The Fiat 500 In the States

As an homage to the original Cinquecento this thing is well designed, but it does not change the fact that the original was homely little turd that looked like a rolling panini. This could capture some of the Mini customers who buy on the small is cute vibe, or the retro is cute VW bug kind of vibe, but I doubt this car will appeal to the MF readers.

if they also sell the abarth version here, i’d get into it

i hate the smart, too. or at least, the version that’s sold here in the us. to make the smart’s existence worthwhile, they really need to bring the diesel version here

well Lavardera, I’m an existance proof that you’re wrong. The 500 Abarth DOES appleal to me. And FWIW, those who have been following the 500 more closely know that the current engine isn’t the one that would come to the US, as the whole engine line-up is expected to be modernized in 2 years or so (variable valve lift and the like).

Anyway, I’m hoping that it will make it over….

Matt

Well the Arbarth may appeal to MF readers, but the study that was written about was not an Arbarth, and it was not compared with a Cooper S. It was a basic 500 compared with a Yaris, and a Smart. So, I’m not wrong unless you are indeed ready to get this basic turd, hmmm?

Well laverdera I would buy one of the standard 500 as my daily commuter for rainy days when I don’t bike or walk. As a matter of fact I would buy the lowest hp engine thats available, and preferably a diesel. This wouldn’t replace my GP so still have my fun car. I will be checking out both the Isetta and 500 when they come to the States.

The car felt very MINI like, with some of the styling interior and exterior.

Welll, it WAS designed by the same person who designed the first gen MINI, what would you expect. As a matter of fact, that’s the very specific reason I LIKE the 500. It’s more of the same vibe that seems to be missing in the current gen MINI.

The 500 may pose a problem for MINI if they don’t do some tweaks to the current R56 or the third gen model after it.

Fiat has made a huge recovery in Europe. I think the point I am trying to make here is that MINI can’t afford to fall asleep at the wheel. This ain’t 2002 anymore, when they had this market all for themselves.

Competition is a good thing.

As far as price goes, they kept throwing around the number $13,500. Which puts it at like half of my MINI. Could be just a “what if” number though.

The 500 Abarth with SS kit will be revealled in October in Paris motor show. It should come with 160 bhp which puts it in the MINI Cooper S neighborhood.

I actually like to look of basic Fiat 500 better than the Abarth version.

May be Fiat group will establish combined Ferrari/Messeratti/Alfa Romeo/Fiat dealerships, so when you take your Fiat 500 in for service, you can get a Ferarri loaner?

You beat me to the punch with pointing out Smart sales C4 as a proof.

So far from what I’ve been hearing from my friends the 500 is a solid little car with good to excellent reliability.

By the way, one of the top selling cars in NZ right now is the Suzuki Swift 4 door selling at NZ$19,900 (US$13,321). And they can’t get enough of them.

I’m not saying the 500 won’t sell. I think it will. I just don’t think its going to rob sales from Mini. If they can sell it at 13,500 they will be competing with Hyundi, Kia, and Toyata, less so Honda as the Fit’s format is a larger 4door. And also the Smart. A performance model would have to come into the country in numbers equal to the basic model akin to the Cooper and CooperS which I highly doubt.

Mini was an unknown in 2002, any british car was suspect I suppose. But Mini left because they didn’t/couldn’t/wouldn’t meet compliance. Fiat left because their quality destroyed their sales in the US. They are starting from someplace just above Yugo. Its not the same.

Fiat 500 is absolutely going to rob sales from MINI. MINI drivers, who bought the car because of the styling, who will never consider Kia or Yaris, who, if MINI does not exist, would be driving BMWs and Porche, will switch to Fiat 500. The fact that’s it cheaper car would only help the switch.

People who bash Smart simply don’t get it. They don’t realized that the vehicle should be seen as a four wheel scooter or motorized quadricycle, and it serves it’s purpose EXTREMILY well in the city centers in Europe where there are places I would not be able to get to with a car unless I am driving a Smart car. Complaining about it’s performence or ride quality is as pointless as complaining about MINI cooper’s offroad ability or cargo space.

neuron my main problem with the Smart is that the brakes are sub-standard. There isn’t any excuse why that small of a car should stop so lazily, as a matter of fact brakes are more important in a city car than any other since cities are filled with total unpredictability. My other issue is with the gear change which is random at best, every time I’ve been in a Smart I have the feeling that if I needed to move quickly out of the way I would likely end up as a bumper ornament on a SUV.

lavardera I honestly would buy a 500 over another Mini at this point. My next car is very likely to be a commuter car and little else. I would of course consider a Mini One or a Mini One D if they were available in the States. Failing that my only hope is for the Isetta or 500 which both recall the old days of small cars.

Last time I drove the Smart was before the redesign. The break was not great, but I did not find it particularly problematic either. But I was mostly driving slowly in traffic anyway. I wonder if the redesigned car is heavier and therefore harder to stop. The transmission definitely stuttered. Somehow it did not bother me as I drove, top down, through the allyways of St. Germain or Seville. Maybe the absinthe has something to do with it? It was still better than the 30 year old 2cv I have driven in the hill country in Provence … and I loved the 2CV.

I would buy a 500, too. In my humble survey of 4 MINI owners in the my small street of 14 households,(used to be 6 MINI owners, one sold the car, one moved away) all of us are willing to get a Fiat 500. One of my neighbors, who was about to get a MINI, called Fiat and asked if he could go to Italy and pick up a 500 to bring back to U.S. No reply form Fiat, of course. I don’t have any more luck than my neighbor either. I still can’t get MINIUSA to tell me exactly what is the towing capacity on my convertible JCW.

Also the 500 was voted at the European car of the year 2008.

http://www.caroftheyear.org/pages/Coty08.htm

No Frank, unlike you I have no bias for or against Stephenson. I admire his work. The original 500 is not a pretty car, its cute, but very homely, and the design of the new one follows on the original. I think as a design interpretation of the original car the new one is very well done. But when you are starting with what is essentially an ugly car this approach lands you with another ugly car. Its a bulgy little blob shape – turd is rude, so I apologize if that offends. The original was not graceful, and neither is the reincarnation.

That part of it is just a styling exercise, which is part of the problem. Given that the platform is so completely different between the two I’d say it makes less design sense for the old and new to be so similar. The original was a rear engine, rear drive car, the new front transverse mounted, front wheel drive. I see it more as a styling exercise that has more in common with the new beetle than the Mini. Conceptually this thing is a few steps away from a bug with a Rolls hood on it.

Now I’m not faulting Stephenson for any of that – he did not design the platform, nor was he the guy who chose to reinvent the car this way. But its part of what the car is and its part of why I don’t love it.

Dylan – haven’t heard about the Abarth coming yet, so keep looking at Autocar mag. The 500 is priced at a premium, and I would bet it will be also priced above Japanese cars in USA. So its not a “cheap” car any more. check out videos; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8EwxrT4Nj0&feature=related

I just read that the Abarth is only being made in LH drive and no plans for RH drive for GB and Japan markets yet.