Hi. Thanks to the folks here for providing this great resource for new fiat owners.
After several years of MX5 ownership I fancied a change....and some fuel economy. I researched a large range of economy cars and each time the Panda MyLife specs won hands down. Not only that but it's obvious that the Panda has lots of character and is cheap to own and run.
I was staggered by the value offered from the MyLife deal: £6995 or even cheaper on the road, no tax first year, 3 year warranty and aircon, central locking, electric windows and alloys as standard. This is the first car I have ever bought new as it undercuts even some two/three year old Pandas currently on many dealers' used car forecourts, and has given dealers a headache about how to sell more expensive used Pandas with a lower spec. For the first time it made sense to me to buy new...something I would never ever do normally.
The MyLife appears to be based on the Dynamic Engine (1.2) or the updated "Active" model with Euro 5 emissions, and updated for more HP (70 as opposed to the base level 60) and increased claimed miles per gallon of just over 70 mpg extra urban.
Thus I'm getting the Active spec plus the aircon etc, and what used to be the 1.2 dynamic engine.
After the MX5 the experience this could not have been more different! But it's amazing how quickly one adapts to new things. I love the high driving position, the fact that this car has to be "worked" to get the best out of it, and it is a total hoot to drive.
Comfort is very good for the price, and everything looks and feels very solidly built. The engine is a peach considering its modest power output. Panda owners here will know all the good qualities, and the fun to be had driving this car, which to my mind outshone four other cars I tried: the Hyundai i10 (stiff seats and dull handling), Mazda 2 (well made but dull as ditchwater), Ford Fiesta (excellent but somehow souless), and the Panda 100hp which I found lively but with teeth shattering rock hard suspension.
I have only three issues which could be improved: First, there is not enough space for my left leg and nowhere to rest the left foot. Second, the seat runners are dangerously sharp and could do real damage in the event of an accident.
But it's the third that I feel might become rather annoying: Gear Ratios.
First gear is always very low ratio on these kinds of cars, and tends to be so in order to offer steep hill getaways. Second gear is excellent and provides good torque and a surprising acceleration. However, I find third, fourth and fifth ridiculously high geared.
The distance in ratio between 2nd and 3rd is extreme, so that on a slight incline I'm having to thrash 2nd gear in order for 3rd to be anywhere near enough rpm to continue healthy acceleration. If I change to 3rd much less than approaching full revs in 2nd, the whole momentum dies. It's far too high a ratio in 3rd and this is obvious by the fact that you can easily exceed 70 mph in third....with two more gears to go!
Once in third, I'm finding that it is almost cruise gear for average slow A and B roads, since fourth gear is ok only if momentum has been established, and on the slightest incline, I can feel the engine straining. Fifth is therefore absurdly higher still, and I rarely use it unless on a motorway and already have 70-75 mph established, but as soon as the slightest acceleration is required I HAVE to change down.
Clearly these ratios have not been adjusted to fit the new engine specs, and perhaps are designed for apparent economy. However, economy is not established by merely changing up because if a lower gear means less throttle for the same speed, the engine is running with less strain and less fuel flow, whereas selecting a high gear which needs MORE throttle to maintain speed is a false economy, and maybe this explains why some Panda owners cannot achieve decent economy - they are simply using too high gearing too soon.
It's obvious that this Panda needs to be kept at high rpm to get the best out of it.
Not having an rpm gauge it's quite hard to ascertain at which point I'm thrashing the engine. So to that end could anyone here please let me know what the top speed is for each gear without putting undue high rev wear on the engine?
The Fiat website has zero info about gear ratios and my Panda manual is a "generic" one with lamentably little info about gears/speed.
After several years of MX5 ownership I fancied a change....and some fuel economy. I researched a large range of economy cars and each time the Panda MyLife specs won hands down. Not only that but it's obvious that the Panda has lots of character and is cheap to own and run.
I was staggered by the value offered from the MyLife deal: £6995 or even cheaper on the road, no tax first year, 3 year warranty and aircon, central locking, electric windows and alloys as standard. This is the first car I have ever bought new as it undercuts even some two/three year old Pandas currently on many dealers' used car forecourts, and has given dealers a headache about how to sell more expensive used Pandas with a lower spec. For the first time it made sense to me to buy new...something I would never ever do normally.
The MyLife appears to be based on the Dynamic Engine (1.2) or the updated "Active" model with Euro 5 emissions, and updated for more HP (70 as opposed to the base level 60) and increased claimed miles per gallon of just over 70 mpg extra urban.
Thus I'm getting the Active spec plus the aircon etc, and what used to be the 1.2 dynamic engine.
After the MX5 the experience this could not have been more different! But it's amazing how quickly one adapts to new things. I love the high driving position, the fact that this car has to be "worked" to get the best out of it, and it is a total hoot to drive.
Comfort is very good for the price, and everything looks and feels very solidly built. The engine is a peach considering its modest power output. Panda owners here will know all the good qualities, and the fun to be had driving this car, which to my mind outshone four other cars I tried: the Hyundai i10 (stiff seats and dull handling), Mazda 2 (well made but dull as ditchwater), Ford Fiesta (excellent but somehow souless), and the Panda 100hp which I found lively but with teeth shattering rock hard suspension.
I have only three issues which could be improved: First, there is not enough space for my left leg and nowhere to rest the left foot. Second, the seat runners are dangerously sharp and could do real damage in the event of an accident.
But it's the third that I feel might become rather annoying: Gear Ratios.
First gear is always very low ratio on these kinds of cars, and tends to be so in order to offer steep hill getaways. Second gear is excellent and provides good torque and a surprising acceleration. However, I find third, fourth and fifth ridiculously high geared.
The distance in ratio between 2nd and 3rd is extreme, so that on a slight incline I'm having to thrash 2nd gear in order for 3rd to be anywhere near enough rpm to continue healthy acceleration. If I change to 3rd much less than approaching full revs in 2nd, the whole momentum dies. It's far too high a ratio in 3rd and this is obvious by the fact that you can easily exceed 70 mph in third....with two more gears to go!
Once in third, I'm finding that it is almost cruise gear for average slow A and B roads, since fourth gear is ok only if momentum has been established, and on the slightest incline, I can feel the engine straining. Fifth is therefore absurdly higher still, and I rarely use it unless on a motorway and already have 70-75 mph established, but as soon as the slightest acceleration is required I HAVE to change down.
Clearly these ratios have not been adjusted to fit the new engine specs, and perhaps are designed for apparent economy. However, economy is not established by merely changing up because if a lower gear means less throttle for the same speed, the engine is running with less strain and less fuel flow, whereas selecting a high gear which needs MORE throttle to maintain speed is a false economy, and maybe this explains why some Panda owners cannot achieve decent economy - they are simply using too high gearing too soon.
It's obvious that this Panda needs to be kept at high rpm to get the best out of it.
Not having an rpm gauge it's quite hard to ascertain at which point I'm thrashing the engine. So to that end could anyone here please let me know what the top speed is for each gear without putting undue high rev wear on the engine?
The Fiat website has zero info about gear ratios and my Panda manual is a "generic" one with lamentably little info about gears/speed.
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