Which car to buy ?

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flyingscotno1 wrote: »

I've been in the Panda 1.1 and found it to be fine around the town and more than competent on the motorway. It was a bit bouncy at 70 and I wouldn't do it day in day out for 50 miles but 3 or 4 times a month wouldn't bother me. Not a speed demon motor, but the engine is nippy. As for crash tests- you get what you pay for, small cheap cars at £6000 are mainly not getting 5 stars.

Fiat warranty is 3 years- 2 year manufacturer and 1 year dealer backed.

This is my quandary. Where we will move to my other half will use it for the school run and shopping but I'm thinking that as she is not from the UK and has never lived here long term, we will probably want to do some exploring and though not intending multi hundred mile trips every weekend, it may get more use than the 1 to 5 mile "to the shops and back" which would make the Fiat an ideal car.

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jd82 wrote: »

As I said the view is that the Panda would have got four stars anyway if it was tested today, especialy the mid range model with all the side bags. Of Course FIAT could have easily given us side bags, ESP etc as standard but the price would then rise by £1000.

These are the 2010 NCAP figures for the model in question. The comparison must be like with like as near as possible.

jd82

But the test was carried out in 2004, not 2010 unless its been tested again this year. They don't upgrade the ratings if the cars safety has improved (which it has in the case of the Panda) unless they retest and they can't restest a car everytime it is modified slightly.

Here is the full report, done in 2004.

http://www.euroncap.com/tests/fiat_panda_2004/198.aspx

It clearly states it was not fitted with a passanger airbag, which would have reduced crash test results. All Pandas now come with at least two airbags.

flyingscotno1

property.advert wrote: »

This is my quandary. Where we will move to my other half will use it for the school run and shopping but I'm thinking that as she is not from the UK and has never lived here long term, we will probably want to do some exploring and though not intending multi hundred mile trips every weekend, it may get more use than the 1 to 5 mile "to the shops and back" which would make the Fiat an ideal car.

Why not go and try one- ask the dealer if you can take it to run down the motorway and see what you think. Certainly I say that- they seem popular in rural parts of Scotland where my relatives are from- folk travelling regularly 100 odd miles to Glasgow in them!

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jd82 wrote: »

But the test was carried out in 2004, not 2010 unless its been tested again this year. They don't upgrade the ratings if the cars safety has improved (which it has in the case of the Panda) unless they retest and they can't restest a car everytime it is modified slightly.

Here is the full report, done in 2004.

http://www.euroncap.com/tests/fiat_panda_2004/198.aspx

It clearly states it was not fitted with a passanger airbag, which would have reduced crash test results. All Pandas now come with at least two airbags.

Thanks for that. I just did a simple google and should perhaps have been more diligent. However, it would not have raised the two stars for child protection and I have a 3 year old.

In any case, it highlights the age of the design. Must be near retirement now ?

jd82

To be honest I would be looking at a Focus size car anyway because the star ratings cannot be compared. A 4 star Focus is saver than a 4 star Fiesta for example.

It is due to replaced by 2011 but knowing FIAT it will be more like 2012. The car is still selling very wel so there is no major rush. The original Panda was on sale from 1980-2003 with not much modifications (it got a new engine and new suspension design in the late 80's but thats it).

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jd82 wrote: »

To be honest I would be looking at a Focus size car anyway because the star ratings cannot be compared. A 4 star Focus is saver than a 4 star Fiesta for example.

It is due to replaced by 2011 but knowing FIAT it will be more like 2012. The car is still selling very wel so there is no major rush. The original Panda was on sale from 1980-2003 with not much modifications (it got a new engine and new suspension design in the late 80's but thats it).

You make a very rational argument but my partner is primarily used to driving automatic Isuzu trucks in Asia and as she cannot exchange her licence and must take a test and because the UK discriminates between auto and manuals for licences, she'd better get a UK manual license. Not a direct consideration I know but the Focus has big blind areas at the rear pillars and I reckon a smaller car, easier to manage etc. will allow her to get to grips with driving in the UK in a manual than a mid size or larger car.

The other things which might come into it is the sub 110 CO2 emissions as my company, if I put it through the company, could set it off against tax at 100% in year one. The Fiesta falls into that category but the damn DPF causes a problem.

I guess at the end of the day I would rather save the cash than buy a new motor but whichever way I turn I bang my head against an issue related to second hand which I don't find easy to overcome. Then the lure of a Toyota 5 year warranty or the Hyundai one or even the 7 year Kia warranty just scream "guaranteed no problem motoring".

Like buying a new laptop, you think, "oh, I'll just spend a little bit more" and then a bit more and so forth and where you end up is miles from where you started. The Fiesta is £12k near as damn it (£11730) on here http://www.dealdrivers.co.uk/html/new_fiesta.html and that is before options. That is double the Fiat I know but I'm also trying to work out total ownership costs, say over 5 years.

jd82

The FIAT is very very simple though, I am no machanic and I have never seen an engine before which invites you to get a spanner out. The FIAT FIRE engine is one such unit. Its just so damn simple. A main dealer charges £140 for a cambelt replacement for example, its usualy £300-£400 for most modern cars.

The Hyundai does come with a longer warranty but you need to consider carefully what it excludes. Do you really want to be tied to expensive dealer servicing for 5-7 years? There is also a lot of exclusions under the warranty, brakes, clutches etc. The only reason Kia/Hyundai give you such a big warranty is its the only way their cars would see in the volumes they do.

Lada used to give you a two year warranty when Ford had one, but the Ford was still much better built and lasted longer.

The Picanto is too slow and feels cheap nasty, the i10 is better and has a chain cam engine so should last too. Some of the dash is very poorly trimmed though so expect things to snap of over a long time of use.

I have a feeling a nearly new Skoda Fabia may be your best .

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jd82 wrote: »

I have a feeling a nearly new Skoda Fabia may be your best .

I like to think I'm not a snob but I am not buying a Skoda :eek:

(maybe I am a closet snob ?) :beer:

MX5huggy

You should not dismiss Skoda, but if you do how about a Suzuki Swift?

http://www.whatcar.com/car-reviews/suzuki/swift-hatchback/summary/25393-5