Fiat Panda 4x4 hatchback 2020 review

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We where told the panda cross twin air was a good buy when looking at some other similar cars (asx and Juke) we have a 500 1.2 which is a great town car so we went for the Panda, now size wise it is OK for our needs I have a 6 year old son and two bulldogs, it's good off road when I have had to cross a field but that's about it. Fiat said it would get over 50mpg which it doesn't I'm lucky to get over 40on the motorway, the rear brakes make a grinding sound when reversing I have been back to fiat who changed the pads but now it's back, if it rains the car cut out when driving the start stop doesn't work properly and just cuts out, I have now got to take it in for a recall over cold start problems. I wish I had never brought this car I'm going to get rid of it in the next few weeks as it gives me back ache when I drive it any longer than an hour

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What a fantastic car! Terrific little engine; not very economical, but that's really down to the fact that it is such fun to rev it and enjoy the drive! Extremely well put together. Love the additional height in the 4X4. and the suspension mods means the ride is excellent. Can happily cruise on the motorway in comfort. 6th gear means that it is really quiet at cruising speed. Highly recommend.

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Bought brand new from Burrows Fiat, fine for first 4 months, broken down 6 times in last month, Fiat had it two lots of 7 days and three lots of 2 days and still not sorted, loses all power whilst 30mph, must have done it 10 times now, very scary and unreliable, was told by friend FIAT stands for Fix It Again Tomorrow and this has literally been the case last month. Bought brand new so didn't have the inconvenience and worry of an older car! Turns out a new car is even worse! Wouldn't recommend at all! It is great in snow when it's actually working

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Well finally after months of wrangling, Fiat have admitted that the Waze only has the 85HP engine. It was advertised widely and launched in a hail of publicity as the Panda Waze 90HP. The car apart from being mis-described by Fiat is as expected and I will keep it while it remains reliable. Fuel economy is worse than bad but in all other respects it's a fine car. It has performed some astounding work when needed to remove my caravan from a field after a river burst its banks and I can testify to how effective the 4x4 system is.

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I have just changed my 2017 85hp model for the Waze special edition 4x4 90hp model and I am delighted. Although the car arrived on summer tyres (Conti Contact 6) it still seems to handle soft and rough surfaces OK. The steering and roadholding is improved significantly and the mpg is a revelation. This car goes so much better too with as much power with the ECO switch on than the previous model with its ECO switch off. The ride is still excellent and I prefer the trim inside if not its rather off putting face. I added City Brake control and climate control and a few extras like a leather steering wheel and height adjustment for the driver's seat to bring the interior spec to standard 4x4 level. This car is better put together if the way the doors and boot close are an indicator. It's a great little car to drive and even at 750 miles it flies so performance is not an issue. Well done Fiat. PLEASE don't spoil the next version due this year. This is a really great little car now it uses a more sensible level of fuel. I can see 50 mpg easily coming on a long run once its run in fully. Its first long run yielded 46.6 which is very acceptable for a 90hp 4x4 car. We now have two very reliable Fiat Pandas in the garage 210,000 miles so far with 1 problem that did not stop us but required a fix under the warranty!

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I don’t want to write a poor review for this car because I actually like it as a concept and the implementation is basically good. However, although this car has never actually broken down, I have had a multitude of annoyances with it, and these really wear you down after a while. I have suffered from squeaking rear brakes when reversing – this appears to be a general fault with these cars. The glove box handle came away in my hand with only light use, too, and the entire glovebox had to be replaced. The first time I got a slow puncture, the tyre pressure warning light could not be reset when the problem had been resolved – It required a trip to the dealership to “reset the software”. For a year now I have been suffering an annoying squeak that appears to be coming from the front side drivers wheel. This is intermittent and only occurs after about 20 minutes driving and is worse when you turn the wheel to the the left. No garage has been able to reproduce the fault, let alone fix it - it’s really doing my crust in, and it’s pretty loud when it happens. I’ve just had my second slow puncture and have discovered, again, that I can’t reset the system. I’ve also noticed that the problem extends to all user settings – I can’t change anything, not even the clock – I’m stuck with a warning light and unable to change any user settings until I can arrange for yet another trip to the dealership – it will cost this time as the car is now out of warranty! I also have a multitude of intermittent coachwork rattles. As for the infotainment system, what a total joke. It’s not at all user friendly and for some daft reason you can’t seem to play music from a USB stick unless the ignition is set to the 2nd click! The plastic trim around the back wheel arch is coming away and it doesn’t look like a simple case of pushing it back on, so that will have to be a body-shop job ! The boot release lever came away in my hand - it’s OK though, it just pushes back on again…..until the next time it comes off - which it does most times I try and use it. Based on my own experiences I cannot recommend this little car – the sum total of its small problems are too annoying. I am actively considering getting rid of the car even though it has only done a moderate mileage. I really don’t like the idea of owning this car out of warranty – Its quality does not inspire confidence.

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The Panda Cross is a fantastic car! It sailed through massive snow drifts in the snow we have had this winter.

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Yes, you read right. It is a car with many positive points but fuel consumption is awfully high. It's almost double the consumption the company claims. Even with conservative driving style, it remains almost the same. I had to convert the European 8l/100km into MPG and yes, it is 29, for a NEW 1.3 Diesel engine. If anyone has a doubt about it, I just let you know that with the 35 liters tank full, I cover an average 400-430 km.

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Excellent

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never let me down yet

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always starts first time

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very good good in snow had car 2 years only back at dealer for servicing

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I enjoy this car a lot and it goes well for a small engine. It replaced a previous model Panda that was fantastic in nearly every respect. However, BEWARE the fuel consumption will NEVER match the claimed figure and is frankly a disgrace that most owners gloss over. My last one was 1400 cc and did 45 mpg or more. Thank heavens at least we are rid of the CO2 based car tax as the emissions claims and economy published by EU official tests are total rubbish. Expect 30 to 40 mpg and NO MORE from this thing. Also claims of leather being used are untrue. The seat are PLASTIC, as is the gear gaiter they are a known problem as well if you read model specific forums. If you can accept this appalling economy its a great car. If not...

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Totally reliable from new and a pleasure to drive over my hilly route to work. It feels very safe in winter, but the only downside is the interior light bulb is not very bright. This is my third Panda and I have been highly delighted with them all.

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New car so no problems

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I purchased my Fiat Panda 4x4 Cross model when they first appeared during the later part of 2014. It's fair to say that I have had a lot of problems with this car during my ownership. After only 2 months I had an issue with the rear brakes squeaking whilst reversing. I didn't think it was a serious concern until my rear discs showed an alarming rate of wear. Fiat changed the rear pads which cured the problem initially but now it has returned. This car eats glow plugs, 2 sets fitted already after 20,000 miles. Two recalls for software updates since owning which is a minor annoyance. But the big bomb shell was dropped to me when I recently had my vehicle in for it's 35,000 mile service. On returning to the Fiat dealer to pick my car up after completion of the service, I was told it was unsafe to drive. The reason being that both rear shock absorbers were excessively worn at the anchor point & both could be pulled completely off the pin ! Also front steering bushes were worn & would have to be replaced. Finally my air conditioning cooler radiator which is behind the fancy holed grill at the front is starting to fall apart, rows of the cooling fins are just dropping off & it has had no impact other than flies. Luckily for me all of these issues are going to be resolved whilst the car is still under warranty but that will expire this year (2016) so I'm getting very concerned. Although my car has completed over average mileage, it has been serviced on time & never been used off road & never been over 70 MPH so I would consider it to have been well looked after during my ownership. All in all, if you are considering buying one of these Fiat Panda's, take my advice & don't do it, you will regret it.

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No faults, nothing gone wrong

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3rd panda purchased great little cars

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Just a tailgate switch under warranty

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I bought the 4x4 Panda after having done a lot of research on economical 4x4 vehicles, the panda being one of the top performers on both off road ability and economy. I live up in the hills so when it snows or the roads turn icy I wanted a car that I could rely on to get me home (the roads don't get gritted up here)- the panda seemed to fit the bill. I purchased the car with the winter pack which gave me heated front seats and heated windscreen. THE GOOD STUFF: I've owned the car from new and covered 41,000 miles over two and a half years, most of the time achieving around 53mpg during a mix of 70% A-Roads and 30% In town driving - this is at speeds of no more than 60mph and moderate acceleration. I can manage to get over 58mpg with careful driving without irritating other road users with even into the low 60's possible - but I've got to be in the 'save fuel' state of mind to keep to this strict 'easy does it' way of driving. The car has great pulling ability for up hill climbs and seems to get some power from somewhere in its small diesel engine that just wants to eat inclined roads, and it does have a surprising urge at speeds of 70mph to be able to overtake easily on the motorway - the engine is great on this thing, but it does have some problems of which I'll get into later. Taking the car onto snow/ice/mud covered roads is really a breeze, the automatic 4x4 system kicks in seamlessly and the car just grips and grips - absolutely no worries at all about driving through bad weather the Panda is a gem when the roads turn bad. The winter tyres fitted to my car from standard (Continentals) were brilliant and lasted for 36,500 miles both front and rear - unfortunately I couldn't obtain replacements and had to go with a different manufacturer when the time came to change the rubber. The spare wheel is a full size alloy! (brilliant!) THE BAD STUFF: The 1.3 Diesel engine was very good from new, unfortunately the car was recalled at about the time of the VW fuel thing hit the papers with the ECU being remapped, this had a negative effect and the car seemed to loose some of its 'poke'. The engine seems to suffer from a strange turbo lag type feel that gets worse with age, this was evident immediately after the ECU remap from the dealer - put your right foot down and .... wait for it.... now it goes. Setting off from a standstill at a junction is not nippy, the lower gears are close together which makes first gear only good for crawling starts, with second not good for pulling away - so a rapid gear change is necessary right when you need to get out of a junction. (having said this the low first gear is good when crawling through traffic or off road). The trim is not hard wearing and it is easy to scuff the fake leather seats and door cards, the plastic dash is hard plastic and the glove box not that large - many of the controls feel a little on the cheap side (given that the 4x4 was over £15,000 when I purchased mine). The sun visor pivot peg is very thin plastic and cracks, the visor still works but now hangs at a funny angle. Brakes wear quite quickly with all four discs and pads requiring replacement at 34,000 miles. The car keys, only one is electronic with the second one being for physical unlocking of the car. The decals wear off the buttons of the electronic key so you can't tell if you're locking or unlocking the car, also the key is fold-able but the mechanism to release the key blade is too easy to unlock so the key is almost always unfolding in your pocket. The boot is too small, you can't fit much at all in it - I usually carry wellies, the car tool kit (it won't fit into the spare wheel well) and a coat - and that's about your lot with only space for maybe two carrier bags of food. The sound system (BlueandMe) is rubbish, the speakers crackle, the voice commands are poorly understood and again this seemed to get worse after the ECU update from the manufacturer during servicing. The radio won't connect to an android phone to stream music, only calls will work with texts not being read properly if at all. THE REALLY BAD STUFF: The front wishbones managed to work the rubber bushings out of both sides in less than 38,000 miles, both sides at the same time!! Steering went a bit funny and the front tyres wore right off in no time at all. (strangely the car didn't make any noise untoward or drive that bad - this is something you'll have to watch out for!) - garage help onto the car until replacements were fitted (3-4 days) A seal from the gearbox got spat out making the car smell of burning oil at 38,500 miles, the replacement took 8 weeks to come after 4 attempts from Fiat to supply the correct part - the car still smells of burning oil even after replacement when going over a cambered road surface. Something has allowed oil to cover the underside of the bonnet, it is undetermined where the oil is coming from. The heated front windscreen stopped working, now only about 1/8 of the screen demists and it will get replaced under warranty (no cracks/damage evident). The air conditioning radiator (its the first one you see looking through the grille at the front of the car) is falling to pieces, this shouldn't be a problem at less that 40,000 miles and 2.5 years old with no stone damage? 'Roll on power' has gotten worse with the car actually slowing slightly before accelerating when at speed - its is like the fuel is starved for a second before the car accelerates, garage can't reproduce the fault even though it occurs just about every time I use the car (it doesn't cause me a problem though as I know it is going to do this when rapid power is required for overtaking etc). The clutch is wearing at a noticeable rate, 40,000 miles and its getting near the top of its travel on the pedal. (this may be my fault, but my last car - an Audi A4 lasted for 186,000 miles without a clutch change). OVERALL: I like the car, the 4x4 is great and economical with loads of pulling power for the hills etc (but it can't tow much). I feel that the Panda isn't going to last that long and my initial intention to keep it until then end has gone by the wayside because of lots of small faults. I now don't trust that the engine will last because of the smell of burning oil at when the car is tilted at certain angles (due to road surface). I'm part exchanging it and could only recommend as a short term car, mine would't pass the first MOT because of the wishbones and some small other items which is not good for Fiat in my eyes.

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My Panda is used mostly for getting across farmland, the 4x4 system is outstanding and it’s never let me down. I average 53 mpg, too.

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I took a gamble buying this second hand at 98k miles. But with full service history and 9 service stamps in the book it paid off. I changed the oil and filter immediately and now after 5 month of ownership it’s at 107k miles. I’ve changed 3 bulbs and a door retainer. As for fuel consumption I have a 50 mile commute at mostly 40 mph, if I’m really cautious I get over 80mpg over the week with some coasting down hill. But generally with motorway trips and some bombing about it returns around 65 mpg. It’s a great little car. If only the steering wheel was adjustable in and out as well as up and down. I really like the orange on orange scheme too.

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Good car, great fun to drive but not nearly as economical as suggested by Fiat. Economy can only be achieved in Eco mode which reduces the engine power by 8 horsepower! It will NOT do reasonable economy in normal 86bhp mode. The published value is misleading. However the 4x4 system is very good and grip is excellent. Brakes are powerful and general handling and road holding good. It's nicely built with absolutely no squeaks, creaks or rattles. My previous Panda had outstanding reliability over over 100,000 miles - and I've had no faults on this one in the 1st '000 miles. Excellent ride quality, it handles the worst roads better than any of the 54 other cars I have had over the last 40 years. I would give the car 5 stars apart from the economy. I suppose this is a product of having an extra 2 driven wheels with much stronger subframes and suspension. On the whole the trade off is worth it but the diesel is very significantly more economical. The car has a decent turn of speed if given the full 86bhp. Pandas are great fun and really get under your skin once you have had one nothing else seems to appeal as much anymore.

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Chose this as it is the narrowest 4x4 on the market - ideal for narrow Devon lanes. So far, excellent - bought an ex demonstrator model. Very good turning circle, lacks oomph on hill starts but acceleration ok given size of engine. Comfortable for four including tall people. Not too noisy on motorway, great visibility all round helps with avoiding road hazards ahead. Can park almost anywhere given short length and narrow width, but does not feel cramped inside. Get 50mpg despite mainly stop start short runs with roadworks and traffic lights. Husband now thinking of changing his Fiesta for a Panda 4x4.

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I bought the car brand new and had it back once for the brakes binding when reversing. Fiat rectified the problems and have had no further problems since. The car isn't a motorway cruiser but most people buy a 4x4 to deal with the harsh weather in the latter part of the year. Cruise Control is not an option but I have had it fitted for the longer journeys and it certainly takes the sting out of driving (something Fiat should consider). Car is great on economy but a 6th gear on the diesel to quiet the engine down would have been nice. This is my 2nd Panda 4x4 (old style to the new style). Massive improvement in every aspect, but I still loved the older model.

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