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Is Chrysler's tiny Fiat 500 finding buyers?

RamblinE said:
frankxbe said:
Who said European cars are reliable?
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Who said they aren't? :D
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It's relative, of course. European cars are certainly more reliable than the Fiats that were in the states in the 70's. (Which were only slightly less reliable then American cars of that era which is really saying something)

Having owned several cars from the 3 major continents, I've found European cars require more strict upkeep; you can't keep them running with popsicle sticks and duct tape, so to speak, like you can with Japanese cars. As soon as I hear a rattle or feel something loose in the European cars I've maintained, they go to the shop b/c expensive trouble is not far behind if I wait. But if you choose right, European cars can be well worth the extra cost of ownership IMO.

The American cars I've owned OTOH, start to disintegrate from day one, but that's just how they roll. Small failures are to be expected and lived with, no need to get it looked at; it's just the big things that need to be fixed. (So maybe you have to track how full your tank is with the trip meter b/c the gas gauge doesn't work and it'd be $500 to drop the tank and fix it, but you still need CV joints when they start clicking)

Japaneses cars, although they are really boring and often feel cheap (in a different way than American cars feel cheap) they are as reliable as a microwave oven. Just get in, turn the knob and they work reliably everyday for years.
 
I've been seeing the little Fiat around here. I wouldn't feel safe in such a small car, though, unless everyone else is going to drive them. I wouldn't like my chances in a collision with a 2-ton Lexus while driving a 500.
 
While stationed in Germany in the mid-sixties, I met a girl who drove a Fiat 770 (a 500 with the "big" engine). She zipped that thing around some narrow cobble stoned streets like a maniac. It got wreaked, & replaced with a Fiat 850 - almost a whole liter of an engine. I liked it so much that I bought one for myself, & slapped an Abarth exhaust (TWO chrome pipes!) on it. Had fun out-dragging VW 1200 beetles with it. I then butted heads with a 20 ton truck at 10 mph. Traded the corpse in on a '59 Benz 190 sedan.

Came back to the states, & bought a Fiat 124 coupe, & married the fraulein with the 770. Put 88K of fun, but temperamental miles or her (the car) 'til the iron oxide problem did her in. So, yes - I'd buy one of these quirky things. But I'd never pay new car money for ANY vehicle. Maybe in 10 years when a used one goes for a coupla' grand, & Tony has replaced all the nasty parts.

Ron.
 
TVTeufel said:
While stationed in Germany in the mid-sixties, I met a girl who drove a Fiat 770 (a 500 with the "big" engine). She zipped that thing around some narrow cobble stoned streets like a maniac. It got wreaked, & replaced with a Fiat 850 - almost a whole liter of an engine. I liked it so much that I bought one for myself, & slapped an Abarth exhaust (TWO chrome pipes!) on it. Had fun out-dragging VW 1200 beetles with it. I then butted heads with a 20 ton truck at 10 mph. Traded the corpse in on a '59 Benz 190 sedan.

Came back to the states, & bought a Fiat 124 coupe, & married the fraulein with the 770. Put 88K of fun, but temperamental miles or her (the car) 'til the iron oxide problem did her in. So, yes - I'd buy one of these quirky things. But I'd never pay new car money for ANY vehicle. Maybe in 10 years when a used one goes for a coupla' grand, & Tony has replaced all the nasty parts.

Ron.
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Used to car pool with guy that had a French Blue 124 Sport Coupe. Great car. I had a '62 356B Porsche with a seriously built motor. We had the best car pool at the office.
 
Had a buddy who had a 124 Spyder. Big, silly fun blasting around the hills & hollows of NE Tenn in the spring, but you always had in the back of yr mind the chance you MIGHT be hoofin' it home..
 
I suffered through a succession of MGA, MGB and MGC with my best friend in HS. Believe you me it was something to celebrate if we didn't have to walk home. Speaking of the 124 Spyder, had a neighbor that had a '68 Dino Ferrari, aka the "Fiat Dino". Looked just like a oversized 124 Spyder. It had a switchable dual magneto ignition just so you could get it home.
 
Chrysler screwed up by not droppin' a 440 Magnum 'n' "Fine Corinthian Leather" in that l'il gee-whiz...They coulda AT LEAST given it a small version of the famous ol' "Highland Park Hummingbird"...Bonus points if you remember what THAT was...(grin)
 
I hated those el cheapo 2 pole starters. But that didn't mean I didn't have some fun driving the crap out of my future wife's mom's '70 Dart Swinger. That 340 4 bbl wasn't half bad.
 
I had an original 500 in the early 60's. Horrible crash gearbox and the thing's carburettor forever vibrated off the intake manifold. My then girlfriend - now wife - still has scars on her knees from pushing when the car would suddenly start and make her fall. Kinky, innit?

The only thing I liked about it was the rollback soft top.

AND, I owe my driving license to the 500. I had a learner's at the time and on the day I had to pass my driver's test, the car kept on choking off and letting off impolite sounds through the carb. The cop got so fedup he just told me to b*****-off and "go and get your license".

There are quite a few around Cape Town these days. In fact, there's one just around the corner from where I live. The bloke who owns it also owns a Cadillac and a Citroen CV4.

A few years after the 500, I made the mistake to buy a new Fiat 128 1300. After a rainy spell, mushrooms would grow out of the carpets.

There were electrical problems, carb problems, the tyres lost air due to badly made wheels, the seats were loose and after 6 months, I traded the thing for a Citroen Club which clocked up 500K kilometres before I sold it.

tripod
 
I see the Fiat 500's over here regularly. They aren't called Chrysler here, though - just Fiat.
Small cars sell well in Europe. I had a Renault Twingo for years (We are a 3 kid family, and the Twingo has four seats :) )
 
I'd buy any of these very small cars (mini, Fiat, even the Smart) if they came with a modern diesel engine. Small car like that with a diesel could get some pretty impressive fuel economy.
 
JonL said:
I'd buy any of these very small cars (mini, Fiat, even the Smart) if they came with a modern diesel engine. Small car like that with a diesel could get some pretty impressive fuel economy.
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The Volkswagen Golf TDI would be your car. I thought long and hard about that car, but the deisel gets 40mpg, just like my Fiat, and commands a premium. However, that little Golf is one heckuva car!
 
tensleep said:
The Volkswagen Golf TDI would be your car. I thought long and hard about that car, but the deisel gets 40mpg, just like my Fiat, and commands a premium. However, that little Golf is one heckuva car!
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I test drove a turbo diesel powered Jetta wagon a couple of years ago. The acceleration was very impressive. That was the first time I'd driven a diesel and I was quite surprised.

The only advantage of a smart car is that it fits into tiny spaces. For the size of car that it is, it gets really poor gas mileage. They are cars twice it's size that get as good or better gas mileage.

Personally, I am glad to see FIAT back in the US. The 500 is a great looking car. The folks that I've spoken with that have bought them, love them. We will see what happens with FIAT in the US.
 
If the Golf TDI only gets 40MPG it has too much engine. I don't mind a slow car. I grew up when zero to sixty in ten seconds was pretty fast. I'd be happy with 0 - 60 in 13 seconds or so. I drive an old Mercedes 190D now that probably doesn't go nearly that fast. Back then there were plenty of cars with small gasoline engines that got 40+ MPG. Toyota Corolla with the base 1.3 liter (IIRC), Datsun B210 1.2 l, Honda Civic got 50MPG as I recall. The cars were all fun to drive.
 
There is a dealership here and the wife and I both like them. The interior is much roomier than one would think.
If we were in the market I would consider the abarth when it comes out but with an 8 mile commute my little Protge5 does me just fine. (160K with just regular maintenance)
 
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