looks perfect for the beach communities here in LA - just needs to be convertible and available in LSD colors ;-)
Would you buy a 2 cylinder, 875cc petrol car that returns almost 70mpg?
by lifelong humanist 26 Replies latest jw friends
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sooner7nc
I gotta have the Abarth model. I love Italian vehicles from Vespas to Ducatis to Fiats to Ferraris.
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sooner7nc
Abarth 500 My kinda fun!
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Snoozy
When I saw it was 2 cylinders I was going to ask if you had to get out and push it up hills...
Second that thing wouldln't last 10 minutes on the highway with all the truck rigs..they would have you for lunch...yep!
It looks like it would be great just for kicking around tho..
PS I had a Volks bug before and loved it..stick shift and it really went! BUT..it scared me on the highways in 1980..I shutter to think of driving one on the highway now.
Snoozy..
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moshe
Having retired from Chrysler, I still have friends who feed me inside information. The 1.4L engine is made in Dundee, Michigan in the same factory that makes their bigger 4cyl engines for Dodge and Chrysler brands. Due to slow car sales, 1/2 of the factory engine line was never used, until Fiat put in their new engine line. I think you will see a solid 40 mpg hwy with this car. You have to be careful in comparing foreign mpg numbers as they could use the imperial gallon, which is about 1.2 US gallons larger, so that car in the UK or India rated at 50mpg is closer to our 40mpg in the USA. The Fiat 500 uses a larger engine in order to compete with the Mini Cooper car segment- those drivers still want some performance. Wait until the turbo version of the 500 comes out- it will be one snappy car.
added: I remember when the Dodge Neon first came out in 1994. That car was so popular that buyers bought their cars before it was even unloaded off the car carrier at the dealer. Buyers were on waiting lists- they got the call- the carrier had pulled up with a shipment- so, come on down immmediately, if you wanted first pick of a color. I believe the Fiat 500 will resonate well with drivers who used to own a VW Beetle and want to get back to the basics of fun and economy.
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GLTirebiter
If the spec sheet is true, the power will be adequate. It has about twice the horsepower of my late lamented '74 beetle, and weighs about the same. The power to weight ratio is slightly better than my present beast, a 4x4 with a 5.6 liter V8 engine, so I'd expect similar performance: not sluggish by any means, but no hot rod either.
I see the drawbacks being having to rev it at 6000 RPM to get the power, and a muscle car compression ratio (premium gas).
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DocBob
My latest set of wheels is an '08 Scion xB with a 5spd manual. I've put 23k miles on it since I bought it in Feb '10. It's more spacious than one might expect from looking at its exterior. It likes mid-grade gas and delivers a consistent 30mpg.
