carroll said:

I think the Panda is a car you either love or hate. You have to over look its shortcomings, lets face it realistically its not as good as the latest Aygo/Fox/110 etc crowd. My wife hated mine but I loved it for its character, it rolls on corners, its tiny inside and its no long distance cruiser. On paper it looks like a sensible choice but it really is a car that you have to like as much for its minuses and plus's. I now have a 500 but I would have another Panda any day.

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You see for all my criticisms I would say that it is a better car than any of those by miles!!! What I have been trying to express is that it is a fantastic little thing let down by poor dealers and creaky trim.

None of the cars you describe could cope anything like as well on my 50 mile daily commute or the regular 300 mile blast to Cornwall which i have to do monthly.

The Panda is a very very good little car, but it is so near to being fantastic!

JON

A mate has a C1, which is the same as the Aygo. He reckons it's totally underpowered, noisy and rubbish for motorway journeys.

Gingosporting said:

What I have been trying to express is that it is a fantastic little thing let down by poor dealers and creaky trim.

The Panda is a very very good little car, but it is so near to being fantastic!

JON

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I totally agree I had my 100HP for a year and really loved the looks and the fun drive,but the rest let it down badly.Poor ride,knocking suspension,uneven tyre wear,needed a new exhaust.I've now changed to a Skoda diesel and it feels as though it was made to last which is something I couldn't say about the Panda which is such a shame.

Gingosporting said:

...let down by poor dealers...

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Try a different dealer if you can.

Gingosporting said:

...and creaky trim.

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Any parts in particular creaking? Or just all of it? I know it's tempting fate to say it, but my Sporting has no trim creaks after 48k miles.

Are you falling out of love with the panda's?

It would certainly seems ome of you are at least....

Spread some Panda love...

So sad about all these negative comments, my dear Higgle is 3 now, no faults, nothing falling off, still makes me smile more than any other car I've owned. You can get loads of stuff in the back, squeeze through narrow spaces and go as fast as the law and the traffic realistically allow. Drove over Minchinhampton Common today with sun roof open, Kevin Johansen CD on, thinking this is just perfect.

little-blue-chichi said:

still makes me smile more than any other car I've owned.

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Really?

No offence intended but I think you need to try some other cars.

I honestly couldn't say that the panda comes anywhere near to putting a smile on my face. But, then it was bought for a purpose and wasn't intended to be a fun car that i'd ever take out for a drive for the fun of it.

Cars that I have driven and put a smile on my face:

Supercharged stripped/modded MK1 MR2
Integra Type-R (currently own)
S1 Lotus Elise with a K20A engine and box (204bhp)
Caterham superlight
Formula Renault
RX8 race car
MK1 Mr2 race car
Toyota MK2 drift car
Skyline R33 GTR
Chevette HS
Mini Cooper S BBR 250

Somehow I don't think little pandi has much chance in that company!

Seriously, I think you've bought the wrong car and you're comparing the Panda to the wrong cars.

After 8 1/2 years of small Fiats, they all still put a smile on my face after a Manta, Marea, Cavalier, BX 16v and an Alfa 156. The Panda's a different end of the market than you're used to.

HP. said:

Seriously, I think you've bought the wrong car and you're comparing the Panda to the wrong cars.

After 8 1/2 years of small Fiats, they all still put a smile on my face after a Manta, Marea, Cavalier, BX 16v and an Alfa 156. The Panda's a different end of the market than you're used to.

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Yep, I know what you mean. And really it isn't that bad. I guess my problem is that this is the first time i've ever bought a sensible car. When i was a student on placement I used to use my 325i.. loved that car, but it was bloody expensive to run.

I have been driving the Teg a bit more lately at the weekends and i do think that appeases me a little. My partner makes me put fuel in it now as he seems to think i tend to get through a fair bit.

I'm doing a trackday this bank holiday at Croft so hopefully that'll do the trick for me.

That's only down the road from me, but I still haven't driven the track!

still think you should take a 100hp for a test drive, even if you don't intend to buy one, might make you think differently about pandas, or even feel better about yours

100hpJames said:

still think you should take a 100hp for a test drive, even if you don't intend to buy one, might make you think differently about pandas, or even feel better about yours

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Hmm i think if i take a 100hp for a test drive i'll end up wanting one. That is what scares me. Then it'll take me a few weeks to convince the other half, i can be persuasive when i want to be, but he's right, in that we should enjoy the Teg on track more.

Am still thinking of chipping the panda though, might make it a bit more fun.

Will there be any point in chipping it?
In your very first post you said that the looks do nothing for you,so you still won't be happy with it or with a 100HP either if you don't like the boxy looks.Think it might be time to visit your BMW dealer and try their excuse for a Mini

trackdayqueen said:

Cars that I have driven and put a smile on my face:

Supercharged stripped/modded MK1 MR2
Integra Type-R (currently own)
S1 Lotus Elise with a K20A engine and box (204bhp)
Caterham superlight
Formula Renault
RX8 race car
MK1 Mr2 race car
Toyota MK2 drift car
Skyline R33 GTR
Chevette HS
Mini Cooper S BBR 250

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Very impressive list of cars you have driven. Out of this list which was best?

I amay not have owned such an exotic list of cars as some of you ( the best being BMW 325i touring, BMW 525 se 4wd touring and a volvo 480es) but the sheer practicality of the Panda, its dinkyness and the fact that anything bigger and more thirsty is now obsolete - 14 miles a day over the beautiful Cotswolds, some of it in fairly heavy traffic is perfect for HIggle.

shortie said:

Very impressive list of cars you have driven. Out of this list which was best?

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Well, the Formula Renault was miles ahead of anything else, but it is a single seater. The directness and feel was simply amazing.

Its difficult to choose however amongst teh road cars which is best.

I think its a bit of a battle with the K20A engined (Civic Type-R engine) Elise S1 and the Caterham.

Though the Integra (despite being FWD) ranks very highly IMO. They don't call it the best FWD chassis without reason, I just love how uncompromised it is straight out of the factory.

The Skyline was very easy to drive quickly and although its a massive barge, it shrinks around you on track, you always seem to be going 20mph faster than you think you are.

The supercharged MR2 was a bit mental, lots and lots of fun with a tight LSD and actually pretty good balance on the limit once you got used to the fact that you needed to react quickly once the rear end came into play.

The RX8 has an absolute peach of a chassis, you can hold it any angle you wish, so malleable, really liked that as well. Mine was a race car, but due to regs a pretty stock one, stripped/caged with uprated brakes.

Andy Panda said:

Will there be any point in chipping it?
In your very first post you said that the looks do nothing for you,so you still won't be happy with it or with a 100HP either if you don't like the boxy looks.Think it might be time to visit your BMW dealer and try their excuse for a Mini

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The trouble is, I bought the panda as it was excellent value for money and largely because i couldn't afford a mini and i didn't want to buy a 5 year old one (Mini depreciation just doesn't seem to happen)

Sure the looks do nothing for me. I like the look of the 100hp though.

LOL @excuse for a mini!

I do think also that because of my job, the panda is really very good for that. Lots of nipping around the council estate. Short trips in 'dodgy' areas, nobody is interested in it which is a good thing. Its a doddle to park and great for nipping through gaps etc. Also its very economical even if i drive it like a loon.

Sure when i've paid off the panda in 2.5 years i'll be vying for a mini or at least moving up the car ladder a bit.

trackdayqueen said:

I think its a bit of a battle with the K20A engined (Civic Type-R engine) Elise S1 and the Caterham.

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Good choices! In my opinion the balance out of those two depends on how much of a weekend Vs daily car (and practicality) people are after. For me, a re-engined Elise gets the nod.

I was mad keen on buying a Cooper S but ultimately I couldn't justify/afford the purchase and running costs (and decided upon 5dr family practicality). The 100HP is an excellent compromise on cheeky performance with low purchase and running costs....albeit that the ride quality over rough surfaces is laughably bad.