Fiat Panda hatchback review - CarBuyer

Fiat Panda hatchback 2014 review: bit.ly/1km8ez4
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Larger and more spacious, the latest Panda features more rounded styling than its predecessor and is designed to be the most practical and versatile version yet. Offered with a fantastic choice of petrol and diesel engines in either two, three or four-cylinder layout, the Panda is highly economical and offers great no-frills transport. The cabin is stylish and reasonably well made and although rear passengers get slightly less legroom than in the Volkswagen up! or Kia Picanto, unique features such as the folding front seat do make up for it. The Panda is also great fun to drive around town and if you opt for one of the twin-cylinder TwinAir models, owners are exempt from paying Road Tax.

[@Bikecampcook]

I do a 40 mile commute every day with a mix of fast B roads and motorway. Car pulls to 70mph joining the motorway with no problem and does not get blown about as suggested here. There is also very little road/wind noise. I'm 6ft and sit in comfort with no issues I have the 1.2 petrol unit and the build quality is rock solid it really puts other cars I've owned (Vw & Seat) to shame. I've done 57,000 miles with no issues it's got no rattles (unlike Vw's) and everything still works as it should. I lost my company car (Bmw 1 series) and needed a decent runner for the commute it was supposed to be short term but she's a keeper and more fun than I thought it could ever be. Try one I'm sure you will be impressed.

[@GaryInAmsterdam]

Thanks for that, I was considering this car (used) but alost changed my mind from this review.

[@Hotbod]

The Panda is everything that a small car should be. Cheap to buy and run, fairly practical, nice to drive and looks great. I would love one.

[@af252]

Completely unreliable

[@tombradley8352]

This was my first car, the 2012 1.2 petrol version, and it was absolutely fantastic! It’s fun to drive, cheap to run, but the electrics had a lot of... character😂 loved my little panda and if you’re thinking of buying one, think no more and do it!

[@dusankocisevic6823]

I had a Punto mk3, no problems with 1.2 FIRE at all, but SAME STORY about electrical stuff😂😂

[@arlofs]

I own its Brazilian cousin, the Fiat Uno. It has different underpinnings, but it looks very similar to the Panda. Overall, I’m very happy with my Uno. It’s cheap to run, cheap to buy, and a joy to drive in town.

[@olivermundy4220]

With wheels right at the corners like a vintage car, this car is ideal for people who have difficulty in parking. (I bought my 2015 Easy largely for this reason.) It is true that there is a lot of noise from below - I can hear every application of the brakes and every change of road surface, and there is a clank from the clutch linkage - but the engine itself seems very smooth. After years of driving 2-litre diesels I expected to be constantly galled by the need to change down on every hill, but in fact the car pulls very respectably for its rather low power rating (69 h.p. from 1.3 litres - quite like the 1970s!), and I actually find I can spend more time in fifth gear than I did in my old Peugeot 406 TDI90. Fuel consumption is 43-45mpg under fairly unfavourable usage (mostly 5-mile journeys in a hilly area, with a 40-mile round trip every two weeks). An interesting point is the handbrake, which has a wide flat grip instead of the usual shaft, with the release-button on the right-hand side instead of the end; this feature should be a boon to people who are developing arthritic or similar problems in their hands, as I fear I am. (I understand that more recent Pandas no longer have this helpful design.) The engine is mounted back to front, so that the exhaust-manifold sticks out in front and the spark-plugs and ignition components, boxed in between the scuttle, the fuel-injector system and the block, are all but inaccessible; this will not be helpful to those who like to do their own maintenance, if that breed still exists nowadays. I regret the fact that in this version there is no spare wheel at all ( a repair kit takes its place). However, anybody who is untouched by the urge to treat a vehicle as a fashion statement and status-symbol may well find, as I do, that there is much to like in this cheerfully unassertive little car.

[@CreRay]

I can't understand the Twinair Turbo is criticized for "struggling to keep up with the flow of traffic". Compared to the 1-litre non-turbo 3 cylinder engines of the competition (Agyo/107/Up/Picanto/i10 etc.), the Twinair Turbo has almost rocket-like performance.

[@pdtech4524]

The TwinAir 0.9 Turbo engine is a little gem, very lively performance, doesn't struggle keeping up with traffic at all! In fact you quickly forget it is a twin cylinder small capacity engine, actually it has more torque than the 4 cylinder 1.2 and around the same power but the engine is a lot lighter, less moving parts means reduced friction, so you benefit in every way. I also like the distinctive engine sound 😁😎👍

[@pdtech4524]

I have a Panda but the 4x4 version with the TwinAir 0.9 engine, which is a lively, fun to drive car, perfect for a city car, economical to run, very low tax and insurance. The 4x4 version is a bit more rugged looking, higher ground clearance and handles whatever the road conditions throw at it with ease😎👍

[@hernandezrivas]

Just Love the Panda ... I got two now... the MK2 and Now the MK3... Best Cars I ever owned... My Mk2 has now got 190000 on the Clock and runs Perfectly!! My new MK3 has got 400 on the Clock...

[@khew1]

hernandezrivas What differences have you noticed between the two? pros and cons?

[@hernandezrivas]

K Hewett Both has the same 4 cyl 1.2 engine. the mk2 has better headrests the mk3 better ride & comfort. the mk3 has more space overall.

[@Aco747lyte]

My aunt has split seats at the rear and passenger seat folds conveniently flat to provide a nifty table. Cute girl reviewing it made me smile, and my aunty loves the car for tottling around town and country. She bought an ex-courtesy car with just 4k on the clock, it drives well and she even managed 60 mpg from her petrol version. She bought it for just £7,750 which was an absolute bargain. Cheap and cheerful car, vastly improved and front seats were comfy with a nice nice bit of leg room. 'Infotainment' useful but cojnsidering the low price, no GPS. Instead, aunty puts her phone up in the cradle and gets hands free nattering. I've a Porsche 911, but have to say aunty's Panda Pop 1.2 petrol is quite lovely. :) Nice video too, not forgetting the girl.

[@VeRDeGR]

Thank god! ONE REVIEWER that reminded to tell that reliability of FIAT group cars is not an issue any more!!

[@paypointpal]

My sister has a Fiat Punto. It's now 12 years old and even that has a city button to make it easier for parking etc.

[@avahxnley685]

My grandmother has a Fiat Panda and, to be perfectly honest, it is extremely comfortable to sit in and my grandmother says she absolutely loves driving it.

[@ampm9771]

This car's engine produces more horsepower than entry level VW Golf, and equals Golf's comfort trim's engine! Please stop with the BS and give this little runner the credit it deserves.

[@matthiasfloren2610]

Panda needs more love

[@ionelaionela765]

@@matthiasfloren2610 plled

[@jetthicks6658]

LOL the Golf is premium and heavier

[@G0ML333]

your personality shines through whether you're reviewing a car, sitting at home in your living room or out and about socializing with other people. I doubt she changes that much inbetween.

[@RonnocRetep]

I love my Panda. Best all round car in my opinion if you are looking for good value for money.

[@intromaker4492]

is it for 3 people in the back or 2?. im thinking of buying one but ive 3 young kids and this loks like only a 2 seater at back

[@lprolog]

Its a 3 seater, but very tight for 3; you can´t probably fit 3 children seats. Remember it´s a city car.

[@chunkersnut]

3 people in the back, smaller children should fit quite comfortably. young adolescents not so much. Frist look online for second hand pandas! I got mine for 7 k full option and 30 000 km :)

[@poppyneese1811]

Have and F150 4wd but lord how I have always loved the Great Fiat Panda!

[@matthiasfloren2610]

I own a citycross and it's a blast. Maybe not 4 wheel drive but a dirt road is a lot of fun

[@ethelburga]

Take no notice. Having had both, prefer the Panda to the Up in terms of ride, space, comfort and yes, quality of materials in the interior. Design is quirky though.

[@SirShizuka]

handbag? check. lipstick? check. banana? check. checklist complete ready for start-up.

[@NYJALB]

Had our 2012 model for a year now and I love it.....and I never thought I'd say that about a Panda!..I commute every two weeks from Ayrshire to Berkshire (400miles) and average 55mpg (petrol not diesel) and I am as comfy when I arrive as when I start off.........and the radio/cd palyer is really good quality too!!.....I have a 1992 Jag as well, and as much as I love the Jag, the Panda is a very VERY close second!!

[@NormalGuy2ItalianMillionaire]

Hi your post is really handy . I’m looking at the 2012 model atm it has 50,000 on the clock . How is yours going now? Any info will be appreciated. Thanks . James

[@NYJALB]

I have to agree with almost everything she sais, apart from, and I am not sure if it's because she is driving a diesel or not, but our 1.2 petrol Panda does not struggle to keep up with traffic on motorways or duel carriageways......and whilst I will admit that road noise is a bit intrusive at 50mph, when you get to mortorway speed of 70mph the noise level drops and is not a problem at all.

[@josephciarlo4366]

vw up , skoda citigo , seat mii , all have hinged rear 'windows ' . this car has proper ascending / descending glass panels . the taller the car , the better headroom for taller people i suppose . i am sure that there is adequate space for 4 reasonably tall adults . engine is not as sluggish as described , just geared for fuel economy .

[@furbyclub3046]

Wonderful car! I think this will make a nice first carI like fiats they have always made great little cars. Especially first cars, like the punto,500,and this, the fiat panda,Nice work fiat.

[@Stitchpunk9]

I rented a '12' reg 1.2 Panda for 3 weeks and did over 1000 miles in it. I really grew to love it. So much so, I almost didn't want to give it back. Not the coolest car in the world given it's a Mini-MPV and mostly grandparents drive them, but it's still a great little car.

[@81giorikas]

Sound insulation was measured (in dbs) to be significantly lower than the VW up by the way. In many tests.

[@lightbox02]

keep up the good work carbuyer.

[@Sorrel5353]

Great review!

[@Ag3nt0fCha0s]

Always looked down on this until I rented one. It earned my respect.

[@GultekinCOSAR]

Thank You for this video presentation.

[@cmercieca101]

Great looking little car !

[@nemotimothy]

My 2001 Fiat Punto has a 'City' button. Kia have introduced something similar to their new C'eed. It's brilliant!

[@Celticcross688]

great demo

[@Mio-Vita]

Well all in I think I may buy one , I have a fiat 500 but a change maybe something to look into

[@M80YUR]

Good review... thanks...

[@abotibi]

a lot of cars already have it, the Audi's have this feature years. its just not a city button, its a comfort mode that you chose with the MMI System

[@davidforster1628]

Does she come with the car?

[@Tips4TripsAV]

nice camera shots, are you filming with DSLR cameras or video cameras?

[@MOHAMEDBRAHAM1986]

You should give a summary slide at the end of the video or in the bottom when playing which give the price fuel consumption dimension....

[@olliestewart5988]

Hey how's it going? You've Outdone Yourself. overflow obtain What's your opinion about that 1!

[@goruz]

This is a great car, is really common in italy to see a lot of fiat pandas in mountain town, expecially the 4x4 version... is even good for doing off road (personal experience, six persons in a panda and we have climbed a rocky hill!!! xD )

[@nielslernou7554]

they are not like toyota's or honda's, but nowadays its difficult to find unreliable cars that are made by big companies, don't worry about it, they were unreliable back in the day's but they are very reliable now, my parents planned on buying themselves an Alfa Giulietta, which is owned by fiat as you know, and the dealer said that he barely ever has big/expensive errors, with cars under the ownership of fiat

[@WorldOfIvillis]

Every video with her in it seems to have top comments that has nothing to do with the dang car.

[@seancurrie4939]

I would love to see this car in Canada.

[@bafalo992]

Yes, that's why i love Pandas.

[@_typ_unddieschnitzel7842]

just perfect i would say....

[@mustsilm]

Can you review Fiat 500 L in the future when it comes out on sale.

[@VeRDeGR]

The "Auto Express Driver Power 2012" is absolutely misleading. There are no limits for very old cars on data collection so if some older cars where unreliable, they will affect the lists for ever. The should limit it for 3 or 5 years old cars. Panda MKII and 500 are above Fiesta, Micra or Passat on reliability top100 list. Thats inspiring and reflecting my experience too.

[@smithy8u]

James May approves of this Panda.

[@MrATPCO]

I got one, in my country, and i really can't ask for more.

[@VeRDeGR]

Please look at the "What Car? 2012 Reliability survey". It is much more accurate and the results much more logical. FIAT is 19th more reliable from the 36 manufacturers above VW (20th) Opel (24th) BMW (25th) Audi (26th) and Mercedes (29th). Panda is the 9th most reliable car in city cars segment including the previous model. Thats what call inspiring. :)

[@surendersingh1412]

Is it available in india

[@stevo728822]

Lovely rear end:)

[@naturecallsme4444]

Can 2 people put 2 surfboards (180cm) backside???

[@jameshodgson2497]

Happy with my 60 plate very nippy. Like easy drive. Had a mini never again. I am tall .good driving position

[@mihailandrei1100]

so cute..

[@PC3Pointless]

My car has a 'City' steering button, however although it seems useful I rarely find myself using it, it's really not as good as it seems.

[@coolgamer77]

She is just perfect.

[@lbrtjrr]

great job rebbeca

[@NikiDaDude]

Cute car, I wonder if James May will get one.

[@Saytheodd]

ok someone who has owned a Fiat 500 or any Fiat! Are they RELIABLE? I'm gonna buy a 500 soon in the States and I don't wanna buy a car then having to get a new car at 100k miles. Are they like Honda's or Toyota's?

[@importcarenthusiast]

She is in every video!

[@WebWolf89]

Personaly, mine still works but I don't use it. I've heard some horror stories about it stoped working. But not braking down completely, just not working. You press the button and the weight does not change, its always as standard.

[@briansaiditsoitmustbetrue4206]

LOVELY little car for the money ... If you are looking for a budget car..You could do a LOT worse. MILES better than a VW up and MILES better than a C1.

[@pablosuprano6560]

nice car its a pity they don't sell any here in Jamaica.

[@RocasThePenguin]

The UP won many awards. Not sure what your talking about.

[@extrastype]

panda 2004. drives like new. great mpg. group A insurance. £30 for a tyre. cheap reliable comfortable motoring. . whats not to like :+)

[@ianprice1285]

Love the fiat Panda, had cars of all shapes, sizes and ages.... the panda is me favourite, such an easy car to live with........

[@VeRDeGR]

Yes reliability report includes the budget Panda 2004. I will agree on customer services and dealers quality. The rest is not what i experienced. I watch closely fiat and other brands local car fan clubs and i have seen rare owners complain about reliability on modern Fiat cars. What Car report rank match my opinion much more than Auto Express. Of course the models before 2006 had some reliability issues affecting rankings.

[@ernestkj]

its summer isn't it?

[@jigrodrigues]

I've always wanted to know her better.

[@dorianmasters3294]

My nana have a red fiat panda and does get noise at motor way speeds and it go's grrrrrrrrr at 70

[@rodolfocortez5406]

Bring this car to America.

[@turpioSE]

they say its great on fuel so I'll take it.

[@Srpopo2000]

This car looks very similar to the Fiat Uno that we have here in Brazil, only that the Panda looks and probably handles WAY better.

[@stewiek]

who says you have to think out of the box all the time? pretty ok for a city drive around..not the best but still gets the job done.

[@thegt4man]

Nice plate @1:22 (on the BMW)

[@christosnsk]

this car is exact what need my wife.Small , 4 doors,esp,airbags....i think it,s ok.And the price is one more advantage.

[@MrAnders1976]

one should definately go for the rear split seat.. With a small boot like this you need to be able to drop half of the rear seat for larger item while still being able to fit a third person in the car,,

[@lightningleaf23]

Depends I ve got the basic pop model as a second car to commute around town. Any larger drives are done by a people carrier so there's need for the extra boot space

[@domzbu]

nah if you really really need to carry stuff then get the third person to take a bus

[@jorge9000]

Why do you say it isn't very reliable?

[@soulefbrahim1389]

Nice car

[@Lanciarules]

it's ridiculous to define interior worst than VW UP: UP has not adjustables central air holes, and in the 5 doors version you cannot put down the entire window, but you can only open as in a 3 door car. And in the UP you can see a lot of rough metal

[@toniomineo]

btw material not as good as the up? seriously? this car at least has proper electric windows in the front and real ones in the back, no metal inside and it looks waay better than the up.

[@robmcqueen6979]

Oh wait.. You can adjust the seat? I'm sold

[@JonnyKahann]

james may will be very happy

[@flc2009]

That car is so cute.

[@ip14fisherman]

FIAT should have left the old Panda in production,this new one over priced. Around the roads of North Devon Fiat Panda are now not extinct at all and are very popular with their owners,They hold their price and are cheep to Run /Tax .Insure with the Multijet Diesel being the pck of the bunch Great little car my wife loves hers.philip prust.

[@MultiFiatpanda]

Don't panic 500s are the same as Pandas ford kas and Lancia Chrysler Ypsilons undernethe

[@lmn28021992]

Sorry I meant No doubting Fiats engineering....

[@SonofSilas]

Rake likes it

[@toniomineo]

Great car!!!! So much better than the up..

[@G0ML333]

this is a very clever car, and it costs peanuts. no wonder cpt. slow loves it

[@sirboicarti2042]

Huh lovely car I will be dreaming tonight about it I love dream car WELL DONE MAKE

[@Srpopo2000]

I can already see May liking this video and sharing it on its Facebook account, if that old bloke know what a "Facebook" is.

[@Isobel201]

the fact that 1 litre engine cars can't keep up with traffic on motorways is a myth. Its how you drive them.

[@Isobel201]

Nope

[@Isobel201]

Thanks but I won't shut up

[@killerbeenl83]

Most people dont downshift on a takeover. You use some more gas but it is just to get em going. Jup also nowadays a 4 cilinder has some more power on the low end.

[@minecraftboss1678]

+Isobel201 yes fucker

[@lleresche]

Good luck saying that in Germany. With 1 Liter engine you can´t reach 100km/h fast enough putting you and the others in Danger... not talking about trying to overtake a Truck or a cyclist it takes way too long

[@Ianmundo]

"There's quite a lot of adjustment in this seat"...forwards AND backwards? I can see that

[@domain1313]

she is so sweet!!!!

[@MultiFiatpanda]

starts at £8900

[@seroboy007]

Your opnion

[@mikeluscher159]

James May has one as his daily driver....... it must be good.

[@umkcboxer]

cute car and cute rebecca :)