General What Engine to go for?

[multispoke]

The 500 has a 5 star safety rating (unlike the Panda). Good to have that for peace of mind particularily if a young person takes the car off your hands at a later stage. The Ka doesn't have all the bags - you have to buy them. Tints in the back as an upgrade are handy if you use the 500 like a little van and only the pop or the sport can take a roof rack. When I asked my niece last day for some input on a spec for a 500 I asked her about the Panda - I was thrown when she said that she 'wouldn't be caught dead in one'. I'm considering one as a replacement for a Marea estate. You cann't put a value on the cool factor of the 500 .

 

[arorat]

Thanks so much for the warm welcome and considered responses

I'm with directline currently for the Panda (£250/yr), got quotes for 500 lounge just now, 1.2 comes out at £310, TwinAir £360, so not a massive difference, albeit enough to write off the whole VED saving

jrkitching: you read between the lines pretty well! I almost universally drive the Panda ("Sue") like a saint, not to the point of obsession but I don't like seeing the trip avg go below 50.... (ok may be that is a little obsessive!) and you are right, sounds like temptation to use the extra urge of the TA could be too much and get you into the 30's MPG range easily! I would imagine the 1.2 would drive much like the Panda, i.e. even if you thrash it, its not quick, so you may as well drive efficiently instead. I'd still be really interested to see what the TA would deliver driven like a saint though! I have a 2nd car for thrashing that only delivers around 24mpg at the very best that I take out on weekends only, I get it out of my system then and not on my commute. I'm also somewhat open to the idea of enjoying the TA sometimes rather than being 100% economy obsessive

Point taken about the cost too, I know in effect I could have a Panda for half the price but I've never driven or even sat in a 500 so I'll take the risk and won't take your advice to cancel the test drive, cost isn't everything for me, I need to see whether I think the premium for a 500's style (and fewer doors and worse practicality!) is worth it, of course rationally everyone should drive a Panda if it was just a value for money issue! I've evangelised this myself fruitlessly to many frends who've bought KA's 107s and the like!

pearce_jj: I saw the mylife panda at 7k too, pretty good deal, no fiat finance on that car though?, so I'd be on bank rates of around 10%, still much cheaper overall than a 500 obviously, but I do kind of fancy a change afaik no Pandas have blueandme?

I'll see what the dealer can offer on both Panda/500s and go from there

pK

Change is good..

Just for info via confused.com admiral/elephant (same co.) both came out with £192 each for 1.2 lounge & Twinair. 1.2 is group 6 and Twinair group 12.

The twinair although more efficient will give less mpg than 1.2, and as I read its down to the fact it will be abused due to its sportiness Seniors is my statement correct ?

Shame, as no twinair's in country last weekend to go under i-deal when we ordered, however Wilsons in Epsom called me yesterday with a red with black dials - but it was too late for us.

We also considered the 1.2 lounge for kids to go under i-deal before end of march, I know these are available and a bargain on i-deal.

Enjoy the test drive

 

[arorat]

btw: if you do decide to buy anything do it before quarter end as quotas need to be met and you can drive bargains. Also if the garage is going to do a pre-register on their name to meet quotas they may as well do it on your name - probbaly not possible but worth a try... good luck.

 

[popkid]

btw: if you do decide to buy anything do it before quarter end as quotas need to be met and you can drive bargains. Also if the garage is going to do a pre-register on their name to meet quotas they may as well do it on your name - probbaly not possible but worth a try... good luck.

Yep, Panda or 500, that's why I'm going in this weekend and likely why I got the call from them in the first place, they must (I hope) be desperate!

 

[rallycinq]

Having now driven the twin Air for a whole week I find that the low speed torque is almost unbelievable, and I am comparing it to my 08 multijet.

I have done most of my 300 odd miles in 'ECO' and only when needing a burst for a quick overtaking move have I needed/wanted to switch the eco off.

Cheers

D

 

[TrevC]

Can't add too much to the good advice already given. However, I'll pass on a few observations having owned a twinair lounge for 2 weeks/700 miles. I test drove a 1.2 and the twinair just blew it away! I'd agree that if economy is your prime concern, the 1.2 is probably your best option. I was changing from a mini cooper, so the performance had to be closer than the 1.2 could provide, and the twinair delivers. For the last few days I've been taking it easy on my 23 mile commute, using Eco mode, and am getting 51mpg. Driving more briskly with Eco off (but still with some restraint - it is new!) I get around 45mpg. If you can afford a lounge or sport, the Blue and Me is great for phones and music.
Good luck with choosing.

 

[TwinAir Newbie]

I went along a nice back road today in the glorious sunshine and for once decided to give the TwinAir a bit of welly and forget about trying to save fuel.

It was great fun and I found myself going faster than I thought I was.

That total cr*p written in What Car makes me believe they did the performance tests with the ECO button on.

 

[multispoke]

Can't add too much to the good advice already given. However, I'll pass on a few observations having owned a twinair lounge for 2 weeks/700 miles. I test drove a 1.2 and the twinair just blew it away! I'd agree that if economy is your prime concern, the 1.2 is probably your best option. I was changing from a mini cooper, so the performance had to be closer than the 1.2 could provide, and the twinair delivers. For the last few days I've been taking it easy on my 23 mile commute, using Eco mode, and am getting 51mpg. Driving more briskly with Eco off (but still with some restraint - it is new!) I get around 45mpg. If you can afford a lounge or sport, the Blue and Me is great for phones and music.
Good luck with choosing.

I re-drove the twin air today with 16 inch multispokes on a pop model. It felt better than the last one I drove giving better steering feedback (one we missed

) and was 'quieter' than the twin air voltare lounge model on 15 inch that I drove a couple of days ago. The Blue & me is a must have and is now being sold cheap for €300 which of course includes the multi-functional leather wheel (being done as a special). I then drove a 1.2 directly afterwards and it was a slow particularily given than I have originally come from a 1.4L - I found myself looking for the sport button ! If one had the budget for a 1.2 lounge/sport you could 'drop' to a twin air pop and just had on a little if you can do without the aircon. It would come down to the engine or the mod cons.

 

[cjc156]

That total cr*p written in What Car makes me believe they did the performance tests with the ECO button on.

Yep, I agree, although they failed to make that clear. What Car is probably the most tedious motoring magazine anyway, so I pay it no mind.

 

[multispoke]

This was probably just a once off...

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/fiat/500-2007/?section=owners-reviews

21/3/11, Had to call the dealer and book the car in to fix a fault. Low on power & makes no difference if Eco button is on or off. I hope this isn't the sign of early reliability issues on the Twinair engine or electrics. Car is now 2 1/2 weeks old with 2150 miles. I will update when back from the dealers.

22/3/11, Not getting the car back for 2 to 3 days. Dealer told me the turbocharger has failed and is now waiting for Fiat to deliver one which should be on Thursday (why is it taking 2 days?). Feel very annoyed that a new car has had a turbo failure so early on.

 

[306maxi]

Please stop reading honestdozeycoffindodgerwithmailorderdride.......

Parts fail on cars and there is always the highest chance of failure in the first few miles/days/weeks. The moment people realise this is the moment when they'll stop having a coronary when their new car develops a fault.

 

[pearce_jj]

It's hardly surprising, thinking of quite how many components are in them.

 

[cjc156]

It's hardly surprising, thinking of quite how many components are in them.

Lordy, why is it so many people are out to slag off the Twinair. Why don't we start a new thread and call it 'Things I've just made up about the Twinair'. Then you can post to your hearts content.

 

[306maxi]

Lordy, why is it so many people are out to slag off the Twinair. Why don't we start a new thread and call it 'Things I've just made up about the Twinair'. Then you can post to your hearts content.

Whoa!

The way I read it, it was a general comment about cars in general and not specifically about the Twinair or multiair technology.

 

[cjc156]

Whoa!

The way I read it, it was a general comment about cars in general and not specifically about the Twinair or multiair technology.

OK then..... I take it back

 

[pearce_jj]

i was meaning in the defense of the motor industry, i.e. it's amazing that any of them work at all!

 

[cjc156]

i was meaning in the defense of the motor industry, i.e. it's amazing that any of them work at all!

my humble apologies.....

 

[TrevC]

Actually Honest John has done a good video road test of the Twinair, and has owned a 1.2 until recently. He followed up the early mpg controversy with a prolonged test of the Twinair and wrote a well-balanced report on it.
Regarding the early turbo failure, I'm not getting too paranoid. A mate of mine had exactly the same happen to him with a nearly new Scenic diesel. The turbo was replaced under warranty and has been fine for the subsequent 5+ years. Any moving component can fail early if there's a manufacturing fault - that's what the warranty is for.

 

[popkid]

Went for my 500 twinair test drive today, only to find the dealer doesn't actually have a twinair... so I've still not had a go , they also said that since they've none in group stock, a twinair would need to be a factory order and that because it wouldn't be taxed before the end of the month I wouldn't be eligible for the current £750 deposit contribution on the PCP, that would rule it out for me, even if I would've considered ordering a car I hadn't driven, which I wouldn't!

They tried to get me to consider one of their 2 1.2 500s in stock on the £129 down, £129 a month offer, but they were both pop models on steel wheels and in colours I didn't like and with no blueandme so I really wasn't interested and didn't drive a 1.2 either.

They'd sold the last of their pre-reg Pandas yesterday so that was also a no go.

Almost ended up with the only Panda MyLife they had in stock as they did offer a really good deal on it for me (would've only been about £5k to change from my car) but when they actually showed me it, Fiat have done a really odd spec on them, they do have aircon and alloys (neither of which I'm actually that bothered about), but they also have a weird new dash with no rev counter or the trip computer that my 6 yr old dynamic has, and the stereo is a bargain basement standard DIN blaupunkt that looks really ugly in an adapter plate on the dash compared to the normal panda custom fit stereo. It might seem daft but I didn't want to buy a new car that would have felt like it was a downgrade inside as the dash and stereo looked cheaper than what I'm used to and I'd miss the MPG readout and stuff from my current car.

I apologised for wasting their time (though in all honesty they kind of wasted mine too with the non-availability of a twinair!) and decided to leave it.

So looks like I'm sticking with my current Panda for a bit longer... maybe a 1yr old twinair this time next year! or if the 105hp version is out perhaps one of those Hopefully my current car will thank me for its reprieve with continued excellent reliability.

Cheers,

pK

 

[multispoke]

Went for my 500 twinair test drive today, only to find the dealer doesn't actually have a twinair... so I've still not had a go , they also said that since they've none in group stock, a twinair would need to be a factory order and that because it wouldn't be taxed before the end of the month I wouldn't be eligible for the current £750 deposit contribution on the PCP, that would rule it out for me, even if I would've considered ordering a car I hadn't driven, which I wouldn't!

They tried to get me to consider one of their 2 1.2 500s in stock on the £129 down, £129 a month offer, but they were both pop models on steel wheels and in colours I didn't like and with no blueandme so I really wasn't interested and didn't drive a 1.2 either.

They'd sold the last of their pre-reg Pandas yesterday so that was also a no go.

Almost ended up with the only Panda MyLife they had in stock as they did offer a really good deal on it for me (would've only been about £5k to change from my car) but when they actually showed me it, Fiat have done a really odd spec on them, they do have aircon and alloys (neither of which I'm actually that bothered about), but they also have a weird new dash with no rev counter or the trip computer that my 6 yr old dynamic has, and the stereo is a bargain basement standard DIN blaupunkt that looks really ugly in an adapter plate on the dash compared to the normal panda custom fit stereo. It might seem daft but I didn't want to buy a new car that would have felt like it was a downgrade inside as the dash and stereo looked cheaper than what I'm used to and I'd miss the MPG readout and stuff from my current car.

I apologised for wasting their time (though in all honesty they kind of wasted mine too with the non-availability of a twinair!) and decided to leave it.

So looks like I'm sticking with my current Panda for a bit longer... maybe a 1yr old twinair this time next year! or if the 105hp version is out perhaps one of those Hopefully my current car will thank me for its reprieve with continued excellent reliability.

Cheers,

pK

I think if you're kinda happy with the current car and 'its going to keep going' you've made the right choice. The Twin air is probably best appreciated having come from a 'normal' 500. I put a deposit down today on a 1.2 pop with extras before the scrappage scheme ends and seriously looked at the Panda because of price but couldn't step down to the layout after the 500 plus it felt narrower inside. I did have a brief look at the Ka, Kia (7yrs warranty!), i10, 120 but I'm hooked on the 500. The car I reallly want is the Abarth but I will hold out for another 12 months. It's good to have a plan (or a dream). You'll know when the time is right.