Fiat Panda Owner Reviews: MPG, Problems & Reliability

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I have had no problems at all - brakes needed service after 120.000 km. - that's it. Great car.

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I bought this car to replace my Skoda Citigo. PROS: The TwinAir engine makes it an excellent car for the open road. It's a comfortable and enjoyable drive. I like the high-up seating position and its suberb visibility makes its easy to place on the road and park. It's almost as 'at home' in town as it is on the open road. The economy improves and the car covers more miles - the worst has been 45mpg - the best 59 mpg which is not bad for a petrol engine with a bit of thrust. The cabin is well built and rattle free although quite 'plasticky'. The design is uplifting and it's a nice space to be in. It's also very practical - you can carry a lot for such a small car. CONS - you are unlikely to get close to the claimed MPG - but if you make good use of the engine's torque and don't try to get your power from high revs then you will get economy typical of a small petrol car. Those fond of squashy, soft touch plastic will not find much to enjoy about the interior. The TwinAir engine takes getting used to - it's loud and it doesn't really sound like anything else on the road. It's also takes some practice to drive smoothly around town - the car feels much happier on faster roads. It's more practical than the 500 but less stylish - very much function over form. It's a car you buy because you love it- not to impress anyone else.

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I can`t fault this car, base model, reasonable quality. and relative comfort. It's mainly as a town car. This is the third Panda i have owned over the past eight years and will probably stick with it. I managed to pay £6,500 for this unregistered car which I found was unbeatable value at the time. The only disappointment was that there was no spare wheel, just a can of tyre repair fluid. However, I found a spare wheel and jack on the internet for £60.00, and am much happier carrying those.

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Surprislingy well screwed together for such a cheap car, holds its own on dual carriageway and motorways at 70mph without any fuss. It has a certain cheeky charm that has endeared me to its frugal ways! Love the city switch that makes the steering feather light, makes parking a doddle.

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Loved this car to start with, hate this car after a few months of ownership. I must've had the "end of the day" car. It was a great car to start with, but after using it I've had so many problems I want to get rid after less than 12 months of owning it. Countless issues with gearbox, clutch, batteries, suspension and alignment always going wonky.

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No Red thumbs down

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I bought this car as I have daily 70 mile cross country commute and wanted something economical and comfortable. It has been fine some 15,000 miles later with no problems. It is comfortable, sufficient power to maintain relaxed 60-70 mph on dual carriageway and I like the Fiat design touches. Handling is OK, I like the high up driving position and the interior has a spacious feel which puts this above other superminis for me. Build quality is OK and nowadays there is little to choose between manufacturers. I have found it to be very reliable helped by the well established 1.3 Fiat multijet engine.

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Bought this new panda because we loved our 2007 grande punto, which we still own. Test drove a 2013 model demonstrator which drove really well so placed an order for a new model 2014 spec pop. We got a great deal as there was dealer contribution and no part ex, but had to purchase spare wheel and three seat belts for rear seats as not standard and we sometimes carry 3 kids on school run. Car was great at first and we have had no breakdowns in 2 years ownership however, we could never get used to how the car drove which was totally different to the demo car as this model had euro 6 emissions for 2014 which included tighter emissions and longer gearing to comply. Car was very difficult to drive cleanly from a standing start and you either hit a big flat spot and didn't move straight away or you over slipped the clutch to compensate and screamed away at full revs. Very difficult to judge. This became so difficult for both mywife and myself that we complained to the dealer who updated the software at the first service. This improved drivability and torque but didn't cure stop start driving difficulties. We had a very good dealer though and their service was great for aftersales but awful sales service once deal was done. Never contacted us once prior to collection, we had to chase up all the way. They also decided to drill the brand new tailgate to fit the number plate!!!! Dealer couldn't understand why i was annoyed! The other problem that could not be sorted was a frozen door locks which sometimes meant on very icy mornings that we could only get in via the boot! Overall dissapointing. Due to ever tightening emissions and old engine design a car which is actually well designed and comfortable, even on long motorway runs at which it excelled, have ruined the town use the car was actually purchased for.

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No Red thumbs down

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This is my first Fiat. I have owned two Ford Ka s previously and have enjoyed their compactness and easy driving. I moved to a Fiat Panda to gain the extra two passenger doors. I like the high interior and the light and airy feel they give. The City button gives ease of parking and I find the engine sprightly and easy to manoevre. In traffic it's good and also on long motor way drives,contrary to the comments made on the website, I have found it "spins" along very nicely. With regard to luggage space,although small,the actual dimensions are helped by the rectangular shape,cases fit in well and shopping bags (Waitrose bags especially)neatly fit well. With regard to fuel consumption on long and short journeys I have found it very satisfactory and comparable to other cars I have owned The interior design shape and upholstery is quite clever keeping the same geometric shape all through even to the point of having Fiat Panda printing on the door facings!. I would consider buying another Fiat in due course.

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Fun

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I love it

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I bought the Fiat Panda as I needed five doors and room for my tall dog in the boot when she is muddy and the majority of small cars have rather limited height in the boot. In respect of these criteria the car gets 5*. However the car developed a serious fault in the second winter I owned it (the headlights turned themselves off randomly whilst driving along). Despite numerous trips to the dealership (they had the car for over a month), a new computer being shipped in from Italy (still under warranty), the problem was never fully diagnosed or explained but I was assured it was not a systematic problem with the Panda (although as I got a recall notice a year later to take the car in for a computer upgrade to fix the exact same issue I suspect that may not really have been the case). The garage, customer service in the UK and in Italy treated the problem with flippancy and contempt to me as a customer. They couldn't seem to understand why I was concerned about driving a car whose headlights went out in the winter. I will never buy another Fiat purely based on dealing with the rude and inept customer service teams. The car is uninspiring to drive, relatively expensive to get through MOTs (I had a ford KA before they changed the body style and at 10 years old it cost less than my first MOT on the Panda). A disappointing purchase that I will be replacing as soon as I can afford to.

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No Red thumbs down

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Lovely car.

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Excellent buy other than minor rattle in dash area (probably cd player) but not yet fixed.

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For the money it is a cracking little car, makes even city driving enjoyable.

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I have owned my 2011 Panda for 8 years now and have done 95000 miles. I love it. My Panda has had lots of repairs including the steering, clutch, alternator, battery, sump, shock absorbers and other consumables. But I got it for about £6,300 and when compared to other comparable cars I consider it good value. This is because it gets good petrol consumption - about 50mpg - and despite so much mileage it's still worth over £800. Depreciation is one of the biggest costs in cars and I can't fault the Panda's at an average £700 per year. The Panda is comfortably high for older users and it'll go places in snow that other cars cannot. It has a tight turning circle, so is easy to park. It is comfortable on long runs and the engine is quieter and more flexible than the 3-cylinder cars around nowadays. I love it and will continue with it for as long as I can.

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Brilliant little car, bought used at 1 month old pre registered with just 64 miles and kept it 5 years and 64000 miles. It returned 60-65 on local and weekend trips, best ever was 74 mpg on steady motorway driving. It was quick away from a stop when you needed it, great on motorways and had very comfortable seats, 200 miles was easy with no aches. Bad news was that two injectors failed after 3 1/2 years 40000 miles, but it still ran ok. It was fixed for £500 at Halfords, we were on holiday. Original brake discs and pads lasted 60000 miles. Tyres lasted 25-30000 on average if rotated front to back. A hot starting problem developed as we were about to trade in, it's common issue with starter motor it turns out. We had a 4x4 after this and I have an 2004 petrol as a runabout now.

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I bought this as I do a lot of short trips and needed a cheap run around. After my test drive I fell in love with it's charm. It's light to manoeuvre and it put a smile on my face every time I drive it. Consumption is brilliant and the drive easy. Would definitely buy another. Even my two dogs fit in it . Love my panda

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

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I bought the car second hand from a dealer, and I've owned the car for a short time. So far I like how the car handles, the gears are smooth, it feels very nippy in town, and feels more powerful than it really is. The high positioned drivers seat gives good visibility and you sit that bit higher making it feel like a bigger car. It's well designed and looks stylish.

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Diesel was great except the EGR valve required replacement every 36k miles. It needs decent battery voltage or power steering can act up. Active petrol good also but cambelt change surprisingly expensive. I would recommend a thermostat change at same time as poor design of plastic coupling to heater can fail.

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I purchased my Panda new as a second car was needed due to work commitments. The test drive car was fine and drove well. My Fiat Panda however has the power loss issue when pulling off from standing that is very well documented on the internet. It seems Fiat have tweeked the engine to achieve emission standards much to the detriment of the driver. It is quite honestly horrible to drive around town. When I went to the dealer to discuss the problem a mechanic came out and agreed there was an issue, they then kept the car for a whole day only to tell me that the head mechanic decided that there is nothing wrong with it. So I have a car that in all other aspects is great as long as you don't want to drive it around town. My wife and I are so fed up with it that we are going to trade it in for anything other than a Fiat!

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No Red thumbs down

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I am extremely pleased with my Panda and would highly recommend this car to everyone looking for a brilliant city car which can be used also for longer trips and motorway driving. I have absolute nothing to say against the engine, brakes, suspension, electrics, gearbox or clutch which I have found to be very efficient and in excellent working order. On the comfort side I particularly appreciate the large rear windows which allow even shorter passengers (my elderly mother and my children) to look out. I feel so many cars have now been designed by those with the mistaken belief that back seat passengers either sleep or play on their phones and ipads and don't wish to look outside. The height adjusting driver seat is also a brilliant find. Less useful are all the nooks and crannies available to store only limited sized objects (eg coins) The issues I do have are minimal and I suspect very personal. These are: 1. Because of the City Brake Control option (which I don't have) the rear view mirror is placed very low to the detriment of front visibility; 2. I am rather tall (1.78m) and find the steering wheel is right in my line of vision to the speed and rev counters. I also do not understand why the speed is not also in LCD display form. 3. I find the head rest rather unsightly and uncomfortable. 4. The whole volume dial on the radio turns so that the symbol drawing on the knob is is hardly ever straight (my slight ocd surfacing there)

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I bought my Fiat Panda pre-registered with delivery miles from Thames Fiat in July 2018, I was not sure about the car at first as I went to this car from a Classic Mini so it took a while to get used to, but once I was familiar with it I was glad I purchased it. It has what the more expensive French & German junk does not - character with its squircles everywhere & panda letter engraving on the interior trim. It seems that Fiat has put a lot of effort into this car as everything is of very good quality such as the memory foam seats, decent stereo system, unique touches like squrcles & letter engraving. It's also fun to drive as It has some charm to it & is not dull like other modern cars. There is also a wide range of accessories for the panda and I have bought most of them which make the car unique. My car has the 1.2 Fire engine which is pretty much bulletproof whether maintained or not as me & my father have had lots of Fiats over the years with different sizes of the FIRE engine between 999cc in the original Pandas to the current 1242cc 8v &16v & neither of us would own anything other than Fiat. I would recommend a Panda to anyone as it is great for everything from shopping to going on holiday. My Panda has just hit 20,000 miles and is still going good with no issues at all. I have no intension to change the Panda for anything else as it does everything I need it to whilst being reliable as well so the government can stick their 2030 new petrol & diesel car sales ban, I'll stick with the panda well ahead of 2030 even when fuel become harder to get

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I love it to bits. Way better than anyone could ever expect in every department.

What's the one thing you like most about your car?

Comfort. It is also unstoppable in any road conditions you will ever face and it tows with ease upto its maximum plated weight. Reliability so far has been faultless. This model is no longer available though.

If you could improve one thing, what would it be?

Economy. It can do 60mpg n a run but that takes skill and effort, I suppose for a 4x4 with 83HP its dome OK. FAst driving hits economy hard.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up