Their insurance will cover it, not like i did it on purpose
"Here's a 4x4 for a day, go test it, BUT NOT OFF ROAD!"
I would love to test drive an expensive Range rover, i would take it back absolutely covered in as much crap as possible!
General Panda Cross owners opinions
- Thread starter davidc
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General Panda Cross owners opinions
"Here's a 4x4 for a day, go test it, BUT NOT OFF ROAD!"
I would love to test drive an expensive Range rover, i would take it back absolutely covered in as much crap as possible!
Van Diemen
New member
That's not very fair on the dealership though is it? They lend you a car in good faith, and you aren't driving it in a way that you would if it were your own new car. The loss of earnings whilst it's repaired, the excess payments, and potential premium increase are all incurred by the dealer. I agree with 306 on this one.
I don't, you see when i buy a car, and I'm sure most people agree, i like to know what it's capable of. If i were test driving a fast car, i would drive it fast, so driving an off road vehicle, i wanted to see what it could do off road. How many stories have you heard of people writing off cars on test drives? Now i didn't do that, i just gave it a slightly scratched bumper, no big deal really unless you're a drama queen. They didn't even mention it so they weren't that bothered.
I'm completly with you on this one!
I test drove a the Stilo before driving it, and insisted I done the 24 mile round trip from the dealer to home just to see what vision was like for reversing it into the drive!
Equally I ragged it and done alot of breaking at the last min to see how th car handled on the limit.
Would do the same in any car, and would happily take a 4x4 off road in a test drive also.
Van Diemen
New member
It's all to do with the severity isn't it? I agree with taking it offroad, that is perfectly reasonable. I agree with driving a quick car quite hard to see how it feels. I agree that the odd thing might happen even if being careful.
However '(kind of took it back a tad scraped/scratched but hey, what did they expect?) ' is a little bit flippant in it's tone. A tad scratched to me implies far more than a slightly scratched bumber, the latter of which would be fair to describe as one of those things.
However '(kind of took it back a tad scraped/scratched but hey, what did they expect?) ' is a little bit flippant in it's tone. A tad scratched to me implies far more than a slightly scratched bumber, the latter of which would be fair to describe as one of those things.
That's all it was, a scratch or scrape whatever you want to call it. They nearly sold me a car and it cost them a few hours in the body shop, worth it for them! I was decent enough to clean it twice before i gave it back.
Having just bought my cross, I can't really give you any plus or minus points to the car. I've only just covered 80 miles around town so can't even offer MPG. What I can say is that I LOVE IT! I'm 5'11, there is ample headroom and legroom and I have carried 3 adults passengers easily.
I can't say I'd relish the thought of a long motorway drive, but I didn't buy it to do that. I think the 0-60 mph is pretty irrelevant around town too tbh, I can't say I've had to modify my driving style to allow for the reduced acceleration compared to my last 2 cars, a jaguar x-type 2.2d and a skoda octavia vrs, neither of which could be fully appreciated on short trips around town. Then again, I'm a 'potterer' in my own car - I get paid to drive fast every day so I have no interest in blasting around when I'm not at work. I will be quite happy taking the cross out if we ever have snow again whereas the jaguar stayed home throughout the last lot of snow, it was absolutely useless!! Horses for courses I suppose.
As things stand, the cross will definately be a keeper - it fits our lifestyle perfectly and is just that little bit different to the norm!!
Shootandfish - I see you are in Sheffield too, 2 crosses in the same city -surely it must be the highest concentration in th UK!!
I can't say I'd relish the thought of a long motorway drive, but I didn't buy it to do that. I think the 0-60 mph is pretty irrelevant around town too tbh, I can't say I've had to modify my driving style to allow for the reduced acceleration compared to my last 2 cars, a jaguar x-type 2.2d and a skoda octavia vrs, neither of which could be fully appreciated on short trips around town. Then again, I'm a 'potterer' in my own car - I get paid to drive fast every day so I have no interest in blasting around when I'm not at work. I will be quite happy taking the cross out if we ever have snow again whereas the jaguar stayed home throughout the last lot of snow, it was absolutely useless!! Horses for courses I suppose.
As things stand, the cross will definately be a keeper - it fits our lifestyle perfectly and is just that little bit different to the norm!!
Shootandfish - I see you are in Sheffield too, 2 crosses in the same city -surely it must be the highest concentration in th UK!!
minardirule
New member
Shootandfish - I see you are in Sheffield too, 2 crosses in the same city -surely it must be the highest concentration in th UK!!
It's a much higher number than that!! There's at least 4 that I'm aware of in Sheffield plus numerous 4x4's and a couple of new Cross's awaiting delivery at GK.
It's a much higher number than that!! There's at least 4 that I'm aware of in Sheffield plus numerous 4x4's and a couple of new Cross's awaiting delivery at GK.
I've only seen 1 cross, it was a burnt orange colour (dunno the fiat name for it!) and a couple of 4x4 around south Sheffield. I knew we were going to be a growing breed, I bought mine from GK and after ordering they sold the green demo and also had orders for 2 others, 1 white and 1 red.
Here in Germany the cross seems also to be very rare, you see a LOT of normal pandas and some 4x4.. so far I have seen no cross panda out there..
Can't speak for the cross, but I love my 4x4 adventure..somewhat rugged, drives nice off city..did some minor off road driving, works also fine
Whaiting for snow...
Stefan
Can't speak for the cross, but I love my 4x4 adventure..somewhat rugged, drives nice off city..did some minor off road driving, works also fine
Whaiting for snow...
Stefan
I saw my first Cross in the flesh yesterday as it passed through a junction - I like it!
I've caught up to this a bit late.
To the OP, have a test drive & gauge the performance & space for yourself.
I had always liked the look of the cross from the original concepts; when it was (eventually) released in the UK I read all the reviews & was slightly put off by the comments about the acceleration & stiff ride, the list price was a bit steep too. So had a test drive to convince myself that i didn't really need one...but that didn't work!!
Luckily I got an Orange one at the "Dr Chris price". Other than the 4X4 solenoid failure that the first batch all seemed to have it's covered over 50 000 trouble free mainly motorway (Birmingham to Cornwall) miles.
The original tyres lasted just over 40 000 miles, it's now shod with Quadtrac 2's which are proving fine.
If you do get one be ready to answer questions about what it is & lots of people looking at you
Neil
PS there's a review in this month's "Total off road" ...they like it.
To the OP, have a test drive & gauge the performance & space for yourself.
I had always liked the look of the cross from the original concepts; when it was (eventually) released in the UK I read all the reviews & was slightly put off by the comments about the acceleration & stiff ride, the list price was a bit steep too. So had a test drive to convince myself that i didn't really need one...but that didn't work!!
Luckily I got an Orange one at the "Dr Chris price". Other than the 4X4 solenoid failure that the first batch all seemed to have it's covered over 50 000 trouble free mainly motorway (Birmingham to Cornwall) miles.
The original tyres lasted just over 40 000 miles, it's now shod with Quadtrac 2's which are proving fine.
If you do get one be ready to answer questions about what it is & lots of people looking at you
Neil
PS there's a review in this month's "Total off road" ...they like it.
Good to see the Crosses are starting to sell. I know very little about them so am not gonna pretend i do, only seen one on the road, parked at a Park & Ride near Oxford in late 2008 i think. Green one with personalised number plate, might be someone here?! I was very excited at seeing it, much to the entertainment of other Park & Ride users.
Seen an increasing number of 4x4 Climbings recently though, at least 6 since February, all different colours, blue, red, yellow, black.
Seems the Panda is enjoying something of renaisance/late sales surge. Im sure scrappage helped abit, but it shows it's still a great car for the money if so many people are putting their faith in it this far into its life cycle, especially since Fiat only do a half arsed attempt at marketting it in basic Active trim & do jack all for the other models
Seen at least 8 Dynamics alone over the past week, 54reg (Cocktail Blue) 57reg (Silver) x2, 08, 58 and 10reg (all Black), 07reg (Psychadelic Azzure), 58reg Multijet (New Orleans Blue) - and that's without looking. Actually spotted more than i have 500s, which is unusual.
Great to see though, wicked little cars.
Seen an increasing number of 4x4 Climbings recently though, at least 6 since February, all different colours, blue, red, yellow, black.
Seems the Panda is enjoying something of renaisance/late sales surge. Im sure scrappage helped abit, but it shows it's still a great car for the money if so many people are putting their faith in it this far into its life cycle, especially since Fiat only do a half arsed attempt at marketting it in basic Active trim & do jack all for the other models
Seen at least 8 Dynamics alone over the past week, 54reg (Cocktail Blue) 57reg (Silver) x2, 08, 58 and 10reg (all Black), 07reg (Psychadelic Azzure), 58reg Multijet (New Orleans Blue) - and that's without looking. Actually spotted more than i have 500s, which is unusual.
Great to see though, wicked little cars.
Perhaps the 500 owners are sick of hanging out the window shouting "LOOK AT ME! I HAVE A 500! IT'S SO CUTE AND RETRO!!!!!!! LOOK AT MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"
Haha!
It's good to see a Fiat sales success, but i do wish it was balanced across the whole Fiat range rather than Fiat UK seemingly just accepting that as the 500 & Grande Punto sells, why bother advertising the 4x4 & 100HP Pandas, the Bravos, the Qubo, new Doblo etc.
I know they do ads in magazines & on the internet, but they should really use TV for doing combined model adverts, such as the whole Panda range (4x4, Cross & 100HP) and MPVs (Qubo & Doblo together).
Thanks for the opinions. I am very close now to deciding to go for a cross. Hard to arrange a test drive when so few fiat dealerships have demonstrators. Managed to sit in a new one already sold to a customer at a nearby dealer though, nothing has put me off so far.
Only remaining questions; which colour and what options !
Only remaining questions; which colour and what options !
Well aircon or preferably climate control is a must.
Also stereo upgrade well worth doing.
Also stereo upgrade well worth doing.
doctorchris
Established member
Well, you get aircon anyway so why spend extra on climate control?
The split-folding/sliding rear seats can be useful and a sunroof might be nice.
I find the sound system OK as it is but then at my age I've lost a lot of low and high frequency hearing.
Colour; just looked at the range and it has become very boring. I've got Black, which is OK but I wish I'd chosen Orange (now defunct) in retrospect. Red looks OK and Green as well. Beige looks like something from BL in the 70's and why, oh why, are there 2 different kinds of White?
Didn't realise it was standard on the cross, though I guess given it's price it ought to be really! Having had a panda with both aircon and now one with climate, I would take the climate everytime, it's just a lot more convenient, no fiddling required with temperature controls all the time. Just set the temp, it does the rest.
Does it not have split folding rear seats as standard on a 12K car?
Tbh I guess it could be useful, but I've never put the seats down individually myself.
I think the black looks fine, but not with the sand coloured seats. Wonder what colour seats they put in a red car?
Haha, i thought just the same. And not a single shade of grey! Fiat always offer at least three shades of grey these days don't they? :yuck:
Configurator says split/folding rear seat is standard but you can upgrade to the sliding one. The red paintwork appears to add grey cloth with red bolsters, which looks much nicer than the sand coloured stuff i reckon.
If it were me i'd go for the red paint and add the subwoofer, the climate control and maybe the extra airbags if i was feeling really safety conscious. All that comes to £14330, which i'm not sure whether to view as okay value for a 4x4 or expensive for a small Fiat
