The (nuovo) Fiat 500 thread

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > The (nuovo) Fiat 500 thread

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

I totally did not at all get to drive one of these a month ago but it had the paddle shifters and was white (bianco gioso) and oh my goodness I almost had a crisis when I absolutely didn't drive it around. The interior trim is really great, the gauge feel is superb, etc. Lots of room in the hatch, and it was really nice to see a motor that wasn't totally covered up with plastic things.

I'm really torn between buying a Pop version right away or waiting for the Abarth, but in any case the wife can have the xB entirely - this will be my car. There's even a place in the center console to put my pipe.

# ¿ Nov 23, 2010 17:06

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ Apr 27, 2024 06:06

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Soooo....do the servicing yourself.

# ¿ Nov 24, 2010 00:00

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

kimbo305 posted:

A genius ad agency should try to parlay PT Cruiser baby boomer nostalgia into the retro nature of the 500. Dunno how they could do it, but it would be cool to pull off.

Audry Hepburn in the ads.

# ¿ Nov 24, 2010 15:37

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Tiny yes but RR so it had more room in it than you'd think.

# ¿ Nov 24, 2010 16:51

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

Per Chrysler, dealers are supposed to expect to clear a $1500 average margin on each vehicle. That's not too bad. At target sales of 50k, that's about 280-300 vehicles per dealer per year for a decent profit. Then add in service lane revenue and they should be pretty set - provided Fiat meets target sales. I don't think it's unrealistic - the MINI moves about 42K units, and most subcompacts are moving about that range as well.

And this comes in below the Mini in price, which ought to attract a lot of potential buyers.

# ¿ Nov 29, 2010 16:53

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

kimbo305 posted:

You mean 500 vs Mini or 500 vs Fiesta? I think the issue is that lots of people bought the Mini for its looks, and I can see that for the 500. While the Fiesta looks great, I don't think it appeals in the same retro way.

Is it confusing at all that Chrysler sells the Fiat 500 and a Chrysler 300? I imagine they'd want people to know Fiat was a Chrysler product (sort of) to blunt older people's memories of why Fiat left the US market.

On the other hand, there's lots of people who would be turned off by the car if they thought it was a Chrysler product. And I think that Fiat recognizes this, what with having seperate showrooms for the Fiats.

Still, I'm really excited about this car, and I'm looking forward to about a year from now when their "ooh wow new toy" effect has worn off a bit and I can pick one up without a terrible mark up. The one I drove was so great, I can't think of another daily driver I'd rather have. Well, not one that's sold in the states.

# ¿ Jan 1, 2011 10:11

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Nitrox posted:

I was looking forward to checking one out at the auto show. Holy disappointment, batman. It's comically tall for it's length and width, the proportions just seem strange. Driving position is very upright and elevated. And interior was chock full of lovely silver-painted plastic that bows, flexes, stains and scratches like it's an etch-o-sketch. At 17 grand, I can't imagine why in a world would anyone buy one over a Fit/Fiesta/Versa, except for the "gotta have it" factor.

Are you sure you were sitting in the right car? Because I've found none of this to be true.

# ¿ Mar 25, 2011 06:17

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Nitrox posted:

I went right for it, there was only one.

Okay then you must have been sitting in a preproduction model or you're just misremembering. It's a great car on a great chassis that handles well and someday, someday, will come with this:

# ¿ Mar 25, 2011 19:13

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

DJ Commie posted:

You need a second bathtub meth cooker to pay for the speeding tickets.

# ¿ Mar 25, 2011 20:26

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

KozmoNaut posted:

It's a teeny-tiny hatchback, what did you expect?

The standard engine for the 500 outside the US is a 69hp 1.2, and people seem to be plenty happy with it.

Really, it's not a bad car at all. Or does nobody else here remember driving sub-100hp 80s Japanese cars?

More than that, though, Fiats are not and never have been about horsepower. They're about silly handling and fun and eagerness. This car, in particular, is simply fun to drive.

# ¿ Mar 31, 2011 16:11

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

dissss posted:

Whichever way you slice it 70hp is horrible.

Consider a modern 500 weighs about the same or more than an EF Civic and even the most emissions strangled of EFs made 70hp

The US base version comes with 101hp.

# ¿ Apr 1, 2011 16:25

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

nerdrum posted:

I've been involved with the launch and sales of these things since the beginning of the year, so by all means:

Ask a FIat of North America Salesperson questions!

I love the 500, I really do. But when will we see more Fiat models here in the states?

# ¿ Apr 26, 2011 05:48

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

The Panda 4x4 is exactly the vehicle I'd want to see here. Even if it wears Jeep badging.

# ¿ Apr 26, 2011 15:53

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Mighty Horse posted:

Its going too, don't you worry.

Might even still be called a "Compass"

That makes me actually want a Compass.

# ¿ May 12, 2011 20:57

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Just want a Panda 4x4.

# ¿ Aug 18, 2011 17:47

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Mr.AARP posted:

No ifs, ands, or buts. Italian drivers are Nucking Futs. My first memory of an Italian highway was seeing a middle-aged woman driving a Mercedes inbetween the lane lines like that's the way everyone should do it.

I'd have a nervous breakdown if I ever had to drive myself around in Rome.

Driving in Rome is an exhilerating experience. And it's funny to American sensibilities but the 500 is a pretty big car there.

# ¿ Sep 9, 2011 15:52

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Nitrox posted:

...because?

Because it's a $15000 car.

# ¿ Dec 27, 2011 07:06

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

IOwnCalculus posted:

True, but again that may be just American desires driving that one up - after all, we don't get the true base-model Coopers here in the US.

To add to bull3964's point: This is not uncommon in CA.

Those cars are on a freeway at full tilt. That stop bar on the right is the freeway entrance.

I dealt with that all the time in California with my 85hp (when new!) Plymouth minivan and I did fine, even as an idiot teenager. There is no car sold in the US today that is not more than capable of dealing with such traffic on a daily basis.

# ¿ Dec 27, 2011 19:45

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

IOwnCalculus posted:

Capable of? Sure. Comfortable is an entirely different standard, though. On the rare occasion that I carpool in my ~120hp Ranger, on the drive home, getting into the HOV lane from the nearly-stopped regular lanes is an exercise in rear end-clenching and wringing that loving Pinto motor for all it's worth. Doing the same thing in my Mazdaspeed3 is a piece of cake.

Americans are a special brand of whiny and self-entitled, and I honestly can't completely disagree. If I'm going to spend >$10k on a car, it's not going to be for a car where making that merge is going to be on a wing and a prayer. There are scores of cars available at the same or similar price point that can actually get out of their own way and then some.

I contend that this isn't an issue with the Fiat. You just have to know how to drive a small car.

# ¿ Dec 27, 2011 20:26

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Has anyone here or that you know picked up an L yet? My wife is pretty set on one, and while it's on a good platform and I'm taken with the fact that it's built at the Yugo plant I'd still like to hear a few first hand stories.

# ¿ Feb 21, 2014 18:59

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ Apr 27, 2024 06:06

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

It is meant to be a stylish utility car. We're cross shopping against a Golf and a Mazda 3 to replace our Yaris, but she's been in love with Fiat since they came back, and I have a thing for both Fiat and Yugo which translates over, so it sort of has home court advantage for those reasons.

# ¿ Feb 21, 2014 20:11

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > The (nuovo) Fiat 500 thread