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Is Chrysler's tiny Fiat 500 finding buyers?

I`m sure the Fiat 500 will attract some buyers but competition in that price range is
considerable just seems a little small for the money .
 
RamblinE said:
My '95 Miata still drives like new and holds up like a champ. It's also my first import, oldest car I've owned and car with the most features/luxuries.

After starting out with several American cars, I have become a believer in Japanese superiority.
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Yeh, The MX-5's are very well regarded both for their design and drive character as well as their reliability. I'm glad someone is still making an open roadster with front engine and rear drive. Every once in a while, I see a a line of a dozen or two drive through town like they are on a rally/meet.

I'm eying the RX-8s I'd love to have one some day. But the Mini is going to be a tough act to follow. It just too much damn fun!

frankxbe said:
I`m sure the Fiat 500 will attract some buyers but competition in that price range is
considerable just seems a little small for the money .
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I was lookng into buying a new Mini Cooper earlier and saw that the "S" type (the ones I'd want) are $27 to $34k !!!. That's a ton of money for a little car. (My low-milage '03 was less than $10k.)
 
Brett,

While Mazda did make some huge strides between the RX7 and RX8 in refining the rotary motor it still has one achilles heel for northerners.

Rotary's are not cold weather friendly motors. :(

Pretty sure it's a heck of a lot more common down here in Florida than where I'm from in PA. However I was a little flattered the other day when an RX8 driver said he'd love to have a Miata someday because of how well they handle. It will turn as hard as you can hold on. And then some :D
 
IMHO, they've made a couple mistakes..1) Priced it too high, & 2) No advertisements to speak of...Show the thing doin' an "Italian Job" or something similar, make Joe Sixpack wanna go out & BUY one...THAT day...
 
Redikilowatt said:
I also see too many Smart Cars. I find them annoying and a bit frightening when they whiz by at 75mph on six lanes of I-40 :eek:

Roger
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Try being passed by them while driving a bmw 325i at 100mph on the autobahn!

Mark W. said:
The one new car I wish we could afford (like I wish we could afford any new car) is the Mazda 3 5 door hatch back. I see so many Mazda 3's running around someone must know something.
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They are solid little cars, feel a bit sporty and energetic. Not the best looking car, and the finish can be a bit iffy (then again, I do not like many car finishes, very picky). Just fun and sized right for mutliple uses.

RamblinE said:
Brett,
While Mazda did make some huge strides between the RX7 and RX8 in refining the rotary motor it still has one achilles heel for northerners.

Rotary's are not cold weather friendly motors. :(
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They had to, the original Rx-7, while neat, was not a well-made car. Lots of build issues that become apparent over time. You should see ours, it's about to go to the steel mill in the sky (minus the engine, that thing is mine), just bad clear-coat, easy rust, etc. They did get a lot better from what i've seen.

Other issue is that for a really simple motor, they can be complex (The carb on the rx-7 is both horrifying and mechanically beautiful). The biggest issue is the gas mileage, which topped out at, what, 20mpg?


I haven't seen any myself, I think...my dad seems to have seen a couple. Around here, mini's are an unusual sight, and smart cars are not everywhere, but not really uncommon. They will probably start showing up before too long, but I suspect it'll be a while:scratch2:
 
They're cute as a button and will appeal to a certain market but I think too may people are still alive that remember when Fiat's were last sold here.
 
The Mazda RX-8 has been a mechanical nightmare, and the various Protege 5's, the Mazda 3's, etc. have been known to rust like nothing else since the 1970's. I guess that gives them kind of a retro appeal... :)
 
I remember seeing a lot of RX-8s on the road when they came out, and now I hardly ever see one. Not a good sign.
 
JohnVF said:
I remember seeing a lot of RX-8s on the road when they came out, and now I hardly ever see one. Not a good sign.
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They really are all over the place down south. They just aren't reliable in cold weather. Hard to weatherize.
 
Rented one last month when I was in Atlanta visiting my brother (who owns a 500 Sport and raves about it)...what you will think of the car will probably be set by your experiences and your expectations. Having owned many performance cars (including an Audi S4 and a 6-speed E34 BMW 540i that was chipped and had the exhaust modified), I was not expecting a Mini-like ride...which it wasn't. Not a bad thing, IMO - I am not a fan of the go-kart-type driving experience of the Mini. The 500 was WAY more civilized a ride than the Mini - whether that is a good thing or not depends on your personal tastes. It certainly does not handle like a Mini, but that is not the 500's target customer, either (I am guessing that Fiat will use the Abarth to target that customer).

Frankly, I found the car to be a hoot to drive - much more stable than expected when going 75-80 on the Interstate...plenty of room for the driver (the back seat is pretty tight, but the target buyer is probably not expecting to carry adults around a lot back there)...nice dashboard layout...unfortunately, I had an automatic rental, but the 6-speed A/T did a decent job with the engine it had to work with (my brother has a manual, and that is DEFINITELY the way to go). For a commuter car in an urban area, I think the car looks great and performs pretty well. It certainly is distinctive.

As somebody who likes the driving experience, I would not be satisfied with the current 500 as a daily driver, but the Abarth might be the ticket.
 
Biggest obstacle I see to Fiat sales, the lack of dealers in rural areas. Chrysler needs to get more Fiat stores available gradually along.
 
That Abarth would surely sell.

Despite my time spent in the "Republic of Cambridge (MA)", I've only seen one Fiat 500.

This is very surprising to me.
 
There are dozens of these little guys flitting around the SF Bay Area and rental car companies also offer them here. Still only see a handful of Smart cars. With the Fiats, the color makes all the difference in highlighting the lines. Like most Italian cars, it looks best in red.
 
Tarl Of Gor said:
Four words - Fix It Again Tony
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Is that true of the modern 500? I knew it was their downfall in the states in the 70's early 80's. But they've had 30+ years of production and a more globalized manufacturing and sales environment to operate in. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they are as reliable as any other European car.

But the data has got to be out there, they've been making these modern 500 for a long time and in great numbers across the pond.
 
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