My Panda Cross is loosening up nicely after clocking up its first 3,000 miles.
A recent run, Carlisle to Rochdale and back, of 240 miles was done in great comfort and the car was rock solid on the motorway despite some high winds.
That run, along with some urban pottering about, gave an onboard computer fuel economy reading of 49.1 mpg. I know this could be a bit optimistic but I'm pleased with the fuel economy, which is improving now the car has done a few miles.
I took my old dad with me. He's 81 and a bit stiff and sore with spinal and hip arthritis. He never complained of pain on the journey and found the car so easy to get in and out of.
Before the above trip, I had to drive over to Carlisle from Sunderland and found a muddy, rutted lane just off the main road. Took the Cross up that lane, its first proper bit of off-roading and it behaved very well. I still haven't washed the mud off as the car looks like a proper 4x4 now.
Back to motorway driving, I always stick at 70 mph as much as I can but find the Cross has enough power to go up to 80 in top gear to overtake safely.
In conclusion, the Cross is a very small car with low running costs but it has a large car feel on the road and the interior is deceptively spacious.

doctorchris said:

and the interior is deceptively spacious.

Click to expand...

thats what estate agents say about tiny houses!

Isn't it the same inside as... a... panda...?

Pondweed, you don't realise that Dr Who has cast his spell upon the Panda Cross and given it Tardis-like properties.
No, seriously, I mean that all Pandas give an impression of internal space, especially in the driver's seat, that belies their small exterior dimensions.
I feel a greater sense of space in a Panda, in the driver's seat, than in a LandRover Discovery.

doctorchris said:

I still haven't washed the mud off as the car looks like a proper 4x4 now.

Click to expand...

I was tempted to take the test drive Cross back to the dealer absolutely caked in mud and sand, thought it would be a good idea to wash the dirt off before i took it back, just to see how much damage i'd actually caused over my 340 miles of brute test driving, over the Welsh mountains and beaches! I also found it more relaxing than the Panda MJ, despite the worse performance, it just seems to sit better and feel more planted, unusual for a tall small 4x4! Still tempted by a Cross now, but the Abarth left a hole in my bank account

Draigflag, despite its obvious faults and compromises, the Cross is the most relaxing and easy to drive car that I have ever owned.
On a long run on A roads and motorways, you just get up to speed and then forget about changing gear for mile after mile.

doctorchris said:

Draigflag, despite its obvious faults and compromises, the Cross is the most relaxing and easy to drive car that I have ever owned.
On a long run on A roads and motorways, you just get up to speed and then forget about changing gear for mile after mile.

Click to expand...

A good all rounder then! If i had one, it would probably never go near a motorway, it would mostly be exploring the tracks and forests around here, where I've never dared to go in a normal car before! It would certainly be well used. So 3500 miles so far, how long have you had it now?
DF

Well DF, I've had the car for 5 months but I don't do a lot of miles.
If I lived in Wales then I would have taken it on the green roads and the forestry. When I lived in Aberystwyth I took my ordinary hatchbacks on the forestry and had a good time but those tracks are harder to access now.

doctorchris said:

Well DF, I've had the car for 5 months but I don't do a lot of miles.
If I lived in Wales then I would have taken it on the green roads and the forestry. When I lived in Aberystwyth I took my ordinary hatchbacks on the forestry and had a good time but those tracks are harder to access now.

Click to expand...

I go to Aber quite a lot, not a bad little town really. There are plenty of forest tracks all over Wales, some people take their cars up there, but i'd never go on them in a new expensive car, unless it were a Cross! They're basically flattened dirt and after a while, the stones just blast the paint off the sills (and everywhere else for that matter!) so unless you've got a banger, or you just don't care, these roads are best kept for the 4x4's like the Cross.