Fiat Panda 1983
  • Economy

    Value

    5 out of 5 5.0

    Bought it for £50 and scrapped it after 3 years.

    Costs

    5 out of 5 5.0

    Cost me £125 in parts over that 3 years. Everything was amazingly cheap on this car, plus I would put £10 of petrol in and I could never remember the last time I visited the petrol station.

  • On the road

    Driving

    5 out of 5 5.0

    Drive it to the limit and you still get to keep your licence, great fun.

    Performance

    4 out of 5 4.0

    Great in town. 80mph on the motorway until you go uphill, but I once got 93mph going down the other side. It is only 769cc.

  • Living with it

    Reliability

    5 out of 5 5.0

    Never broke down. Always started first time, once you got the knack, and got me from A to B.

    Image

    1 out of 5 1.0

    Zero image, which breaks other drivers hearts when you catch them unawares whilst overtaking.

    Comfort

    4 out of 5 4.0

    It sounds odd, but this car is one of the few cars that didn't give me back ache. The other was my 3 litre Alfa Romeo 164.

  • Security and Service

    Security

    1 out of 5 1.0

    The lock barrel would fall out of the drivers door, but who is going to nick it?

    Service

    3 out of 5 3.0

    Never needed them, accept the parts department.

  • Problems and Ownership

    Problems

    Engine

    None, for its 769cc size it was bulletproof.

    Other

    Snapping clutch cables. This was due to a worn clutch that I just wouldn't change.

    Ownership

    Did you buy the car new?

    Used

    Would you buy the same model again?

    Yes

    Did you buy from the same manufacturer again?

    Yes