New Fiat/ Miata 124 spider ---- what the?

I thought should look again, based on this. I didn't specify earlier that I only looked at Abarths. My requirements were:

Manual
Abarth
White
Brembo brakes

There are two partial matches within 500miles of my location on c**g***s.com They have the best filter option for quick searches. No one has the brake option and I wasn't adding the black stripe on the hood. The selection is still pretty thin imho.

 

2017 USA Fiat 124 Spider sales:-

Jan - 240
Feb - 302
Mar - 419
Apr - 465
May - 564
Jun - 510
Jul - 450
Total - 2950

 

2017 Europe FIAT 124 Spider sales:-

Jan - 622
Feb - 496
Mar - 1199
Apr - 712
May - 911
Jun - 863
Total - 4803

 

2017 USA Fiat 124 Spider sales:-

Jan - 240
Feb - 302
Mar - 419
Apr - 465
May - 564
Jun - 510
Jul - 450
Aug - 382
Total - 3332

 

2017 Europe FIAT 124 Spider sales:-

Jan - 622
Feb - 496
Mar - 1199
Apr - 712
May - 911
Jun - 863
Jul - 665
Total - 5468

 

Motorsport, a car magazine I have read for years and trust, has a review of the Abarth 124 written by Andrew Frankel in its latest issue. In quick sum, he found the current Fiat 124 to be underwhelming and the Abarth to be too expensive given its (UK) £5000 premium versus the fully optioned Mazda.

 

Does anyone know when the 2018's will be on showroom floors? Available for configuration/order online?

Thinking about getting one for this winter in Scottsdale, but need to have a car around November 1 when I get back down there...

 

Update: I bopped around the interweb and called a couple of dealers. Some clueless (like the scottsdale one), but others were better.

The 2018s are here in the USA. Not many, but there are a few on the dealer lots. The FIAT website would tell you that 2018 doesn't exist yet fwiw. You can't configure one, but I've managed to figure out all the available options and related prices from looking at window stickers. Base price and destination are unchanged. All options that carry over are also unchanged in price. The big change is the breakdown of the old 2 packages (premium and safety) into three nicely organized packages (sound/nav, visibility, convenience).

I wish now that I had test driven one somewhere along the line...I want to order one and have it waiting in Scottsdale when I get there...but I have no idea if I will fit comfortably (6'3" and 250lb)

 

Today's update; titled:

More Fun with Fiat!

I spoke with a seemingly knowledgeable manager at a dealer. Here is what I learned:

- the 2018's have been ordered by dealers for many months now and are starting to arrive now
- No, the 2018's cannot be configured online by consumers yet
- Its too late to order a 2018 to a customer spec (WTF?!?). Yup, he told me they will start ordering 2019's very soon and the order books on 2018s are closed.

Ummm...that is before the order books on 2018 were ever opened to the public. But, now they are closed.

Also - as a followup - nope, there is no info on changes coming for 2019.

Its like this company doesn't even try! (to sell cars, to be consumer oriented, anything really).

Why 'o why am I even considering a FIAT family product (heck, it turns out Ferrari and Maserati are the best they can do - thinking of sticky parts; motor mounts, transmissions, exhausts that break in few miles, expensive regular service requirements, $9k clutch jobs, $2k "clutch sensor replacement" that likely cost 50 cents to make, etc, etc, etc, etc).

I'm secretly hoping I don't fit in the 124 when I test drive one in a couple of weeks...

I'm starting to understand how Porsche sells so many cars...

 

2017 USA Fiat 124 Spider sales:-

Jan - 240
Feb - 302
Mar - 419
Apr - 465
May - 564
Jun - 510
Jul - 450
Aug - 382
Sep - 343
Total - 3675

 

I'm with you.

I'm one of the very few potential FIAT Spider buyers. But they don't seem to know their audience at all.

Matt

 

2017 Europe FIAT 124 Spider sales:-

Jan - 622
Feb - 496
Mar - 1199
Apr - 712
May - 911
Jun - 863
Jul - 665
Aug - 422
Total - 5890

 

Sounds like this group could help market NSXs, or vice versa.

 

Today's update:

I finally got to see the cars and test drive one yesterday. I have to say, they are pretty cool. For what I want (a simple spider for around town in Scottsdale) they are near perfect.

And...surprisingly I fit! I'm 6'3" and 250lb. There isn't any extra room whatsoever, but it was reasonably comfy (and tight).

So, I'm getting one...

Using FIAT website and cars.com (and soon going to try autotrader and ebay I guess) to locate the spec I want. Have a dealer searching too, but I can tell all he is able to do is use the FIAT website inventory feature to find cars. I can do that myself online too.

FIAT is a bit odd imho wrt to color availability. The Abarth (which I've decided I want) doesn't come in the dark gray I like best....and the "next closest thing" which is a silverish color is only available on 2017 Abarth's and will not be available on 2018s. Ugh. So I've got to find a 2017 in that silver. But...the "sound/nav" package isn't available in 2017, so no good sound (BOSE) for me (it was part of a $4000 premium package in 2017 but very, very few of the dealers ordered cars with that package). Or, I could get a "perhaps acceptable" dark blue color that is available in 2018 and get the options I want...maybe. Now I know what the posters above were talking about wrt to finding what they wanted...

Oh, btw - the FIAT website now has the 2018 configurator (and 2017 is still there). You have to work to find it, but its there.

I haven't negotiated yet, but it looks like $3000 off of sticker is doable without too much hassle. Heck, there are some "base cars" (called Classica) with the only option on that car (a tech package) that sticker for $27,285 that can be had for $24,285 and get 0.9% APR for 36 months. So, these cars are damn cheap. There are (for me) only 2 cars I'd consider better than these "in class" and that's a Boxster or Jag f-type spider. Both of those (even with the base motor) are $70k range with decent options. Better, more capable cars? Sure. 2-3x price premium? Not to my eyes.

 

That was me. One would think it would be much easier to find one in stock.

I picked mine up in April, they were taking 2018 orders of November delivery. FWIW, the car has been reliable, fun, and I don't regret it. The base brake isn't enough for my track use, and I had to upgrade. Getting the Brembo like I originally wanted is the only item I feel I needed. I did a Wilwood upgrade for less than buying OEM Brembo calipers.

Jeff

 

Very nice!

Matt

 

2017 USA Fiat 124 Spider sales:-

Jan - 240
Feb - 302
Mar - 419
Apr - 465
May - 564
Jun - 510
Jul - 450
Aug - 382
Sep - 343
Oct - 248
Total - 3923

 

2017 Europe FIAT 124 Spider sales:-

Jan - 622
Feb - 496
Mar - 1199
Apr - 712
May - 911
Jun - 863
Jul - 665
Aug - 422
Sep - 1012
Total - 6902

 

I've seen one, just one of these cars here. Do they wear a disguise or something most of the time?

 

Yea! Like this:

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/spy-shots/fiat/fiat-124-spider-2016-scooped-meet-the-mx-5-from-italy/

 

At least that I would notice! I don't think I've seen the Mazda version either but I must have right? Oh crap I must be convertible blind now!

 

The MX-5 Miata has outsold the 124 by 2.6:1
January - October sales:- 10 314

 

Update - still looking around. Its amazing how few people want a manual shift car in this country. I mean if one doesn't want a little ol' sports car with a stick, then when does one want one? Never it seems.

Over 2/3 of the Spiders are automatics.

The debate is (has been of course) over. No stick shifts from arguably the most important sports car maker (Ferrari) and people don't even want them on the little fiat spider.

So...its making my search difficult. Their option package design in 2017 also makes it hard (to get the good stereo with sat radio, one had to get a $4000 package - and virtually no dealer ordered cars with that package). I really want the sat radio (my GF and I use it all day long on road trips in my other cars). Luckily the 2018 option packages are split up into 3 smaller packages for ~$1400 each and one of those is the sound/nav package. I have a decent shot of getting a 2018 with that package and the stick shift. Still looking...

oh - a base 2017 "classica" with the so-called "technology package" can be had for $22,285 ($5000 off MSRP) at my local dealer. Its amazing to me that a fun little car can be had for $22k in this day and age. That is less than my first ever car purchase, a 1989 325i with no options that had an MSRP of $25,500 when I got it for $3k off sticker 28 years ago. This spider is way more car than that in pretty much every way and is the same nominal dollar amount....in "real dollar terms" its half the cost.

 

Yes, I've noticed this "tying" practice with other manufacturers. On some models, to get a certain color, Toyota makes you also get a sunroof.