General Thinking of coming back to the Panda...

[SB1500]

Hi forum, been a few years since I've posted here! Anyone who remembers me on the forum will know I have a very strange appreciation for the Panda - anyone who knows me in person in real life certainly knows about this. In 2020 I sold my 2017 Easy and went to a high spec DS3 which was quite a bit of hassle and had a bad bodywork repair job, I then experienced a touch of luxury with a high spec Merc for two months and then bought my current Avensis. However, it's a very thirsty car fuel-wise and it's also had a bodyshop repair (a very bad job in terms of wanting your car panels to match imperceptible to the eye). I want rid of it, despite it being the best car I've owned yada yada. Unlike before, I know what I'm missing when it comes to "nicer cars" first hand. And I can afford reasonably a lot of nice cars, including ones a few levels above my Avensis. However, what I know is likely to happen with any car is the same kind of damage and repair jobs - that's life right? Cars get weathered, bumped into, scratched - 50% of the time my own fault too. That's what is putting me off buying a Lexus or a Mercedes despite it being within reach for the first time to me. It'll get damaged, I'll lose my pride in it and be stuck paying even more per month.

I've always missed the Panda from the day that I parted with my 17 Easy. I've thought with not much seriousness about getting one again... until now.

The price of new models right now is insane. £14k / £16k for the nice model. No sign of the 4x4 new either from what I can tell. I'm not sure I want to be paying more per month for a simpler car. As much as I still love the Panda and the new options like the touch screen look very welcome! Also, a shiny new car with no damage, will be even more painful when it's inevitably wore down on my watch... ouch! Plus, big payments for another 5 years. Same negatives as above.

That leaves the used market and wow, has that also changed. I got my 2 year old Easy in 2019 for £5,500.. a two year old mid spec model now is around £11,300 from a quick search online. For basically the same car! Pop models from 2018 are coming in around £8,000... a higher mileage Pop from 2012-2015 is coming in still at £4k+ as well. Even nice, high spec 4x4s with the winter pack and 80k miles are coming in around £7k+ presently - for a ten year old Fiat. The market has changed massively!

Here's where my idea comes in. I'd like to buy a Pop model - basic as - so that I can get it for as cheap as possible and avoid getting caught up in the seeking out of an Easy or Lounge model where suddenly options are ruled out over price list options. Coming from my car to that will be night and day comfort wise. But as someone who drives 7 miles in to town / my gf's house, and the odd day a couple of weekends a month of around 70 miles to the other end of the country, it's hard to say I'm a motorway regular or that I depend on my car for a living like some do. I would fit electric heated seats (did that on the DS3) and one of those single-DIN head units with the fold out screen to avail of CarPlay - that's a little bit of comfort for cold mornings and a little bit of real world convenience with navigation / decent experience that way that isn't so far behind the times.

My only concerns are the basic nature of the car - the key being manual and the boot especially being a 'stop the engine and walk around to open it' job. The other is safety, the zero star thing is always something weighing on my mind - though it didn't stop me in 2019 from buying the Easy, coming from one of the safest cars (pre-fancy tech options) on the road and now having a partner with a young child, it does weigh on my mind - though as I said, all in all my mileage isn't far or vast - I'm not always on the road so that might counteract that concern thinking practically. It's slower, but my current car is also pretty slow, and in fact the turbo saps any fuel economy in the service of making it live-able with fast.. so I'm not worried about that 'down step'.

The benefits:

• A major justification for taking a step back for me is being able to put more money per month into a mortgage / property. That's £220 a month back in my pocket for the next 4 years. Not having a car on finance has a strange sense of freedom with it, nearly outweighing the compromise in my mind.
• No longer being as concerned about every little imperfection, scratch or dent - more of a tool in life
• Less fuel drinking / easier to run that way without having to plan out how I'll use the miles per tank
• Being back in the Fiat owners club!!!
• Focussing more on other things in life than my car, not focussing so much money on it especially
• More fun DIY / maintenance every so often like with my first Panda due to the age
• The satisfaction of living life in a simpler way / less dependent on fancy high-tech or multi-thousand pound possessions

Some advice / opinions I'd love to head:
What kind of money do you think is worth for a Pop and how likely are dealers / sellers to come down on the insane values these days?
What's a reasonably worth while year and mileage to consider for an older Panda? <£4k feels appropriate in my mind to pay in a one off transaction


Really happy to be back on the forum and posting about Fiat's!

 

[The Panda Nut]

In my time I have had at least 85 cars through to door and quite a few company cars on top.

1. Buying cars is a mugs game. THE No. 1 factor to be considered is depreciation. ALWAYS keep that in mind.
2. Running costs vary hugely. Pandas fare well.
3. Most times you change you could have been better off by persevering!

These are golden rules and facts.

The cheapest cars to run I have had are

!. Panda 4x4 New cost 12300 and now worth at least £15K
2. Pand Cost when bought 5000 current value as PX 6000
3. Seat Leon Cost new 7000 current value Nil but its still running passes its MOTs 1st time and should go for at least another year. Its now 21 years old.
4. Citroen GSA bought with a silly monor repair needed and sold 2 years later for a profit of £200
5. Renault Savannah diesel. Bought new and sold for 1000 profit 18 months later

All the others lost a ton of money or several tons of money.

SO buy a specification you canlive with, look after it well and keep it AT LEAST 5 years, preferably more. Espcially as fuel types are changing and future values are unpredictable think of 5 years as the time to look at for clearer indicators of market direction and values.

I would definitely go fo an Easy to get air con as summers are getting VERY hot. Small cars are the way to go to retain value. The only problem with Pandas is potential obsolescence but you should be fine as parts are plentiful.

Think hard before changing as each chnage costs hard cash. You can control fuel costs with a light right foot and controlling miles. If your annual milageis low potential avings are small and you should do sums to work out whats financially best.

This time.... once you have your Panda hang onto it. Panda values went up 18% last year.

I dont envy your decision, but financially, changing more often is ruinous. If I could only have back all the money I WASTED on car over the years I would be a pretty wealthy man!!! Control the thing in your brain that gets you spending on something that wants to bankrupt you, and you will be happier in the end. Finally with the Panda 4x4 Im content. SHould have bought one years ago.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Look very carefully there are bargains out there. I would try and get newer than 2016 as older than this will mean higher maintenance. Our 2014 1.2 is in good condition but at 9 yearsold rubber bits are starting to deteriorate slowly. Values are changing quite quickly at the moment and htere is a lot of variation so shop around if you buy.

 

[Leroypanda]

on the safety front please ignore the rating, its only because the car has no tech to avoid a crash, if your anything of a driver youll be doing that anyway, its a 4 star car in 2012 and hasnt changed the way it performs in a crash.

I think the ved rates changed late 2016 so if you want £30 a year ved you need pre 2016.

 

[porta]

If it were me…I have a problem with cars, but especially the original panda. I always have one (at least), then regret selling it.
It was, and is, the same with 128’s…so…get the best one you actually want and keep it, if you find your missing a bit of tech or want a change of colour/wheels/trim then buy the tech/wrap it/modify

 

[varesecrazy]

on the safety front please ignore the rating, its only because the car has no tech to avoid a crash, if your anything of a driver youll be doing that anyway, its a 4 star car in 2012 and hasnt changed the way it performs in a crash.

I think the ved rates changed late 2016 so if you want £30 a year ved you need pre 2016.

Manufacturers added 'speed limiters' from circa2015.. it gave the 500 cruise for the 1st time.. panda still missed out I believe

After my old 169.. I agree.. depreciation means nothing if you just keep it

£5k down to £600 over 14 years

A new Lexus would lose that in 6 months

 

[The Panda Nut]

on the safety front please ignore the rating, its only because the car has no tech to avoid a crash, if your anything of a driver youll be doing that anyway, its a 4 star car in 2012 and hasnt changed the way it performs in a crash.

I think the ved rates changed late 2016 so if you want £30 a year ved you need pre 2016.

1st April 2017 so upto 66 Reg. £30

 

[tommo1]

You can even go to '17 reg for £30 VED as long as it's a March 2017 car. From 1/4/17 on it's £165, at the moment but inflation at 10%......

It was one of the factors in me getting a 2016 Panda when returning to the model 4 months ago. A 1.2 petrol averaging 50 mpg, I think I'm done with diesel. Not that the 2 multijet Pandas I had in the past weren't good (2005 and 2011 cars), they were excellent on fuel. But advances in petrol frugality have been good, and no DPF issues.

I bought a used POP model and the only additional things I'd have liked are remote locking and having to use the key to open the rear hatch is a little annoying.

 

[jrkitching]

Welcome back.

This isn't easy; I don't have any good answers. The car market has changed beyond recognition since Covid.

Last time I thought seriously about changing was in 2019; back then you could get a new unregistered Panda for under £8000 and a decent, roadworthy 10r old one bought privately for around a grand.

The market now is distorted by both the cost and lack of availability of new cars, which has a knock on effect all the way down the food chain. Given the global situation, I don't see that changing anytime soon. Add to that the anomoly of the £30RFL small hatchbacks, and you could easily be paying four times what you would have paid for a 10yr old Panda three years ago. Finding a good one isn't easy, most folks with a decent £30RFL car aren't going to be parting with it anytime soon, and a good deal of what's on used car forecourts right now is little better than junk.

So, you could easily pay £4k for a car that will last for another 3-4 years at best, and quite likely give you another £4k of repair bills along the way; average that out, and you won't have much change out of your £200/month. Bottom line is that, whichever way you go, £200/month is probably about the least you can spend on combined depreciation/maintenance if you're buying into the car market today. For most folks, the cheapest option is to keep what they've got, which is one reason why there are so few used cars out there for sale that are even remotely decent.

The only exception is probably someone with strong mechanical skills who does their own maintenance and is prepared to put in the considerable legwork needed to find anything reasonably priced that's actually worth buying. You'll also need to find a private seller; dealers know the value of what they've got, and you're not going to find any bargains in the trade just now.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

At the risk of being shouted down. don't get too fixated on the cost of Vehicle Excise Duty (the proper name for the 'tax disc' or road fund license). My 2018 diesel 4x4 costs me £165 a year for VED. That's £13.75 a month, or about 45p a day. Each of us probably spends more than 45p a day on things we don't stop to think about - such as a takeaway coffee. Compared to the annual costs of fuel, tyres, servicing and so on, VED hardly makes a dent. The current basis for calculating the cost of running a car is 45p per mile (for fuel, servicing, tyres, depreciation etc) - and with the recent raises in the costs of fuel, oil and tyres, the reality is it costs much more than that now.

I agree with the comment about mechanical skills above - the more you are able to do yourself, or at least the more understanding you have of what needs to be done, the less you'll pay need to pay garages and the less they'll take you for a ride. Also, personally I'd shy away from a used car with obvious signs of body repairs, and I'd look closely at the MOT history (you can check any car's previous fails or advisories for free online at www.gov.uk/check-mot-status). Any car that's failed for things that really should be checked weekly anyway (tyres, brakes, obvious suspension issues or rust) should be steered well clear of as that shows its not been well looked after. And advisories that reappear year on year are not good either (that said, one car of mine had an advisory every year for a windscreen chip, but that's not the same as failing shock absorbers or worn tyres in my book).

 

[jrkitching]

At the risk of being shouted down. don't get too fixated on the cost of Vehicle Excise Duty (the proper name for the 'tax disc' or road fund license).

I'd agree with this, for two reasons.

Firstly, it's already baked into the price of the car. The value of any used car benefitting from a low or nil rate of VED will by now have increased by a proportionate amount, thus negating any saving. Secondly, VED rates can be altered at any time, and what is clearly now an anomoly is potentially only one budget away from being removed by a revenue-hungry chancellor. In particular, the £30 rate for Euro4 diesels seems particularly hard to justify in light of the way the same cars have been targetted by many low emission zoning policies. I'd say it's likely we'll see a major change in the structure of motor vehicle taxation over the next five years, regardless of the political persuasion of the government which happens to be in power.

That said, don't dismiss the value of a low VED vehicle over time; it's saved me around £150 a year for the past 13 years I've had the Panda - that's 30% of the total price I paid for it when I bought it new. Unfortunately for someone buying today, I think that ship has already sailed, for the reasons given above.

 

[SB1500]

!. Panda 4x4 New cost 12300 and now worth at least £15K
2. Pand Cost when bought 5000 current value as PX 6000
3. Seat Leon Cost new 7000 current value Nil but its still running passes its MOTs 1st time and should go for at least another year. Its now 21 years old.
4. Citroen GSA bought with a silly monor repair needed and sold 2 years later for a profit of £200
5. Renault Savannah diesel. Bought new and sold for 1000 profit 18 months later

All the others lost a ton of money or several tons of money.

SO buy a specification you canlive with, look after it well and keep it AT LEAST 5 years, preferably more. Espcially as fuel types are changing and future values are unpredictable think of 5 years as the time to look at for clearer indicators of market direction and values.

I would definitely go fo an Easy to get air con as summers are getting VERY hot. Small cars are the way to go to retain value. The only problem with Pandas is potential obsolescence but you should be fine as parts are plentiful.

Think hard before changing as each chnage costs hard cash. You can control fuel costs with a light right foot and controlling miles. If your annual milageis low potential avings are small and you should do sums to work out whats financially best.

This time.... once you have your Panda hang onto it. Panda values went up 18% last year.

I dont envy your decision, but financially, changing more often is ruinous. If I could only have back all the money I WASTED on car over the years I would be a pretty wealthy man!!! Control the thing in your brain that gets you spending on something that wants to bankrupt you, and you will be happier in the end. Finally with the Panda 4x4 Im content. SHould have bought one years ago.

I definitely lost some on my 2017 Panda Easy to the DS3, though I managed to get around what it was worth back on the DS3, effectively making a profit - but then as a buyer the shafting returns. It'll be the same now, I can get just more than I owe for the Toyota (and money I've spent on it like tyres etc privately) but will surely lose out buying with the prices right now.

I am so shocked though, the Panda was always simple, basic, affordable... but now, it's not affordable which brings into question the simplicity being worthwhile... Thank you for all your tips!

Look very carefully there are bargains out there. I would try and get newer than 2016 as older than this will mean higher maintenance. Our 2014 1.2 is in good condition but at 9 yearsold rubber bits are starting to deteriorate slowly. Values are changing quite quickly at the moment and htere is a lot of variation so shop around if you buy.

2016+ is a solid plan, I think that's wise. Especially if it's something like 2k more for a 6.5 year old car over a 10+. I always put silicone grease over the rubber parts - on my old 169 Panda, the Easy, DS3 and Avensis. Apparently it stops them cracking and fading over time, but definitely preventative than curative. It stops them sticking together in cold weather too. Can be messy with a spray though, I'd say spray some on a paper towel and rub on. Thanks for your reply Panda Nut!

on the safety front please ignore the rating, its only because the car has no tech to avoid a crash, if your anything of a driver youll be doing that anyway, its a 4 star car in 2012 and hasnt changed the way it performs in a crash.

I think the ved rates changed late 2016 so if you want £30 a year ved you need pre 2016.

Very true actually. I suppose putting 2+2 together it's fine, only thing that has changed was the technology aspect. I'm sure the Panda 2012 was the first in its class to offer City Braking was it not? But sure enough, I recall it not being an option later in the run... maybe it's back now - but I'm not sure. The only thing that bothered me watching the footage (before the 2018 rating, and before I bought my 2017 Easy in 2019 too btw) was how high the back lifts into the air. I think that's a bit of an issue, but if the car had a load in it, and a spare wheel etc, maybe not such an issue in practice. I always told myself, even in a Range Rover, if a 44 tonne lorry comes into your path, you're still universally screwed so it's one of those scenarios. Thanks Leroypanda.

If it were me…I have a problem with cars, but especially the original panda. I always have one (at least), then regret selling it.
It was, and is, the same with 128’s…so…get the best one you actually want and keep it, if you find your missing a bit of tech or want a change of colour/wheels/trim then buy the tech/wrap it/modify

I was thinking that in any Panda missing all but the latest touch screen addition, one of those nice head units that does Apple CarPlay etc would do the job. And it'd undeniably beat the system in my Toyota and the one that was in the DS3. I'll give it to them that they're reliable, but the Toyota's is slow as ****! Heated seats too, they're so hard to find on any Panda even without price being the limit. On brand new models it's only on the Garmin right now as well... sadly! Fiat make it very hard even for former die-hard fans to justify buying a new Panda.

I'm not going to lie, the fact that they've said it could be replaced with an e-208 / Corsa is truly saddening as someone whose lived with and learnt the ins and outs of the ancient old FIRE engine / chassis they refuse to abandon... well the day is coming :-/ Then again, a new (or near new) model today can easily make 10 years, 15 with TLC / a Fiat Forum owners care.

Thanks for your advice Porta

Manufacturers added 'speed limiters' from circa2015.. it gave the 500 cruise for the 1st time.. panda still missed out I believe

After my old 169.. I agree.. depreciation means nothing if you just keep it

£5k down to £600 over 14 years

A new Lexus would lose that in 6 months

What I can't believe is the Pop was going for £6,999 brand new in 2015 on a recurring offer.... I'm seeing them now, 8 years later, worth around £4,500 with a tonne of miles and scratches all over the interior.... Other than to keep dealers profitable, I don't see this being real market value.... are people actually buying them? I remember this with the Dacia Sanders when it was £5,999 in 2015>, one and two year old ones seemed to be artificially kept at like £5,500, £5,200 with tens of thousands of miles on them.... surely they should have sank like a brick to £4,000!!! Nice to see your name again! Thanks for your advice!

You can even go to '17 reg for £30 VED as long as it's a March 2017 car. From 1/4/17 on it's £165, at the moment but inflation at 10%......

It was one of the factors in me getting a 2016 Panda when returning to the model 4 months ago. A 1.2 petrol averaging 50 mpg, I think I'm done with diesel. Not that the 2 multijet Pandas I had in the past weren't good (2005 and 2011 cars), they were excellent on fuel. But advances in petrol frugality have been good, and no DPF issues.

I bought a used POP model and the only additional things I'd have liked are remote locking and having to use the key to open the rear hatch is a little annoying.

My DS3 was £0.00 per year on tax being Jan'17, I remember the later ones all having a big cost! My March 2017 Panda I think was £30. I'm up at £165 with the Avensis. Thanks for replying

Welcome back.

This isn't easy; I don't have any good answers. The car market has changed beyond recognition since Covid.

Last time I thought seriously about changing was in 2019; back then you could get a new unregistered Panda for under £8000 and a decent, roadworthy 10r old one bought privately for around a grand.

The market now is distorted by both the cost and lack of availability of new cars, which has a knock on effect all the way down the food chain. Given the global situation, I don't see that changing anytime soon. Add to that the anomoly of the £30RFL small hatchbacks, and you could easily be paying four times what you would have paid for a 10yr old Panda three years ago. Finding a good one isn't easy, most folks with a decent £30RFL car aren't going to be parting with it anytime soon, and a good deal of what's on used car forecourts right now is little better than junk.

So, you could easily pay £4k for a car that will last for another 3-4 years at best, and quite likely give you another £4k of repair bills along the way; average that out, and you won't have much change out of your £200/month. Bottom line is that, whichever way you go, £200/month is probably about the least you can spend on combined depreciation/maintenance if you're buying into the car market today. For most folks, the cheapest option is to keep what they've got, which is one reason why there are so few used cars out there for sale that are even remotely decent.

The only exception is probably someone with strong mechanical skills who does their own maintenance and is prepared to put in the considerable legwork needed to find anything reasonably priced that's actually worth buying. You'll also need to find a private seller; dealers know the value of what they've got, and you're not going to find any bargains in the trade just now.

I've concluded from this, that really my only good bet would be to buy a nearly new model of Panda, in a high enough spec to make it easy to live with in the long run versus a Pop as I mentioned in my OP.

Thanks to this very forum over the last many years, I plan to do 100% maintenance myself. With the exception of bodywork or tyres of course. I use 100% Toyota parts (including oil) now with the Avensis. I never used Fiat parts with the Panda's, I'd probably use Fiat parts if I bought a new model especially. Nice to see your name again too, I remember you over the years on here!

At the risk of being shouted down. don't get too fixated on the cost of Vehicle Excise Duty (the proper name for the 'tax disc' or road fund license). My 2018 diesel 4x4 costs me £165 a year for VED. That's £13.75 a month, or about 45p a day. Each of us probably spends more than 45p a day on things we don't stop to think about - such as a takeaway coffee. Compared to the annual costs of fuel, tyres, servicing and so on, VED hardly makes a dent. The current basis for calculating the cost of running a car is 45p per mile (for fuel, servicing, tyres, depreciation etc) - and with the recent raises in the costs of fuel, oil and tyres, the reality is it costs much more than that now.

I agree with the comment about mechanical skills above - the more you are able to do yourself, or at least the more understanding you have of what needs to be done, the less you'll pay need to pay garages and the less they'll take you for a ride. Also, personally I'd shy away from a used car with obvious signs of body repairs, and I'd look closely at the MOT history (you can check any car's previous fails or advisories for free online at www.gov.uk/check-mot-status). Any car that's failed for things that really should be checked weekly anyway (tyres, brakes, obvious suspension issues or rust) should be steered well clear of as that shows its not been well looked after. And advisories that reappear year on year are not good either (that said, one car of mine had an advisory every year for a windscreen chip, but that's not the same as failing shock absorbers or worn tyres in my book).

I remember doing a quick calculation in my head about my current car, and even if they charged £500 a year in tax, it still wouldn't make an EV a more cost effective choice, not even a **** in the ocean! The tax isn't so bad I don't think £0 is the best, but I'm not to put off a particular car over it. I can't wait to see what tax they put on EV's down the line to get them off the road.... I still reckon the day will come. I bet people saying it about diesel in the late 90s sounded just as crazy!

 

[SB1500]

So I drove my granny's 2015 Panda Pop on Friday to pick up my girlfriend. That was the ultimate test of whether or not I could see myself driving one again.

Initially, it was quite nostalgic and nice and simple. Everything felt closer at hand. The Pop is so sparse inside! Funnily, it still has the funny smell it had when brand new... sort of like fabric, if fabric itself was a smell. I've missed petrol cars so much. They're so quiet and there's no turbo lag (though in the case of the Panda, no 'jolt forward' that the diesels have). It's not that much slower than my Avensis.... somehow.

Sadly, I didn't have such a great experience as that nostalgia wore off. Getting used to the different clutch / gears I can't hold against it - takes a little adapting with any car of course. Nor can I blame the car for me forgetting to put the hand brake on and nearly rolling into traffic because I do that in my mum's Mazda 2 when I move it to wash it! But the steering was really weird feeling, I noticed I had to do a lot of steering to keep it in lane - it came back to me that I remember when I first drove the 169, noticing how small it was compared to my driving instructors Focus at the time, that it could be on one side of the same lane, or the other and yet be inside the lines. So I was quite concerned with making sure I was staying in lane / straight and of course, the lean as well. I remember the new shape being so much better than the 169 in terms of body roll, but compared to the Avensis / DS3 the roll felt significant. But it is a soft, stable roll - not scary. Braking felt fine, someone pulled out in front of me - I forgot how some people do that assuming it's a slow car and that I'd hold them back!!! But the braking felt quite stable, effective and I felt safe at all times etc. Going around roundabouts made the roll considerable, it was definitely hard to ignore, but back in the day I must have been so used to it. Something that bothered me quite a bit too was not having the precise speed figure on the instrument cluster, I've become so used to this and I was quite worked up too about keeping the speed steady and not going too below or above the speed limit. No more speed limiter or cruise control to lock it in and forget about it. Definitely not on the Pop, but also not on any Panda model - even a brand new one. The Pop also being white, stands out and it was a real hassle having to manually open it - digging the keys out, but more so when people you're with make it to the car first and are waiting for you to open it and you can't just remote open it.

All of the above, I lived with before and none of it was an issue. So theoretically, I can adapt to it again. But it wasn't the experience I had expected. I very much feel like sure, I could live with it if I had to, but had the feeling that to pay a premium to go back to most of that might be a bad move. As of Friday I was quite put off, and if any of you remember my love for the Fiat Panda over a very long number of years, you'll know I'm not coming at this as someone who wants to dislike it. I very much want to like it as I did, and I want to justify to myself that I should buy a new one, even at the inflated costs, while I still can buy one before they get pushed into the history books in favour of a dreaded Corsa platform!!! It's just more difficult than I imagined. I thought I'd come away, getting back into the Toyota and cursing how modern and packed with 'unnecessary technology' it was, or how unnecessary it was for me to be driving about in it at all the cost and complexity it is, because at one point I'd have thought that and meant it / felt it and I'd drive my Panda (169 or Easy) with 100% genuine contentment.

Perhaps it was because it was such a basic model, even my Easy had a nice darker interior with the dark windows, it felt cosy and had the phone holder / maps or media on screen. And the steering wheel buttons to thumble with, if nothing else when driving along. If I was to drive a showroom 4x4 or Garmin or Top model, with the heated seats and the new Mild Hybrid engine, would I feel any different? There isn't many in Northern Ireland in stock at our Fiat dealer - but if one comes in, I'm tempted to try. I think I will should the opportunity arise.

I was dreading posting this on here, and I wanted to reflect on it over the weekend / today. A side note as well, I changed jobs last year and accepted an offer that was decent, but relatively low compared to others as I had no experience as such in that field. Well, nearly a year later it's looking like they want to be stingy and refuse to even bring me up to parity with others on my level... Part of downsizing a car / payment would be even more security financially to make the kind of moves I want to without such fear of paying off the likes of a fancy car at hundreds per month. Particularly soon when I have a mortgage on top of it. It's more bargaining power and less chains. That weighed in on me thinking my initial idea of buying a based old basic Panda and re-living the old days. Though in my head, a basic old Panda Pop was £2k, not £4.5k! And also not quite a decade old either! haha I could afford more per month than I'm paying now, even if I don't get a massive promotion.

It probably wouldn't be a bad idea either to get a 'nice nice' car, like most of my peers are with their Mercs and BMWs, something like a Lexus CT200h is probably feature and size wise more suitable for me - but my heart doesn't feel as in those cars. They are surely better on paper than my Avensis, and than any Fiat I can buy - no doubt. Just as my Avensis is versus a Panda, but they have no emotional or attachment factor oddly. As for a BMW, well some of them are nice and striking on the outside, but they're pretty boring on the inside, with the exception of a nice touch screen, they're really not what I'd call worth £19k plus, and all models mostly look the same with different grades of plastic maybe leather around them. And as for Mercedes, any of the ones I could afford again, quite striking from the outside but frankly they won't touch the £37k few months old CLA Premium I had for two months, I wouldn't look twice at most models with the cheap little tablet looking thing compared to that, and god knows I can't afford 37k on a car! So I'm not hell-bent like others on joining that club. The community support was there for the DS and the Toyota, but it's nothing on this forum right here. Even my post on Friday has gotten nice discussion to it.

Well, I still ramble, that hasn't changed since mid-2020. But if anyone's still reading, as always, keen to hear your thoughts or guidance. It's kept me right in the past.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Changing cars costs you. Its almost impossible to avoid it costing 1000's let alone a few hundred.

Financially sticking with the one you have is almost certainly the better financial option unless the engine is going to expire etc.

Panda 4x4 is so much more comfortable than the 2WD. Twinair is quite brisk enough to cover ground and to overtake in most situations. For a longer term prospect its the way to go.

Try and buy privately. Better value.
Spend the difference on warranty insurance to cover major catastrphe.
Get someone with MES to check for overrevving incidents and to verify mileage.

Finally cars go on a hell of a lot longer than you imagine espcially if looked after.

 

[timmycm850]

Recently sold our 169 panda. Bought for 6k and sold for 1200 18 years later. It was looked after and didn't suffer any of the regular foibles. £267 a year devaluation.

Yes the trick is to choose and stick with it. Cars are like marriages, work with them and maintaining them is safest and much cheaper if you in for the long haul.

Tim

 

[SB1500]

I've decided to stick with what I have. Unfortunately the used car pricing is just insane at the minute. And I spent a long time on Fiat's website trying to spec a high end Panda with 'everything', on the basis that buying new and keeping until the scrapyard might just be worth the financial hit. But I noticed, the 'Top' model (replacement for the Lounge I presume) no longer has the winter pack as an option, it only seems to exist on the 'Garmin' model as standard. All models now apparently only come with steel wheels, they look like alloys though? It's confusing. For the premium I would be paying for an £18,000 car - more per month than I am now for a new fully loaded Panda - I would be losing cruise control, speed limited, I'd still have no automatic or even 4x4 / cross functionality which makes the Panda more unique and worth owning I suppose. I'm by no means a fan of any generation of Aygo / C1 / 108, but I did a quick check and for around similar £18,000 (maybe closer to £19,000) and for that, it was a top or second top spec, every feature under the sun and even an auto gearbox. I wonder how many Panda's Fiat are selling, it was an aging model 5 years ago, I'm personally glad to see it still for sale, but I think the prices are crazy, even compared to the competition. We love Fiat's, but I can't see many others in big numbers buying them at that price, when a test drive of another supermini will have a list as long as their arm in tech and features.

I think I'm just too used to the Avensis. Two totally different planets of cars. But I don't have the same admiration or love for it as I did both my Panda's. I wish I could get another Easy model, 2 years old, for £5,500 like in 2019.... That was a bargain back then. It was an immaculate little car too, no smells, no damage, truly like new it was! I'm sorry I ever sold it. I still see it about town. To think I'd have had it paid off over a year ago too! ...regrets!

 

[timmycm850]

You may be surprised at the value of your Avensis at the moment. Stepping out of your panda a couple of years ago is now giving regrets sadly but its not likely going to help now with annother reaction. I would Sit tight in your position at the moment and either see what stallantis release over the next two/ three years to replace the panda with, if you like it then try one out or see what impact it has on the prices of the very last pandas as you may be able to pick up a high spec panda at rock bottom price.

Take note that with increased interest rates car finance is probably going to swing away from leasing being a cheap option. So if you take the next couple of years to build up your funding for a more outright purchase.

Tim

 

[Marcus Daly]

I wonder how many Panda's Fiat are selling

None, according to my dealer. He hasn’t even been able to get a build date for a new one, never mind actually hand one over to a customer.

 

[varesecrazy]

Allegedly.. there is an e.panda on the Horizon ( think 500 range..)

So petrol versions will get a refreshed look.. for the 2020's.. more akin to the new Electric variant.

However.. several people have had their NewPetrolPanda on order for 9 months plus...
so with Stellantis input it may change drastically.. watch this space ..

 

[SB1500]

Thanks everyone. That's what I'll do, I'll keep an eye out for any changes to the current end of the line Panda models - maybe they'll throw together some special editions fully kitted out and discount prices back down to earth before the new model comes in. Though I suspect they'll do what they're doing with the 500E and old 500 and sell both until the law stops them.

As for my Avensis, it's going in to have a repair re-done tomorrow as I wasn't satisfied with the silver paint match between the front and rear door... having paid £600 from my own pocket I want it right as the car looks pieced together. If they don't fix it to car owner/enthusiast standard, it will likely go away and be replaced with a CT200h