General Potential Panda…

[SB1500]

Cars Northern Ireland - Used Cars NI. Second hand cars for sale.

www.usedcarsni.com

Found this very bright and shining example of a Panda for sale in NI. It’s got the steering controls and phone holder (plus for me). Low miles. Appears clean. Lounge spec so a few more (modest) nice bits bolted around it.

One question I have is why a Lounge was built with a plastic steering wheel - wasn’t leather standard?

I’m very tempted to make the jump soon. I continue to try and be content with the Avensis but to no success. To trade in… I reckon I’d take around a £1500 hit in equity. That will probably get worse as time goes on.. Giving it some serious thought though as time is ticking. Nice models like this aren’t impossible but definitely less likely popping up in NI where even the dealer struggles to get used Pandas in..

What do you folks think about this car?

 

[boozyjay]

Looks nice, but strong money though. then again all cars are now I guess.

 

[jrkitching]

Looks nice, but strong money though

That.

You could very likely have negotiated a deal to buy this car new back in 2020 for less than they're asking. And I saw a then-3yr old one in as good condition as that sell for just over £4000 when that one was new.

But that, as they say, is history.

Be aware that used prices are starting to fall from the astronomical levels seen recently. Predicting the future is a risky business, but it would not surprise me if this car was worth a very great deal less in another three years time.

 

[SB1500]

Sounds like waiting is the best plan then.

Heard from someone high up in one of the franchises here that anybody looking for a brand new current gen Panda should act ‘very quickly’ to get one. The end <of production> is near.

 

[jrkitching]

Heard from someone high up in one of the franchises here that anybody looking for a brand new current gen Panda should act ‘very quickly’ to get one. The end <of production> is near.

Back in the day, that was the sign to do some hard negotiating and to grab a bargain. In 2010, I got almost 30% off the list price of one of the last of the unregistered 60HP 169's.

 

[SB1500]

Back in the day, that was the sign to do some hard negotiating and to grab a bargain. In 2010, I got almost 30% off the list price of one of the last of the unregistered 60HP 169's.

I wish I could do that now. Same guy was saying how difficult they find it to make money on cars these days and how the days of discounts are over etc.

They didn’t budge earlier this year when I got a few quotes for a new top of the line Panda. Think he said something around 14k was the lowest he could do for one (can’t remember which spec but likely base for that)

 

[jrkitching]

Same guy was saying how difficult they find it to make money on cars these days

They never did make much money selling new Pandas. The profits came from reselling your trade in, bundling finance and meaningless extras like supaguard, and on the subsequent servicing and repairs.

When a manufacturer has hundreds of new cars about to be replaced by an upgraded model sitting in a compound at the docks, a dealer prepared to buy them all as a job lot will get them for a very keen price.

If they could afford to part with a new one for 30% off list for cash, that gave them an huge margin to offer tempting part exchange deals to those paying full list on finance, plus they got a kickback from the finance company.

Don't feel too sorry for the dealers!

As a buyer, the trick is to be there with the cash when the dealers need to get a car they've got in stock registered that month, perhaps to earn a quarterly quota bonus. When the dealers have a backlog of orders and there's a nine month wait for delivery, that's the time to sit on your hands and keep your powder dry.

Prices won't stay silly high for ever.

What goes around, comes around.

And if the press are to be believed, we may now be turning the corner.

 

[boozyjay]

I bought a used (2018) Panda TA lounge earlier this year from a Kia dealer in Ebbsfleet who had taken it in part exchange for a brand new Kia. They were going to put it through auction, but as it was in such nice condition they decided to retail it. I was just trawling through the internet and wasn't looking to buy another Panda as I had my new Panda Cross on order, but by chance I came across it as it had literally just gone on their website, only about an hour before. In-fact it had gone on so quick that they hadn't even uploaded any photos yet as it was still being prepped for sale. I emailed the dealer and he sent me some photos and answered a list of questions for me. I knew they would let it go for way less than what they were asking, even in this crazy era of used car prices as they were a Kia main dealer and had no interest in it. The car was mint, so I took a punt and agreed a deal over the phone, without even seeing it in the flesh (I needn't have worried, it was immaculate). I then got it shipped up to my house in the West Midlands.

To cut a long story short, you can still get the odd deal, but you have to have a fair bit of luck and the cash ready. Always look for one that a main (non Fiat) dealer has taken in and be ready to pounce. My Panda TA has actually gone up in value by about £1200 since I bought it. Which just proves how crazy the market is lately.

If you can wait then yes, take jrkitching's advice and sit tight, as prices will drop.

 

[boozyjay]

I forgot to mention. The sales guy at the Kia dealership was a sound fella, a pleasure to deal with. He said as long as they could make £500 on it, they'd let it go, which they did. After all, they had made their money on the new Kia that the Panda had been part exchanged for. Bear that in mind if you see one at a non Fiat main dealer for sale that they have had in part exchange. I just put in a really silly offer for mine and then did a bit of negotiating. You have nothing to lose.

 

[SB1500]

Thanks both. Sounds like now isn't the time to buy.

I forgot in the daze of looking at shiny new FIATs online, but even if I stay put with the Avensis, at some point in the near future I will acquire that Panda Pop that's been in the family since new in 2015. It's no shining example, but it would be an ideal second car and allow me to get my hands dirty with the same sort of DIY work my 05 model did.

I'll still keep an eye on the prices. I hope the market is about to turn around. Frankly I made the misjudgement of feeling that it had already balanced out after the pandemic etc, and that this was just a brave new world of hyper-inflated prices that was here to stay and evolve... If the used car market can fall down, I'd welcome it. The longer I wait, the better....

I suppose even if they stop Panda production tomorrow morning. For the next 3 years at least, there'll be plenty of fresh nearly new models in their sweet spot of depreciation for me to snap up.

 

[boozyjay]

All good things come to those who wait..

 

[Twotone2]

When we bought our panda 4X4 pre reg back in July I'd provisionally bought a new Panda hybrid from Arnold Clark in Paisley but I canceled the order after failing to buy a 4x4 panda from their Edinburgh Fiat branch which had sold by the time I enquired about it but they then offered me a brand new 4x4 from a branch down south which was a canceled order from 2022 but it was brand new never registered and from memory they wanted £17,500 for the car plus £650 RT but there was no way we could afford that but it was the road tax that was the killer for me.

We ended up buying the 4x4 we have for about a grand more than the hybrid panda we'd ordered initially and with only £180 RT cause it was a pre-reg.

Think that the Arnold Clark guy said that that 4x4 was the last new one in the UK and he wouldn't budge on price or on the road tax.

Apparently the car was ordered by some woman who put down a deposit on it then subsequently failed a credit check when it was due to be delivered, sounded like BS to me at the time, I mean who waits until a car is going out the door before they do a CC?

BTW, our car is a late 2022 (December) manufactured car and was registered in April 2023 by the dealer.

 

[Marcus Daly]

Interestingly, the lower price of used cars is being cited as one of the reasons for the dramatic fall in inflation announced today. That follows a couple of the publicly listed dealer groups giving guidance in their financial reporting that prices are projected to fall further.

The balloon has popped. How quickly the air escapes remains to be seen.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

When we bought our panda 4X4 pre reg back in July I'd provisionally bought a new Panda hybrid from Arnold Clark in Paisley but I canceled the order after failing to buy a 4x4 panda from their Edinburgh Fiat branch which had sold by the time I enquired about it but they then offered me a brand new 4x4 from a branch down south which was a canceled order from 2022 but it was brand new never registered and from memory they wanted £17,500 for the car plus £650 RT but there was no way we could afford that but it was the road tax that was the killer for me.

We ended up buying the 4x4 we have for about a grand more than the hybrid panda we'd ordered initially and with only £180 RT cause it was a pre-reg.

Think that the Arnold Clark guy said that that 4x4 was the last new one in the UK and he wouldn't budge on price or on the road tax.

Apparently the car was ordered by some woman who put down a deposit on it then subsequently failed a credit check when it was due to be delivered, sounded like BS to me at the time, I mean who waits until a car is going out the door before they do a CC?

BTW, our car is a late 2022 (December) manufactured car and was registered in April 2023 by the dealer.

You very probably do have the last one registered - wow! My 2018 diesel was one of the very last diesel 4x4s registered, but that was back in 2018...

 

[Twotone2]

You very probably do have the last one registered - wow! My 2018 diesel was one of the very last diesel 4x4s registered, but that was back in 2018...

Don't know to be honest, there was a Panda 4x4 (or cross) advertised in a dealership in England around the same time we bought our car and the dealer said it was the very last new 4x4 or cross in the UK and that one Arnold Clark offered me would have been registered in July this year if we'd have bought it, no idea of the manufactured date on it though but the guy said it had been factory ordered sometime in 2022, might have been September 2022, think from memory he told me it had just been delivered, this was back in July.

Just checked our car was registered 30th March 2023 the MOT is due 29th March 2026.

 

[AB100]

Cars Northern Ireland - Used Cars NI. Second hand cars for sale.

www.usedcarsni.com

Found this very bright and shining example of a Panda for sale in NI. It’s got the steering controls and phone holder (plus for me). Low miles. Appears clean. Lounge spec so a few more (modest) nice bits bolted around it.

One question I have is why a Lounge was built with a plastic steering wheel - wasn’t leather standard?

I’m very tempted to make the jump soon. I continue to try and be content with the Avensis but to no success. To trade in… I reckon I’d take around a £1500 hit in equity. That will probably get worse as time goes on.. Giving it some serious thought though as time is ticking. Nice models like this aren’t impossible but definitely less likely popping up in NI where even the dealer struggles to get used Pandas in..

What do you folks think about this car?

Better spec and colour and relatively local........

Auto Trader UK - New and Used Cars For Sale

Find your next car with Auto Trader UK, the official #1 site to buy and sell new and used cars. Over 400,000 cars online. Simple, easy, quick!

www.autotrader.co.uk

 

[SB1500]

Better spec and colour and relatively local........

Auto Trader UK - New and Used Cars For Sale

Find your next car with Auto Trader UK, the official #1 site to buy and sell new and used cars. Over 400,000 cars online. Simple, easy, quick!

www.autotrader.co.uk

Seen that one as well! Definitely a contender. But hopefully this market crashes

 

[AB100]

Better spec and colour and relatively local........

Auto Trader UK - New and Used Cars For Sale

Find your next car with Auto Trader UK, the official #1 site to buy and sell new and used cars. Over 400,000 cars online. Simple, easy, quick!

www.autotrader.co.uk

I'm not convinced the market prices will crash, though it may reduce a bit over time. History doesn't necessarily dictate. You have a growing population with more and more drivers, increasing demand, plus a herd of companies now taking the "work-at-home forever" Covid-promise off the table, meaning a hike in commuters. The depleting number of small cars and especially Pandas won't help.

The theory is a decline, as more contracts end and the market saturates with with 3 year old heaps and the low oil price gets people back into their barges but who knows?

A car that's now £10k at 3 years old would probably have been £5k-£6k had the virus not intervened. This would be much worse if you needed the self-assurance aid of a larger showcase brand.

Or just keep what you have and buy a lathe. It's a wonderful distraction.

 

[SB1500]

I'm not convinced the market prices will crash, though it may reduce a bit over time. History doesn't necessarily dictate. You have a growing population with more and more drivers, increasing demand, plus a herd of companies now taking the "work-at-home forever" Covid-promise off the table, meaning a hike in commuters. The depleting number of small cars and especially Pandas won't help. The theory is a decline, as more contracts end and the market saturates with with 3 year old heaps and the low oil price gets people back into their barges but who knows? A car that's now £10k at 3 years old would probably have been £5k-£6k had the virus not intervened. This would be much worse if you needed the self-assurance aid of a larger showcase brand. Or just keep what you have and buy a lathe. It's a wonderful distraction.

There's probably also a chance that because of how popular Panda and 500 models are, the used / independent dealers will both probably try to price / sell them as 'last of its kind!' and try to over charge with that in mind... particular to a customer like me whose actively seeking one of them!

I hate to think of what price increases (especially petrol and heating oil) will be like as a result of the disruption to one of the main shipping routes, I reckon that'll be the fashionable new economic excuse to soar prices early 2024 :-(

My grandmother is likely to stop driving in the next year or two, I think she'll sell me her 2015 Panda which although basic and not 'fresh' anymore, would act as a sound second car to the Avensis. It would definitely allow for a bit of parallel running for a while to make sure it's the right move. And gives Fiat time to think of a new model and see how we all get on with that.. Hopes aren't high for something as loveable to own though.

 

[AB100]

There's probably also a chance that because of how popular Panda and 500 models are, the used / independent dealers will both probably try to price / sell them as 'last of its kind!' and try to over charge with that in mind... particular to a customer like me whose actively seeking one of them!

I hate to think of what price increases (especially petrol and heating oil) will be like as a result of the disruption to one of the main shipping routes, I reckon that'll be the fashionable new economic excuse to soar prices early 2024 :-(

My grandmother is likely to stop driving in the next year or two, I think she'll sell me her 2015 Panda which although basic and not 'fresh' anymore, would act as a sound second car to the Avensis. It would definitely allow for a bit of parallel running for a while to make sure it's the right move. And gives Fiat time to think of a new model and see how we all get on with that.. Hopes aren't high for something as loveable to own though.

Yep. Lots of talk about the age of the Panda running gear being 21 years old but does it matter? The Model-T was killed after 19 years (mainly owing to Henry's belligerence) but it was mechanically archaic by that point. Technology always peaks and for the car it was long ago. Everything on top is just micro-changes and in-built obsolescence masquerading as needs.

Pity the phone companies trying to flog their latest models as the specs converge - they have only the obsolescence (4 upgrades support) to force continual upgrades by their capricious consumers. Which brings me to a radio advert on Fab FM (Greatest hits radio). A dealer advert swooning over you with models to which you can 'upgrade'. What? I can upgrade my car? Alas, it appears to involve hundreds of quid per month and a visit to the VW dealership, rather than the more prosaic and familiar upgrade path (a sigh/frown, family bag of Doritos and a restart, depending on your download speed).