Car went into Fiat yesterday for a 24k service, so i got a courtesy car...
I've never had a courtesy car before, and I was expecting a Panda Active. I didn't get one. Instead I got a Grande Punto!
It was the 1.2 Dynamic and I'd love to say I think they're bloody fantastic! However... The first thing I noticed on getting in is that you have no idea where the end of the bonnet is, and the windscreen feels a long way away from you after the Panda! Also the rear view mirror seems to distort slightly. The wing mirrors are excellent though - a good size, and close to you, so you get a great field of view. I think this just goes to show that you get used to driving a car of a certain size. The GP felt quite big - bigger than Sammi's Bravo. All the controls in the GP are pretty much the same as the Panda, so I was on familiar ground. Pulling out of the dealer, the indicator noise struck me as being really annoying! I soon blanked that out though. I put a tenner in it and had plenty left after about 80 miles! However, the reason it's economical must be because it has no power or torque! Out on the open road at about 40mph, the traffic in front of me cleared, so I poked my foot down in fifth, and nothing happened! Even if you change down to third, and floor it progress is slow. It is smooth though! Round the corners I was amazed at how light and detached the steering feels. I didn't have the City button on, and there didn't seem to be any feedback!. The brakes and gearchange were very good though. I liked the interior too. I had a sand and black coloured one, which looked nice.
In town I fell foul of the lazy habit I've picked up with the Multijet, where you can let the clutch out before you need to push the accelerator if you are trickling along in traffic. It turns out that if you do this in the GP it stalls!
The GP might be alright with the more powerful engines, if the steering is better. I won't be trading the Panda in for one though. Got back in that and put my foot down on the way home and thought, "That's more like it" Even accidentally wheelspun it out of a couple of junctions!
H
http://www.hmallett.co.uk/blog/cars/panda-24k-service.html
https://www.fiatforum.com/leisure-lounge/96765-my-car-day.html
I've never had a courtesy car before, and I was expecting a Panda Active. I didn't get one. Instead I got a Grande Punto!
It was the 1.2 Dynamic and I'd love to say I think they're bloody fantastic! However... The first thing I noticed on getting in is that you have no idea where the end of the bonnet is, and the windscreen feels a long way away from you after the Panda! Also the rear view mirror seems to distort slightly. The wing mirrors are excellent though - a good size, and close to you, so you get a great field of view. I think this just goes to show that you get used to driving a car of a certain size. The GP felt quite big - bigger than Sammi's Bravo. All the controls in the GP are pretty much the same as the Panda, so I was on familiar ground. Pulling out of the dealer, the indicator noise struck me as being really annoying! I soon blanked that out though. I put a tenner in it and had plenty left after about 80 miles! However, the reason it's economical must be because it has no power or torque! Out on the open road at about 40mph, the traffic in front of me cleared, so I poked my foot down in fifth, and nothing happened! Even if you change down to third, and floor it progress is slow. It is smooth though! Round the corners I was amazed at how light and detached the steering feels. I didn't have the City button on, and there didn't seem to be any feedback!. The brakes and gearchange were very good though. I liked the interior too. I had a sand and black coloured one, which looked nice.
In town I fell foul of the lazy habit I've picked up with the Multijet, where you can let the clutch out before you need to push the accelerator if you are trickling along in traffic. It turns out that if you do this in the GP it stalls!
The GP might be alright with the more powerful engines, if the steering is better. I won't be trading the Panda in for one though. Got back in that and put my foot down on the way home and thought, "That's more like it"
Even accidentally wheelspun it out of a couple of junctions! H
http://www.hmallett.co.uk/blog/cars/panda-24k-service.html
https://www.fiatforum.com/leisure-lounge/96765-my-car-day.html
