Introduction
Good evening folks.
After almost three years of driving a wonderful Panda Cross Waze 1.2 (as well as a fair few Fiat-less ‘lurking’ years of the Forum), I began to think that with the demise of both 4x4 Panda models, I’d missed out on ever owning one.
But then, by a sheer stroke of luck, I happened across my local dealer’s website…and found they had just listed a 16 month old, pristine, extremely low mileage Panda 4x4 Wild TwinAir 85 (see attached photo).
Apparently the owner couldn’t get on with the TwinAir engine!
Ah well, their loss was my gain, as I’m now the proud owner of it.
It literally is a step up from the ‘Waze’ as, despite that car having quite jacked-up suspension compared to the ordinary Panda, the 4x4 adds a fair few extra centimetres to the ground clearance, to the point I’ve been able to easily - even at my age - crawl beneath it to Dinitrol its underside!
I love its darkened alloy wheels, the fact it has Climate Control rather than air-con, the leather-clad steering wheel, gear knob/gaiter and the DAB radio (it’s the first car I’ve owned with DAB). It even has parking sensors front and rear (what, on something as short as a Panda?).
As an ex-motorcyclist what I can say of the diminutive turbocharged TwinAir engine’s soundtrack is that it reminds me of BMW’s venerable flat-twin ’Boxer’ motor. Perhaps that’s what the original owner couldn’t abide. Personally I love it and it just adds even more to its already characterful nature.
My first ever car was the original twin-cylinder air-cooled 499cc Fiat 500 so, what with that and the raft of twin-cylinder engined motorbikes I’ve owned over many decades, I’m no stranger to ’twins’.
We were extremely happy with the Waze but then discovered it wasn’t homologated to tow anything - not even a small trailer for our camping gear - so that was the catalyst to hunt down a new or nearly new towing-compliant 4x4 or Cross 4x4.
It’s early days still, but it has settled down to return a very good 48-49mpg.
My one area of complaint is - as it was with the Panda Waze - the fitment of Continental EcoContact (EcoContact 6 as fitted to the 4x4) tyres. They are pure ’Summer’ low-rolling-resistance tyres and totally unsuited to our late-autumn through to early-spring climate!
My solution with the Waze was a set of Nokian Weatherproof All-Seasons tyres which transformed that car. Sadly, it would seem the ‘Weatherproof’ is dropped from the range, having been replaced by the much less aggressive looking ‘Seasonproof’ which doesn’t really ‘do it' for me.
So what do you folk suggest as an alternative (175/65R15 H): my driving style is ‘relaxed’ and ‘smooth’ .
There won’t be any offroading, but the tyre will need to cope with the winter Lincolnshire flatlands and Scotland…and whatever is fitted mustn’t compromise too much with economy or wet road grip.
That’s not asking too much, is it?!
Cheers
After almost three years of driving a wonderful Panda Cross Waze 1.2 (as well as a fair few Fiat-less ‘lurking’ years of the Forum), I began to think that with the demise of both 4x4 Panda models, I’d missed out on ever owning one.
But then, by a sheer stroke of luck, I happened across my local dealer’s website…and found they had just listed a 16 month old, pristine, extremely low mileage Panda 4x4 Wild TwinAir 85 (see attached photo).
Apparently the owner couldn’t get on with the TwinAir engine!
Ah well, their loss was my gain, as I’m now the proud owner of it.
It literally is a step up from the ‘Waze’ as, despite that car having quite jacked-up suspension compared to the ordinary Panda, the 4x4 adds a fair few extra centimetres to the ground clearance, to the point I’ve been able to easily - even at my age - crawl beneath it to Dinitrol its underside!
I love its darkened alloy wheels, the fact it has Climate Control rather than air-con, the leather-clad steering wheel, gear knob/gaiter and the DAB radio (it’s the first car I’ve owned with DAB). It even has parking sensors front and rear (what, on something as short as a Panda?).
As an ex-motorcyclist what I can say of the diminutive turbocharged TwinAir engine’s soundtrack is that it reminds me of BMW’s venerable flat-twin ’Boxer’ motor. Perhaps that’s what the original owner couldn’t abide. Personally I love it and it just adds even more to its already characterful nature.
My first ever car was the original twin-cylinder air-cooled 499cc Fiat 500 so, what with that and the raft of twin-cylinder engined motorbikes I’ve owned over many decades, I’m no stranger to ’twins’.
We were extremely happy with the Waze but then discovered it wasn’t homologated to tow anything - not even a small trailer for our camping gear - so that was the catalyst to hunt down a new or nearly new towing-compliant 4x4 or Cross 4x4.
It’s early days still, but it has settled down to return a very good 48-49mpg.
My one area of complaint is - as it was with the Panda Waze - the fitment of Continental EcoContact (EcoContact 6 as fitted to the 4x4) tyres. They are pure ’Summer’ low-rolling-resistance tyres and totally unsuited to our late-autumn through to early-spring climate!
My solution with the Waze was a set of Nokian Weatherproof All-Seasons tyres which transformed that car. Sadly, it would seem the ‘Weatherproof’ is dropped from the range, having been replaced by the much less aggressive looking ‘Seasonproof’ which doesn’t really ‘do it' for me.
So what do you folk suggest as an alternative (175/65R15 H): my driving style is ‘relaxed’ and ‘smooth’ .
There won’t be any offroading, but the tyre will need to cope with the winter Lincolnshire flatlands and Scotland…and whatever is fitted mustn’t compromise too much with economy or wet road grip.
That’s not asking too much, is it?!
Cheers
