I've had my Panda for a few weeks now, but............
I love the Panda- great looks and I love the drivig position. It's just.......I can't get used to it. I just cannot get used to the clutch, or the handling in general. I've driven many different cars over the past few years and always got used to them quite quickly. But the Panda is being extremely stubborn!
My dilemma:
I paid £3400 for it (an 05 1.1 Active model, with 16k on the clock), and got a good deal: 12 months warranty etc. Should I put it straight in for p/x now and try and recoup as much as humanly possible? I know I'm going to lose a few hundred, but......if I stick with it for 6 months and decide that I still can't get used to it, I'm gonna lose a heck of a lot more!
I've been tempted because I've seen a lovely Pug 206 53 reg up for £3400.
Any advice?
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Have you checked there isnt something wrong with your car? The Panda isnt an unusual car at all to drive and tbh, the 206 is horrid to drive in comparison and Im not Fiat fan myself, but its not a bad car.
You will get hammered on the price I would suspect.
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I agree with stu.
I had a Panda Active and loved it - it was a real hoot. Sure, the acceleration and roadhandling were, err, limited, but it was real fun trying to get the best out of it. certainly wasn't a bad car by any means.
Peanut.
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You will probably loose less in 6 months time the way the market is going if you trade now you will loose a tidy sum,it sounds to me that the clutch has a problem the one I drove a hire car well thrashed was absolutely spot on.
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I've been tempted because I've seen a lovely Pug 206 53 reg up for £3400. Any advice?
Would you feel the same if you hadn't "seen a lovely Pug 206 53 reg up for £3400" ?
I've never driven a Panda, but I know folks who drive them daily. They're all happy.
I'd get that clutch checked out. (and get used to the handling - there are a lot worse handling cars)
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>>(and get used to the handling - there are a lot worse handling cars)
I suspect the problem isn't the handling so much as the electronic power steering.
My Punto has much the same set up, and it still bothers me 18 months on.
It's been discussed here in the recent past - tinyurl.com/4c2yzt
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Evo were massively complementary about the 100HP version, reckoning it was one of the most entertaining small cars they'd driven in years.
Based on the assumption that you can't polish a turd, I suspect the base models handle well too. Certainly that's been true of all the small Peugeots and Renaults that have been praised for handling over the years. You can only make a hot version good to drive if the basic ingredients are right.
Have you driven other examples to compare with yours?
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I would second that about the PAS, it does take some getting used to - when I ran a Seicento with the electric PAS it took me a fair while to get used to the change in the way you do steering inputs. If I recall, the self-centering wasnt very strong which really foxed me for a while and the lack of feel round dead centre had me creeping to the curb on occasion.
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- Get the tracking on the Panda checked out. Mine was way out after barely 10,000 miles and that made the cornering "interesting" at speed on the skinny wheels and tyres that the Active is equipped with....
No way would I lose cash and end up with an older Peugeot with an unknown history entering its (potential) midlife crisis.
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"I've been tempted because I've seen a lovely Pug 206 53 reg up for £3400."
It's a brave person who puts 'lovely' and 'Pug 206' in the same sentence. Have you had a good test drive in one?
Why not go for a long run in your Panda - a whole day perhaps - and give it another chance? A lot of people who have Pandas love them to drive and find them reliable: they have the great advantage over most other Fiats of not being built in Italy.
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Hi all- thanks for the replies.
I went and had a proper look at the Pug, but once we got discussing a deal, he wouldn't give me more than £2700 for it! It's not even 3 years old yet, and has only done 16k! I was disgusted. The dealer said he has trouble selling Pandas, yet I've been looking at his website over the past month and he has sold 3 Pandas in that time.
I simply cannot afford to lose £900 in one month.
It's not necessarily the steering, more the clutch- I just cannot feel the bite, or creep slowly in traffic. I've never had these troubles before. I find myself shooting away at speed......and I'm anything but a speed freak.
I'm going to have to have a look at a few local garages, and get some 'quotes' as to what they would offer me. If I get a good offer of at least £3000, I'll try and do a deal depending on what they have in stock.
If not, I reckon plenty of practice is in order...............
Would I be offered much less than £2700 in 3 or months?
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Got any friends/relatives who have recently passed their test? At least you could "keep it in the family", maybe loose a few quid but be happy knowing a dealer hasn't made money out of you and someone is happy with a decent little motor.
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