• Economical petrol and diesel options
• Inexpensive and simple servicing
• No hybrids but start-stop is available

What are the running costs?

The Panda 4x4 doesn’t stray from its affordable roots and all versions should prove cheap to run. Go for the 0.9-litre TwinAir petrol model, for example, is claimed to deliver an official combined mpg figure of 57.6mpg on the older NEDC cycle.

On the more realistic WLTP cycle, that falls to a claimed 37.7mpg. Most owners, without much effort, seem to average north of 40mpg. It’s not a remarkable figure, all things considered, but it’s not bad when you consider the Panda’s flexibility and capability. 

The diesel version puts out an NEDC economy figure of 60.1mpg, and the diesel does generally seem to return higher economy figures in the real world. Given that the TwinAir is more fun, and diesel more expensive, we’d still swing for the petrol version unless you can really make the figure’s stack in the favour of the diesel.

Annual tax costs are low in either case, particularly for the TwinAir, and insurance costs should also be low due to the Panda’s low insurance group rating.

View detailed MPG and CO2 figures on the Fiat Panda 4x4 specs pages

Servicing and warranty

Keeping a Fiat Panda 4x4 going shouldn’t prove difficult or expensive. They are easy to work on and many components, such as the spark plugs, have long service lives. Because they are light cars, parts such as the brake discs and pads, and the tyres, also tend to last for a long time.

Both the TwinAir petrol and MultiJet diesel engines use timing chains instead of belts, further helping keep the cost and complexity of servicing down. This, coupled with low running costs otherwise, should help keep your overall expenditure down.

What is worth bearing in mind is the additional complexity of the all-wheel-drive system; its parts can fail and require attention, so remember to carefully inspect and test any used example to make sure everything is working.

When new, a Fiat Panda 4x4 would have come with a conventional three-year, 60,000-mile warranty. A Care Package was also available that extended that to four years. In some cases, a used Panda may still have some of its original warranty remaining – and Fiat also offers approved used cars with a minimum of 12 months’ warranty.

Reliability

• Generally reliable and easy to own
• Few recalls or prominent problems
• Some attention required from owners

The Fiat Panda has been around a long time and, even in more complicated 4x4 form, major problems tend to be rare. In some cases where a car has suffered a major failure, it can stem from improper maintenance or care. The TwinAir engine, for example, is particularly sensitive to the type of oil used and the correct level must be carefully maintained.

A lot of the parts in the Panda are otherwise shared with other Fiats and, because the car has been around for such a long time, many of the kinks have been ironed out. Problems, as a result, tend to be minor rather than major.

There have also not been very many recalls for the Fiat Panda, with most early models only receiving a recall for a fault that could cause the headlights to fail. You can use the Government’s recall website, though, to check out what applies to the particular year of Panda you are considering.

Otherwise, check out our owner’s review section to see what this generation of Fiat Panda has been like to live with.