Out of these choices is the best option for a first car?

Fiat Cinquecento Sporting (1991–1998)
Fiat Seicento Sporting (1998–2004)
Fiat Panda Eleganza (2004–1998)
Fiat Grande Punto Dynamic (2005-2012)

It would depend on a few things... Your age for insurance purposes, your ability to get your hands dirty doing repairs with the older cars. Newer cars have more safety features than older ones.

Ultimately I'd pick the Panda but then again I own one and I'm biased that way!

I'd say the Panda. Low running costs, very reliable, cheap to insure, relatively safe in Eleganza form (probably would have got a 4* NCAP if that spec had have been tested), well equipped and you'll likely have no trouble with getting pulled over by the Police unless you're driving like a total tool.

The two older cars are likely to be much leggier and need a lot more care, attention and money thrown at them to keep them going. Not to mention the fact they'd likely crumple like a wet paper bag in an accident...which could well happen seeing as you're a new driver (nothing personal, just statistically).

As for the Grande Punto, I don't think they're as well built or as reliable as the Panda, though I'm certainly no expert on them. If you're buying from that class of car (B segment), getting a GP over a mk7 Fiesta is a pretty questionable decision, the Fez would be a far superior drive. IIRC, the GP shares a lot with the Corsa D (as in mk4, not as in diesel), and they're pretty awful as a driver's car (a friend as a 1.3CDTI Corsa D, which is a decent little Fiat engine placed in an otherwise average car).

The panda is my favourite of the four, I would go for a 500 but they cost too much for a first car and the insurance wouldn't be as good for a seventeen year old.

GLucaViggy said:

The panda is my favourite of the four, I would go for a 500 but they cost too much for a first car and the insurance wouldn't be as good for a seventeen year old.

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The Panda is arguably a better car than the 500 anyway. It's cheaper to buy, cheaper to insure, more practical and less girly (lets face it, a more manly 500 Abarth SS is out of the question haha). The 500 is only a Panda underneath anyway, so your extra money only buys you a different body (lacking rear doors) and a different interior, no noticeably better mechanical parts (I'll wait for some pedant correct me on that ...).

Pandas are also pretty cool, in my opinion, especially in Eleganza spec where you get toys like climate control which your mates crappy Corsas will almost certainly be lacking. Pandas are a hoot to drive too, even in standard, non-100HP form; they're way more fun than any tall, narrow city car deserves to be .

I wouldn't even consider either of the older cars you're looking at. They're more effort than they're worth when Pandas are available so cheaply.

You could always get a classic Panda: cool, and a good way to learn the basics of car maintenance. They also corner like nothing else on the planet -- especially with skinny tyres!

Now you may think I'm joking: but both my daughter and another member on here's daughter have classic Pandas as their first cars; and another (very young) member swapped his Grande Punto for one... -- they really are that much fun! (They're also extremely addictive -- and we now own three of the things!) Extremely cheap insurance; low running costs; very good economy (especially if you get a 769 cc one); and will mark you out as someone who doesn't run with the pack.

Once you've got a bit of NCD built up, you can then either pop a bigger engine in it; add to your fleet; or move onto something like a Panda 100hp.

GLucaViggy said:

Out of these choices is the best option for a first car?

Fiat Cinquecento Sporting (1991–1998)
Fiat Seicento Sporting (1998–2004)
Fiat Panda Eleganza (2004–1998)
Fiat Grande Punto Dynamic (2005-2012)

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1. The Cinquecento and Seicento's are getting old but both are great fun. The later Seicento's had power steering if that matters. They're getting old now though (though we still have one as well as the 100hp)


2. Panda is probably the better choice - though I'd say:


a) Eleganza or Dynamic (aircon)
b) From 2007 the interior plastic is darker and to my eyes looks better
c) Try and buy private and get a knowledgeable person to go with you (bearing in mind that the word "dad" is not always synonymous with knowledgeable)


3. Someone mentioned a Mk1/2 older Panda - there's a very clean one on Ebay at £1000. Good to learn motoring basics and looks great. Fun to drive. No power steering/ABS to worry about. Parts are cheaper than Lego.




http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1994-FIAT...3111900?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item27e7d3575c

Panda Eleganza would be best, highest spec, and not a common youngsters car like the GP for example, so insurance stats should be in your favor when it comes to premium prices.