Fiat Panda 100HP: PH Carpool
A shopping trolley that begs to be thrashed keeps this PHer smiling
Car: Fiat Panda 100HP
Owned since: September 2015
Previously owned: 1989 Vauxhall Nova SR, 2001 Fiat Punto 1.2, 1989 BMW 318i, 2005 Renault Megane 1.5 DCI, 2003 Skoda Fabia 1.9 TDI vRS, 2001 Skoda Octavia vRS, 2007 BMW 320d
"I bought the Octavia as a stop gap, it served me well but with 170,000 miles under its belt it was getting a bit tired. Initially I was thinking of something cheap to run, having recently bought a motorbike I wasn't needing outright speed. I started out looking at white goods type cars, Aygo/C1 kinda thing but wanted something that was still a laugh to drive. Then I remembered the Panda - when I was a kid I was working part time on a weekend my boss had a brand new Panda 100HP. I don't know what made me like it so much but I was obsessed with the thing, I guess it's similar to my old Fabia vRS - take a normal OAP shopping car and give it a bit more poke and chunky body kit. I had looked at them in the past but for a cheap car they held their money very well. After looking around I realised they'd still held their money well, but had maybe dropped low enough I could justify a higher mile example. After checking the usual car sites daily, this one came up local for a very good price with low miles so I snapped it up!"
What I wish I'd known:
"How poor the mpg is. I was never expecting super economy but my 20-minute drive to work gives me around 32mpg normally, 40mpg if I drive like my granny. I guess partly it's because the car just begs to be given a thrashing all the time, plus the engine isn't exactly new technology. I do find, although it has a 6th gear, it still revs quite high so sitting at 60mph yields much better fuel economy than 70-80mph."
"The car just feels like a go-kart, with a wheel at each corner of its boxy body it's got so much grip, you can exploit all 100HP more or less all of the time and the dash-mounted six-speed 'box just adds to the experience. I read a lot about the poor ride before I bought it; personally I have no issues with it, it's very stiff and bouncy but it adds to the character of the car in my opinion. The tiny size makes parking really easy, plus having five doors means you can squeeze into spaces and have no issue getting in and out. The standard equipment is very good for the type of car and price it was new; Bluetooth head unit, full trip computer showing range/mpg/distance/time/average speed, tinted windows, leather steering wheel and gear stick and climate control all standard. Normal Pandas have a 'City' button to make the steering super light, the 100HP has a sport button which makes the throttle like a on/off switch and the steering a bit heavier; I tend to leave that on most of the time to add to the point and squirt feel. I also like that the 100HP model is fairly rare, I've only seen one other since getting mine and we shared a wave at each other like a pair of saddos. It also feels pretty well made, no rattles, nothing has fallen off, a world of difference from my old Punto."
Things I hate:
"The seats, while being slightly bolstered and sporty, are pretty poor, very little support and clearly built to a budget. My fat arse getting in and out hasn't done the driver's seat any favours either. Also, while the headunit has Bluetooth phone prep, each time you answer a call the volume is turned right down, so you have to hit the answer button then crank the volume up straightaway to hear the caller. When listening to music it sounds crap once cranked up a bit, after doing some reading the speakers are supposedly ok and a replacement head unit improves things but then I'd miss the steering wheel controls. The only other nag is the throttle can be a bit snatchy, even more so when cold, I tend to wait for a short while before putting Sport mode on."
"As well as the mpg another issue is the tank - being only 30 litres it soon needs a top up, although it does last me two weeks on the daily commute. Insurance is affordable but tax isn't as cheap as you'd think at £180 a year, being an old engine it must pump out more emissions than newer models. Consumables are cheap as chips though and its low weight means brakes and tyres seem to last ages, even with the spirited driving. While I'm on the subject, the price of tyres and brakes makes up for the slightly thirsty motor - decent tyres can be had for £40 a corner. It does have a cambelt but it's easy to do so no hassle to DIY or a bit less labour if getting a garage to do it."
Where I've been:
"Nothing very PH-worthy yet, driving work and back mainly, a few trips to the woods with the dog and a weekly trip to the shops. I do tend to take the back roads home a quite often though, I arrive home grinning ear to ear each time. It's really not a long distance car; after a hour or so you soon start feeling the lack of support from the seats."
What's next?
"Despite the unsuitability for long journeys, me and a friend are taking it on a little day trip to Belgium. After that a exhaust is on its way, just to remove the centre silencer and try to give it a little extra noise. Longer term some coilovers are on the list, I'm just looking into fitment at the moment and maybe get on a track day. That is more or less it, perhaps a speaker upgrade later in the year."
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What I really want to do is lower the 4x4 (which has fully independent suspension), and fit an abarth engine. I browse ebay every now and then, but then I remember that I didn't get this car for speed. But... maybe I'll see how much abarth engines are going for... does anyone have a recommendation for someone who could do the engine swap?
Blue, needs a little tlc, 58k with a very loud cherry bomb on it...my ears are still ringing from a 100 mile trip earlier today, great fun in some very narrow twisties cross country on the way home and an indicated 55mpg on the motorway!!!
Got to get a new back box asap. The seats are pretty cack. I drained about 3 litres of water from the bulkhead 'cos of blocked drain holes. A wire the width of a hair has broken going to the brake fluid reservoir sensor and now she's telling me "not to proceed low brake fluid".
The joys of re entering Italian car ownership
Sounds like a real hidden gem.
Mind you, mine has just started doing the 'brake fluid low, do not proceed' thing...
Or you may be low on brake fluid!
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