engine and drivetrain Opinions on this new car

[Jim_75Sahara]

2012 Fiat 500 Sport

BASE PRICE $16,000 PRICE AS TESTED $18,750 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front engine, FWD, 3-pass, 2-door hatchback ENGINE 1.4L/101-hp/98-lb-ft DOHC 16-valve I-4 TRANSMISSION 5-speed manual CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 2333 lb (62/38%) WHEELBASE 90.6 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 139.6 x 64.1 x 59.8 in 0-60 MPH 9.7 sec QUARTER MILE 17.2 sec @ 78.5 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 131 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.85 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 28.0 sec @ 0.58 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY FUEL ECON 30/38 mpg (est) ENERGY CONSUMPTION, CITY/HWY 112/89 kW-hrs/100 miles (est) CO2 EMISSIONS

The curb wt. and the HP numbers are similar to the 2002. Will it be fun to drive, then???

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/hatchbacks/1101_2012_fiat_500/performance.html#ixzz1G2CKQJFR

[thaddeussmith]

meh, it has power steering. front wheel drive. and it's a modern car.

i'm inclined to say that it may be fun, but no where close to the 2002. can any car really compare to the 2002's balance of all things car?

[FunElan]

I already want one of those!

[Colin]

They're EXTREMELY popular in Europe.

[bueller]

and EXTREMELY ugly.

[MrNvgtr]

Extremely OT too.

[Guest Anonymous]

Extremely OT too.

[Delia]

I'd be far more interested in chatting with the first person who mounts those door mirrors on their 2002.

D

[xxx]

I'd like to see the Abarth SS come to the US, I think that would be a fun car.

[Mike Self]

for that matter the reliability of any Italian car, they are all fun to drive.

Heck, my '48 Fiat Topolino (the original Fiat 500)--with all of 16.5 hp, 125x15 tires and a 4 speed with synchro only on third and fourth is a blast to drive. It even has a little skinny rear sway bar on its solid axle. It's sixteen inches shorter than the new 500 and a thousand pounds lighter. Corners nice and flat and sticks to the road very well, even with it's VERY old Pirelli Stelvio (non radial) tires.

Looking forward to driving a new 500--and if they bring the Abarth in it'll give the Cooper S a run for its money. That is if they have the reliability down pat, and people have forgotten Fix It Again Tony...

mike

[SteveJ]

I like the comment in the Autoweek article in comparison to a MINI: It's fun through the corners, it'll just take you longer to get to the corner than if you were in the MINI. The MINI is more of a premium/performance small car.

I like the Fiat, and the premise. They are going for the market share that is between the Honda/Toyota and the base model MINI. Fiat is much more cool than the HonYotas. Italian flair.

[SteveJ]

VERY old Pirelli Stelvio (non radial) tires.

I would NOT want to drive the Stelvio pass on those tires.

[Delia]

This was my very first car and despite its diminutive size, suicide doors and non-synchromesh transaxle, I miss it every day.

Mine is one of the grey/red ones to the right.

D

[AceAndrew]

I like the comment in the Autoweek article in comparison to a MINI: It's fun through the corners, it'll just take you longer to get to the corner than if you were in the MINI. The MINI is more of a premium/performance small car.

They should have compared the Abarth essesse version vs. mini JCW. here's a good comparo from a few years ago via uk's EVO magazine http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/cargrouptests/234172/abarth_500_esseesse_v_mini_cooper_s.html . A friend of mine was behind the abarth essesse concept, saw A LOT of italian passion dripped onto it.

[DavidLMM]

We have a UK-spec 1.2 liter New 500 at Lane Motor Museum. It's fun, but 67hp does not do the chassis justice. The interior is pretty nice - not as blatant as a new MINI, but functional while still providing modern conveniences such as a USB port, steering wheel audio and dash controls, etc. Rear seat access is quite narrow, but I read that the US spec cars will be revised to have a wider opening and different seats altogether - the ones on the FIATUSA site are very different from ours.

We have just opened a "75 Years of the Fiat 500" exhibit, in anticipation of Fiat actually starting sales here. (http://lanemotormuseum.org/fiat-500-through-the-years-exhibit)

Of course, for over a year they said sales would begin in Dec. 2010. Then on Dec. 29th they announced that, well, maybe in March 2011. Autoweek states they are on sale, but other than a delivery in PA, I have not heard from any of my FLU buddies of any other deliveries. Their national convention is in Nashville this summer, and the local dealer will not even return phone calls or emails about participants taking delivery at the event. So far, Fiat's return to the US is not looking very positive!

All that said, the car has a lot of potential - the 1.4 100hp engine should make up for a lot of the 1.2's shortcomings.

David in Nashville