Fiat Panda (2004 - 2011) 1.1 Active 5d Owner Review

This is my second Fiat Panda. My previous one was an old model and didn't have any rear seat belts as standard, so I had to get some fitted for the children. It was a really fun little car and was more than sufficient for what I needed, plus it was cheap to buy, insure and run. I loved it but moved onto bigger cars with more room when the children got older. When my current car died, I spotted this one for sale and as the children have left home, I decided to purchase it. It has low mileage for it's year, and I am it's 6th owner. The cloth interior is very nice and seems to be hard-wearing and there are cubby holes and cup holders dotted about. The glove box is quite spacious too with a deep shelf above. The rear seats are bench-like and quite firm with sufficient leg and head room for an average sized adult. Boot space is sufficient with the back seats upright to fit a good amount of shopping in. With the rear seats folded, (all or nothing, no split) it is surprisingly spacious. The layout of the driver's controls is easy to see and use with big buttons and nothing too complicated, you don't have to read the manual to understand what everything does, and it has electric front windows. The lights and radio (after 3 mins), go off when you switch the ignition off, so you don't accidentally drain your battery. It has a City function button which makes the steering very light, which might assist in parking it in a tight parking spot, though even without, it is very manoeuvrable. It is quite nippy and I have managed to get a good top speed out of it without any problem. That said, as it is only a 1.1 engine, you have to plan your over-taking manoeuvres, and get into a lower gear than you might normally select. There isn't a rev counter, so you need to listen to the engine to tell you when to change up. Fuel economy is good and it runs on the new E10 petrol without any problems -so far. Handling is ok, it's quite responsive. There are some downsides though. One major downside for me is that there isn't a cigarette lighter. Not that I want to smoke, but it means that there is nowhere to charge my phone over long journeys when using my phone's sat nav. The other gripe is that the interior is always warm/hot even if you select the cold setting on the heater. Nice in the winter, but not so when we have our occasional heatwave in the summer. Additionally there isn't an awful lot of room for the driver, you have to position yourself carefully because if you don't, your left leg is wedged against the left hand side of the footwell. (I wouldn't recommend this car for a large, adult male.) There is a foot rest though, to put your left foot on whilst cruising, so that you don't ride the clutch pedal. The accelerator pedal is a long way off the floor, so during longer journeys, your leg can get tired at the angle it has to operate. I am quite short and the seat belt doesn't cross over my shoulder, it's in my face, which is a worry in case of an accident. I don't feel that the mirrors are adequate either, they are tiny; I find myself having to check over my shoulder when changing lanes on a dual carriageway or motorway as I can't see enough in them. Gripes aside, I do like this car. It is cheap to insure and run, is nippy and perfect for running around town and parking in small spaces.