No engine suits the personality of the Panda better than the TA. All the other options are a distant second, third and fourth place.
General Buying a Fiat Panda
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General Buying a Fiat Panda
No engine suits the personality of the Panda better than the TA. All the other options are a distant second, third and fourth place.
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
I dont entirely agree. The 1.2 in perfect fettle is also a hoot. TA is a pocket rocket, bot a 1.2 at full chat is not a total slouch. Its a sweet unit that pulls ok at low speed and starts to wake up above 3600 rpm. It will quire readily pull to 6500 if pressed. They run all the better for being opened up regularly. The TA is a marvel though and never feels sub one litre.
Earlier 1.2s are okay. But later ones are strangled by all the emissions lash-ups they were subjected to.
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A bit off piste but has anyone mapped a more recent 1.2 engine (just wondering for a friend
)Thank you, TA does sound nice but I think it will be too much for me. Thanks for the added information about Pop vs Easy, have been seeing some different ones coming up and was wondering the difference. What about the lounge?
Thanks! Tbh the fastest I ever do on the motorway is 70 so I think it’s manageable! Also my current car (Volkswagen Up) gets pretty blown about if a lorry passes so I think I’ll be able to deal with that
Interested, what year model would you recommend I be searching for?
We're beginning to keep an eye out just in case a "not to be missed" later model 1.2 turns up. As a result I've been looking more closely at the specs and, for us, an interesting thing is that the Pop doesn't have height adjustment on the driver's seat. My Mrs is one of the smaller people of this world so I need to get her into one and see if it can be made to work.
So you don’t necessarily rate the older 1.2s over the newer ones?
Brochures are readily available. Here's 2016:
Ohh my plan was to install DAB into an older model. Would that not work?
Can be done - and is done by many. There are guides on here if diy-ing, or for any pro it's dead easy. It happens a lot because the old unit's Blue and Me is a bit rubbish really
The TA pandas are brilliant cars we bought one new back in 2023 best car we’ve ever had the engine sounds incredible if you like the sound of a tractor acceleration for such a small engine is unbelievable to be honest.
A decent set of winter tyres transforms them too.
Fuel economy is terrible though but as someone said earlier they’re pocket rockets.
We have the four seat version but you can get a five seat version think that option was about £400 though.
I’ve never driven any other Panda though.
acceleration for such a small engine is unbelievable to be honest.A decent set of winter tyres transforms them too.
Fuel economy is terrible though but as someone said earlier they’re pocket rockets.
We have the four seat version but you can get a five seat version think that option was about £400 though.
I’ve never driven any other Panda though.
Well, I have very little personal experience of the post 2011 312 model. Our present one is a 2010 169 model without the VVT valve gear.
We've had several of them and a couple of the older 141 models, the first of which actually had the old over head valve 750cc engine - That was the car my daughter learned to drive in and saw her through her time at Uni. It was replaced with another 999cc version which was my introduction to the FIRE engine. (I like the FIRE engine a lot!) Here's a photo of our Becky - 169 model with the 60hp non VVT FIRE engine. FIRE standing for Fully Integrated Roboticised Engine. I believe it was the first engine produced entirely by robotic machinery without any human intervention:
I like the simplicity of the older models and the relatively "torquey" non VVT 1.2 engine they use. This means they pull well from low revs so are good in town. The VVT (Variable Valve Timing) engine, which was used from 2011 onwards, being used briefly in the last of the 169 and then carrying on in the 312 is criticised for having less pulling power at lower revs but pulls better at higher revs, so I would guess may be better as a motorway car and may have a little more "pep" for overtaking? They, the 169 models, also have very little in the way of "unnecessary" electronics. There are also some repair operations which are simpler - for instance doing front suspension arms when the rubber bushes eventually wear out (I keep our cars for a long time) is simpler on the older model, needing less parts to be dismantled to do the job. The problem for us up here in Scotland, is that rust is much more of a problem than it is for you guys down south, largely due to the copious quantities of salt used on our roads in winter. So finding an older car which is serviceable is a bit of a task. I'm always amazed at the excellent condition of some of the older cars I see when we are down in Devon visiting Mrs J's sister. She herself runs an old Vauxhall Agila which looks almost new underneath! I'm quite tempted to try to source my next car down there and bring it back with us next time we're there! I'd take another 169 without hesitation if it was pretty rust free!
You may have noticed "Felicity" in my Avatar picture. That was the car my youngest boy learned to drive in and was a special edition "Parade" with fabric sun roofs front and rear. By then my daughter was on her second Panda! After having passed his test he had a "coming together" in it which rendered it undriveable, so we helped him buy a Ford Orion - which he thought had much more "street cred" - She (Felicity) was already into middle age by then but I just couldn't bring myself to scrap her so I bought a set of cheap panel beating hammers and dollies and spent a silly amount of time teaching myself how to panel beat. I was very proud of the fact I didn't buy any new panels and managed to repair and spray it to a good enough standard that no-one spotted it had been repaired. We had that car for about 19 years until it got so rusty there wasn't any good metal left to weld good bits onto! It was a very sad day when eventually she had to go.
Hope that's of some help? Do ask away if you think I may be able to answer anything else.
Edit. Just to avoid confusion, the red Ibiza behind Becky is "Twinkle". The picture was taken a while back before I traded her in against the Scala (Bluey) which is now our "good" car.
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You asked a few questions:
1. We have a 2017 Lounge with DAB. DAB is rubbish in terms of range. FM is better.
2. The Lounge was the better 2WD model until the City Cross came out in 2017/18 with its faux 4WD look
3. If you get a model registered before April 2017 the tax is £35 (versus £190 afterwards) so this is a good aim. Even better is the sweetspot between Autumn 2016 and March 2017 as you get the better/darker interiors.
4. We have a 2017 and 2011 1.2. The later car drives fine for me. Some like it, some don't. Personal taste. I detested the Twinair for the 50 miles I owned it.
OPTIONS
Steering wheel controls on Lounge OR a genuine Easy+ model (look for red mirrors/rails and alloys)
Climate control optional (I prefer this)
Heated screen (OK but not overly necessary)
Heated seats (meh)
Electric/heated mirrors
City brake (also meh)
Split rear seats (handy)
Tinted rear glass
An example Easy plus. Basically new though 8 years old
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1. We have a 2017 Lounge with DAB. DAB is rubbish in terms of range. FM is better.
2. The Lounge was the better 2WD model until the City Cross came out in 2017/18 with its faux 4WD look
3. If you get a model registered before April 2017 the tax is £35 (versus £190 afterwards) so this is a good aim. Even better is the sweetspot between Autumn 2016 and March 2017 as you get the better/darker interiors.
4. We have a 2017 and 2011 1.2. The later car drives fine for me. Some like it, some don't. Personal taste. I detested the Twinair for the 50 miles I owned it.
OPTIONS
Steering wheel controls on Lounge OR a genuine Easy+ model (look for red mirrors/rails and alloys)
Climate control optional (I prefer this)
Heated screen (OK but not overly necessary)
Heated seats (meh)
Electric/heated mirrors
City brake (also meh)
Split rear seats (handy)
Tinted rear glass
An example Easy plus. Basically new though 8 years old
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Thank you for further clarifying between Easy and Easy+. So should ideally be looking for something with 15 inch alloy wheels?
Gorgeous cars, thanks for your reply!
You asked a few questions:
1. We have a 2017 Lounge with DAB. DAB is rubbish in terms of range. FM is better.
2. The Lounge was the better 2WD model until the City Cross came out in 2017/18 with its faux 4WD look
3. If you get a model registered before April 2017 the tax is £35 (versus £190 afterwards) so this is a good aim. Even better is the sweetspot between Autumn 2016 and March 2017 as you get the better/darker interiors.
4. We have a 2017 and 2011 1.2. The later car drives fine for me. Some like it, some don't. Personal taste. I detested the Twinair for the 50 miles I owned it.
OPTIONS
Steering wheel controls on Lounge OR a genuine Easy+ model (look for red mirrors/rails and alloys)
Climate control optional (I prefer this)
Heated screen (OK but not overly necessary)
Heated seats (meh)
Electric/heated mirrors
City brake (also meh)
Split rear seats (handy)
Tinted rear glass
An example Easy plus. Basically new though 8 years old
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Thanks for outlying everything and the link, makes it easier to understand! So a genuine Easy + something like this wouldn’t be it?
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@Marvelftw Take a good look at the picture above. Look at the "stance" of the vehicle. Do you see how the clearance between the top of the tyres and wheel arch at the front and rear is pretty much the same? As they age, and the 169 was discontinued in 2011, the front suspension tends to "relax" and you'll see a lot of them where the gap on the front wheels is considerably less than the rear. It's not really a big problem, although I would avoid one which is drooping substantially. It's because the front springs and the rubber top suspension mounts loose some of their function - springs compress a bit and rubber "gives" - Of course, if not too severe, you can just continue driving it - it's not dangerous. The problem is not all that difficult for a competent home mechanic or garage workshop to sort out but not perhaps for a novice as the springs are dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. Parts are readily available - I get stuff like this from: https://www.shop4parts.co.uk/ who are very helpful people with good prices and are always happy to advise you if you ring them. By the way, their website doesn't seem to list absolutely everything they have in stock. So, if you don't see what you want give them a ring and sometimes they'll have it. Don't worry if you don't know the "proper" name for things, they are very helpful and won't make you feel awkward.
That's a really nice looking car you've linked to. I do think white suits them so well.You asked a few questions:
1. We have a 2017 Lounge with DAB. DAB is rubbish in terms of range. FM is better.
2. The Lounge was the better 2WD model until the City Cross came out in 2017/18 with its faux 4WD look
3. If you get a model registered before April 2017 the tax is £35 (versus £190 afterwards) so this is a good aim. Even better is the sweetspot between Autumn 2016 and March 2017 as you get the better/darker interiors.
4. We have a 2017 and 2011 1.2. The later car drives fine for me. Some like it, some don't. Personal taste. I detested the Twinair for the 50 miles I owned it.
OPTIONS
Steering wheel controls on Lounge OR a genuine Easy+ model (look for red mirrors/rails and alloys)
Climate control optional (I prefer this)
Heated screen (OK but not overly necessary)
Heated seats (meh)
Electric/heated mirrors
City brake (also meh)
Split rear seats (handy)
Tinted rear glass
An example Easy plus. Basically new though 8 years old
Auto Trader UK - New and Used Cars For Sale
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There was a similar one came up for sale locally up here with similar low miles and price. It's more than I'd want to pay - although the vehicle may well be worth it and the £35 road tax is very attractive - I kept a watch on it. Sold within a few days. There are definitely a number of low mileage example out there if you keep checking regularly.
Yes, there are still a few cars like this out there. I've had a quick look at its MOT history; its first MOT in 2020 shows 756 miles, it's been MOT'd every year since, and by Feb 2024, it had only recorded 815 miles; just about enough to take it for those tests and back.
Personally, I'm not a fan of ultra low mileage vehicles; engines can corrode internally if not run for months at a time, and there are many other components which can seize or stick. Nothing that can't be sorted by stripping, lubricating and reassembling, but this does cost, either in time if you're doing it yourself, or money if you're paying someone else. Interestingly it initially failed one of those MOT's because a door couldn't be opened from the outside. I'd be interested in seeing a picture of its twist beam and rear springs.
Would I buy it? Yes, but not at that price, nor at a price anywhere near it. If you kept it 3-4 years and sold it on, doing normal mileage, I'd bet your averaged monthly ownership cost wouldn't be much different than a PCP on a new car. Put another 20k on it and be unfortunate enough to be involved in a significant accident, and you're going to have a hard time negotiating a writeoff value with your insurance company.
I don't think cars like this are worth the money some folks are prepared to pay for them.
Are there any currently for sale that you would recommend? I’ve tried to link to one but I’m new so don’t have link posting rights yet.
