Panda 100hp - for a 90 mile round commute everyday?
Discussion
I just bought this car a month ago. But have just landed a very decent contract job with the only caveat being the commute.
The tank is so small that I can probably fit in around 40quid of fuel so that's like 300 miles of fuel? Always get around 43mpg+, but above 75mph mpg keeps dropping like a tarts knickers.
The car is in decent nick, has rare leather option, great stereo and is fun if not a little slow on the motorway. My car prior to this was an M3!
I used to have a Mk1 Fabia VRS and I am thinking whether to go back to satans fuel. With the nipple mod I could fit a s
tload more fuel into the expansion tank of the Fabia.
Wierd thing is though it did not seem that economical to be honest and the car was a bag of st once it got to the 100k mark.
You would stick with the Panda right?
The tank is so small that I can probably fit in around 40quid of fuel so that's like 300 miles of fuel? Always get around 43mpg+, but above 75mph mpg keeps dropping like a tarts knickers.
The car is in decent nick, has rare leather option, great stereo and is fun if not a little slow on the motorway. My car prior to this was an M3!
I used to have a Mk1 Fabia VRS and I am thinking whether to go back to satans fuel. With the nipple mod I could fit a s
tload more fuel into the expansion tank of the Fabia. Wierd thing is though it did not seem that economical to be honest and the car was a bag of s
t once it got to the 100k mark. You would stick with the Panda right?
I think it depends a lot on your tolerance to discomfort. The majority of the country commutes in cars no more or less substantial than a Fiat panda (look at the amount of Corsas, Fiestas, Polo's etc on the road). So if you're comfortable in it then you should be fine. It may not be the most reliable thing in the world but if you've had it a while then it is a known quantity and probably a better bet than any other used car.
I'd say keep it, unless you go for some woeful little diesel you aren't really going to make strives in economy either.
I'd say keep it, unless you go for some woeful little diesel you aren't really going to make strives in economy either.
One important answer has been left out OP, how long is the contract?
If it is longer than a year or so the panda could drive you mad. I found my mum's possibly the worst motorway vehicle because of its width and height, it simply started moving around uncomfortably at the merest whiff of wind...
Most of the other corsa and fiesta type vehicles are not really quite in the same design frame and are lot wider and lower.
If it is longer than a year or so the panda could drive you mad. I found my mum's possibly the worst motorway vehicle because of its width and height, it simply started moving around uncomfortably at the merest whiff of wind...
Most of the other corsa and fiesta type vehicles are not really quite in the same design frame and are lot wider and lower.
Pick up a mondeo mk3 and keep it for dog/tip/hauling duties after. I've seen up to 47mpg from the petrol 1.8 in mine. Very cheap parts, never had a break down. And will comfortably sit at 80-90 for long periods of time. In fact weirdly this may just be mine in particular but it seems quitter and happier to cruise at closer to 80 than 70. Seats are good to drivers side has adjustable lumbar support
Just an idea
Just an idea
df76 said:
I used a 100hp for a 100 mile commute for about four years. You'll be fine!
Agree with this, if the journey is always the same will get to know the bad bits of roads and pot holes to avoid them so your back doesn't snap because of the rideI love my 100HP and when the roads dry out on a country lane its a lot of fun!
I swap between my 100HP and Focus ST diesel for my daily 85 mile commute and to be honest there is little in it in terms of economy or comfort. The panda is fine providing your commute is predominantly A roads and motorways. Mine takes £33 from empty to fill and I average 41MPG week in week out, yes the tanks small so you'll be filling up twice a week at 90 miles per day.
The focus on paper should do much better on the MPG front but in reality does 44MPG so running costs are pretty much exactly the same. The panda isn't the most composed little car, ride is bumpy on anything other than smooth roads sitting at roughly 3.5K revs in 6th at 80 means its a little noisy.
So far its been utterly reliable for the last 2.5 years needing only discs \ pads \ tyres and servicing, mine is a late 2008 on a 58 plate with 68K miles currently.
The front bumper has taken a lot of stone chips from the commute so thats getting resprayed later this year but overall a brilliant little car.
The focus on paper should do much better on the MPG front but in reality does 44MPG so running costs are pretty much exactly the same. The panda isn't the most composed little car, ride is bumpy on anything other than smooth roads sitting at roughly 3.5K revs in 6th at 80 means its a little noisy.
So far its been utterly reliable for the last 2.5 years needing only discs \ pads \ tyres and servicing, mine is a late 2008 on a 58 plate with 68K miles currently.
The front bumper has taken a lot of stone chips from the commute so thats getting resprayed later this year but overall a brilliant little car.
Edited by RTaylor2208 on Thursday 9th February 10:02
RTaylor2208 said:
I swap between my 100HP and Focus ST diesel for my daily 85 mile commute and to be honest there is little in it in terms of economy or comfort. The panda is fine providing your commute is predominantly A roads and motorways. Mine takes £33 from empty to fill and I average 41MPG week in week out, yes the tanks small so you'll be filling up twice a week at 90 miles per day.
The focus on paper should do much better on the MPG front but in reality does 44MPG so running costs are pretty much exactly the same. The panda isn't the most composed little car, ride is bumpy on anything other than smooth roads sitting at roughly 3.5K revs in 6th at 80 means its a little noisy.
So far its been utterly reliable for the last 2.5 years needing only discs \ pads \ tyres and servicing, mine is a late 2008 on a 58 plate with 68K miles currently.
The front bumper has taken a lot of stone chips from the commute so thats getting resprayed later this year but overall a brilliant little car.
Nice motor! Mines in grey. Agree on it being a hoot to drive. The focus on paper should do much better on the MPG front but in reality does 44MPG so running costs are pretty much exactly the same. The panda isn't the most composed little car, ride is bumpy on anything other than smooth roads sitting at roughly 3.5K revs in 6th at 80 means its a little noisy.
So far its been utterly reliable for the last 2.5 years needing only discs \ pads \ tyres and servicing, mine is a late 2008 on a 58 plate with 68K miles currently.
The front bumper has taken a lot of stone chips from the commute so thats getting resprayed later this year but overall a brilliant little car.
Edited by RTaylor2208 on Thursday 9th February 10:02
I'm looking at filling up every 2 days.
I will have to change the rear dampers to Konis as the ride is a ball ache.
And both my M3 and Z4M were lowered on Eibachs! So I am used to hard suspension....
Call it old age but I'll be ordering the dampers and sticking them on the weekend.
Mpg was upto 52 today.
My experience of the Koni's was a waste of money, the difference was marginal at best, so much so that after 2 weeks I removed them and sold them on for just less than I paid new and bought new standard shocks at a fraction of the price. Fortunately fitting it all myself saved a labour bill so I wasn't particularly out of pocket.
Fitting new OEM spec shocks was a far bigger improvement over what must have been fairly tired shocks rather than the koni's. The original shocks had no signs of failure but had done 50K miles.
Fitting new OEM spec shocks was a far bigger improvement over what must have been fairly tired shocks rather than the koni's. The original shocks had no signs of failure but had done 50K miles.
Worth mentioning that since I changed the tyres to Uniroyal RS3's in 195/50/15 from Goodyear Eagle F1's in 195/45/15 the ride improved again, seems having a little bit more tyre wall soaks up a bit more of the bumps. They were also dirt cheap from camskill just before Christmas so paid something like £138 for 4.
RTaylor2208 said:
Worth mentioning that since I changed the tyres to Uniroyal RS3's in 195/50/15 from Goodyear Eagle F1's in 195/45/15 the ride improved again, seems having a little bit more tyre wall soaks up a bit more of the bumps. They were also dirt cheap from camskill just before Christmas so paid something like £138 for 4.
Thanks for the advice. So if i do the following the drive should be better?
- Replace rear bumpstops with Fiat coupe ones.
- Replace rear Dampers with OEM or Konis
Was thinking about changing the springs also. Unsure what to go with in terms of cost effectiveness.
HannsG said:
RTaylor2208 said:
Worth mentioning that since I changed the tyres to Uniroyal RS3's in 195/50/15 from Goodyear Eagle F1's in 195/45/15 the ride improved again, seems having a little bit more tyre wall soaks up a bit more of the bumps. They were also dirt cheap from camskill just before Christmas so paid something like £138 for 4.
Thanks for the advice. So if i do the following the drive should be better?
- Replace rear bumpstops with Fiat coupe ones.
- Replace rear Dampers with OEM or Konis
Was thinking about changing the springs also. Unsure what to go with in terms of cost effectiveness.
RTaylor2208 said:
Worth mentioning that since I changed the tyres to Uniroyal RS3's in 195/50/15 from Goodyear Eagle F1's in 195/45/15 the ride improved again, seems having a little bit more tyre wall soaks up a bit more of the bumps. They were also dirt cheap from camskill just before Christmas so paid something like £138 for 4.
Hello i was just wondering how did you find the 50 profile tyres. My panda is due a change soon and i wondered if you had any issues since.Many thanks
Andrew
drewklonky said:
RTaylor2208 said:
Worth mentioning that since I changed the tyres to Uniroyal RS3's in 195/50/15 from Goodyear Eagle F1's in 195/45/15 the ride improved again, seems having a little bit more tyre wall soaks up a bit more of the bumps. They were also dirt cheap from camskill just before Christmas so paid something like £138 for 4.
Hello i was just wondering how did you find the 50 profile tyres. My panda is due a change soon and i wondered if you had any issues since.Many thanks
Andrew
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