Ginger and Proud!
I'm hoping to get some very helpful reviews, eventually I know I will get their...
Ginger and Proud!
I'm hoping to get some very helpful reviews, eventually I know I will get their.
Trying to get some layout and order to everything I do on Ciao
Member since:16.02.2006
Reviews:9
Members who trust:2
This is more of a story I would like to share with everyone about my first car.
In September 2003 I passed my driving test and was extremely anxious to get a car of my own however my funds were low and insurance is a killer for teenagers. It was looking rather glum and I thought I was doomed to travel on public transport. However things kind of picked up when I was offered an M reg 1995 black fiat panda 1000cc engine. A panda was the last thing I ever saw myself driving a 17 year old teenager with a Panda? Come on people would be sure to laugh. Anyway I took up the offer of receiving the panda as I was desperate to drive. It had no tax or mot but it didn't cost me a penny.
So the car arrived one evening after I came home from college and my god it was worse than I imagined. It looked like an old mans car, horrible interior a dinosaur of a radio, no glove compartment but instead a little pouch to put things in a huge grey steering wheel, dirty interior, it also had roof racks which I would never use even thought the boot was too small for a single suitcase. On the positive side it came with a nice set of standard ford alloys (the star shaped ones) I was quite sure that this wasn't the car I wanted. But I went along to the local garage got my mot certificate and then got my 6 months road tax and it was time to hit the road once I coughed up for the surprisingly cheap insurance.
After my first impressions of the car being quite dull I took it for the first drive, The pedals were tiny, steering was tough and the handbrake had been worn down to nothing. It felt like I was sat in a tin can on some seats that could only be described as something from the 70's. The mirrors were tiny and there really wasn't much the thing that spoilt it the most was its single windscreen wiper especially because mine had come lose and fell off after a few hours usage. So off I went down the street after my kangaroo start because of the incredibly high biting point, I was worried I would be recognised but my dad who was a fan of the fiat panda assured me it wasn't that bad. It didn't take long before people were looking at me in my car and probably thinking I looked like a clown or that I had stolen the car.
A week after I had got the car my perception of the entire vehicle changed. I realised that the Fiat Panda wasn't such a bad car after all but instead it had a lot of character. It got to the point where my car was seen as Retro amongst my friends and I eventually grew to love the car. The wobbly windscreen wiper, 70's seat covers, no glove box, alloy wheels and the whole feel of the car made up its character. Even though people laughed at it and said it was rubbish I didn't mind because it was my car and it did everything that I wanted it to do. I could have saved up and got myself a more modern car but I'm glad I didn't. The Fiat Panda will also go down as a classic car in my eyes. It's not a family car or a car that will have people gawping in awe over but it's a tidy, little, cheap, run-around that will get you from A to B and it's extremely simple to drive.
I unfortunately had to get rid of the Panda because it became slightly impractical for me however I still have many fond memories of the car and every time I see one I don't think "oh what a banger" I admire them. It may be a poor car I terms of quality but its character certainly makes up for it. So to any of you who are after buying a first car or a little run-around don't rule out the panda in fact I recommend you give one a try. The version with the sunroof is quite a nice car for the summer. I sold mine for £250 in 2005 but you can pick them up from £100 to £500 in the Auto-Mart just make sure it runs and that you get the 1000cc version because it's slow enough with that engine.
If you have any queries or comments please let me know thanks for reading. I hope that I covered quite a few of the features of the car.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: Pennies to run, safe, excellent handling, cool image and a fantastic car! Disadvantages: Finding a decent one that isn't riddled with rust.
Samuelcard 23.09.2007 (23.09.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Fiat Panda 1000
Mar 1st, 2006
(Apr 10th, 2006)
very helpful by (44%):
helpful by (56%):
