Did you get any details on it? Did they give you a rough date? I'm going to try the same trick this week.
Only details I've seen are online. Tons of stuff on the Euro version, down to a configurator on the Abarth site, Top Gear videos, etc. U.S. version will be slightly more powerful than the European one, at 170 bhp. I was more knowledgeable about the line than the dealer, but that makes sense, as I'm an enthusiast hooked on research, and they're not getting info yet from Fiat US. They did have to confer in the back a bit about how to handle this request. First quarter 2012 is what I was told by the dealer, but I'm skeptical (but patient!) When it arrives, it'll arrive. I always liked the idea of putting a deposit on a Morgan and being surprised by a call one day, back after I saw a special on Morgans on 20/20 that covered someone who waited 7 years on their list, so I really don't care when it's out - especially since we know it'll be SOMETIME in the year 2012. I gave 'em 500 bucks and got a letter indicating I could spec the first allocation once the factory releases hard data and begins taking orders. I project I'll get a call to do that at the end of this year or the beginning of next. I did make sure to specify it'd be at MSRP, as I don't expect a discount, but I'd prefer to avoid a premium. And in the unlikely instance that anything goes truly south, I made sure to put the deposit on American Express and got documentation of our agreement.
So, as an update, I've had the car a week today. Flawless. No defects. Super fit and finish. No squeaks, no rattles, no problems. Every part of the car works flawlessly. In other words what we expect from a car manufacturer these days. It is fun to drive, and has all the bells and whistles I need. If there is any thing that gives me pause it is how small it looks. I dont see myself as a mini car guy. I like small to medium sized cars, but this looks really small. It doesnt feel that way. The seat height is perfect. I went from a BMW to a Fiat, and dont mind the step down at all. Just an image (ie size) thing shallow, I know. I am sure I will get used to it.
Just under 200 miles on mine now. Like Sam, no issues. Fit is good, but there are some scuffs next to bolts that could have only happened during assembly. Too small to really worry about, but if no one says something, it isn't going to get better. Enough power for every day use and it just give you an excuse to put your foot in it. Has a bit of a high profile, we've had 30+ mph cross winds yesterday and today, you can feel it, but it is stable. Clutch is light and easy, an extra 1" of room to the right of my right leg would be appreciated, but it isn't uncomfortable. Visibility is good, the blind spot mirror works (neat design, too). Other minor points, digital speedometer and gauge differ by more than 2 mph, no miles to empty display, and the door needs to be all the way open to get into it.
There is a miles to empty display. I leave mine set at that. There is a button at the end of the wiper stalk that you use to set it. Check it out.
Seems like a winner!.....It truly is a great little car and I truly hope Fiat North America is able to market this car better.
I really want one but I don't think it fits my lifestyle and budget at the moment. I've been trying to convince my wife to let me get one and then give it to my son when he gets his license in about 6 years. I don't think he'll get his hockey gear in it though.
I had my wife convinced before I purchased that it "definitely" would be able to fit the carseat for our 2 year old. I was incorrect. lol. I ended up having to get a much smaller carseat in order for him to fit. I'm fairly certain that it's not going to fit any sort of infant seat when our second is born this month. That said, I said to my wife, "well, I mean, it's bigger than my Alfa." She was not amused.
Our son is 6 weeks old tomorrow, out of fear of nasty stares, I haven't tried putting his car seat in it yet. Besides, that's why there is a Volvo wagon parked next to it...
This may have been mentioned, but does anyone know if Fiat will bring the 500 Twin Air to the states?
This is a great video. This car is really well engineered but you would never know it from what Fiat puts out to the public. They should take all this stuff here, slick it up, and put it on the website. I learned a lot from watching this and I know quite a bit about the car. Imagine what it would do to someone who doesn't.
75 Great Reasons to choose Fiat 500 over the BMW Mini by John Montgomery, Fiat Lancia Unlimited, www.flu.org Overall Comparison, Fiat 500 vs. Mini: 1. The Fiat 500 base price MSRP is $4600 less (-23%) than the base BMW Mini MSRP. 2. The Fiat has a 5 star European NCAP rating for driver & passenger safety. Mini has a 4 star rating on driver & passenger safety. Mini has 5 stars for rollover protection only. 3. The Fiat has better aerodynamic CD; Fiat: .35, base Mini: .37, Cooper S: .39 4. The Fiat base weight is 352 pounds less than the Minis base weight. 5. The Fiats maximum passenger/cargo capacity is 970 lbs., 154 lbs more than Minis 816 lbs. 6. The Fiats 34.8 ft. turning radius is 3 foot tighter than the Minis 38 ft. 7. The Fiats ground clearance is 4.1 inches; the Minis ground clearance is 5.5. 8. The Fiat has lower insurance rates than the Mini yet the same warranty; 4 years, 50K miles. 9. The Fiat has 3 year 36K free maintenance, includes car rental and is transferable! 10. The Fiat suspension sub frame is attached w/o rubber isolators that could fatigue or wear out. 11. Fiat has a standard theft alarm, but its a $500 option on BMW Mini. 12. Fiat parts prices compare lower in price than BMW Mini parts. Exterior Comparison: 13. Fiat has 14 exterior colors but only two are $500 extra. Mini: 7 of 10 colors are $500 extra! 14. The Fiat is taller overall with more upright seating position for better road view than the Mini. 15. Fog lights on Fiat Sport & Lounge are standard. Fog lights for base Mini cost $250. 16. The Fiat Lounge has fixed glass sunroof standard. Mini has no such thing. 17. The Fiat electric sunroof is an $850 option but the Mini sunroof option costs $1000. 18. The Fiat has quieter DBA noise level at idle and at speed on the road. 19. The Fiat has lower emissions than the Mini as well as lowest in class. 20. The Fiat has Bi-Halogen Headlights with daytime running lights. Interior Comparison: 21. The Fiat has more space within the wheelbase devoted to passenger room. 22. Fiat drivers fit up to the 90th percentile adult, up to 6 1 without bumping headliner. 23. Fiat rear seat passengers cover a 70th percentile, up to 59 without bumping liner. 24. The Fiat has more rear seat leg room, Fiat 32.2, Mini has 29.9 25. The Fiat 500 has 6.5 cubic foot more trunk space than the Minis 5.7 cu. ft. 26. The Fiat has a longer luggage floor w/ seats upright, even though its shorter outside. 27. The Fiat 500 has a longer luggage floor with the seats folded down too! 28. The Fiat holds 30 cu. ft. of cargo w/ seats folded down; the base Mini only 24 cu. ft. 29. The Fiats front passenger seat in base model has a storage compartment. Mini does not. 30. The Fiat has an outboard top seatback lever and in board lower lever for rear passenger egress. 31. Centralized pod instrument bezel on the Fiat is directly in front of the driver, not on Mini. 32. Fiat driver levers; switches & controls are much easier to reach than the BMW Mini. 33. Fiat drivers do not need to turn their head to see the heater controls, only look down. 34. The Fiat gear shifter is closer at hand than the Mini with a very short throw. 35. The Fiat center armrest is standard; the Mini center armrest is a $250 option. 36. Fiat offers heated seats & mirrors for less than Minis $750 cold weather combo package. 37. The Fiat 500 has an HVAC system with micron air filter for the cabin, even on base models. 38. The 500 offers equivalent temperature sensors, changing settings based on inside and outside conditions of temperature, humidity and airflow. 39. Fiat drivers do not need to turn their head to see the heater controls, only look down. 40. The Fiat includes an air compressor for tires as standard equipment. 41. Tom-Tom docking feature on Fiat eliminates wires or plug-ins to cigar lighter. 42. The Fiat offers superior Blue & Me interactive link w/ steering wheel controls & USB port. 43. Fiats Blue & Me system is $400 option, but a similar system is a $1750 package on the Mini. 44. The Fiat has Eco-Drive, a down load application to review driving habits. 45. The Fiat BOSE 6 speaker Audio system requires 50% less energy & 30% smaller. 46. The Fiat BOSE audio has amps under the front passenger seat, out of the way. Performance Comparison: 47. The Fiat manual gets better mileage; the Fiat 30/38 MPG vs. Minis 28/37 MPG. 48. The Fiat does not require premium fuel. All Minis require at least 91 octane! 49. The Fiat 500 has a better power to weight ratio than the Mini base 1.6 engines. 50. The Fiat has patented Multi-Air valve technology, unavailable on the Mini. 51. The Fiat Pop, Sport & Lounge all have a stainless steel exhaust system standard. 52. The Fiat has hydraulic cam followers and never needs a valve adjustment. 53. The Fiat 6 speed automatic is $1000 option; mates buying the Mini pay $1250. 54. The Fiat automatic transmission has a one touch shifter + or -, the Mini does not. 55. Fiat has a dashboard Sport switch to sharpen the steering and auto trans shift points. 56. The Fiat has a 2 second hill holder that keeps manual car from rolling back. 57. Fiat has traction control standard. Its an option on base Mini for $250. 58. The Fiats HBA hydraulic braking control compensates for pressure in panic stops and lowers actuation time for maximum braking force. 59. Fiat braking EBD reads wheel speed data for faster brake response times. 60. The Fiat ESP calculates wheel longitude and lateral grip, cutting in when wheel slip is beyond parameters by adjusting throttle input and opposite wheel brake bias. 61. Fiats ASR reduces wheel slip at all speeds and adjusts torque for grip detected. Safety Comparison: 62. The Fiat has 7 airbags standard while Mini has only 6. Fiat includes drivers knee airbag. 63. The Fiat has double seatbelt pretensions to tighten in a crash event sequence. Mini has only single belt pre-tensioners. All 4 Fiat seats include 3 point belts and reactive head restraints. 64. The Fiat has a lower forward vision angle of 8%, Fiat driver sits more upright. 65. The Fiats narrower A pillars are of high tensile steel for safety w/ better visibility. 66. The Fiat front & rear seats have anti submarine devices to prevent sliding under belts. 67. The Fiat has breakaway foot pedals in high impact frontal crashes to protect feet. 68. The Fiat has soft energy impact hood area in case the car ever strikes a pedestrian. 69. Fiats FPS fire prevention switch cuts off valve & inertia switch stops the electric fuel pump in a crash. It even works in a rollover crash. 70. The Fiats interior trim is flame resistant. Mini does not use flame retardants. 71. Fiats doors automatically lock at 12 MPH+. Minis have no speed related device. Heritage Comparison: 72. Fiat since 1899 is an independent manufacturer. Mini was BMC, now owned by BMW. 73. The original Fiat 500 appeared in 1957, the original Mini in 1959. 74. The Fiat 500 is sold in 90 countries; the BMW Mini considerably less. 75. Enzo Ferrari drove a Fiat to work daily. Enzo never drove a Mini. Ever.
Sure. Performance, options and dealer network. Everything you'd expect from a car costing 25% more. Apples and oranges comparison - only thing they have in common is the approximate size and their Euro-retro-appeal.
The Fiat is 25% less expensive, more economical, lighter and has a more technologically advanced motor. I would also bet that the Fiat is more reliable.
Haha......Sam, Fiat is in my blood. I wish I could post pics of my father with his 131 Mirafiori and Campagnola in Africa. Fiats were reliable and still are. Sure, they weren`t well adapted or engineered for colder climates and rust, but times have changed dramtically since then. Case in point Hyundai-Kia! People assume that Mini`s are quality cars because of their link to BMW, maybe so but reliablity is not measured by the plastics on your dash.