General ESP/ASR/Hill-holder

[alfabarry]

Hi.

After some lurking this is my first post! I'm currently on the verge of buying a Panda to sit alongside my Alfa 156. Test drove the Panda multijet this week and I was blown away by that amazing little diesel engine.

Anyhow I'm now down to thinking about spec. Aircon and sliding/split seat are definites. Noting reference to "modest grip" in a couple of test reports, I wondered if anyone has got the ESP package and if so, do they think it was worth the 400 notes that Fiat charge for this?

Barry

 

[Soepy]

Anyhow I'm now down to thinking about spec. Aircon and sliding/split seat are definites. Noting reference to "modest grip" in a couple of test reports, I wondered if anyone has got the ESP package and if so, do they think it was worth the 400 notes that Fiat charge for this?

I've got it and I think it's worth it. It's mostly a security feature that you hope you won't notice, so it feels worthless, but the ASR, TC and HH are always there and are great.

ASR - prevents skidding when driving off fast (can be turned off with a button)
TC - traction control, blocks wheel without grip so the other wheel can actually move the car
HH - holds the brake for 2 more seconds. I love this feature! Is there anybody who actually enjoys doing the brake,hand-brake,gas combo?

 

[Schwenck]

After some lurking this is my first post! I'm currently on the verge of buying a Panda to sit alongside my Alfa 156. Barry

Glad you decided to stop lurking; clearly you have excellent taste in cars!

 

[alfabarry]

I've got it and I think it's worth it. It's mostly a security feature that you hope you won't notice, so it feels worthless, but the ASR, TC and HH are always there and are great.

Thanks. Until my test drive I had not even thought of paying for the ESP pack. I took the Panda round some very twisty roads which I often traverse in the Alfa. There is, of course, something of a difference in the way the two cars go round the corners.. some of it is just the Panda's relatively high driving position and the illusion that the car is about to fall over (which I'm sure I'd get used to), but also the sense that if I got over excited, forgot that it isn't the Alfa, and went quickly through the bends on even mildly moist roads I might well lose adhesion. So Soepy, I think you may be right about the invisible reassurance case for getting the pack.

clearly you have excellent taste in cars!

Thank's for the compliment... but I think the truth is simply that I fell in love with my 156 over six years ago and can't bear to ever let it go. I started off looking at the Panda as a way of doing just that and am surprised by the strength of the little Fiat's own emotional appeal

 

[Hoggers]

Hi I've just bought myself a 1.2 Eleganza after 18 months of driving dad's 156

I pick the car up on Saturday and how can I tell if it has ESP fitted as an option?
Cheers, hogs

 

[santa]

Look at the cosole under the radio. If there is a button with ASR on it, you have ESP.