Am I the only one who gets upset when people compare or even worse, confuse our cars with FIATS. I personally think they are ugly and super weak. If anything they should be compared to smart cars.

I dont even respect them as a company as far as launching a special edition car, a car with a materialistic name associated with it is a weak marketing strat. Especially when they have the Abarth which made FIAT in the late 50's and early 60's as far as racing. Only to be release just recently in the USA.

As you can see I am not a fan of Fiats and just wanted to know how other MINI owners felt. Sorry for seeming like a hater, def not, just venting to the community. My coworkers pissed me off today with the comparison cause they know im an enthusiast.

 

I drove the 500 before getting my mini. The 500 is okay. It has less power than even the non turbo mini. And the styling of the 500 is not the greatest. You can get a 500 for a lot less money though. I LOVE my mini!! Plus mini has been around for a long time. I wonder about getting parts for the 500 being they are just coming back to the US.

 

People that I know of who has made the comparison do not really know about either cars. They just think they're the same because they're both small. I just try to educate them about the MINI since I know nothing about Fiats. I do like the Abarth edition but I wouldn't buy one for myself!

 

FIAT gave Karl Abrath the rights to mod the FIAT in the 50s and this dude went off with modding the car and won tons of championships (he personally didnt drive, just engineering). With that said the company has some history just do not like them at all and haaaaaaate when people compare my mini or even worse "the mini is cute but the fiat is cuter" I cringe when i hear statements like that lol

 

I bought my MCS at a Fiat/Kia dealership. While on the test drive with the junior (read not 300 pounds fat and can still fit into the passenger bucket seat) sales associate he confessed to me that they actually move more Mini's than Fiat's. There were 200 new Fiats on the lot, but I wasn't interested in the least. Didn't bother to test drive them. I completely agree with the OP on this. If it wasn't for the Abarth, Fiat would be on it's Death Bed!! ...and may be Anyway!! Fiat's just suck in general. I would never buy one for myself or anybody else I cared about...

 

I happen to like them. Mainly because I loathe SUV's and any other big poorly made american car.

The smart is another story. They are terrible. I drove one once, the transmission is terrible.

 

I got my Cooper back in December because it drives GREAT, plain and simple. I did not even test drive the Fiat because all the reviews (like Car and Driver, Winding Road) said it wasn't as good a drive. Also, I didn't like the way it looked - too tall, too cutesy, too toy-poodle-like. It seems destined to be a flash in the pan, but that's just me speculating.

BUT I would take the 500 in a heartbeat over a Smart Car, which I rented for a week while on vacation and HATED. Probably the worst car I've ever driven, with a monumentally bad transmission, wimpy engine even for its size, and really no redeeming qualities except being easy to park. The 500, on the other hand, seems like a very capable car from the reviews. I could see it being a solid urban commuter for people who like the way it looks and are not driving enthusiasts, just wanting to get from place to place.

 

I don't think the Smart Car is competing in ANY way for the hearts/minds of MINI or Fiat buyers. Smart Car owners (at least the ones I know) are compelled by having the least impact on the environment and usually live in or around a big city. They don't expect the SC to have any kind of "get up and go" to it.

 

It doesn't upset me, particularly.

The cars are obviously (to MINI folk, at least), quite different in driving feel & capabilities, and we know why we prefer MINIs.

In a sense, however, they share some similarities, along with VW's Beetle:

a. Fiat 500s, MINIs, and Beetles are styled/built to capture some aspects of a long-loved prior historical vehicle
b. All are uniquely-styled alternatives to other small, 4-seat mainstream vehicles
c. All are sold to appeal to a buyer who wants something non-mainstream, who's choosing a vehicle with a unique look, "personality", or similar
d. For the buyer who's "hooked" on a particular one of these, likely nothing else will do.

I cross-shopped all of these before buying a MINI. Fiat's new 500 was introduced in Europe in 2007, sold well, had unique marketing and "buzz" along the order of what MINI has managed (in stark contrast to FIAT USAs marketing so far, completely dreadful and idiotic...J.Lo? Gucci editions?). They soon offered an Abarth edition with the usual performance enhancements that tested well and formed the basis for one or more spec racing series. Google up "Top Gear Jeremy Clarkson Fiat Abarth" for a nice YouTube video of one...it was/is the real deal.

In my test drive, the 500 was "nice", US versions are tuned for a smoother ride, the doors closed solidly, "Sport" version was fairly equipped, and it was "fun" within the limits of it's 100'sh horsepower and 17.5k delivered. Someone might likely pick it over a similarly priced Fit or Yaris and have more style. I woulda desperately loved to drive a US-spec Abarth, 170'sh horsepower in a car lighter than a MINI, lowered suspension, big 'ol tires, flared fenders, etc. etc. but they weren't available in the time I needed. I *am* a person who owned Fiats in their long-ago US offering, and remained a fan of the marque. Many had [very] crummy experiences, well-voiced these days; I did not. Viewing the US Abarth at recent car shows, I have no remorse: I'll bet it's fun to drive, but it's just too small to my eye, doesn't have the MINI's bulldog personality.

So for the uninitiated / uninformed: I could see where someone might consider these to be similar cars. Vis: the recent thread on "what's the dumbest thing someone's said to you about your MINI", and the WhiteRoofRadio interview of Shasta MINI folk (where the interviewer had no idea about MINI's heritage, abilities, technology, fandom, even after 10 years in the USA market), it's clear that many don't "get it" about MINIs.

 

Never had anyone bring it up to me.
I can't see how they can get a Mini and Fiat 500 confused, don't look anything alike.

 

They did both have the same designer.

"Appealing Styling: Beauty is ultimately in the eye of the beholder, but is the new 500 as visually appealing as the new Mini? It's arguably cute, but cool? How about hip? There's no right answer to this question, but it's worth considering because (contrary to what most car buyers will openly admit), a vehicle's looks are critical to its success. It should be noted that both cars were penned by the same man, automotive designer Frank Stephenson."

http://www.autoobserver.com/2011/02/...rs-tracks.html

 

wow well written article and very insightful. thanks for sharing !!

 

The only way i want my car associated with a smart car is if i am running it over. I hate those cars. I like the abarth though. WOuld still rather have a mini cooper s, but if Mini went the way of the dinosaur i would go fiat abarth or a Subaru frs/86

 

I drove several cars before I got Comet. Including the 500. It wasn't bad. I enjoyed some aspects. Like the crazy turning radius. I think it could almost make a circle in my garage (Well not really but close). It was decent for low acceleration with sport button. But I wouldn't want to drive it rush traffic or up in the mountains. Other pros - Driving position wasn't bad. Come on it is cute (Yes I am a guy, but still admit it). Cons - My right leg was cramped against the center consule. Lacked power. It is too cute to be taken seriously. Did I mention the lack of power? Felt like the the interior was cheap compared to the MINI.

So I got Comet

 

You liked the driving position in the Fiat? I didn't--I think the MINI's is far better. The seats are much more supportive as well. The handling of the MINI is also about a half a light-year better than the 500, with the exception of the turning radius.

And yes, the interior of the 500 felt so much cheaper than the MINI's.

 

I said it wasn't bad. Really I was coming from a 07 Accent and the Fiat seat is way better. The part I liked about it most was I am 6' and I didn't need the seat all the way back. I had a couple notches (sp) left. Sure the MINI's seat is better but I only have one notch left. So with the Fiat there was a little more space behind the driver seat. This much more |--|

The only reason I considered it was the price. Which is why I considered some of the other cars. I am sure I never said the handling was close. Turning those tiny circles was fun. What can I say.

 

I always pronouce it A-barf. Like, you're gonna aBARF when you see the electric bills, you're gonna aBARF when it's sitting in the yard dead, and you're gonna aBARF when you think back on your mistake years later.

lol

 

Even among the informed, there are many perspectives from which one can make comparisons. Some may seem more valid than others, but that's just how it goes. In some cases the MINI may come out ahead, in others not so much. In any case, the Fiat 500 and the MINI have quite a history of comparison, so to me it's not too much of a shocker that such a thing should come up.

 

I tell people that its made buy the same company. i even had someone convinced that Nissan owned Mini too. ...... (idiots!!!)

 

Fiat, at one tine (60's and 70's) was a pretty decent fun to drive car. They then committed suicide by deciding to use inferior eastern European steel for their bodies which subsequently vaporized at the 1st exposure to road salt. Long before my Mini I had a Fiat X1/9 for 20 years and loved it. Truly a beautiful Bertone design and even more fun to drive than a Mini.

 

Go Fiat...they are really neat cars.....I owned 3 of them back to back in the 70's and 80's...love the 500.

 

I really don't understand this negative attitude towards the Fiat designed by the father of the R53, Frank Stephenson. Just like the Mini, it's a revival of a 60 year old classic. Funny how only Mini bloggers are negative. Go check out Lotus and Porsche (I own both BTW and have a deposit down for an Abarth) blogs. Those folks love the Fiat and many own them as DDs. Insecurity perhaps? Lighten up people.

 

Fiat would sell lots more 500's if you could get them through the Chrysler dealers. The 500 is nice, but I liked the MINI better.

 

Not a fan of the Fiat at all. In fact when I see them I think they are a smart car. I really dislike those cars. Every Fiat I have seen has been driven by a woman. I went by one yesterday that apparently was just delivered. Temp tag in the rear window. 2 women in the car. There were in the slow lane doing 48 in a 55 mph zone. Everyone was just flying by them.

Kind of fitting if you ask me.

 

jeezzz i was starting to think i was the only one ... everyone else gives em credit .. i hateee em too