Help me decide - Panda 4x4 TwinAir or Multijet
Discussion
My wife has just started a job only about 2.5 miles from home but she will require a small 4x4 as half of that journey is down a very steep, stony track. She is currently using my tough but tired Alfa 147 Ducati Corse, which just about copes at the moment but I have no faith in it in bad conditions.
I love the Panda 4x4 and have been thinking of excuses to get one for ages, so now is the perfect time. Initially for such a short journey I thought a TA would be perfect but then I hear they are quite thirsty and not the most reliable? Cheap tax is a bonus though. That brings me to the MJ which probably makes more sense with a torquey little diesel for that type of car but having a DPF are these frequent short journeys going to cause issues in the long run?
I will also note the car will be used for the majority of time out of all 3 vehicles we have, so reliability and economy will be quite a big factor.
Thanks
I love the Panda 4x4 and have been thinking of excuses to get one for ages, so now is the perfect time. Initially for such a short journey I thought a TA would be perfect but then I hear they are quite thirsty and not the most reliable? Cheap tax is a bonus though. That brings me to the MJ which probably makes more sense with a torquey little diesel for that type of car but having a DPF are these frequent short journeys going to cause issues in the long run?
I will also note the car will be used for the majority of time out of all 3 vehicles we have, so reliability and economy will be quite a big factor.
Thanks
Krikkit said:
I wouldn't use a DPF diesel for 5 miles a day, unless you're giving it a proper run once a week.
It will be taken on frequent 30min journeys throughout the week and won't be used at weekends. My wife is quite a slow driver but I can give it a good clearing every now and then! I've had 2 cars with the 1.3 Multijet. A 2007 Qubo and a 2008 Panda.
I bought the Qubo new, the Panda was 12 years old, and had done well over 100k miles.
Brilliant engines. Whatever I did, I couldn't get the Panda to average less than 70mpg.
I had the Qubo remapped (live, rolling road) to 95bhp.
I bought the Qubo new, the Panda was 12 years old, and had done well over 100k miles.
Brilliant engines. Whatever I did, I couldn't get the Panda to average less than 70mpg.
I had the Qubo remapped (live, rolling road) to 95bhp.
clockworks said:
I've had 2 cars with the 1.3 Multijet. A 2007 Qubo and a 2008 Panda.
I bought the Qubo new, the Panda was 12 years old, and had done well over 100k miles.
Brilliant engines. Whatever I did, I couldn't get the Panda to average less than 70mpg.
I had the Qubo remapped (live, rolling road) to 95bhp.
Thanks, I am steering more towards the diesel the more I hear about them. Did you ever have any DPF issues? I'm assuming it won't be as bad on that engine as it's small so should in theory heat up quicker than for example a 2.0?I bought the Qubo new, the Panda was 12 years old, and had done well over 100k miles.
Brilliant engines. Whatever I did, I couldn't get the Panda to average less than 70mpg.
I had the Qubo remapped (live, rolling road) to 95bhp.
said:I’m on my 4th panda, 2nd of the “new” shape, the current one is December 19 on 25k miles. I have other cars but the panda is the one I always grab the keys for even if the family is coming. They love it too. They’re also like a small van with the seats down.
Superb little cars. They won’t be stopped by anything other than ground clearance. Also quiet and relaxed at 70 plus on the motorway.
Reliability is very good, I personally favour the twin air. Not the very early ones but anything from 14/15 up is good. They have some more expensive parts than the 1.2 namely the duel mass flywheel and the uniair module. Both could set you back the guts of 1k if you’re unlucky. The uniairs seemed to get better through the production life, and the flywheel I’ve never had any bother with due to correct driving, not letting it labour etc. They make a distinctive sound. I love it. Some don’t.
The diesel is a good unit too but has the potential for greater expense as it ages with injectors, dpf etc etc. and doesn’t have the punch/fun of the twin air.
The joint in the prop shaft can go but there’s a guy does refurb exchange pretty cheap, and it’s the same unit from 2005-2022. I had one let go on an 06 car with 80k.
Twin air fuel economy is massively variable on how you drive. I can get 60 if I try. I can also get 35 across a tank. 45 is the not thinking about it average. Servicing is important to use the correct oil and filter and on time.
Managed to get mine to the top of a mountain in the Republic of Ireland on a recent road trip. Last section was hairy with large drops each side but the panda was as sure footed as could be and as long as my nerves held, so did it.
Superb little cars. They won’t be stopped by anything other than ground clearance. Also quiet and relaxed at 70 plus on the motorway.
Reliability is very good, I personally favour the twin air. Not the very early ones but anything from 14/15 up is good. They have some more expensive parts than the 1.2 namely the duel mass flywheel and the uniair module. Both could set you back the guts of 1k if you’re unlucky. The uniairs seemed to get better through the production life, and the flywheel I’ve never had any bother with due to correct driving, not letting it labour etc. They make a distinctive sound. I love it. Some don’t.
The diesel is a good unit too but has the potential for greater expense as it ages with injectors, dpf etc etc. and doesn’t have the punch/fun of the twin air.
The joint in the prop shaft can go but there’s a guy does refurb exchange pretty cheap, and it’s the same unit from 2005-2022. I had one let go on an 06 car with 80k.
Twin air fuel economy is massively variable on how you drive. I can get 60 if I try. I can also get 35 across a tank. 45 is the not thinking about it average. Servicing is important to use the correct oil and filter and on time.
Managed to get mine to the top of a mountain in the Republic of Ireland on a recent road trip. Last section was hairy with large drops each side but the panda was as sure footed as could be and as long as my nerves held, so did it.
irish boy said:
I m on my 4th panda, 2nd of the new shape, the current one is December 19 on 25k miles. I have other cars but the panda is the one I always grab the keys for even if the family is coming. They love it too. They re also like a small van with the seats down.
Superb little cars. They won t be stopped by anything other than ground clearance. Also quiet and relaxed at 70 plus on the motorway.
Reliability is very good, I personally favour the twin air. Not the very early ones but anything from 14/15 up is good. They have some more expensive parts than the 1.2 namely the duel mass flywheel and the uniair module. Both could set you back the guts of 1k if you re unlucky. The uniairs seemed to get better through the production life, and the flywheel I ve never had any bother with due to correct driving, not letting it labour etc. They make a distinctive sound. I love it. Some don t.
The diesel is a good unit too but has the potential for greater expense as it ages with injectors, dpf etc etc. and doesn t have the punch/fun of the twin air.
The joint in the prop shaft can go but there s a guy does refurb exchange pretty cheap, and it s the same unit from 2005-2022. I had one let go on an 06 car with 80k.
Twin air fuel economy is massively variable on how you drive. I can get 60 if I try. I can also get 35 across a tank. 45 is the not thinking about it average. Servicing is important to use the correct oil and filter and on time.
Managed to get mine to the top of a mountain in the Republic of Ireland on a recent road trip. Last section was hairy with large drops each side but the panda was as sure footed as could be and as long as my nerves held, so did it.
Great photo! Love how capable these are, it will really come in handy when we have been snowed in over the winter. Superb little cars. They won t be stopped by anything other than ground clearance. Also quiet and relaxed at 70 plus on the motorway.
Reliability is very good, I personally favour the twin air. Not the very early ones but anything from 14/15 up is good. They have some more expensive parts than the 1.2 namely the duel mass flywheel and the uniair module. Both could set you back the guts of 1k if you re unlucky. The uniairs seemed to get better through the production life, and the flywheel I ve never had any bother with due to correct driving, not letting it labour etc. They make a distinctive sound. I love it. Some don t.
The diesel is a good unit too but has the potential for greater expense as it ages with injectors, dpf etc etc. and doesn t have the punch/fun of the twin air.
The joint in the prop shaft can go but there s a guy does refurb exchange pretty cheap, and it s the same unit from 2005-2022. I had one let go on an 06 car with 80k.
Twin air fuel economy is massively variable on how you drive. I can get 60 if I try. I can also get 35 across a tank. 45 is the not thinking about it average. Servicing is important to use the correct oil and filter and on time.
Managed to get mine to the top of a mountain in the Republic of Ireland on a recent road trip. Last section was hairy with large drops each side but the panda was as sure footed as could be and as long as my nerves held, so did it.
Thanks for the advice, I haven't ruled out the TA completely and if it was my car I would probably go for that any day over the diesel but my wife is such a penny pincher I think she would be constantly moaning that the economy isn't as good as she was expecting and whose fault would that be?!
irish boy said:
<snip>
Managed to get mine to the top of a mountain in the Republic of Ireland on a recent road trip. Last section was hairy with large drops each side but the panda was as sure footed as could be and as long as my nerves held, so did it.
Great photo! Did you turn around or reverse back from there?Managed to get mine to the top of a mountain in the Republic of Ireland on a recent road trip. Last section was hairy with large drops each side but the panda was as sure footed as could be and as long as my nerves held, so did it.
I’ve had a Twin Air 4x4 since October 2020 so have learnt a fair bit about these little beasties since then. For the distance you’re doing, I would get a Twin Air, but whatever car that comes along that is the best for your budget, you should go for.
The 4x4 and the Cross is essentially the same car, the only difference is the hill descent button and the visual styling. The 10mm ground clearance difference comes from the 185 section tyres rather than 175 section tyres. So again, unless you’re set on the styling on the Cross, you’ll probably be able to get a better 4x4 for the money.
The Twin Air isn’t unreliable if properly maintained and serviced. The early ones had issues with clutches not lasting, but they would have been changed by now. The Uni-air module should be cleaned each service also, which is easy to do. There’s a good forum for them with a growing aftermarket, they are solid. Rust treat the underneath.
Brilliant in the snow.
The 4x4 and the Cross is essentially the same car, the only difference is the hill descent button and the visual styling. The 10mm ground clearance difference comes from the 185 section tyres rather than 175 section tyres. So again, unless you’re set on the styling on the Cross, you’ll probably be able to get a better 4x4 for the money.
The Twin Air isn’t unreliable if properly maintained and serviced. The early ones had issues with clutches not lasting, but they would have been changed by now. The Uni-air module should be cleaned each service also, which is easy to do. There’s a good forum for them with a growing aftermarket, they are solid. Rust treat the underneath.
Brilliant in the snow.
A Panda 4x4 TwinAir Cross with the Winter Pack is all the runaround you’ll ever need. Had one for around 2.5 years now with no issues.
It’s utterly amazing in properly deep snow and I don’t think I could be without it in the winter. Apart from the headlights, I’m struggling to think of any real negatives.
It’s utterly amazing in properly deep snow and I don’t think I could be without it in the winter. Apart from the headlights, I’m struggling to think of any real negatives.
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