General Another new 100HP owner.

[AndyWoodall]

Well, seven odd months on from first discovering this place and having a good lurk I managed to convince the other half to go take a look at the Panda 100HP for her new car. Actually, we looked in May, but our local dealer (where I've bought two Fiats!) was useless, really pushy, zero sense of professionalism, a joke of a dealer. She liked the look of the car, but wasn't that bothered without driving it.

Then we sought out a dealer in Shrewsbury and my the difference was amazing, a top place we were happy to spend money. I had a drive last Wednesday on my day off and then we went back together on Sunday and had it for a good afternoon. Suffice to say, my g/f thought it was a cracker of a car and we ordered one there and then.

We went for Electroclash grey and the side and curtain airbags, and minus our slightly shabby p/x Cinquecento Sporting we paid £9150 on the road. Very happy with that!

I loved the car personally, yes the ride is the worst thing about it, but along the Shropshire B-Roads it wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting and Sarah didn't seem to notice it at all. I thought the rorty little exhaust was great, the driving position is high but comfortable and despite being a modest Fiat I don't think it feels cheap at all.

So we are now a two grey hot hatch family, how predictable! I wanted Red or White, but seeing as its her car I let her choose obviously. She wasn't sure to go for Blue or Grey, but the pictures of EVO's car in the 10k hero's article swung it for her.

Just a couple of quick questions, anyone got any decent info on the iPod kit they sell? Our dealer didn't have much have an idea about it. Secondly, anyone know if and when the 100HP is switching to the new red badges?

I also have a few pics from my test drive if anyone is interested.

 

[Stu DemonD]

Nice one

As for the badges, the dealerships will be supplying the red kits soon - mine came with blue ones, but will swap over when available.

The ride hasn't really bothered me so far - the test will be when I take the kids for a long journey, then I will see whether they get car-sick or not

 

[Gary]

hehe some of us have them

 

[AndyWoodall]

Yeah, saw your red badges Gary and very much want mine to come with them. I'm off to Italy on Friday and I'm tempted to go pick a pair up. However I think I'll wait until the car comes, with any luck they'll come with them from the factory. If not I'll just have my friend who lives over there get me some. They do look great I must say.

The ride didn't seem nearly as bad as some people (namely Clarkson) had said, pot holes clearly unsettle it, but the same goes for my current car, a Lupo GTI.

BTW, I'm a mod on Club Lupo and theres quite a few 100HP fans over there, I believe one of our members is a member here, so hello Wayne if your out there.

 

[simer]

Just a couple of quick questions, anyone got any decent info on the iPod kit they sell? Our dealer didn't have much have an idea about it.

My dealer wouldn't fit the Fiat Ipod connector to mine because he said they were so unreliable and caused no end of trouble.

I bought a Dension Ice Link Plus Ipod cable and it works a treat - once you get the initial setup sorted out!

 

[drrawle]

I have got the iPod connector on mine and it works fine. As I have said before it is just limited in terms of what it can do. If you have got a big iPod with loads of albums on it then it is rubbish as it only deals with playlists and can only deal with 9 at that. If you have Nano though it works fine

HTH,

Dave.

 

[AndyWoodall]

Thanks both of you for the replies re the iPod kit. I have a Dension ICE Link + in my Lupo GTI, and its been great, the only problem was when I went to check out if they did a Panda one I couldn't seem to find one, could you point me in the right direction?

The limitations of the Fiat one however wouldn't really bother my g/f, I'm going to pick her up a Nano and I suppose we might occasionally use my full size iPod.

But if you could let me know which Fiat Dension kit I need that would be great. I know for my Lupo I had to be up on the radio models to get the correct one, and I'm afraid my Fiat knowledge is not up to my VW one.

BTW, I have some pics from the test drive to post.

 

[AndyWoodall]

Well, dealer rang on Friday and the car should be with them in about a week or so. Figure another week for delays/prep so at the moment we are hoping to pick it up around two weeks today. The g/f is fairly excited (I managed to convince her to join the 'Fiat Panda's are cool' group on Facebook) but by far I'm being the bigger kid, can't wait!

Still dying to find out if its going to come with red badges, especially as those pictured in the millionth Panda thread come with them. Ours would have been a factory build sometime in August, the same as those cars I imagine.

Am still waiting for the dealer to get details about the iPod kit, but at the rate we are going its probably going to have to be fitted later anyway.

Spotted a grey 100HP on the M5 going south bound last Sunday, didn't wave as I was in a Honda CRV at the time!

 

[Jai]

don't forget to stick yourself on the register sticky