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OK you might think I have gone mad...BUT


Walker570
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As mentioned on here I initially proposed to buy an electric UTV to help me get about and reduce fuel costs. Wellllll I have had another idea.   Sell my Land Rover and buy a Fiat Panda 4x4.

Looking at performance reports that little motor will take me to all of my shooting areas, access the narrowest of places and return 60mpg basically doing both jobs the Landy and UTV would do. I no longer have a need for both of my trailers so they can go as well.     A tidy low mileage model would be about half the price of the UTV on the road.  I believe the road tax is less as well and would assume the insurance might be less than the Landy but certainly less than the Landy plus UTV.

I would appreciate comments

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I think that's a very good idea given the fuel consumption of the V8 Landy and obvious reluctance to travel far in it these days - you might even get to Barholme again. :)

My main thought though is will you be able to get into it?

I've changed from my X-Trail to a Grand Vitara SWB which I can get into just fine.

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I had one of the original Fiat Panda 4x4 and, yes, it was a very good cross country runabout and would hold 70mph on the motorway. That having been said the steel was of the thickness of the red tins that shortbread used to come it and in an serious accident you'd be brown bread (and jam).

It eventually failed its MOT and was outside my house for many months. A man who "liked dags" knocked on the door and asked how much I wanted for it. I told him if he signed the V5 he could have it for free. Which he did and I gave him the keys. Next day it was gone.

Three days later it was back outside the house with the keys through the letterbox! I can't remember how I disposed of it but I think at the end I got £50 for it for scrap as back in those days the rules on V5 were different.

 

Edited by enfieldspares
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Yes the finish prior to painting back then was not quite as good.  A lot of 60s 70s and 80s Italian cars where the same.   I am fortunate that I have a friend who sells second hand cars as a business and lives off his reputation of finding the best. His brother also services all my other vehicles. Good old village busines.  I always buy second hand so after five or six years I can throw it away and buy another if necessary.  

Dave, you would be amazed where I can fold myself if necessary:lol:  Yes the fuel consumption would again let me roam a bit more.   Just a 30 mile run across to the golf club to kill tree rats cost me £20 today and it is not going to get any better.

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My Dr used to run a Range Rover, sold it bought a Panda 4x4 and says its a sound move. Hills  parking and winter in mind. Mind you she is tiny. She did say however its the same comfort and trim level as an early series motor, same shut lines, same paint runs, same rust resistance  just a tiny bit more reliable.

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Very little in this world gets cheaper.  I don't believe I have ever used the low box. Just looked at specs and the newer Cross models of the Panda have electronic descent control and three choices of applying four wheel drive.   The interior looks about the same size as my wifes Skoda and that is fine and also a cracking little motor.

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1 hour ago, Walker570 said:

Very little in this world gets cheaper.  I don't believe I have ever used the low box. Just looked at specs and the newer Cross models of the Panda have electronic descent control and three choices of applying four wheel drive.   The interior looks about the same size as my wifes Skoda and that is fine and also a cracking little motor.

why not stick to skoda and buy the Yeti ,very capable moter 😉

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Other options- Skoda yeti 4x4 is used by a couple of vets I know ran em into the ground! but used prices can be high for a good one ! 4x4 was only the 2.0 derv but suspect it will return better mph than the landrover 

Ground clearance can come Into play if driving down heavily rutted tracks

a plus point for the landy is there is very little that you can’t fix yourself.

a fault with my dads yeti was picked up on service ( under warranty) could you drop it back in it needs a new rear wiper motor ( dad said it never caused and issue ) the Skoda computer indicated motor was getting lazy!?!? All modern stuff heading the same way ! My dad loves his Skoda yeti 1.2 dsg

I even carry an odbc reader with my tool box these days !

Agriv8

Edit to add Mag man - posted at the same time

Edited by Agriv8
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It might do 60mpg for a while but it will break down very quickly if you use it. Not very robust to say the least.

Skoda yeti suffers with front skirt catching grass and will get pulled off.

Jimny is good and strong but hopeless on fuel. 

Fuel is coming down on the back of the recession and forecast to be $70 a barrel. 

I am just selling my Lux now to get something more road compromised and will probably get a crv but off road will be limited to tracks as a result.

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Jimny – excellent off-road, thirsty, expensive, not great for long road journeys.

Yeti – well built, comfortable, expensive.

Panda – remarkably capable off-road, considering it is just a city car that has been jacked up and given 4WD.   Doesn’t have the ground clearance or wheel arch clearance of a Jimny, and as far as I am aware there are no nobbly tyres available.  

Now on our third Panda 4x4 (2009, 2013, 2018), all diesel.   Average 55mpg (actual, not from the dashboard display).

2009 Panda Cross was in some ways the best.   Smaller external dimensions than post-2012.   No daytime running lights, so you could potter around fields in the evening without drawing attention to yourself.   Should probably have kept it longer, but at the time we were making do with one car, and having a lot of trips 350 miles each way to deal with ageing MIL, so it seemed a good idea to get something newer with a long warranty.

Post-2012 diesels are more powerful, rather larger externally but not noticeable bigger inside.    Later ones are Euro 6 (which might avoid some penalties if driven in cities).    

I still see a few 15 year old 1.2 petrol 4x4 models around.   Rather slow, fairly cheap, but might be suffering from tin-worm by now.   Don’t have any experience of the Twin-Air petrol models.

Rumours of a mild hybrid Panda 4x4, but no idea whether it will ever actually appear.

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Thanks for all that information. It is the exterior size which attracts me as much as anyhting. I can access places a 'posh' 4x4 wouldn't want to go.  My Landie just rams it's way through anyway.  Regarding body rot, then we will just put it up on the ramps and give it a good regular treatment.   I do not need to scream about the place so paying for extra HP is a waste of money.    I have my scout out looking for a tidy low mileage one lady owner Cross.

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Haynes Manual is available for 2004-2012 Panda, but only covers 2wd models.    

RTA manual is good, as long as you understand French.

Plenty of useful info on the FiatForum:

       https://www.fiatforum.com/forums/panda-mk3.72/      (2004-2012)

       https://www.fiatforum.com/forums/panda-2012.225/     (2012 onwards)

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Fortunately I have a local village garage where my other cars have been serviced/repaired for 25yrs and also part of the business is selling high quality second hand cars.

The car salesman also knows Fiats from back to front having once been a dealer.   I think he will find me a good one.

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  • 1 month later...
On 13/08/2022 at 19:49, Walker570 said:

Fortunately I have a local village garage where my other cars have been serviced/repaired for 25yrs and also part of the business is selling high quality second hand cars.

The car salesman also knows Fiats from back to front having once been a dealer.   I think he will find me a good one.

Hello, did they find anything suitable ?

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I have had all of my cars serviced at this garage for over 30yrs. 100% plus. One brother does the servicing and treats customers cars like his own and the other brother has many years of cars sales experience and survives because he only sells top class vehicles.  In some way that is the prblem because he is very picky about what he buys in and that is why I am happy to wait awhile for the right motor.  Frustrating?...... just a bit which is added to by the 4x4 Pandas are not two a penny.

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