2004 Fiat Panda Eleganza review from UK and Ireland

As it's only a year old, not much has gone wrong. What has is:

* front tracking went AWOL

* boot release stopped working.

Other "undiagnosed" faults include:

* engine revving on its own

* engine stalling at roundabouts.

* clutch judder, particularly in reverse

* intermittent operation of the passenger-side speaker

* clouds of blue smoke in the morning (at 14k!)

No official reason was ever given for these faults.

I liked it. OK, it was slow, but it was actually quite good fun. The body rolls a lot in corners, but there's enough grip. Even though it's slow, it's quite nippy and very maneuverable.

On the motorway the seats get a little uncomfortable and strangely the faster it's driven, the quieter it gets. There's less road or engine noise at 85mph than at 70mph.

The dealership in Bristol has been unhelpful, and the sales process was interesting. It was all nice when buying the car, but I had to wait an hour to collect it (I was on time for the appointment, but he was seeing someone else).

I'd been assured that the first service would be about £90. It was actually just under £190: quite a difference (and the door said the service department shut at 6pm, when in fact they shut at 5.30, so I missed the pick up too).

Best go independent for service and maintenance.

But it's a good, fun, economical car. It's "cool" as one chap put it. It just won't last for 100,000 miles.