of ground clearance was the main determining factor when switching to the Ignis, something which is specific to me for weekend forest tracks (not off roading). Had I bought a Trekking in the first place I would still have it. And I could also have done with a bit more power, especially for the hilly roads where I live.
But, all in all, a great wee car. One that I would easily recommend.
The Ignis
Well, it's another fun car, just in a different way. It's roomier, feels more grown up and is better for longer distance motoring. The extra power is very noticeable and that makes it easier to live with on a day to day basis. MPG is also slightly better than the Panda (avg 60+) and, of course, it sits higher (180mm clearance) than the Lounge, but with a similar commanding driving position. Actually, it's a really good driving position.
I don't think that it's any quieter than the Fiat and has the usual amount of cheapish plastics which don't help with sound deadening. The steering lacks a bit of precision and the stock car has a habit of “crabbing” when pulling away in the morning (as though the wheels aren't getting full traction) although different tyres help to minimise this issue. Having said that, the odd tyre size means there's very little choice out there, especially for all season/winter tyres. Funnily enough, I also find the brakes are a bit sharp first thing in the morning and I wonder if that's connected with the crabbing issue? I've actually managed to improve things by fitting inexpensive Nangkangs as I hated the Bridgestone oem's.
Anyway, the Ignis definitely has an overall feeling of driving a larger, fairly solid, car and whilst that means a bit less manic fun, it soon becomes rather pleasant, especially after re-installing my armrest from the Panda and fitting the leather steering wheel cover. Cruising down the motorway is a very comfortable, relaxed, affair although you do have to be careful of the rear-quarter blind spot (the smallish rear view mirrors have to be carefully positioned to make sure you know who's coming up your inside!). But you do get a few “luxuries” such as a built in satnav with phone mirroring (Apple car Play etc) even although, whilst useful, it's still a dated set. Sliding and reclining split rear seats are really handy giving acres of room for rear passengers and I can definitely get more stuff in the boot than I could with the Panda. Other small things that I like are the proper handle grip to close the tailgate, the locking fuel cover and a spare wheel recess that can take a full size alloy.
Yes, I like the Ignis, much in the same way that I liked my Panda – just a little bit different in certain areas. I couldn't say that one is better than the other, just as I couldn't really say which one I prefer. But, put on the spot, I'd probably go for the Ignis, mainly because the higher ground clearance is important to me, but it won't be for many. So, no winner and I hope that you're all now suitably confused
Also, some of the reasons that I went for the Ignis are specific only to the Lounge. Other Panda variants already include such features as better ground clearance, more powerful engine etc, so feel free to chip in and balance out my comments.
In addition, I should add that, generally speaking, the Ignis is a more expensive car which explains some additional features, so a direct comparison isn't entirely fair so please bear that in mind.
The Panda
The essence of the Panda is fun. If you want inexpensive giggles then buy a Panda. The rest of it is just details and comparisons with other cars are irrelevant. However, being honest, they could have made it just a little better without too much effort, but they didn't.
What they did do was build a boxy little four wheeler which has a decent 1.2 engine (which gives a nice little growl under acceleration) and is fun to chuck about. It lacks power on long steep inclines but generally good on the motorway. Good all round visibility makes it feel safe on the road plus the seat height adjustment can get you sitting quite high, adding to that feeling of being in command. You don't need parking sensors on a car like this because you know where the car is, all of the time. I also found the steering predictable, more so than the Ignis, and the wheel had a nice solid feel to it (I had to add a wheel cover to the Ignis to compensate for the weedy plastic thing that comes as standard).
Other nice touches that you get with the Panda are things like the phone holder (probably just as useful these days than a fancy inbuilt satnav), a good open oddments tray above the glovebox, a gear lever up where it should be and decent headlights (plus funky LED running lights). And, surprisingly, it's a really comfortable car on the road.
Where I found the Panda wanting was the pedal box – just a bit cramped for my liking and I really didn't know where to put my clutch foot some of the time. I also think that, for a car that's really well screwed together, the plastics on the dash tended to squeak a little too much for comfort, albeit we're talking about very cold conditions. Also, that rear wiper control was just silly.
But I guess that the lack of ground clearance was the main determining factor when switching to the Ignis, something which is specific to me for weekend forest tracks (not off roading). Had I bought a Trekking in the first place I would still have it. And I could also have done with a bit more power, especially for the hilly roads where I live.
But, all in all, a great wee car. One that I would easily recommend.
The Ignis
Well, it's another fun car, just in a different way. It's roomier, feels more grown up and is better for longer distance motoring. The extra power is very noticeable and that makes it easier to live with on a day to day basis. MPG is also slightly better than the Panda (avg 60+) and, of course, it sits higher (180mm clearance) than the Lounge, but with a similar commanding driving position. Actually, it's a really good driving position.
I don't think that it's any quieter than the Fiat and has the usual amount of cheapish plastics which don't help with sound deadening. The steering lacks a bit of precision and the stock car has a habit of “crabbing” when pulling away in the morning (as though the wheels aren't getting full traction) although different tyres help to minimise this issue. Having said that, the odd tyre size means there's very little choice out there, especially for all season/winter tyres. Funnily enough, I also find the brakes are a bit sharp first thing in the morning and I wonder if that's connected with the crabbing issue? I've actually managed to improve things by fitting inexpensive Nangkangs as I hated the Bridgestone oem's.
Anyway, the Ignis definitely has an overall feeling of driving a larger, fairly solid, car and whilst that means a bit less manic fun, it soon becomes rather pleasant, especially after re-installing my armrest from the Panda and fitting the leather steering wheel cover. Cruising down the motorway is a very comfortable, relaxed, affair although you do have to be careful of the rear-quarter blind spot (the smallish rear view mirrors have to be carefully positioned to make sure you know who's coming up your inside!). But you do get a few “luxuries” such as a built in satnav with phone mirroring (Apple car Play etc) even although, whilst useful, it's still a dated set. Sliding and reclining split rear seats are really handy giving acres of room for rear passengers and I can definitely get more stuff in the boot than I could with the Panda. Other small things that I like are the proper handle grip to close the tailgate, the locking fuel cover and a spare wheel recess that can take a full size alloy.
Yes, I like the Ignis, much in the same way that I liked my Panda – just a little bit different in certain areas. I couldn't say that one is better than the other, just as I couldn't really say which one I prefer. But, put on the spot, I'd probably go for the Ignis, mainly because the higher ground clearance is important to me, but it won't be for many. So, no winner and I hope that you're all now suitably confused
