I would be buying my first ever new car. Older gal with style and no kids or dogs but a taller husband.
Is the Fiat 500 a good choice.
Whadda ya think?
Assuming he fits, no way to know how reliable it’ll be, and you’ll likely pay a substantial premium to be one of the first buyers. I’d either hold off for a few months or look at something like it (VW GTI, Mini, Mazdaspeed 3).
If that’s the style of car you are looking for, consider a used Mini Cooper.
You have a while to figure it out. It is not available yet and there are no safety tests released yet. The target release is winter 2011, and I suppose they mean in a couple of months. The first ones will have only a manual transmission. You might also look at the Ford Fiesta, another European subcompact, but it is at least available.
James May didn’t like it. (See Youtube Top Gear Video below.)
Not a good idea, reliability-wise, until the car has had a few years to prove itself.
I’d go with something more proven, like a VW bug (which I’ve heard is good for tall people), Honda Fit, or Ford Fiesta.
Or, if you want to hang with the hamsters, a Kia Soul.
Actually this Fiat 500 has been out in Europe for 33 months. It won the Car of The Year and Best Engine and it considered very reliable unlike some others out there. It also has 5 Star safety rating unlike the 4 star Mini.
For these reasons I’m buying one the minute they are here.
Rick
www.BarnfindsAndDeals.com
The Cheap The Odd The Rare in classic cars…
Actually, Mr. May’s only significant criticism was of the pokey little diesel engine in the car.
Even if that engine is offered in the US-version, there will also be a gasoline version offered, complete with the usual rev-happy Fiat characteristics.
He did say that he preferred the mechanically-identical Fiat Panda, which is cheaper but less stylish, but since there are no plans to market the Panda in the US, that criticism isn’t really significant.
He also said that, while the Mini handles better than the 500, the 500 is substantially less expensive than the Mini. Apparently lots of Europeans believe that the 500 is a good value, judging from very solid sales figures, and the European motoring press has been very enthusiastic about the 500.
But the plant in Mexico that will produce the North American Fiat 500 just opened. They won’t ship the here from Poland.
I vote buy one.Nice to see some different models available in the US Market.
I’m planning on taking a look at them when they finally arrive here in Denver.
When this will be, no one seems to know.
Anyway, since it’s a brand new model car for our market, and it’s not being built in the same plant that has been building them for the rest of the world, I would recommend that if you should decide to buy one, only keep it for the initial warranty period.
When that ends, either trade it in for a new one, if you enjoyed it, or sell it, and get another car, if you didn’t enjoy it.
New cars to a market can sometimes come with issues that don’t make themselves known until after the warranty expires. This particular engine comes with some interesting valve train components, that no one really knows how they are going to stand up to American abuse.
Make sure you change the oil on time in the car, since the valve train will possibly be subject to issues if it has old, dirty oil in it.
BC.
I’m in the market for a new small car, but it won’t be a Fiat. There are enough good, proven and durable cars out there (Mazda2, Ford Fiesta, Hinda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Kia) to be looking at somthing with many unknowns from a company with a queastionable future.
“I’m in the market for a new small car, but it won’t be a Fiat. There are enough good, proven and durable cars out there (Mazda2, Ford Fiesta, Hinda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Kia) to be looking at somthing with many unknowns from a company with a queastionable future.”
Fiat just hit a 52 week high in stock price. They had revenues of 50 billion Euros in 2009. I’ve heard for decades that Fiat was ready to go under, yet they still chug right along.
Like jtsanders, I question whether Fiat has “a questionable future”.
Chrysler may have a questionable future, but I don’t think that Fiat is in that category.
To those who are “hung up” on Fiat’s quality, based on their models that were last sold in the US, I just want to remind you that things do have a tendency to change–especially after a period of 20 years or more.
Those who invested in Buggy Whip companies at the beginning of the 20th Century were probably convinced that horses would always be the major source of transportation. Just as they were wrong, those who doubt the future of Fiat could be equally wrong.
Things–and companies–do have the potential to change, and a successful investor has to be aware of this potential in order to profit.