Hi forum, pleased to announce that I’ll be back to owning a Panda in the coming years. However, the circumstances are a bit sad. My grandmother was diagnosed with a form of dementia earlier this year - she can still drive with it - and hopefully will for a very long time, as long as is realistically possible. It could take years - and obviously in this respect, the longer the better as it’ll be a heartbreaking day when she has to stop driving obviously.
I was talking to her tonight and told her I’d buy the Panda off her for a few grand when she decides to or can’t drive. She told me she’d give it to me, refusing to take any money - although I’ll definitely be paying her something.
She owned the ‘05 Panda I originally had as my first car from 07-13, then it went to my sister for two years (between her ‘fancier’ older problem ridden cars) and then on to me. And she bought that one new in 2015, I was actually there when they ordered / collected it. On that £6,995 offer they were doing on the Pop models. Sure enough, plenty of identical white Pop’s have been a fixture around my city - I recognise most of them!
I’ve been servicing this car and the short drives I take in it have been enough to re-ignite the desire to buy a Panda.. and I think she knows I’d look after it as well. It’s had a fairly easy life, with one original tire from 2015 that’s just recently become cracked up and in dire need of replacing… from memory it can’t have more than about 40k miles on it. 1.2. Manual locking - bog standard.
It’ll be a second car. However… it’ll be the car I drive 5 days a week to work and back - and pretty much all trips that it’s only me - where nobody else is ‘forced’ to be in it.
As some of you know I’ve been on the verge of wanting to buy a new top spec Panda lately. But I didn’t get much interest in the Avensis, and on top of that, the safety ratings (namely the % of occupant protection for kids) has also been a bit scary to me. That never mattered too much in the past - as it was me and usually one other, and rarely did we do long trips with anyone in the back at all, meaning the back seat and boot was adequate ‘crumple’ zone I’d like to have thought. The girl I’m with now has a 5 year old and although it’s probably not something I should worry about, we do a lot of long trips all together in the Avensis and I think if something did happen and we were at any sort of disadvantage, I’d never forgive myself - especially having had a ‘safer’ car and giving it up. Well, this solves that. Family / all of us trips will be in the Avensis. All other trips, especially short ones with just me - will be the Panda! Should keep the modern diesel engine happy too without choking on itself from city driving.
Hopefully it’ll be a couple of years. Plans for it will be - heated seats (£30), - CarPlay head unit (~£300), window tinting (~£130) and a set of tyres / brakes. That’ll be the height of it. Frankly the drive is comfortable enough. It’s smooth enough. A bit slow to high speeds but that’s no bad thing. I’ve thought a lot about my cars, past and present and even the Mercedes and frankly is a never ending ladder. Sometimes I kick myself and say ‘why didn’t I buy the Excel trim Avensis, then I’d never wish I had anything better’, but even if I did I’d probably still want more.. a Lexus or a Merc. And god knows there’s no end to even better models than that one I had.. by far. Those things I’d do to this Panda. That’s all that matters. A warm seat. Credible navigation / music. Everything else is a bonus but I’d like to go back to sheer simplicity. Even having to consciously focus on staying at 40…60mph. That’s a skill I’ve ignorantly lost through fancy options.
Anyway, it might be a while. But I think this is a possible route back to Panda ownership that works against all the issues in the past. Finding a decent one at a decent price. Having to lose my current car and things I’ve put into it. Worrying it’ll not suit my new found lifestyle. All of that is solved by owning both. And frankly, if this works well, when she learns to drive in the coming years I’d nearly let her drive the Avensis around and use the Panda as solely my car
perfect excuse if anybody asks 
I’ll share any updates. But I’m excited to come back as an owner. Albeit, bittersweet given the circumstances. And might - hopefully - take a while before this comes to fruition.
I was talking to her tonight and told her I’d buy the Panda off her for a few grand when she decides to or can’t drive. She told me she’d give it to me, refusing to take any money - although I’ll definitely be paying her something.
She owned the ‘05 Panda I originally had as my first car from 07-13, then it went to my sister for two years (between her ‘fancier’ older problem ridden cars) and then on to me. And she bought that one new in 2015, I was actually there when they ordered / collected it. On that £6,995 offer they were doing on the Pop models. Sure enough, plenty of identical white Pop’s have been a fixture around my city - I recognise most of them!
I’ve been servicing this car and the short drives I take in it have been enough to re-ignite the desire to buy a Panda.. and I think she knows I’d look after it as well. It’s had a fairly easy life, with one original tire from 2015 that’s just recently become cracked up and in dire need of replacing… from memory it can’t have more than about 40k miles on it. 1.2. Manual locking - bog standard.
It’ll be a second car. However… it’ll be the car I drive 5 days a week to work and back - and pretty much all trips that it’s only me - where nobody else is ‘forced’ to be in it.
As some of you know I’ve been on the verge of wanting to buy a new top spec Panda lately. But I didn’t get much interest in the Avensis, and on top of that, the safety ratings (namely the % of occupant protection for kids) has also been a bit scary to me. That never mattered too much in the past - as it was me and usually one other, and rarely did we do long trips with anyone in the back at all, meaning the back seat and boot was adequate ‘crumple’ zone I’d like to have thought. The girl I’m with now has a 5 year old and although it’s probably not something I should worry about, we do a lot of long trips all together in the Avensis and I think if something did happen and we were at any sort of disadvantage, I’d never forgive myself - especially having had a ‘safer’ car and giving it up. Well, this solves that. Family / all of us trips will be in the Avensis. All other trips, especially short ones with just me - will be the Panda! Should keep the modern diesel engine happy too without choking on itself from city driving.
Hopefully it’ll be a couple of years. Plans for it will be - heated seats (£30), - CarPlay head unit (~£300), window tinting (~£130) and a set of tyres / brakes. That’ll be the height of it. Frankly the drive is comfortable enough. It’s smooth enough. A bit slow to high speeds but that’s no bad thing. I’ve thought a lot about my cars, past and present and even the Mercedes and frankly is a never ending ladder. Sometimes I kick myself and say ‘why didn’t I buy the Excel trim Avensis, then I’d never wish I had anything better’, but even if I did I’d probably still want more.. a Lexus or a Merc. And god knows there’s no end to even better models than that one I had.. by far. Those things I’d do to this Panda. That’s all that matters. A warm seat. Credible navigation / music. Everything else is a bonus but I’d like to go back to sheer simplicity. Even having to consciously focus on staying at 40…60mph. That’s a skill I’ve ignorantly lost through fancy options.
Anyway, it might be a while. But I think this is a possible route back to Panda ownership that works against all the issues in the past. Finding a decent one at a decent price. Having to lose my current car and things I’ve put into it. Worrying it’ll not suit my new found lifestyle. All of that is solved by owning both. And frankly, if this works well, when she learns to drive in the coming years I’d nearly let her drive the Avensis around and use the Panda as solely my car
perfect excuse if anybody asks I’ll share any updates. But I’m excited to come back as an owner. Albeit, bittersweet given the circumstances. And might - hopefully - take a while before this comes to fruition.
