Fiat Panda hatchback (2004-2011) | owner reviews: MPG, Problems & Reliability

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I'm a fan of small Fiats, I previously owned 1.2 petrol punto Mk2b's and never had a problem worthy of note. This Panda is even better. The ride is excellent, good headroom, four door convenience, simple mechanics (although timing chain replacement could be a pain due to restricted space), economy is brilliant, galvanised body, no rattles, easy to park, nippy round town and reasonable gearing makes longer journeys a pleasure. I drive all my cars with 'mechanical sympathy' and change oil regularly - I'm sure unnecessary aggressive driving would have a more harmful effect on the panda than in a more heavily engineered German car, but if treated well, my Fiats have treated me well in return.

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It's my second car (I traded up from a VW Lupo 1.4) having owned for almost a year now, and im already pushing for a new vehicle, The main gripes for me are simply 2 things: Gearbox and fuel consumption. If you're interested in low insurance, being a Group 3 its great for my age (early 20's) and costs less to insure than many cars. MOTs have been smooth sailing, only a few exhaust issues have come up so far but that's expected for its age. Other than that it's been relatively low maintenance year on year so far. I don't like the gearbox, though. It does well enough once you get to 30 MPH, but the initial ride up to that point is just dreadful. The car barely wants to move in 1st gear shaking along with shorter movements (requires a lighter foot than mine apparently!) but it's okay for a city car. I've driven this on the motorway quite a few times, i like to be out and about, and it goes along just fine but you push it to really get something from it However, poor fuel consumption is the main reason i'm getting rid. I fill up a full tank (roughly £30) and get about 180 miles (just before low fuel ) with a mix of motorway and city driving, so for me I'd consider that everyday driving. For me getting to Birmingham (100miles roughly) will take up about 3/4 of the tank so it'll get me to a good station on the way back if i don't drive in the city. It's just not enough anymore, if i plan on driving longer than 20 miles a day this car just won't be cheap to run. Overall, a great first car, I wish I had gotten it before the Lupo and maybe I would've been happier for longer, but my new job means I make longer trips.

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After nearly 6 years of ownership, I’m compelled to further sing the attributes of this wonderful car. It has been an absolute joy to own and drive, it has been as reliable as the day is long and it is VERY economical, more so than the official fuel consumption figures suggest, which is a rarity, as usually the actual fuel consumption is disappointingly lower than the manufactures suggest. The engine is superb, with Fiat seeming to adopt the ‘why mend it if it isn’t broken’ theory, as this unit is a re-vamp of the same 8 valve engine they used in the old Uno’s and even the original Panda’s and the current 1.2 engine and gearbox are widely used now in the Fiat 500, the Chrysler Ypsilon and the new Ford Ka, as well as of course in the new generation Panda. This combo is virtually bomb-proof and a well serviced Panda is unlikely to ever let you down, is extremely easy to service yourself, or is cheap to service at a garage. If the cambelt fails, the car stops and you get it changed without the possibility of expensive engine damage, it is 8 valve and has the Fiat FIRE engine (Fully Integrated Robotised Engine), which has 30% fewer moving parts and is probably the reason why it is so reliable. It’s quick too, much quicker than any of the 16 valve competition, leaving many bigger cars surprised at the lights and I have never got below 40mpg urban, no matter how I drive. In the summer months when I am not leaving the heater on whilst stationary to keep warm, I have found 50mpg urban is easily achievable, but of note, is that the version I drive, the 1.2 Dynamic, does not have air-conditioning, which where fitted, can have severe adverse affects to the fuel consumption. All panda’s are 5 door, so they are very versatile, but there are only 4 seat belts in my 2006 model, the boot is quite small, but as a predominantly small, economical town car, it is as spacious as any cars of a similar ilk. Motorway trips are not out of the question either, as it would cruise at 70-80 mph all day without complaint and is reasonably quiet too. There are lots of used examples of the Panda around, including a 1.4 hot hatch, a 4X4, a diesel, a 1.1 starter model, but I would always suggest the 1.2 as the best of the bunch for a combination of reliability and economy. The new Panda looks a treat, but unless you have about £6000 to spend, I would go for a well serviced ‘older model’, which started their life in 2004 and can be bought from about £1000.

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The car does exactly what it is supposed to do. it is a very cheap to run, easy to drive versatile little car

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Must be one of the cheapest cars to run 70mpg+ in everyday driving

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Excellent, economic, reliable, looks good

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I think my car is brilliant, it's not quick and the ride can be a bit bouncy but that was what i expected when i got it.

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An excellent small car reminds me of the original mini

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I love its simplicity and the fact that it just does almost everything i need it to. I could do with a little more power, but then the economy is second to none so i can't complain.

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Very pleasantly surprised. We bought it as a second car for use in city and it has become the first car of choice used for long journeys as well, hence 18ooo miles per year as against the 5000 or so we anticipated.

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Enjoyable small car that does what's required.

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Excellent. Simply excellent.

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Excellent.

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An excellent 4x4 the best that i have ever driven

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2nd panda great car

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Just 'bloody fantastic'. Really well made with no rattles or squeaks at all, the door close with a nice thunk and it gets better all the time. Great fun to drive and much better than it has any right to be, totally reliable - except clonky rear suspension bump stops which are a minor irritation. Only service parts have ever been required now at 78,000 miles, it still feels like new. Amazingly good brakes and road holding, quite fast enough for British roads and will cruise at 100mph with too much ease! Sport button makes it totally manic so it is rarely used except on the motorway. Will do 50+ mpg at 60mph so you really have it all. Ride is really to firm but the cure is to change the bump stops for standard Panda ones. It is the best car I have ever owned, including some much more expensive and executive ones.

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It has been fantastic. Only problem in 3 and a half years was the climate control direction, but was fixed under warranty. Fiat have really strengthened their product and are among the best small cars around, to this day, i cannot find better value for the performance/fun/equipment you get on a panda 100hp. Would highly recommend. The absolute only drawback on this model is the firm ride. Top marks fiat!

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Great little car fun without breaking the law. But the ride is shocking and that is being kind or maybe i am getting to old for it?

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A superb town and urban run around, economical and very reliable. Not for long distance.

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-

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It's been good to drive, most reliable but pretty expensive to service, [particularly regarding tyre wear.

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Brilliant - comfortable reliable so far, easy tro drive in towns, takes quite a lot of luggage for its size.

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Uncomfortable to drive, bad interior design, gear lever console has sharp edge and rubs knee. Poor long run flue economy for such a small car at low cruising speed, aerodynamics?

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For a cheap to run, easy to drive and zippy car for around town driving - panda is good value. There aren't an awful lot of 'standard' things - we ended up paying more for 'optionals' like split seats

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With a budget of £7k to buy acar to drive 500 miles a week the panda diesel with a 60kmiles warranty looked a good bet. After 30 months and nearly 65k miles it has run perfectly - not one problem, £750 total service costs, £300 in tyres, £30 tax yr, 65-72 mpg every week, and £3500 depreciation, the cheapest most reliable car i've run. As a bonus its practical and comfortable for its size and always easy and fun to drive. Far surpassed all expectations.

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Brilliant - it does everything i want from a car. It's cheap to run. The back doors make it much easier to load than a conventional hatchback.

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Fiat Pandas always look smart and looked-after, even 2004 models! You feel no need to prove yourself in the fast lane, so it's very relaxing to drive, and you can feel smug about how little fuel you're using. With winter tyres, it's unstoppable in the snow. It feels strong and well built - my mother's was not written off even when t-boned by a Mercedes 4x4. We love our little Panda, as I guess most owners do.

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Very good for a budget car

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It's a great little car - perfect mum's run around town. It does just what i wanted it to and with low tax and insurance it's an ideal 2nd car.

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Very impressed with practicality and space considering the small size. It is comfortable easy to drive, and has been 100 per cent reliable. On the down side - the ride is choppy on uneven surfaces and more power would be an advantage for motorway driving.

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Absolutely brilliant

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Nice well pleased

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Lots of fun; the handling puts a smile on your face. Overtaking takes a bit of planning, but is then usually achievable. Suits drivers with a bit of patience. It's the kind of car you become fond of and willingly tolerate its shortcomings. Roomy enough in the back for two kids but much less so for teenagers/adults.

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I absolutely love my little black Fiat Panda! It’s small - so very easy to park and get around, it’s manual - which makes it fun, it’s very economical for a petrol! And it looks dead smart! I absolutely totally love my little Fiat. To the point where ‘yes’, I would definitely buy another... the back seats go down for extra boot space. I just love everything about it. Simplistic interior and dash does what it needs to. Excellent little car. Love it. Thank you Fiat!

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I bought this Panda as a cheap to run car for local use however due to a change in circumstances I now cover over 30,000 miles a year in it. Bought with a milage of 55,000 it has now covered over 140,000 miles and has never had any faults. Admittedly it is ready for a clutch now but I can hardly complain! 70mpg is achievable on the motorway driving sensibly. I am very happy with this car, it's comfortable and practical for the price and will defiantly buy another. £30.00 a year tax another bonus.

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The Fiat Panda is up against quite a few city cars, but it's more practical than most. It's a wow factor that it's £2,000, The boot is large and storage is decent, but head room is limited due to a sloping roof in the back. The Panda is nippy and fun on country roads which is not what you'd except even if the engine is a 1.2 that takes 15 seconds to get to 60. The plastics are cheap and nasty, wind and road noise is a lot and Fiat styled it like it's a 1990's car! Although, it's cheap, affordable and practical. It scores 8/10.

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A great little car, good value for money but has really only got enough power for city driving. It feels a little bit darty on motorways however he fuel consumption is excellent.

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Great small car

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Eager character, fun to drive, cheap to run. Unbeatable combination.

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I love it!

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Brilliant! No faults. 100% reliable. Great seats.

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It is a practical runabout

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I love my panda; it needed a new engine last year but that was my own fault and the new engine has been great. It is a brilliant car in bad conditions and roomy for its size.

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The best 4x4 i've ever owned and unstoppable in snow and ice. Good economy and fun to drive in normal road and weather conditions.

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All i had was slight clutch judder on wet mornings. My dealer got a full replacement clutch for me.

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A great little car which delivers on economy, protection for the enviroment and practicality

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Insecure passenger airbag fittings partially fixed under warranty though charged £25 on second visit to dealer to secure airbag. In the process the fiat dealer managed to loosen the glove box fittings causing further rattles which were not covered by the manufacturer/dealer warranty. Good car spoiled by poor dealer service. Fiat dealers have still not got their act together in 2010.

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Brilliant little car - you can park it in most small gaps that other people would not even dream of looking at. The car has always been serviced and has only done 25,000 miles, but recently developed an annoying habit where the engine is revving high when you pull up, instead of the engine ticking over at 800rpm it increases to 1200rpm. The car has just been serviced and the dealership could not find the fault.

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First off, I love my Fiat Panda, but I either have a 'Friday' model or Fiat has a few inherent problems. One is the power steering, which is very expensive to fix because the entire dashboard has to be taken out and the new part/mechanism is not cheap due to being imported. Mine packed up TWO days out of warranty and with only 26,800km on the clock. I fought Fiat tooth and nail to fix it at their cost, which they reluctantly did as I was able to prove this was a common problem with the Fiat Panda. Now with only 39 330 kms on the clock, the second problem I'm experiencing is the clutch stays 'glued' to the floorboard when trying to start the car and engage gear. This doesn't happen during a cold start up - only when I am in traffic or a stop/start drive situation - especially over speed humps, etc. (one road I used to use but now avoid due to being stranded has 23 speed bumps along a 8-kms stretch)! I don't know what is causing this problem and the mechanic who looked at it couldn't figure it out either (nearest Fiat agency is nearly 200 kms away from where I live). Looking at the forums, I am not alone with this problem, but suggestions offered are too varied: from worn springs, master cylinder failing, air in the hydraulic fluid to contaminated fuel, transmit failure and seal failure, to name just some of the options offered. My other problem is starting the car - I have to rev the blazers out of it to get the engine to stay fired up. During the process, it takes some time for the lights to come on on the dashboard and the clock is always going back to zero. Again, I can't find any answers to what is causing this problem and again, this seems to be a problem other Fiat Panda owners are also experiencing.

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An excellent small 4 wheel drive vehicle - perfect in day to day and in the last two bad winters - it has never let us down and has managed to get through heavy snow with no problem

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A great first car - fun to drive

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Small run-around with total reliability but fits in what i want. I always thought that there was a clutch judder on cold mornings but I couldn't repeat it at my annual service. But at the 3 year service/end of warranty they said that there was a small of judder. But I've bought about 8 Fiats over the last 20 years from the one garage. So I got a complete clutch pack installed at nil cost.

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Lovely car, really like her. Only drawback is when i want to put the upper part of the seats back i have to crank then by hand rather than pull a lever and push with my back.

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Brakes too 'bitey' Ride too firm. Far too thirsty. Looks nice. Good equipment. Good handling. Practical for it's size.

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For a small, cheap car - excellent. And really good fun to drive.

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Clutch judder 5 clutches installed - still judders Fiat are unable to rectify concern

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I downsized from an audi a3 sportback and have found the panda to be a fantasic car for urban use and surprisingly capable on long trips. Yes its nippy round town - but i didn't expect it to be so capable on motorways. That versatility makes mincemeat of the other cars i considered buying (toyota aygo, ciroen c1). Good space, reasonable equipment, impressive economy and £30 per year tax without too many small-car compromises. Love it!

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Brilliant value for money, remarkably practical, excellent engine.

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Fun to drive, practical and cheap to run.

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Extremely practical and economical little car which performs very well and permanent the four-wheel-drive is an added bonus to performance

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The fiat panda is a great little car. It is economical to run. It is surprisingly spacious and well specified. It has come into it's own during the recent icy conditions as it handles well and is narrow. It's had one main dealer re-call and the fiat dealer themselves were not that good on that occasion. It's broken down once needing a new alternator but given the different types of motoring it is expected to handle, i would say it is very reliable.

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-

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Poor quality components. Brake callipers sticking from new, but dealer failed to diagnose it twice. Argued that it wasn't covered by warranty as it was wear and tear: rear disc worn out and replaced after 18000 miles. Persistent engine problem - gone to 'get you home mode' 4 times now: dealer not managed to find the source of the problem. Remote mirror adjustment never worked properly. Exterior mirrors have small viewing width/area. Uncomfortably hard suspension for what is a road car, not an offroader.

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The panda has always been a fun car to drive and own. Whether shopping or going a long distance, it is a pleasurable driving experience.

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Good all round small part time 4x4 car - suites my needs 100%

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Very reliable little car. Just one thing went wrong in 7 years, headlight stalk £180.00. I am really happy with the car.

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Reliable but dull

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Its ok, its a box on wheels that is cheap to run

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It does what it said on the tin! A perfect run-a-bout that copes easily with long journeys so long as you can live with its lack of accelleration at motorway speeds.

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Brilliant value-for-money compact sized car. Economical and easy on the environment. Great for town driving but not so good for long distance

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The best money can buy

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Great liitle family car with convenience of 4 doors. Very pleasant to drive and you can throw it about a bit if you want. I would also say i am keen on economy but dont believe in global warming so co2 emissions are irrelevant. Also i think that concentration on co2 has lead to lack of attention to other genuinely poisonous emissions

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Good - shame it's bigger than the previous (similar) model

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For the price paid not a bad car at all

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A fun little car that's a pleasure to drive

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Super fun, great value for money, rare, but stiff ride on britain's potholed ridden roads!

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Great

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Compact city car with enough ummph to keep up with the big boys. Good interior space considering overall size. Ride is uncompromising though and interior a little low rent. Running costs generally good but fiat servicing costs are more expensive than anticipated, maybe because this is a 'performance' version?

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