General The Jury's Out

[macamxthe1st]

Collected our new Twinair easy yesterday and have so far covered just over 100 miles. Not at all sure if it is a good buy or a huge mistake. It may be that it is just very different and I need to adapt but my wife does not like driving it one little bit. Obviously it is very tight but my initial impression is that the gearing is wrong especially the gap from 2nd to third. Time will tell. Watch this space.

Geoff.

 

[Ingvarr]

I've learned that you should not be quick with giving up on new car quickly. In many case it just require month of driving just to start really forgetting your old habits that you think were just "common sense", then you start realising how good your new car really are, and really enjoy it.

 

[Dcthebear]

Agree. Before Punto's I had a Rover 216, one of the lucky ones that drove well and never had any issues until it was smashed in a crash. Took a while to get used to a totally different sort of car but never looked back. Give it time.

 

[deeyup]

Give it a little while, you will get used to it. I reckon it took
me about 6 weeks to get used to my car.
Remember it's a 2cylinder car, They do drive differently to a 4cyl car.
Keep the revs above 1500.

They are very tight when new, and things will improve greatly as you add miles.

I love mine, the motor is the best bit of the car. I reckon in a few weeks you'll feel the same too.

 

[macamxthe1st]

Had it a week now and am really warming to this car. Done a little over 500 miles and can feel it loosening up nicely. It is returning 37/39 in town traffic and 47/49 away from the virtual gridlock of our cities. The "Shift Light" is right up there with the ashtray on a motorbike and the chocolate fire guard and would I believe will cause you problems if you were to obey it as it actually encourages you to "Labour" the engine. I have just settled in to my normal technique rowing up and down the box to keep the motor spinning away without putting on high loads at very low revs and all is going quite nicely thank you. good turn of speed when you want it as well. All in all things looking pretty good.

Geoff

 

[macamxthe1st]

Had the thing two weeks today and "I Love It" who would have thought that after many years of Audi/VW and BMW's a little Fiat Panda could well become my all time favorite. It took me a little time to warm to it but once I got into it it has very quickly got under my skin in a very good way. Cracking car.

Geoff.

 

[catnash]

Whats the latest verdict from the boss, erm I mean Wife?

 

[Ulpian]

who would have thought that after many years of Audi/VW and BMW's a little Fiat Panda could well become my all time favorite.

Me!

 

[macamxthe1st]

Whats the latest verdict from the boss, erm I mean Wife?

Don't know, I wont let her near it.

Geoff,

 

[babbo_umbro]

Given the high level of computer control of the engine, is there any suggestion that it's "detuned" for the first few miles?

 

[macamxthe1st]

You may well have a point, the engine feels a great deal "livelier" after 600 miles than I would imagine could be accounted for buy the process of mechanical "loosening up".

Geoff.

 

[deeyup]

This is totally feasible. The motor is restricted to 3k revs whilst you are stationary with the clutch down so obviously some proper ecu intervention there. It would make sense for the ecu to restrict performance during running in.

I'm pretty sure in the boating world that Mercury Verado motors do exactly this.

 

[macamxthe1st]

Taking into account the previous comments, re initial map etc. it would explain why after 1,000 miles it is now running at an average of 41 mpg. I would expect for the type of useage that I subject it too that after say 5-10,000 miles it would average about 45 mpg which I would find to be perfectly acceptable given the cars all round abilities.

Geoff

 

[Philip Young]

The twin-air Panda bought to tackle a drive to Cape Town has done over 1,000 miles, and was run in for the first 500 on running-in oil (dealer took a bit of persuading), the economy is much the same as you....41 mpg, in a round trip with good distance of motorway work. Not really noticed much difference as the miles have been chalked up.
You do need to tell the wife to rev it more between second and third. Its got a good ride, nice steering (compared with a Hyundai 130i), good brakes, and lots of character. What really is there to dislike?

 

[elation]

We were told on a training course for Twinair when it launched on 500 that the performance was restricted up to 1000 miles, to prevent early engine damage. Not sure if its a bit of placebo effect, but Twinairs have always felt a touch better after that point when I've driven them (I've now taken at least 5 Twinairs through the 1000 mile barrier).

 

[Philip Young]

This suggests that the engine likes to be run-in. Modern all-synthetic oils are so good, how can the rings bed in, and the bores nicely honed, if the oil is too good? A mineral based running-in oil, from Millers, or Comma, might help...we did this to the Panda Twin-Air being prepped for the trans-Africa run next year, and changed the oil at 600 miles after slow running on running-in oil.

 

[pilgrim42]

We were told on a training course for Twinair when it launched on 500 that the performance was restricted up to 1000 miles, to prevent early engine damage. Not sure if its a bit of placebo effect, but Twinairs have always felt a touch better after that point when I've driven them (I've now taken at least 5 Twinairs through the 1000 mile barrier).

Pity that the customer isn't told this, as it might alleviate some some of the early grumbles that get presented to the dealer in the first few weeks. If we knew in advance that fuel consumption/performance is being temporarily constrained, surely that would be better?
Mike.

 

[jimbo118]

We were told on a training course for Twinair when it launched on 500 that the performance was restricted up to 1000 miles, to prevent early engine damage. Not sure if its a bit of placebo effect, but Twinairs have always felt a touch better after that point when I've driven them (I've now taken at least 5 Twinairs through the 1000 mile barrier).

I've had Twinair from new in an Ypsilon (now on 6.5k miles) and there was definitely no restriction on performance out-of-the-box. Economy has improved by 2 to 3 mpg after 5k miles.

 

[Philip Young]

The oil is too-good, preventing the engine from bedding-in properly, change the oil! Running in on mineral oil and then changing it after the first 500 miles or so (we waited to 1,000), will help bed in the rings and hone the bores. Engine feels a lot better now, (at 2,300 miles). It will get a bit better, but its not going to be an ultra-economical engine if the driving style keeps the turbo on the bubble. Just a fun engine its hard to drive it like a numpty, it loves revving. Back off on dual-carriageway, motorway runs, with more of a trailing throttle once up to cruising speed does help the economy, but its such a fun engine driving in economy-mode takes some discipline.