General What to buy to replace a Mk3 Panda?

[The Panda Nut]

I like a Suzuki

If the Swift is MHEV only now, then Ignis would be my choice if it has to be new.

Or +1 for a recent used pre-MHEV Panda or Swift. MHEV is probably fine in the right circumstances, but I don't think it's for me.

There's nowt else out now that appeals to me.

A new Ignis is a thing of the distant past now. Sadly.

 

[porta]

I don’t think VAG are any better @ThePandaNut all cars are pretty much of a muchness now, they’ve all got the same electronics and all are having similar issues.
They’re all sharing parts/motors/floor pans much more than say a strada and delta, now it’s sharing them with multiple companies.
I think Marchione was right, there’ll be just four companies left and even then it will be just a badge engineering oligarchy…what capitalists said that was everything wrong with communism is being played out by capitalism…

 

[porta]

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[AnthonyH]

Until last week, I'd dismissed the idea of an EV. But at the price point of the inster, maybe I should take a closer look...

Thus far, I've not even driven an EV.

EVs are the future, there are advances in battery technology regularly, but they're still too limited in my opinion. Give it another 10 years and those problems will be gone.

The SUV are popular in the UK, so i'd run with one of those.

So my recommendation is...the Grande Panda with ICE.

 

[DTanner]

Well, the trusty Mk3 Panda will be 15yrs old this year and basically it's just plain worn out..

This is an interesting thread for me. I bought my Panda new 16 years ago this year and I feel it is starting to show its age. It is our only family car in this time and, starting from no experience, I am the only one to work on it (only been to a garage for the MOTs). It was £5,500 new (£3,500 for the base model but we went for the upgrade to the 1.2 Dynamic Eco) and that includes a £2,000 scrappage discount (£1,000 from the UK government matched by Fiat).

We ordered it custom so had to wait for it to be manufactured and shipped as we wanted a full spare wheel and three seats in the back. It arrived in time to pick up my first child from the maternity ward. Now with three kids (15-11) it is getting tight and the car is aging a bit. I took a moment to look at other options last year and suffered sticker shock on the prices - damn. Was looking at Ford Grand C-Max and Citroen C4 Grand Picasso. Decided I would wait it out a bit more.

The Panda has been amazing. Low cost investment and cheap as chips to insure and tax. The maintenance costs are really low and I feel the price for spare parts remains really reasonable (had to replace an ignition coil recently and it was £14.05). Not sure how we will move on, but we probably will - or maybe buy a new family car and keep this as a run about for the kids.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I think our Panda may have had a reprieve once again.

When it does go, then favourite to replace it is a BMW i3/S, which is still a compelling proposition IMHO.

 

[Twotone2]

I've just bought oil and an air filter from the Fiat Workshop £85 delivered, five litres tub of oil and the filter.

The oil price is up quite a bit on last year. I did check out shop4parts but even with the forum discount the Fiat workshop was cheaper but £10 for delivery though but that's included I've a discount card for them too.

 

[jrkitching]

Thanks everyone for all your replies thus far. It's both confirmed a lot of what I've been thinking, and given me a couple more options to consider.

The Panda has been amazing. Low cost investment and cheap as chips to insure and tax.

Mine too, basically the same story. Pretty much everything on it is original; I've replaced two sets of tyres, three sets of wiper blades, the thermostat, battery, exhaust, droplinks and rear shocks, but the rest of it is as it left the factory.

But 115,000+ miles means there are a lot of end of life parts that really do need replacing now. The clutch is on the way out, probably needs new hydraulics and an input bearing too, front seats are threadbare, it needs another set of tyres, a battery, probably most of the front suspension, sump & twist beam are definitely past their best, the digital part of the display is intermittent, the power steering occasionally cuts out, and Ladykitching won't drive it anymore in case it throws a wobbly. At least £1000 in parts, just for the immediate stuff, at least a week's work; and it'll still be an end of life car that could fail outright at any time; I'm in the fortunate position of being able to afford better and it's time to move on.

I know whatever I replace it with is going to cost several multiples of what it's cost to run the Panda, but life is just too short to spend any more of it on keeping this car going. And Ladykitching would be VERY unhappy if it was still here at the end of summer.

For the last forty years, I've adopted a strategy of buying new, doing all my own maintenance, and keeping to end of life. That's probably no longer realistic; I think now I'm going to have to fundamentally rethink my attitude to car ownership.

I don't do a lot of long journeys now, indeed, I don't do that many miles, period. And secondhand EV prices haven't held up too well, making them look... ... interesting?? But that's a sea change in thinking; not sure I can get my head around it.