I'm thinking of buying my wife a new Panda. She's learning to drive and has been struggling with the manual gear box so I was thinking of getting her an automatic (dual logic) one. However there's no mention of the Panda dual logic option on the Fiat uk website. When I asked at the dealers earlier I was told that the dual logic option has been dropped for 2011 on the Panda.

Can anyone confirm if this is true and if it is, then why as dual logic is available on other cars in Fiat's range?

Oh no! I was looking to get a new panda later this year, and although I can drive manual, the dualogic is sooooo much easier (I am lazy, lol!)
I have just done a quick google and it looks as if this is true, but it seems that the new 2012 shape will have auto- just wonder how much extra that will be!

Ive never owned a auto car until my panda which has dual logic which is brilliant im very pleased with this car it does everything you want for such a cheap car .So if fiat are making cars without this option its a step backwards in my view.

Personally I'd encourage her to perservere with learning a manual.

I agree. I never really got this lack of control thing. Because to me the hardest thing by far about driving is dealing with traffic. Controlling the car is the easy bit.

If I can drive a manual trust me anybody can (unless they have a physical disability meaning they can't operate the clutch).

I too would encourage perseverence with the manual transmission.

However, I have taught some students who take a very long time to be able to chose the correct gear and then select it successfully. It is often dealing with the traffic/hazard which leads them to forget to change the gear when necessary.

My mum picked up a new 2011 Eleganza dualogic a few weeks back, when she ordered it she was told it was one of the last two on the system destined for the UK. She is very pleased with it, as she now has bad knees clutch control was becoming a problem.
I have driven it a few times and it is fine, but i keep forgetting it is auto and make stab for the clutch and promptly nearly launch us all through the windscreen .

Thanks for all the replies. My wife isn't very good at hill starts. One day her instructor gave her a lesson in an automatic and of course she was fine.

Personally I would like her to be able to drive manuals but much of her driving will be in stop start traffic round town where an auto comes into its own. It doesn't help that I now have an auto Merc myself having said for many years that I would never get one. I ended up with an auto because that's usually how Merc's come. Not sure now if I would want to go back to driving a manual. I must be getting old!

i love my 1.2 Dualogic. I don't have the auto for ease of use, my last car was a manual fiesta. its just that 99% of my driving is A-road commuting and last mile congestion and the automatic just makes it sooooooo easy.

i miss the manual shift on the other 1% of my driving time when i'm having a blast around the country roads. but thats such as minority of my driving time that i am happy to accept it

plus, eco mode also saves on fuel as it changes gear earlier that i would if i was in control

snuffle said:

i miss the manual shift on the other 1% of my driving time when i'm having a blast around the country roads.

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Thats what manual mode is for :devil:

I totally agree the best of both worlds "Automatic for most of your driving and manual for the rest" What more would you want from a cheap form of transport. sequential gear change and auto box as one...brilliant idea.

In all honesty I think all small town cars should be autos, would make life alot easier.