Buying Blind Pandamonium – Fiat Panda 4x4 Cross

[Caddyshack]

Great looking little car. My daughter will start learning to drive in 2 yrs abs she has horses, I will look to see what insurance is like for these as it would be ideal (apart from not really being a tow car)

[seawise]

These are brilliant cars, very popular in rural Europe and the alps, for good reason. They are strong, but light and very well engineered.

We on our second which now 6 years old and I can’t see it ever getting sold. It’s even relegated far so called superior cars to the driveway to secure a space in the garage.

Edited by seawise on Saturday 3rd February 11:46

[Alfahorn]

seawise said:

These are brilliant cars, very popular in rural Europe and the alps, for good reason. They are strong, but light and very well engineered.

We on our second which now 6 years old and I can’t see it ever getting sold. It’s even relegated far so called superior cars to the driveway to secure a space in the garage.

Edited by seawise on Saturday 3rd February 11:46

My wish is to live in Tuscany at some point. I just know the Panda 4x4 would be my car of choice. It’s absolutely made for that region.

[texaxile]

Great little car OP - nice colour, cool and perfect for town driving and communting at the same time.

I've got a real thing for these, despite my previous Fiat ownership journey being short lived and best forgotten.

This year my Daughter will have accrued 2 years NCB on her i10 , she also likes the 500 and the Panda as they're funky little cars. I've been checking the prices and the "Waze" model seems to be a good punt, so we might well be getting one later in the year.

[MarkJS]

Thanks for all of your positive comments! It’s comforting to know that I’m not completely crazy.

Didge3 said:

Twinair is a great engine, had one in a Punto. Make sure the oil strainer has been cleaned, or do it yourself its not a tough job and you don't need to replace it just clean it. The multi-air unit is pretty much the only thing that goes wrong on them. 45mpg can be had with a lighter right foot, the Punto maybe longer geared than the Panda though? 6th gear @ 70mph was about 2400rpm from memory.

Yes, it’s definitely shorter geared than your Punto – 70mph works out at 3100rpm, so a little more frenetic…

Thanks for the tip regarding the oil strainer. I have read about that and it will definitely be getting done. To be honest, I’m not completely convinced by the car’s service history and I’m pretty certain that I’m going to get it in early spring for a full service which will include spark plugs and coil packs so that I know everything’s covered.

stevep944 said:

That looks cool. Any interior pics?
What is the 'cross' version as opposed to a non-cross one?
Thanks

The difference between a Cross and a normal 4x4 are:

A higher ride height – purely down to higher profile tyres I believe
Hill Descent Control
Body protection/plastic bits
Red tow hooks
Slightly better approach and departure angles
Electronic climate control

Don't have much in the way of interior pictures as I hardly see the car in daylight but will post what I have.

Edited by MarkJS on Tuesday 6th February 13:06

[Blib]

I sold my 2919 Cross almost a year ago. It was a mistake. I really miss it. It was perfect for the country roads around where I live.

I'll certainly be buying another, sooner, rather than later.

[Gad-Westy]

I bloody love these and must admit, despite not having any real need for one, I keep considering buying one. Exactly the same spec as OP, cross, winter pack, petrol. We had a regular 4x4 twin air for a short while last year as a stop gap between one car being sold and a new car arriving and foolishly I ended up px-ing it and I really wish I'd kept it. It was a sort of dark turquoise colour a bit like porsche aquamarine which looks great but sadly doesn't seem to have been an option on a Cross so I think I'd go with the same green as you OP. Love the £30 tax and almost negligible insurance costs too. Though mpg not exactly impressive! They're also quite expensive considering what they cost new but they do seem to retain value well. Really tempted to pick one up later in the year.

[RicksAlfas]

Just come back from a week in the Peak District and saw loads of these, usually caked in mud!

[Taffer]

Welcome to the club!

Our Panda started off as my girlfriend's car (I picked it for her, was steering her to this or a Jimny), but with two big dogs now she gets the Volvo and I take SpongeBob(!) to work.

We live off a private farm road (semi-paved) in the Highlands, so having the 4x4 and ground clearance has been fantastic, and it handles short and long journeys well (no cruise control though, but heated seats are handy).

Other than a washer jet hose detaching, and some tt opening a door into it and denting it, we've had zero issues with it - can't recommend them highly enough.

Only criticism OP is that you went with the wrong colour

[Bonefish Blues]

Nice little cars, we drive ours all the time unless it's a properly long journey.

The only thing I regret with our regular 4x4 is not looking for one with a winter pack, which is certainly worth having. Our ground clearance is now the same as the Cross model, courtesy of a set of 185/65s and a couple of 5mm spacers on the front wheels - the larger tyres had a better choice and lower prices (we went for Vred Q6s, and very good they're proving). The speedo is slightly less inaccurate as a result, too! I bought a diesel, having seen a number of threads about the TA engine on Fiat Forum - gives 50mpg no matter what, sometimes a little more.

[MarkJS]

Taffer said:

Welcome to the club!

Only criticism OP is that you went with the wrong colour ]

I’m afraid I couldn’t carry the yellow off although it looks great from afar. I get enough ribbing from colleagues when the Panda is in the car park at work. Little do they know…

The little bugger has now developed its first issue with me though - a bit of a knocking noise come from the front end. Sounds either suspension or drive shaft/joint related. I’ll need to get it in for investigation.

Still love the little thing though…