Replying to everyone’s posts so far…
I run and pay for 2 cars...
It's not that much more expensive than running one car all in all if both are paid for dependent on the cars involved.
Obviously insurance is the biggy in my case managed to get a mirrored bonus policy set up so despite 0 NCB got 3 years NCB which on the Toyota brought it down to 300 odd quid (can't imagine a Panda will be massively high risk).
Otherwise you're paying for 2 services a year and 2 sets of road tax but being a 2015 it'll be what 35 quid to tax?
Beyond that you can only drive one car...so things like tyres etc get reduced use, you use maybe the same amount of fuel but across both cars so it's not actually a massive jump in costs.
Between both cars I'm probably paying under a grand more in fixed costs than having one. However garage bills on the Citroën have dried up as it's not being battered so much so if anything barely noticed the difference.
I’m going to call on Monday just to double check, but I’m fairly sure I am insured by age / fully comp and no claims but I’d like them to confirm on the phone just in case. The current insurer I’m with was actually the second cheapest after Axa who I was with but with how incompetent they were last year when I needed them, I decided next renewal post-claim settled I’d move away. Paying £90 more for the pleasure… Got some speeding points for the first time a few months back and somehow when I told insurance they
dropped my premium. Got to love (for once) the black box that is modern insurers inputting numbers into a computer and getting something random out!
Yes it’s one of the dirt cheap ones to tax! I forgot about that. And true about the wear and tear parts. I want to say “today I learnt that the budget tyres on the Panda don’t work like the michelins” but the Panda itself won’t let you get too fast before the entire setup reminds you it’s at its comfortable limits, well before it would in the CT. I was passed today on every roundabout, and every inner city dual lane road - but in the Panda I wouldn’t even dream of blocking those lanes or trying to pass the numerous drivers in front of me that were 5-10mph below the limit. I just went with the flow. And a few even slowly pulling out after I presume looking at the car “slow, going” but it’s all coming back to me and it’s honestly sound when you know you can’t do anything but patiently accommodate and act sensibly. Same in the CT, and above, but you have a choice to be an idiot or not I guess.
I was behind a new C3 today.. starting to pop up around here. In real life… the height… the height (or narrowness making it look like height) puts me right off. You holding on to the C3 for the wife or do you think she’ll ever be tempted into the new model at some point?
It depends on your circumstances. I've owned more than one car for years, at one time I had four. Now it's just two Pandas, but for me it just works. If daughters car is off the road or the wife can't get a courtesy car, etc, then they use the spare Panda. Also Pandas are cheap to run and insure, so as a second car, they aren't that expensive, but I guess you already knew that.
The plan here is, Panda during the week - in the city to and from work and fighting the parking battle on street. Although I don’t think my CT is any wild stretch of a high end luxury car… some of the bitter old ****s around my gf’s street seem to act like it and as I think I’ve mentioned on here, have made it very unwelcoming… I wonder if they will care a bit less when I turn up with a car that I have to lock manually with the key lol The CT will probably go to the secure work car park to hibernate during the weeks. Can check in on it daily too then. It has the connected Nextbase IQ as well.
This was the family spare car in the last year, though my mums Mazda 2 will probably inherit that role at some point.
My heart says go for it. Its always handy to have a spare,
but
My head says Do you really need this???? No you kin dont nor the costs and overheads, nor the depreciation. Financially you might as well burn £50 a week as I bet it will cost that at least.
Go on do it
I really don’t need it! But yes, it’s outside and I am actually looking forward to some pointless trips tomorrow in it! Showed my gf’s 7 year old a photo of it (the one I posted above). She’s only interested because it’s called a ‘Panda’, she thought I named it that. Showed her a photo of the back saying ‘panda’ in the funky lettering. She was like “OH. I get it. The car is sort of white and black.
That’s why.”. My gf herself isn’t a fan, mostly with the safety stuff (that I told her tbf). But jokingly so… Jokingly back, I reminded her… if she wants to get her license, there’s now a perfectly good automatic, or manual car, for her to learn in lol
Do some sums?
For my 500X;
Insurance an extra £360 a year
Tax an extra £20 a year
I don't count the lump sum to buy it because that isn't an on going cost, just a one off.
I don't count depreciation because the car isnt worth much.
I dont count repairs because i cover the same miles just spread out over different cars.
Petrol is the same, because i cover the same miles just spread out over different cars.
So i'm paying an extra £380 a year "on going".
I'm ok with that.
I must post on here when I speak to insurance, though I’ll go this month as is. So long as they tell me I’m allowed to drive it (and the limits of what that would have). The CT is barely racking up the miles this year. We didn’t do half as much in the weekends. Vowing to fix that for 2026. Money has went on appliances… computers… fancy hoovers and just today, a fancy thermometer. How fun. Reflective of the fact I’ll be 30 in under a month… yikes.
What's the worst that can happen? You take it on, you find you don't use it, so you can give it back, or sell it. Seems pretty low risk to me, just enjoy giving it a go!
Exactly! I will use it this week, I did wonder today if the novelty would wear off. Though having access to both cars, I think the novelty of each will actually keep it going longer if not indefinitely. It’s just a shame that… even if this goes well for years, I can’t see myself getting too into the more-so Citroen next Panda. Even when prices drop… who knows though. At some stage I’ll be due a mid life crisis, right?
Firstly, I’d echo The Panda Nut’s comments. Secondly, I know you've always wanted to get back into a Panda and this seems like the perfect opportunity to.
For me, I actually save money running my Panda and Campervan and I’ve had a Panda as my daily, continually, since 2004.
My quote for insurance on my Campervan, as my only vehicle came in at £990! When I queried this, I was told it’s because the insurance company assumed I used my van daily as my only vehicle, which in their eyes (due to the value) is a high risk, even though they have the policy for my Panda too. Once they’d corrected their records, my van insurance fell to a more realistic £380 - A massive £610 saving. I have another 3 years servicing/breakdown free as part of VW’s 5+ promise on the van, so no costs there.
My Panda costs me £220 in tax and just over £100 in insurance for the year. Last MOT was with no advisories, so £50. I already have service items, as when I bought her back a second time in 2021 she had a boot load of items. So that £610 I saved has covered the running costs of Manda for this year and I’ve put nearly £300 in the Panda fund for when something needs attention.
It also keeps the risk of supermarket dents on the van down, as it’s yet to venture to Tesco/the tip/IKEA etc, so potentially saving me some more money there too.
As soon as it crossed my mind this week I’ve been talking about it. I only went to float the idea today and she passed me the key! One of those VW Buzz’ parked in front of my yesterday, a purple and white one but it was night. Pass one regularly belonging to some local real estate company. They look like they’ve landed from space! I have enjoyed parking amongst the main car park rows, if not the front row this evening for a change. Had to stop myself from going to the ends of the car parks from habit.
Have you got it yet
It’s on the street right now. And as much as it made me smile all evening, and I love it, I am not losing sleep over the thought of it being damaged or vandalised half as much. I am pretty sure i could source any body panel locally, in a matching white, for the Panda if I had to for less than the cost of having a panel sprayed for the CT (at least using the proper process that it’s supposed to have done). This is great.
Come on fella, get the car! I want pictures too!
Some above! More to come… Planning some current condition close ups for the grime and after a wash tomorrow.
I've got a Panda as a second car. I really don't need more than 1 car, let alone 3, but the Panda is just so much fun as a guilty pleasure.
Do it!
You only live once!
What’s the third? Definitely, and the outgoing models aren’t getting any younger so now is the time!!! Grateful for this opportunity.
Very nice. Looks mint. Wish i could get one for that new price nowadays.
White is deffo the best colour for a Panda.
You can appreciate the cars better with 2 to drive. Of course the 500X is my best car, but come Monday i'll be dawdling up the motorway in my GP, its old familiar to me. Keeps me from being silly when traffic is dodging around me.
It’s got a few battle scars but nothing major. Front bumper missing a bit of paint but nothing too bad. Sadly the GP’s in my area are dropping like flies :-( Makes it more special when I do see one. Same with he 500X and 500Ls like hens teeth.
Welcome back.
There is something to be said for a much more ‘analogue’ car in this world of ‘we’ll do all the thinking for you’. Who needs auto headlights, rain sensing wipers and an electronic handbrake? I still love my little 4x4 Panda - but have added even more analogue-ness with a 12 year old Defender too (although that does have central locking
)
As I drove this evening I turned off the radio… the orange lighting, the digital screen / dials are so much easier on my eyes. The CT is very focussed for a modern car but white, blue, and the screen is in the ideal space to see… but when you want to tune out in these winter nights, outside of being blinded by other drivers in general, it is really straining on the eyes. Had to ask the gf to lower her phone screen brightness my eyes have been getting that sensitive this year. The Panda having
nothing is a breath of fresh air.. I do miss the little phone holder my 2017 Easy had. Wonder if it’s easy to find and cut a hole to retrofit one. I have also been contemplating a pop out screen… and heated seats. But this car has never ever been tampered with… do I want to start taking apart upholstery and door cards? The Avensis and CT definitely acquired minor rattles no matter how careful I was.
I forgot the manual wipers and lights but soon caught on… there is something nice about the control manually. Auto is sometimes too slow or sensitive, though I’ll give it to Lexus, they have it absolutely spot on compared to the Avensis and DS3. Like the manual gear changes, the need to adjust the wiper speed comes back to you really fast.
Ahh I’m so excited, at least on here, unlike anyone I mention it to, I’m not overly crazy for expressing it. I promise more photos and relevant updates. A sump job might be the first big job done.
