Numbers confirm what we already knew: Fiat 500 is pos

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
HAL9000

HAL9000

Lifer
Oct 17, 2010
22,021
3
76
Doppel said:
Majority of americans don't live in that city and many who do don't even own a car. Most people here have no parking issues or streets first conceived in the middle ages so honestly there is just plenty of room. Two car garages, wide streets, 6000 lb SUVs, a fiat looks (and is) like a coffin compared to them.
Click to expand...

Meh, it's small, it looks cool, it's safe, it's got good fuel economy, the abarth is hot, fast. I don't see the downsides.
 
LTC8K6

LTC8K6

Lifer
Mar 10, 2004
28,520
1,576
126
HAL9000 said:
Meh, it's small, it looks cool, it's safe, it's got good fuel economy, the abarth is hot, fast. I don't see the downsides.
Click to expand...

The poor safety rating didn't register on you? That's one of the reasons for poor sales here.
 
F

fr

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
6,408
2
81
I've seen J. Lo in a Rolls and a Maybach. There's no way should would really drive a 500.
 
V

Vic Vega

Diamond Member
Sep 24, 2010
4,535
4
0
It seems that Fiat made some changes to the 500 mid production 2011 so they could fair better in US crash test standards which are measured differently than other parts of the world. 500s built before August 2011 received a "marginal" rating but cars built after the change received a "good" rating, the highest given by IIHS.

The IIHS has called the Fiat 500 a "top safety pick" just this year:

http://www.iihs.org/news/default.html#101811

The Fiat 500, a minicar introduced by Chrysler in the U.S. market for the 2012 model year, earns the Institute's top safety award for good performance in front, side, rollover, and rear impact evaluations, and for having electronic stability control as standard equipment.

The award applies to 500s built after July 2011 because the driver's seat structure was modified to improve occupant protection in both frontal and rear-end crashes.


The 500 along with the Ford Fiesta are the only minicars to earn the Top Safety Pick designation.
Click to expand...


http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=732


Still, it bothers me that the Italians could only bothered to make their car safe after the US public at large spent time/money/effort proving it wasn't safe. It doesn't give a warm fuzzy when it comes to Fiat products. What else is wrong with the car that just hasn't been proven yet?
 
LTC8K6

LTC8K6

Lifer
Mar 10, 2004
28,520
1,576
126
It's less likely to pull out in front of my Grand Cherokee in London, so it's safer over there...

I can't even see those roller skates... :D
 
Doppel

Doppel

Lifer
Feb 5, 2011
13,306
3
0
HAL9000 said:
Bizzare I don't get how that works... A safe car is a safe car globally...
Click to expand...
An unsafe far is an unsafe car globally. The crash testing is different here. The car isn't safe, period. But that's basic physics; a tiny car cannot by virtue of its size be safe. That's why you don't want to be t-boned while in a Miata or Smart car, either.
 
Tsavo

Tsavo

Platinum Member
Sep 29, 2009
2,645
37
91
I bought one. I keep it in the spare tire slot in the trunk of my Challenger.

Beats the crap out of riding a spare tire down the road.
 
HAL9000

HAL9000

Lifer
Oct 17, 2010
22,021
3
76
Doppel said:
An unsafe far is an unsafe car globally. The crash testing is different here. The car isn't safe, period. But that's basic physics; a tiny car cannot by virtue of its size be safe. That's why you don't want to be t-boned while in a Miata or Smart car, either.
Click to expand...

...

Vic Vega said:
It seems that Fiat made some changes to the 500 mid production 2011 so they could fair better in US crash test standards which are measured differently than other parts of the world. 500s built before August 2011 received a "marginal" rating but cars built after the change received a "good" rating, the highest given by IIHS.

The IIHS has called the Fiat 500 a "top safety pick" just this year:

http://www.iihs.org/news/default.html#101811




http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=732


Still, it bothers me that the Italians could only bothered to make their car safe after the US public at large spent time/money/effort proving it wasn't safe. It doesn't give a warm fuzzy when it comes to Fiat products. What else is wrong with the car that just hasn't been proven yet?
Click to expand...
 
P

Pariah

Elite Member
Apr 16, 2000
7,357
20
81
Still, it bothers me that the Italians could only bothered to make their car safe after the US public at large spent time/money/effort proving it wasn't safe. It doesn't give a warm fuzzy when it comes to Fiat products. What else is wrong with the car that just hasn't been proven yet?
Click to expand...

I would blame the lower standards of the European market for that, not Fiat. The original version we got got a 5 star rating in Europe and the car is very popular over there. Those are probably major reasons it was the first Fiat to be sold over here. It's likely Fiat did not intend to sell the car in the US when it was first being designed and having not sold cars here for a very long time was not familiar with our crash standards. It didn't test well here, so they went back and fixed the issues. That's what you want them to do.

I'm not sure why Fiat thought they would sell 50,000 of those this year. That was a ridiculous sales goal. The Smart car sold about 45,000 in the first 3 years of sales. That should have been Fiat's goal, 50k in 3 years. With around 20,000 500's sold this year, that looks like a realistic goal.
 
boomhower

boomhower

Diamond Member
Sep 13, 2007
7,228
19
81
HAL9000 said:
It's only like $14k, (assuming it's the same price as here) That's a good price for a small, good to drive, good looking (IMO), funky retro car.



Not if you live in New York city etc... It's meant for town driving....
Click to expand...

Every urban car that has been introduced has failed. America is a very spread out country. Most people live in the suburbs or the country. A lot of those that due live in heavy urban areas don't even own a car due to the availability of mass transit and the cost of parking.(parking spaces in NYC rent for insane amounts of money)
 
HeXen

HeXen

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2009
7,838
39
91
see, thats why Fiat puchased Chrysler. Pos to Pos, they go hand in hand together.
 
V

Vic Vega

Diamond Member
Sep 24, 2010
4,535
4
0
I agree with boomhower for the most part, but there have been successful small cars, the original Civic, Escort and Corolla were at the time what we would consider "city" car sized (although all are much, much larger now, the Escort being replaced by the Focus - the current Corolla is larger than the 90s Camry).

I know in Chicago a deeded parking space (one that you own) in front of your house/townhouse/condo might cost you $50k or more. Down town parking is a killer. I haven't lived there in several years but in 2006 it was running about $35.00/day for an open lot where they crammed your car into and you were assured to be hit/scratched/etc and more for a garage. The saving grace would be working in a highrise with a garage and getting an employee discount. That's the only way to make it affordable for the average person driving in DT Chicago.
 
KeithP

KeithP

Diamond Member
Jun 15, 2000
5,664
202
106
I was having some work done on my Sonata and the dealer gave me a free rental from Enterprise that was across the street. They had a 500 so I thought I would try it.

Drove it for a day and a half, a base model. I was surprised how much I liked it. The stereo wasn't very good but it was fun to tool around in. I would imagine a heavily optioned model would have been a much nicer experience. It did seem really cheap inside.

-KeithP
 
LTC8K6

LTC8K6

Lifer
Mar 10, 2004
28,520
1,576
126
HAL9000 said:
That would cost you a lot to drive in London.
Click to expand...

I'm not in London, that's why the 500 is safer in London... :D

But wait, unless you get an SRT8, you are forced to have a diesel V6 in a UK Grand Cherokee...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom