Need oppo-inion on the Fiat Panda

"Bluecold" (Bluecold)
04/23/2014 at 15:10 • Filed to: Solid financial advice wanted

Behold the Fiat Panda

An endearing shitbox, designed with the sole goal of being cheap. So you get nothing. Not even curved glass. You don't even get a glovebox, you get a trough (you also don't get high resolution photo's).

What do you get?

room for sexytime:

Now this car is the only european basic motoring utensil (doesn't even deserve the name appliance) that is cheap. Others, such as the mini, Fiat 500, 2CV and beetle are expensive. Now you can get one of these endearing little turds for about 500 euro, so they can't really depreciate. The question is not "will they appreciate in the coming decade?" but rather "will they appreciate enough to make them a solid investment?, if yes, which one should I buy?"

The Panda 4x4 is out, they are already over 2k which is a lot more than frivolous cash.

DISCUSSION (15)

505Turbeaux > Bluecold
04/23/2014 at 15:13

I have been entertaining a 4x4, but that is the only way I would buy one. Without the utility I am not down

Kinja'd!!!

Bluecold > 505Turbeaux
04/23/2014 at 15:15

They also only seem to be for sale in the alps. So to buy one, you need to plan a vacation around it. Doesn't sound tooo bad though.

Matthew Diaz > Bluecold
04/23/2014 at 15:16

I love the simplicity, intelligent design, and squareness of it. But mostly the squareness of it.

Actually I do think they're really cool little cars, like a little box that holds "essence of car" that shows you what a cheap econo-shitbox should really be like and I'd love to see if one made a super low budget rally car or something.

505Turbeaux > Bluecold
04/23/2014 at 15:17

I have to source a W116 4.5 or 6.9 for a wealthy client anyhow, so it may just happen like that. If I can find a good Golf Country or Citroen BX 4x4 wagon those are usually in those areas too

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Bluecold
04/23/2014 at 15:17

How tragic, an enforced trip to the Alps.

WELL, IF YOU INSIST

Klaus Schmoll > Bluecold
04/23/2014 at 15:20

Buying one as an investment is pointless IMHO. Prices will never go above €1000 or so in the foreseeable future. And you would still have to pay to keep the car in pristine condition (garage, registration, insurance etc... not driving a car is worse than driving it hard).

Trunk Impaired 318 > Bluecold
04/23/2014 at 15:22

I still like the panda better than the original twingo…..

Kinja'd!!!

Eazy-O > Bluecold
04/23/2014 at 15:25

The cheapest I can find in my neck of the woods is 500eur for a 4x4 and another non 4x4 for good measure: http://www.avto.net/_AVTO/ad.asp?I…

davedave1111 > Bluecold
04/23/2014 at 15:26

No, they won't appreciate enough to make them a solid investment. They're going to appreciate, but not by the kind of amounts necessary to make them investment material in their own right because of upkeep and so-on.

But, and it's an important but, if you're going to enjoy owning it and working on it, such that you don't put a high monetary value on the time you put into it, then it might be quite a sensible 'investment'.

We were talking Pandas earlier today:

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/pandas-are-awe…

The problem you face is that Ł500 Pandas are likely to be complete dogs, requiring welding and other work, and the nice ones already go for a fair bit more than that.