Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

With some trepidation, as an ex rally and track driver (not of any note), I recently rented a Diesel Fiat Panda at Bologna airport for use during a week in the Mugello region, based in the small town of Barberino di Mugello.

I need not have feared... the car was a revelation in almost every respect.

I put up some 6,000-km in six days, covering everything from city, motorway, highway, unsurfaced, high mountain passes with gradients and hairpins of every severity.

Once the tyre pressures were properly set, the car could hardly be criticised for handling dynamics... really very good, and amusing to watch much swifter, swisher and of course more expensive, machinery either trying to overtake or escape from this microbe of a device.

It was quiet enough when cruising at autostrada top limits and perfectly quiet at the limits on other roads.

Fuel economy was superb.

Criticisms..? Luggage space, 2nd / 3rd gear ratio and lights, both main beam and dip (but may have needed setting) otherwise nothing negative, for what the car is. It must be by far the best in its class.

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong so far with the car since I have had it. The only thing I have done to it so far is change the oil and put gas in it.

Interior of the car is not to good, but for 200 Dollars you can't beat it.

Both driver and passenger door windows are broken. The plastic pieces that run the windows up and down are broke.

General Comments:

It is my first Fiat ever. I bought it from a friend for hardly anything.

For the tiny 750cc engine that is in it the car runs very good. It has been reliable every morning firing up with the help of the choke.

The cars suspension is like you are driving in a heavy duty truck or a little tank.

When I first drove it, I thought I was behind the wheel of a go-cart.

So far I don't think I will be able to ever get rid of it if something happens.

Faults:

I had no problems with the car, except for the exhaust, which broke at 65000km. But it must be considered as a normal maintenance service.

General Comments:

First of all I want to say that I don't like Fiats at all, except for Pandas.

The car has been useful and reliable. Even with a power of only 30 HP, it has showed all of its power! It goes everywhere: mud, snow, grass, etc... and never leaves you alone.

The seats are quite uncomfortable and may look like benches, but they are reliable, as they are completely reclining, and one may sleep there!

The gas consumption is great, as one may run at 20km/l.

The car is always easy to handle, even in tight curves.

We gave the car away to buy a Volvo S80 2.5D, but it was hard to separate from such a great car.

For anyone whom may be interested in my car please contact me, riccardo.gamberinitravels@inwind.it

Faults:

Light, light and light. I wonder the way bulbs were prone to blow.

Light switch on the dash melted and had to be replaced, but the whole unit was only about €6.

Distributor cap cracked a few times and was prone to damp.

General Comments:

Its essentiality has leaded it to be a greenpeace beetle flag.

Cheerful car and a bit of a motoring icon.

Not for people looking for luxury (of course). I'm going to buy a new Fiat Panda Hobby right now!

Faults:

The Panda 30 is a very noisy car; it's interior is very poor and damaged by the years; it's cold in winter, hot in summer.

Front seats are very uncomfortable, internal plastics are deformed. Its rear-wheel suspension is leaf-spring.

When you open the doors, they creak; it's difficult to open the rear boot door.

Luckily it hasn't got any accessories, so it's difficult to break something.

General Comments:

The Panda, made since 1980, is the cheapest car sold in Europe and you could say that is normal that an old car has so many defects; but already ten years ago it was like it is now and every Panda's owner I've known (in Italy there are millions of this car), has verified, more or less, the same things; in my family we use it like a second car, to carry our two dogs in the country or to go shopping. Unfortunately, with a litre of leaded it goes for 11 (eleven!)kilometres but, luckily, repairs are very cheap because I can buy from a car demolisher everything I need! Certainly today's Pandas are better than mine (especially the engine) but my next car won't be a Panda.