Any Panda Cross Owners ?

TheFlyingFox · October 16, 2016

Hey All,

Im thinking of getting a 2012 or 2013 Panda Cross. Are there any owners who will kindly provide me a long term brief review. How well the car holds up with the mileage and are there rattles and squeaks after a specific mileage. Repairs, Is the interior quality on par or better than a Alto etc. I have heard the Cross engine is a replica of the EP91 engine so i tend to think the car will be very reliable at least till the odo hits 100k. Thanks in advance.

Crosswind · October 17, 2016

1. Pandas have a serious problem with door handles. They break every 6 months or so and you need to buy them from the agent to replace them (unpainted one costs about 800 bucks). It's a bloody hassle if the door handle of the driver's door and boot lid breaks frequently.

2. You need the remote key to open the boot (dicky). If the buttons don't work or the remote breaks (which also happens often), you need to live without using the boot till you get a new remote.

3. Phoenix buckets are made of better quality plastics than the interior of Pandas. They end up appearing like old arpico plastishell water tanks after some time.

4. Gear knob, stereo buttons peel off after a while. gear gaiter gets torn

Although the engine is a copy of an old Toyota engine, its still made in China. For some funny reason, a brand new Geely engine is louder than a 20-year old same model Toyota engine. You really feel it when you drive.You need to change gears (up or down) at just the right moment or the car starts screaming like a tractor.

I would put the usable lifetime of a Panda at 5 years and by 10, most Pandas would be off the road (not that Bultos are any different).

Between Bulto and Panda, I would still prefer a Panda. Pandas have a shorter shifter compared to the gear shifter and the clutch of a Bulto that needs to move as far as Leyland bus's clutch and gear. Panda would be a wee bit safer than a Bulto with the Airbags and ABS and a bigger crumple zone.

TheFlyingFox · October 18, 2016

Thanks Crosswind, Seems like its not a good choice . I was wondering why they were so cheap second hand.

ferrarif50 · October 18, 2016

On 10/17/2016 at 7:21 AM, Crosswind said:

Between Bulto and Panda, I would still prefer a Panda. Pandas have a shorter shifter compared to the gear shifter and the clutch of a Bulto that needs to move as far as Leyland bus's clutch and gear. Panda would be a wee bit safer than a Bulto with the Airbags and ABS and a bigger crumple zone.

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BTW, what are the BULTOS? Sorry, I have no clue.