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Definitely. Was more pointing out it's objective superiority to a van with big wheels and no sound proofing.
Funny you mention a Panda, as mate was given one when he was living in Italy. He'd never touched a car mechanically, but was able to fix everything that cropped up with a Haines manual and basic borrowed tools.
Something naturally aspirated and FWD is about as simple as you can get - the gearbox will be attached to the engine, it'll all be fairly small and light (if in a small, light car), and if you get something from the late 90's it'll be reliable without being so complex on the electronics front that you have no chance of troubleshooting without the dealer specific software package.
There's also a minimum of systems to go wrong. Small, light, cheap and tinny hatchbacks can also be great fun, in a way that a Disco can never be.