Hi from a new (used) Panda owner 🐼🌿

[Stello]

Hi all

I just bought a second hand 2010 Fiat Panda, on Friday, and collected it yesterday.

My first Fiat, so I'd never heard of stuff like the CODE card, until browsing the manual, last night (I didn't get one, and the remote control key had also been lost by the previous owner.. Once I get all the registration and tax stuff updated, I'll look into obtaining replacements.)

She's very soft and silent to drive, with good visibility, more legroom than I expected (I was a bit concerned as I'm tall.), but my previous car had a 1.4 engine, and my Panda only has a 1.1 engine, so that's quite frustrating, but I'll think of the money saved.. (For example, the annual motor tax for this car, is €200, whereas it was €385 for my previous car.)


I haven't given her a name yet, but she'll get one when I get to know her better..

 

[varesecrazy]

Hi

In the UK the insurance companies were not happy that owners often left the 'security card' in the glovebox.. so they were not supplied to owners after a certain date

The FIAT dealer should be able to access all that.. IF its ever needed

 

[Stello]

Hi

In the UK the insurance companies were not happy that owners often left the 'security card' in the glovebox.. so they were not supplied to owners after a certain date

The FIAT dealer should be able to access all that.. IF its ever needed

Thanks - that's good to know!

I guess, I'm just concerned about the possibility of having a "computer says no" moment, somewhere rural, in the middle of the night, and needing the code for the emergency start

 

[rmjbn1]

Hi, and welcome

The code card you would only need to get the radio working again if the battery's disconnected - it won't affect anything else.
So no, you probably won't need the code unless the battery is replaced.
And if you have any difficulty getting the code, there's a service on this forum that can retrieve it for you for a small donation.

Yes, the engines are small and low-powered, but the Panda's also quite a bit lighter than most cars of a similar size. I love ours - it bounces around the countryside perfectly happily! Economical too

 

[Stello]

Hi, and welcome

The code card you would only need to get the radio working again if the battery's disconnected - it won't affect anything else.
So no, you probably won't need the code unless the battery is replaced.
And if you have any difficulty getting the code, there's a service on this forum that can retrieve it for you for a small donation.

Yes, the engines are small and low-powered, but the Panda's also quite a bit lighter than most cars of a similar size. I love ours - it bounces around the countryside perfectly happily! Economical too

Thanks - handy to know about the retrieval option on the forum!

I noticed the lightness, today! There was a stain on the windscreen, which needed some elbow grease, and as I was cleaning it, I felt the whole car move! My old car would not have moved like that, unless hit by strong winds on a motorway, or something

 

[rmjbn1]

Heh - yeah you certainly notice which way the wind's blowing! And I try to give trucks a wide berth to avoid getting blown about too much...

...can be useful though - if I need to get something out of the back of the garage I can just push the Panda out of the way

 

[ianFT]

That's a neat one! Nice find

 

[The Panda Nut]

Nice car. It will grow on you. It really has all the power you can use these days in 95% or situations and small is much better for the environment.

 

[Stello]

Nice car. It will grow on you. It really has all the power you can use these days in 95% or situations and small is much better for the environment.

I haven't covered any longer distances yet - dying to take her for a proper spin, but not with these petrol prices

She's very handy in town traffic, though

I just like to drive as fast as possible (within speed limits), so I'm dreading the potential frustration ahead..

 

[rmjbn1]

Well, it depends...
...if you're hoping to beat anything other than a tractor off the line, yes, you're in for some frustration

For bombing around country lanes, there's not much better for putting a smile on your face!

Personally I prefer driving a slow car fast to a fast car slowly. The average speed might be the same but it's much more entertaining!

The 1.2 suits the Panda perfectly I think. You might need to work the 1.1 a little harder. But that's all part of the fun