Anyone had a Fiat Panda 100hp?

Anyone? We’re trying to find the right balance between girlfriends first car and something that isn’t soul crushingly boring. Researched these and found them to be very highly appreciated by people who can drive anything they want like Evo magazine and Top Gear. And coincidentally, one of them landed on the front page of Pistonheads today.

We’ve just been to see one and had a quick test drive. For the past 6 years I’ve only driven big vans, and massive vans, so to me it feels like a little supersonic roller skate.

It’s the top of the market at £3800 but also ticks every box. It’s red for a start. Brand new brakes, new cam belt, new Eagle F1 tyres. All the oily bits are bang on. There’s a few blisters in the paint and peeling lacquer. We intend to keep it for the foreseeable future which we wouldn’t do if we went down the cheap banger route. I don’t mind paying to have the bodywork sorted out down the line. Also it’ll be going to the south of France so I checked the air con and it blows freezing cold 😉

It looks exactly like this…

Can anyone talk me into or out of it?

There was one for sale on here not long ago…

Dunno, but I like them too so I’ll be watching thread with interest. Curious as to real world running costs.

If this was 4wd it would be fekn awesum.

James May has/had one as a run around. Think he loved his and gave a pretty positive review

There is a guy around the corner with a bottle green one, lowered and looks like fatter tyres on it.. looks pretty and practical but somehow think it’ll rattle his teeth out.

We’ve got a Fiat 500 and a 500x in the family, think that reputation of unreliability is unfounded these days.

If you’ve driven it and liked it then buy it. We looked at one but neither of us liked driving it. Couldn’t quite put my finger on why….

Mum has a panda sporting (1.2 8v) and I’ve had two abarth 500s, still got a 595, bro-in law had a panda 100 for a while. They are all the same vehicle underneath. All made in fiat’s tychi factory in Poland. Reliability is great

Panda is by far the funniest to drive – a proper screamer of an engine (I now have one fitted in my cinquecento track car) with a sorted roller-skate chassis.

Ride is HARD, particularly from the rear. You can sort of fix this with fiat coupe bump stops. The abarth has it sorted properly with koni FSDs all round. I believe you can use them on the panda. Mum’s is cracking on a bit (12y/o) and we’re seeing some corrosion on the rear torsion beam & paint lacquer as you’ve seen it’s also got  a couple of electrical niggles, which i think is largely down to the aftermarket alarm/immobiliser.

Things to watch for: synchro on 3rd. Slam it up and down the 6sp box at full tilt. It shouldn’t complain at all. it IS NOT the Opel/Vauxhall box as fitted to the punto abarth. Synchros are cheap, prising the box open isn’t. I’ve got three under my bench at mum & dad’s, someday I’ll get around to rebuilding them and flogging them on.

Dying batteries manifest themselves as mysteriously vanishing power steering and ABS.

Rear beam corrosion on the very elderly.

Front brake squeaking. Get some proper heat into the brakes and see if they then start to squeak once thev’ve cooled. Nothing known to fix this.

I’d love one. Have considered getting one for sheer amusement. The Davide Cironi review is great.

Then there’s the completely barking stuff swap team are doing, particularly with the cinq:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwmTa79U1QI

Oh my word. The videos of it out dragging the Ferrari on track!

We’re getting away from ‘girlfriends first car’ here but certainly when she moves onto something else I’ll consider buying a blower for it. I know loads of people into engine swaps and home-brew hotrods.

They look amazing on nice wheels and track tyres.

Not the 100, but Mrs Pondo had a 08 plate Panda multijet diesel and loved it – we did a lot of miles and it ticked many, many boxes, fun to drive, cheap to run, reliable, small enough to be easy to park but capable of fitting astonishing amounts of kit in (we did numerous two week camping trips to France with two bikes, amazing how much you can squeeze in!). A fantastic car, fondly remembered and sadly missed.

I’ve a long history with Fiats and alfas, the Panda 100 is a great wee car, price is top end, as you say, but if it wants for nothing I’d just go for it.

I’ve had a second hand Panda Dynamic (11 plate) for the past two years, and it’s cost me nothing except tyres – can’t fault it for reliability.

You can fit bigger stuff in the back than you might think as it’s so boxy, but it’s a squeeze to fit a 27.5″ MTB in without taking both wheels off.

We have a fleet of about 15 of the 4×4 pandas at work.  They are used and abused by home carers who thrash then around the countryside to within an inch of their lives. When we offered to get different cars in to trial they weren’t interested, they only want to drive the pandas.  Collectively they cover about 400k pa and their reliability is superb. The 4×4 with with winter tyres was very capable during the severe winter snow, actually quite shocking the places our carers got to when everyone else was stuck.

We are about to buy loads more. Cracking cars.

Always loved small nippy hatchbacks. If it was my money I’d be going for a Swift GTi. I think everyone at some point should own something Italian though.

I thought about one (on the way road Smart Roadster, with way better fun and running costs but less practicality).

There were alotof other similar choices too iirc (Twingo sport etc)

Things to watch for: synchro on 3rd.

Christ. My original version panda 750fire had that issue!

No help to the OP but…..

My GF haD A mk1 panda 4×4

Man that thing was fun, surprisingly capable, but 100mph?

Above 70 it would vibrate so violently you couldn’t use the rear view mirror

Watch for problems with rear axle, dependant on mileage. They used to be plagued with problems; it was more a question of ‘when’ as opposed to ‘if’.

Suzuki Ignis Sport is a nice alternative.

Neighbour has two, a donor and the one he’s ruined ( ‘modified’ ). Very nice, totally teenager proof too.

Ive got the 1.4 100HP 500 and it feels quite nippy. Great fun on open lanes and people are often surprised how quick it can be.

I have a Fiat Panda 100hp as a second car that my dad uses mainly alongside his van. In fact i don’t think Ive driven it this year

Few bits that are well documented online that you should look at…

Drivers seat, Foam prone to giving way & the medal frame coming through the sides, also the base & back are prone to wear.

Steering wheel, prone to creasing.

Gearstick Gaitor, prone to tearing, cheap material.

Plastics in general are cheap & switches / vents know to crack, fail.

Bumpstops, known to lose them & dampers prone to leaks, check under rear end.

Syncro in 3rd as mentioned above

Rear brakes prone to sticking on, reversing & braking hard tends to reset them

The car in general prefers regular use.

Also note if tall the steering wheel isn’t adjustable & you have to rev it hard for it to ‘Come Alive’ 4000-6000+ rpm’ which isn’t normal driving.

Sport button weights steering nicely but makes accelerator pedal to sharp for normal driving.

The car wheel spins & understeers easily also.

As mentioned by many above, the ride is what it is, for me, the novelty wore off pretty quick, its great on the right A roads, for me unrefined & noisy above 60mph on the motorway.

For the missus first car with a £4000 budget id really struggle to recommend it myself, its simply a toy for me & i wouldn’t want it as a daily, id be looking at a Suzuki Swift Sport or maybe something more refined such as a polo, thats totally up to you.

Whatever you do, have an extended test drive!

If this was 4wd it would be fekn awesum

I’ve had two experiences of the Panda 4×4

One was a colleagues car on a business trip, I was rather impressed with how it handled the long drag from Hermiston Gait to Dreghorn on the Edinburgh Bypass.

The Second was when everyone else was hammered and I got to drive one in rural Aberdeenshire to collect someone off a farm.

On the way out (I’m 6′ and the passenger is 6′ 2″) I was being encouraged to “test it out” (remember it’s not my car, and actually it wasn’t the passengers either, the owner just told me to take it (I do have 3rd party cover on other peoples cars)) so I was pushing it a bit including through the farm gate, across the mud and in front of the new passengers house.

New passenger was 6′ 5″ and sat in the back no problem (the reason he couldn’t drive wasn’t because he was hammered it was because he’s put his back out);

Now being double encouraged to test the thing out (I hadn’t stopped laughing from setting off) I was suddenly aware of a hand poking through from the back seat as I made use of the 4×4 through the farm gate, and hit the City button…

After straightening up from oversteering (note significant use of the 4×4) and turning city mode off it was a direct route back to the piss up.

The grin wore off after a few days.

I had one for a year or so and I’d echo many of the comments above.

It was good fun but in reality I sold it faster than any other car I’ve owned.  Mainly because it was just a bit too bouncy on patchy local roads.  The engine only really felt alive at high revs.  As timc said above, I didn’t like the steering with the Sport mode off (way too light) and didn’t like the throttle with it on (too sensitive), so neither setting felt right.  I didn’t feel it was really the driver’s car the mag reviews had all made it out to be in my opinion.  I do prefer the looks and 5-door practicality to the 500 for sure.  I could just about get a bike in the back.

Tyres are expensive (and limited options available) from memory, so that’s definitely a bonus if you buy one with new rubber on.

They are a hoot though, there aren’t many around and they are great value right now, so it wouldn’t be an expensive car to own for a bit if you get on with it on a test drive.

How about an Mx5 for a cheap,  reliable, small,  fun second car?

Unless you need to carry more than two people they are reasonably practical with a usable boot. See a fair few about with bike racks too.

£4k should get you a decent quality 2006/07 mk3

I’m also an ex-owner. I had a grey 57-plate for a couple of years.

All valid points made above. Mine was driven on local country roads and occasional longer-distance stuff. It’s not particularly refined or sophisticated, but nothing that ever made me question my decision to buy/keep it.

It’s a cheaply-built car, but replacement parts are… cheap. I replaced the rear dampers with a set of original parts and it cost peanuts and significantly improved the behaviour of the rear end (the originals have a reputation for wearing fairly quickly). There’s plenty of stuff on-line (FiatForum etc) if you want to try and ‘improve’ the ride, whilst maintaining the handling and reliability.

The interior is comically plastic, and there’s not a lot of shoulder room – particularly if you have the seat pushed back far enough that you’re banging it on the B pillar.

I agree with others that the steering needs the sport button pressed for a bit of weight. I don’t recall the throttle being too twitchy – perhaps depends on what you’re used to. I can’t say that I ever really got tired of the driving experience – the need to work it quite hard is very much part of its character.

Mine was only replaced due to an impending company car. Looking back I wish I’d taken it on at least one track day for comedy value…

If anyone with a Panda 100HP is interested in a set of wheels with winter tyres on them then let me know…

I have some form of panda the one with free now cheap VED . Had it for 7  years without major issues . We do local motoring and a few very long drives a year . Plus family camping with a roof box . It is fun

We’re getting one. But, we’re not getting the one we went to see. It’s at least a grand over priced and the dealer is totally inflexible even considering all the cosmetic issues.

The hunt continues. It pretty much has to be red. We’re not exactly spoiled for choice. It was so much easier when she wanted a Mini.

If anyone with a Panda 100HP is interested in a set of wheels with winter tyres on them then let me know…

You anywhere near Sheffield?

The metallic blue is very beautiful & much better lacquer than on any flat fiat colour. Fiatforum, pistonheads and ebay is where I’d look.

The metallic blue is very beautiful & much better lacquer than on any flat fiat colour.

It’s funny you should say that. This is currently the closest one to home…

Link- https://goo.gl/dwDMzV

You anywhere near Sheffield?

Not especially… Close to the M1 between J14 and J15…

Have to say I’ve had a bit of a hankering after a Panda 4×4 for a while, I don’t need a particularly big car these days, and one of those would be ideal for the narrower roads in these parts, especially when they get really wet and muddy. My Octavia is 110ps, so a Panda with 100, and 4wd would be easily as quick, and a lot more fun.

This May be a bit more extreme than my local driving, though…

Yeah I looked at that one. Looks good. The white one also looks mint.

the 4×4 is a very funny beastie. I’ve had two: a decrepit F reg mk2 and a mk4 (as above).

The mk2 was hilarious – they even had a special wild camshaft over the regular 1000cc engine but rusted away before my eyes. The mk4 was a great city car and totally unbeatable in the winter. There’s a few guys taken mk3s and shoehorned 100hp or even Abarth engines in.

We had a panda 1.3td, it was loads of fun at such low speed. Only sold it as it only sits 2 in the back.

The 100Hp sound fun.

Get a mk1/2 suzuki swift sport instead

Get a RS Twingo 133 (non cup) instead. A 1.6L engine and no turbo. You can take luggage or passengers.

Had a Panda on holiday with four of us and luggage. It was a squeeze but a nice car. I liked the 100 hp, but the RS ticked the right boxes for me! Takes a bike with just front wheel off too!

Just been to see my second 100HP.

All the mechanical plus points of the first one (FSH, brand new brakes, stainless back box, cam belt etc…) but none of the downsides (loads of cosmetic issues like a peeling steering wheel, kerbed alloys, different shades of red).

Apart from a few tiny scuffs it looked mint. Perfect alloys, new tyres, the blue colour is amazing in the flesh.

Also had a long test drive around some country lanes and a blast up the M1 where I achieved the vehicles top speed. No shaking or wobbling or dodgy noises. I’ve been driving a LWB Crafter all day at work so again it felt like a rocket ship.

The only downside is I couldn’t drive it home as I was on my own. I’ll phone the Mrs tonight (I keep forgetting this is going to be HER car) and I expect I’ll be making an offer tomorrow.

I can’t wait to unleash all 99 Italian stallions.

Get a RS Twingo 133

These look amazing to be fair, but I’ll stick it on the list of potential future cars.

Mate had a 100hp, he’s a keen driver, and he knows his stuff, he rated it highly.

i had an 04 plate punto 1.3td, great engine, ok car, same chassis as loads of other fiats and vauxhalls.

did 70k miles in it, routine servicing only.

Go for it.

We have one and is great fun to drive in the same way singlespeeds are to ride, it’s all speed conservation and no brakes. Loves to drive near the rev limiter. This car replaced a Porsche in which things were getting a lot faster and would have gone wrong in a big way, the 100hp limits are far more accessible day to day. I like the blue, but found a really tidy black one which was wifes colour choice.

Just fitted coupe bump stops to ours as one of the originals had dropped out, only one bolt away from changing rear shocks, so replaced them with Bilstein B6. Doesn’t catapult off patches and road joints the same anymore. Also trying 50 profile the at the moment for some more cushioning and choice of tyres, but steering doesn’t feel as direct as the 45. Only other change is ‘cooper mod’ from Fiat Forum to the intake. SS exhaust next and then weighing up some future proofing for the rear axle. Good Panda 100hp FB group with some good mechanical know how.

I had over 100hp in less than a tonne in my ’92 Rover 214.

Beware marketing people. 😉

up the M1 where I achieved the vehicles top speed.

well that was clever OP !!! Another driving idiot on the public highway