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09-19-2012, 10:03 AM   #1
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New car question...

Anyone driving a newer model Fiat 500? If so, opinions? I have test driven all of the models and am thinking about gettting one because it will fit in my garage easily. It also has four (mostly legit) seats in it.

09-19-2012, 12:22 PM   #2
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I would get a mini cooper or a scion iq before I get a fiat. I don't want to disparage them openly on the internet. I can say most people are not expecting good long term ownership experience from the fiat. Do some research on it for sure first.
Also they appear cheap but if you get a nice one it really runs up the bill.
I have an 07 mini that has never broken down 107,000 miles. You can get the base model for 20k. with automatic like 22k. And
the base in my opinion is better equipped than a fiat. Also 10 airbags , formula one inspired crash frame, traction, stability control. etc etc.
09-19-2012, 12:56 PM   #3
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Another vote for the mini, quality machines.
09-19-2012, 01:49 PM   #4
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The other car that I am considering is a Mini. There are things to like about them. I have driven them too. However, the Fiat actually has more interior room from what I know. Also Fiats are pretty popular in Europe. I think that the current model has been produced since 2007 or 2008. In any event, I will probably wait another 6-9 months. I know Minis are much more popular. I was just interested to hear if anyone has a Fiat.

09-19-2012, 04:26 PM   #5
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The mini's are not really all that mini anymore, and they are sort of.. sporty cars?
While Fiats in the past did have the reputation that they don't last as long as, for example, German cars, this has been changing recently. And you will probably get a warranty with it anyway. But I haven't driven the Fiat 500 personally, so I wouldn't know from experience. Just know that a friend who got one was very happy with it (haven't seen him in a very long time, so I can't vouch how happy he is now lol)
09-19-2012, 10:32 PM   #6
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Both the base model Mini and the Fiat are around 140"-145" long. That is about all I can fit along with 3 motorcycles, 3 bicycles, 3 etc. and still get two cars in that don't need to be moved so that the other one can back out.

One of my sisters has a Fiat convertible model. I drove it about 100 miles in June of this year. She likes it. I kind of liked it too. There are some small tweaks you can do to get more hp and better handling out of them. I might be into that kind of thing, although the same can be said for Minis. Straight out of the box the Mini is a few thousand more $'s.
09-20-2012, 03:29 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by lammie200 Quote
That is about all I can fit along with 3 motorcycles, 3 bicycles, 3 etc. and still get two cars in that don't need to be moved so that the other one can back out.
Tbh, sounds like a dream garage! My garage is like playing tetris or sokoban, always have to move things to fit other things out lol

09-20-2012, 04:08 AM   #8
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Given the choice, I would get Mini for a number of reasons (Power, size, legroom, handling and cool factor with the S model, of course!) over the Fiat 500. Having said that, the 500 is a cool LITTLE car and if size matters (or need for a smaller car) for limited space, the 500 is much smaller than the Mini, which I am sure you already know. I see lots and lots of the newer 500's all over Europe and the reputation of Fiat is not what it was 20 years ago.

If price is no major factor, get the Mini S.

Jason
09-20-2012, 04:21 AM   #9
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I am admittedly biased toward the mini since I have one. They are a few more thousand to buy. I have not
driven one but have seen them up close. My clubs have many reviews of people that have driven them (CRX I have one
I bought new, plus my daugher's that I am fixing up, as well as the mini). For the few thousand more you get a lot more car.
Also proven reliability (do not get the turbo model. Also if you get the automatic it is a japanese transmission). BMW
has never entirely pulled out of the USA. Fiat did. Maybe they will stay this time. I doubt it. There is too much competition
now in the small car market, even very good ones from Ford (possibly others too). I did the price configure thing on
New Cars, Used Cars, Car Reviews and Pricing - Edmunds.com . By the time you upscale the fiat just a little, you can get the mini, which is simply put a much better car.

It seems time is on your side. You should go test drive both the fiat and the mini. (BASE, meaning non-turbo)
Must haves in my opinion are the sport package (you get much better seats), shift paddles for the automatic (I think these
are free but you have to order them) and the front and rear fog light. DO NOT test drive a model that has the run flat tires.
It will leave you with the impression that the mini has the same suspension as an army truck. 90 percent of mini owners
get rid of the run flat tires. Mine came with run flats the ride was bone-jarring. I replaced them with regular tires
and the difference was literally night and day.

Also, you can now get a kit on ebay to change the mini dash console that allows the addition of a DVD player.
(I have a baby and this is important). But the point is that for $100 on that you can put in a super nice radio and
have it with GPS and all the goodstuff (I don't care about all that I just got the DVD).

I could go on and on.

For a couple thousand more you get BMW handling and safety as well as (in my opinion) reliability and longevity.

I do like the style of the fiat though. But really not as much as the scion IQ. Although I would get the fiat I think before the IQ.
09-20-2012, 04:26 AM   #10
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Avoid Scion. At price alone they aren't bad, but wait until you see the maintainance needed for one. Case in point - the Scion TC... The Z rated tires simply do not last; and both the suspension and ratio balance of the car don't help. If you live or drive in an area with incliment weather you'll need a complete second set of tires. The brakes are also effective for items like stopping distances, but... Those same brakes typically don't last anywhere near 10k - especially in heavily populated areas.

The Scion TC is actually more expensive to maintain than either any version of a Mini or a Fiat.
09-20-2012, 04:38 AM   #11
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That is amazing to hear. I am new to photography and have little to contribute. But on this subject I can go on and on lol

My mini ownership experience has been fantastic (again, BASE with auto, NON-TURBO). I have only needed tires and brakes
and a belt. Granted, I bought the 2007 which was the first year of the new model. Thus, no repair manual and no scan tool.
(those are now available and I have them both) So I got the maintenance agreement for 100k miles. They took care of
two sets of front brakes, one rear, belt, oil changes (I did extra ones), coolant and brake flush. I am now at 106k miles and take
over it myself. Typical brakes last well over 50k miles and the parts with no discount appear to be about $250 (rotors, pads).
Now the dealer labor rate is a bit high, but what dealer isn't.

I have not bought many cars a couple new and a couple used. (not including my wife that is another story lol)

I never bought another new honda after my CRX (dealer experience the problem not the car).

I am already planning to get a countryman when my daughter is older (that is the mini version of the SUV).
It will be the only brand I bought two times.

I can say if you want to spend less. We had a suzuki SX4 crossover (also called the hatch). You can get the base
for about 16k, and it is NICE. Much overlooked in this country but very popular around the world.
The mpg was the cat's behind though (about 27 highway with an auto) but it did have 160 hp. I rented a trailer and pulled
two CRXs home from over 100 miles away (plenty of power is what I am saying). Handling was great.
It was also kinda cool to sit up high (I went from MGB to CRX to MINI).

The Suzuki and the MINI also have timing chains not belts. I consider this very important as my life was ruined by
a dishonest mechanic and a honda timing belt. I wonder if that fiat is a chain or a belt?
09-20-2012, 04:58 AM   #12
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The 500 has been for sale for a while in Europe. It's not totally a Fiat any way - it is on a platform developed jointly by Ford and Fiat. The European Ford Ka is basically the same underneath - in fact the Ka handled better than the original 500 so the newer ones now have the same suspension settings as the Ford.

Fiats are as well made as any other car really. I borrowed a Cooper S of a friend a few years back (an original 'new' mini) and found it far too hard-riding for use everyday - and I like a firm ride.
09-20-2012, 05:07 AM   #13
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It is good to hear the fiat has a good track record in other places.
I definately like the idea of having more small car choices in this country as well.
I kinda see it as
fiat mini sx4
small medium large (car)
sx4 fiat mini (price)
There is so much to think about if you keep your cars a while (which I do).
09-20-2012, 09:27 AM   #14
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I rented one for a few days while my pickup was in the body shop after hitting a deer. I generally liked the car. It's quite small, smaller than I like and for that reason, I wouldn't buy one. I also own a 2008 Honda Civic coupe which has more room and is a much more practical vehicle for us. That said, I kind of liked the Fiat. It had a cool retro dashboard that I liked. It handled very well, had enough horsepower and snap and also performed well in the snow. Gas mileage was decent, about the same as the Civic. The one I had was an automatic that had the option of shifting each gear manually. The sound system was decent. The driver seat was comfortable and I'm over six feet tall and was still comfortable. I'll bring up a comparison with a similar car which I rented on vacation last winter also and that was the Chevy Aveo which I think was one of the worse cars I have ever driven. It shook badly at highway speeds on the Interstate. I mentioned that to the guy at Hertz when I returned it at the airport and suggested that the front end may need alignment. He laughed and said, "No, they're all like that." If you like that style of small car, the Fiat is a decent ride. Of course, you can't form opinions about durability and reliability from a few days of renting one. Another thing to consider is getting service away from the dealer network. Fiat was away from the US market for a while and your dealer will probably be the only service dept available to you. Since Fiat now owns Chrysler, that will change.
09-20-2012, 09:37 AM   #15
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Major digression from the topic at hand. To me, small car = toyota echo now, Yaris (which apparently mens echo in Japaneese). I put over 200,00km on mine with nothing but brakes and bearings replaced.) Twice breaks, one bearings, and the bearings didn't go until 195,000 km.

Hey reeftool, I wrote off my Echo after hitting a deer a month ago. The insurance people told me this has been the worst year for wildlife related claims in many years. The local police are reporting 20 wildlife/car incidents a week. Some where the driver hits the deer, some where he causes an accident by swerving to miss it.
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