General Panda vs 500 reviews

[JD82]

It is nothing new, the 2CV and R4 both had a dash mounted gear stick.

The Honda Civic also had one before the Panda.

I think Fiat were the first to do reintroduce it on a modern small car though. It really is a brilliant idea, saves floor space and also means less effort to shift.

 

[JTD_Liam]

It is nothing new, the 2CV and R4 both had a dash mounted gear stick.

The Honda Civic also had one before the Panda.

I think Fiat were the first to do reintroduce it on a modern small car though. It really is a brilliant idea, saves floor space and also means less effort to shift.

Admitedly the Renault 4 & Citroen 2CV had the idea just a teeny bit before the Panda but i think the Multipla (in the UK from 1999) got it before the Civic (2001) i think. The Panda then followed in 2004.

End of the day though, Pandas simply rock :slayer:

 

[Advanced Driver]

I'm still waiting for the ways in which the 500 has sacrificed function for style?

As other people have said, the boot isn't as good. It's slightly narrower, and the shape of the tailgate isn't as practical.

From the drivers seat, the 500 isn't as good IMO. Rear visibility is worse, and the doors are higher. Reaching back for the seatbelt is also far more difficult.

IMO the Panda has everything you need exactly where you want it.

 

[JD82]

The only thing my passangers complain about is that the seatbelt clip can be hard to reach.

 

[306maxi]

As other people have said, the boot isn't as good. It's slightly narrower, and the shape of the tailgate isn't as practical.

From the drivers seat, the 500 isn't as good IMO. Rear visibility is worse, and the doors are higher. Reaching back for the seatbelt is also far more difficult.

IMO the Panda has everything you need exactly where you want it.

OK so the worst criticism of the interior is that the seatbelt is harder to get to.... WOW. I hadn't thought of that, off to Slaters in the morning to see what I can get as a trade-in on a Panda! If he offers me £5 I'll be happy, just as long as I don't have to deal with the constant horror of having to put my seatbelt on in the morning.

Rear visibility is worse but the mirrors are a good shape and size and make up for it and help you see stuff coming up before you do the final lifesaver check.

I think people are getting slightly confused between getting used to a car and one car being terrible whilst another is much better. My 406 had everything where I needed it, the wifes Subaru had everything where I needed it when I drove it for 5 months and the 500 has everything where I needed it.

If the 500 was so terrible then why aren't people on the 500 forum complaining about how horrible it is to drive? Answer? It's perfectly fine to drive, hence no one complains about it.....

 

[JD82]

The Panda and 500 are actually very different cars aimed at completly different markets so there will always be these arguments I am a Panda owner that likes the 500 though but for me 5 doors is essential.

Before the 500 came out and I saw it in magazines I said to myself if I am ever rich and can afford a brand new car it will be the 500. When I was in the position to buy one having missed 5 doors on my Fiesta and having loved them on my Corsa I realised 5 doors is essential for my needs.

I am sure the 500 does the same but everytime I drive my Panda I always end up smiling it just keeps surprising me. I think it is because it is so cheap I just think wow. I could have bought a 40k Fiesta for the same money.

 

[jrkitching]

The Panda and 500 are actually very different cars aimed at completly different markets

I think the Panda & 500 are very similar cars which are styled very differently and aimed at completely different markets.

 

[306maxi]

The Panda and 500 are actually very different cars aimed at completly different markets so there will always be these arguments I am a Panda owner that likes the 500 though but for me 5 doors is essential.

Before the 500 came out and I saw it in magazines I said to myself if I am ever rich and can afford a brand new car it will be the 500. When I was in the position to buy one having missed 5 doors on my Fiesta and having loved them on my Corsa I realised 5 doors is essential for my needs.

I am sure the 500 does the same but everytime I drive my Panda I always end up smiling it just keeps surprising me. I think it is because it is so cheap I just think wow. I could have bought a 40k Fiesta for the same money.

Whilst more doors are good of course, you can still fit lots of stuff in a car with 3 doors

I'm an IT technician and I really hate driving the work van so I take the 500 when possible and I got 8 PC's plus keyboards and mice in the 500 back in the summer.

We're getting slightly off topic here, Babbo_umbro was criticising the interior as being an example of form over factor and the worse thing we've had so far is saying that the seatbelts are hard to get to......

I think Fiat have positioned both cars very cleverly. Aside from cost and the amount of doors there is very little difference between two cars in practical terms. But Panda owners think they got the more honest and practical of the two and 500 owners (not me) think they've got some bit of rolling sculpture and that the sun shines out their arses. They're ummmmmm pretty similar really! Panda and a Panda in a frock.

Aside from Fiat reaming significantly more from 500 buyers than Panda buyers. If the 500 was such a poor, impractical car which was form over function then it wouldn't have sold so well.......

Don't think the Panda ever made it into the top 10 selling cars list.....
http://www.carpages.co.uk/fiat/fiat-500-09-11-09.asp

 

[TJ07]

I'm an IT technician and I really hate driving the work van so I take the 500 when possible and I got 8 PC's plus keyboards and mice in the 500 back in the summer.

Thats Micro cases for ya!

Aside from Fiat reaming significantly more from 500 buyers than Panda buyers. If the 500 was such a poor, impractical car which was form over function then it wouldn't have sold so well.......

Don't think the Panda ever made it into the top 10 selling cars list.....
http://www.carpages.co.uk/fiat/fiat-500-09-11-09.asp

Yeah but that just because of vanity really!

 

[306maxi]

Thats Micro cases for ya!


Yeah but that just because of vanity really!

They're normal Dell Optiplex 380's

Some 500 owners are INCREDIBLY vain I agree, but the same could be said of Grande Punto and Punto Evo owners, there are probably better cars out there in that class but you had to go for the one that looks good

 

[JD82]

306maxi it seems we have the same job But I tend to put the computer on the back seats, the cushioning protects the hard drives a bit.

I keep all my tools in the boot including an osciliscope, CDs, ethernet cables, routers, screw drivers etc.

 

[JD82]

I think the Panda & 500 are very similar cars which are styled very differently and aimed at completely different markets.

I meant in market terms, technical the cars are near identical but the people that buy them are very different. Pandas are people that are proud to have a belly, 500s are for men that wear after shave

 

[306maxi]

306maxi it seems we have the same job But I tend to put the computer on the back seats, the cushioning protects the hard drives a bit.

I keep all my tools in the boot including an osciliscope, CDs, ethernet cables, routers, screw drivers etc.

WTF do you need an oscilloscope for?

I'm a project officer so I only put new equipment in so I put the PC's in the car in their protective foam packaging

Oh and I never wear aftershave

 

[JD82]

WTF do you need an oscilloscope for?

I'm a project officer so I only put new equipment in so I put the PC's in the car in their protective foam packaging

Oh and I never wear aftershave

I don't I bought it second hand for £45 and it purely for show, it looks good getting it to produce graphs of a power supplies voltage output I bought as I intend to fix my HIFI amp when I actually get the courage and I want to get back into my electronics hobby.

It is one of the portable ones with USB port and a nice back light, it is a Uni-T which would cost about £150 new.

I am self employed and fix peoples computers so I am always picking up computer equipment hence why 5 doors makes it a lot easier for me, if I didn't do this job then a 3 door would be fine.

 

[jrkitching]

if the 500 was such a poor, impractical car which was form over function then it wouldn't have sold so well.......

Don't think the Panda ever made it into the top 10 selling cars list.....

Agreed.

And on average, attractive people get more dates. Doesn't necessarily make them better life partners, though.

The great thing about the Panda's relative unpopularity is that it helps keep prices down.

Perhaps this shows how much folks are influenced by external appearance. To judge the true worth of something, you have to look inside it too.

"Mais les yeux sont aveugles. Il faut chercher avec le cœur."

 

[TJ07]

They're normal Dell Optiplex 380's

Some 500 owners are INCREDIBLY vain I agree, but the same could be said of Grande Punto and Punto Evo owners, there are probably better cars out there in that class but you had to go for the one that looks good

My god!!!! You think the Evo is a good looking car?! Weird everyone in the Grande sections seems to think it’s ugly!!!!.... can you believe that…. The cheek!
I personally bought it for the interior… it’s what’s on the inside that counts!

 

[Advanced Driver]

Agreed.

And on average, attractive people get more dates. Doesn't necessarily make them better life partners, though.

I think that's what it is. I think we're all agreed that there isn't a huge difference between the two, with the exception of the price. So if they are so similar, why is the 500 so much more popular? It's got to be because of looks.

The options are also good on the 500. You can't get leather seats on the Panda, and you can't get xenon lights etc. This is one of the things that attracted me to the 500.

btw, I injured my neck once when I reached back for the seatbelt It was actually in a GP IIRC, but the 500 is equally bad.

 

[306maxi]

My god!!!! You think the Evo is a good looking car?! Weird everyone in the Grande sections seems to think it’s ugly!!!!.... can you believe that…. The cheek!
I personally bought it for the interior… it’s what’s on the inside that counts!

Well it's not as nice as the Grande, but it's all relative when you look at the competition

Advanced driver, you never fail to make me laugh and also facepalm everytime you post. A neck injury from reaching for the seatbelt? Wow.... just wow......

Jrkitching, you're quite right. Just because the 500 sells better doesn't mean it's a better car. But because it sells better also doesn't mean that it's worse as a car either

The funny thing about this is that I've nothing but praise for the Panda. For the money you pay it's a damn good car. The 500 is overpriced and I would never have bought one if not for scrappage which meant a genuine £2k discount which meant it was MUCH better value for money than before. I struggle to think of how people justify paying full whack for the 500. Our car cost us £8720 on scrappage and now the same car would cost £11895 which is just bonkers for a small car.

 

[babbo_umbro]

Been doing festive duties - like failing to get the 100HP up the drive and setting up the tree.

The fussiness is easily dealt with:

The instrument is a busy little styling exercise;
the radio controls are similarly busy;
the multi-coloured steering wheel;
the multi-colured fascia;
the over-styled seats with the differently-coloured blob headrests;
the chrome interior door handles.

The overall effect is the same as a word-processed document with a mixture of too many fonts, I think that 500s with a contrasting body-coloured lower dashboard and ivory bits and pieces scattered about look a real dog's breakfast.

As far as affecting function goes: the instrument is not a good way of imparting information, there is a notable difference in clarity between this and a set of instruments using a better combination of colours; the apparently odd radio controls may be less important, given the wheel-mounted alternative, but any control that might be distracting is a bad idea. As you say, it's possible to become familiar with these but I'd say that a more functional design would be preferable. It's interesting that the ivory fascia is an option, and that it has a black/dark grey top - I'd be interested to hear whether 500 drivers suffer reflections in their windscreens on sunny days, or at night under street lights. To me that's a serious issue, made worse by the ivory steering wheel.

The top-of-the-range original Fiat Abarths - 695 SS, 850 TC, 1000 TC - had their basic instrument replaced by a really neat little panel with separate instruments.

You've mentioned the lack of headroom in the back, and others have mentioned the boot - I'd say they're a result of styling over function but are not a "fussiness" issue, and I tend to discount them as a disadvantage as they're obvious to anyone trying out the car and they can decide whether they're significant or not. The seat belt access is obviously a pain but I don't think that can be put down to styling, more to the proportions of the body.

 

[Venters]

It's always good to see threads like these.
People always making assumptions about 500 owners, then you read a thread like this and see the Panda folk are just as bad perhaps even worse.
Can't remember the last time a thread in the 500 section had this much whinging about another model being different and therefore inferior.