Fiat press release:

http://www.media.chrysler.com/newsre...id=11881&mid=2

 

Love the commercial, very clever. And the model is easy on the eyes as well

 

That's better pricing than I was expecting. Certainly makes it more attractive, especially without the hot Italian woman.

 

At $22K, it may very well hurt the Justa model sales. It might even be a threat to the S, since it offers similar (though less) power at a significantly lower price.

Things could get interesting in the small-car market now!

 

That Seduction video is an awesome bit of advertising...very clever.

 

The Abarth's base cost of $22,000 isn't far off from the base cost of a Cooper S ($23,800). I would have a difficult time purchasing the Abarth which to me appears to be less of a vehicle than the Cooper S. Though a lot of that comes down to the seat dyno as well for us enthusiasts.

 

I agree, plus I don't even fit in the Fiat enough to drive one, let alone own one. I do appreciate the competition as it keeps MINI on their toes.

 

Hm, I thought the Cooper S started at $25K! I wonder if the Abarth is well-optioned at $22K? If so, it could still be a reasonably compelling buy against the S.

If the equipment is comparable to a base Cooper S, then I agree that less than $2K difference won't pull that many people away from the S.

 

I love the sound they make... Would love to take one out for a spin but not likely to take the place of my Mini

 

"That's better pricing than I was expecting. Certainly makes it more attractive, especially without the hot Italian woman."


C'mon! Can't we have both!

 

Give that the base price of a 500 is $15,500 I would hardly say the Abarth is sanely priced. The difference between the Cooper and Cooper S is $3,600 while the difference between the base 500 and Abarth is $6,500!!!! Yikes!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

In the long run, the hot Italian woman is going to cost you waaaay more than $22K. I know, I had mine for 14 yrs.

 

Ok, I guess then no to both the hot italian woman(she's probably too tall to fit in the Fiat anyway) and no to the car made in Mexico from a brand that has had past trouble with reliability and quality who recently merged with another automaker with the same problems.

The Fiat's back seat has to be unusable from the roofline, but they'll sell some to the "I got something different" and "it's cute" market anyway. In the US, I can't imagine the Fiat name reminds anyone of Italian sport cars.

Here's a story about dealers in my area that wouldn't even consider selling Fiat's because they "can't see how they can make any money" on them.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_729308.html

 

Interesting, about the free driving lessons. MINI should offer stick shift training for newbies. Years ago, I had to teach myself because there was no other way. Now I'm hooked and can't go back to auto.

 

I've often wondered if this could improve, what appears from various reports, the lifespan of the clutch.

As for the hot Italian woman and the Abarth, I'd take either on a rental basis.

 

Man, are you in trouble!

 

After owning 4 JCWs I have made a deposit on the Abarth. I've driven the 500 and enjoyed it in a similar vein as the R50. Go carty and very European with a great interior (as large as a Mini/more trunk space too). It brings back the same excitement as ten years ago.

I find it amusing that so many Mini people are so threatened by this car which was designed by Frank Stephenson, the same man who designed the R50/R53. It's a tiny European fun car just like the Mini. It has a longer heritage than Mini and has just as much racing history. Isn't this why people bought the R53? I won't comment on the R56.

At a base price of $22k this car comes loaded. In addition to the extra 60 HP and 70 lbs torque you get sport seats that are better than anything Mini has produced. A body kit (add $1500+ to the Mini), a radically upgraded suspension that provides more than JCW (add another $1500 Mini), upgraded brakes, upgraded tuned steering, an upgraded clutch, aluminum pedals and door plates, rear difuser, the almighty scorpion badges (that alone is worth it), leather wrapped steering wheel, dash hood, and emergency brake all with red stitching. An auxiliary turbo gauge. Bose stereo and Sirrius radio. Blue tooth. Ipod jack. Beautiful 16" wheels with the scorpion center caps. And I'm sure I'm forgeting something. All standard.

You can add 17" wheels, sunroof, leather. All nice but not neccessary.

All negative comments on this car come from this site. Check out what the Porsche sites say (yes I have a Porsche too). They LOVE the Abarth! Many Porsche owners in Europe own the Abarth as well.

Furthermore, an American Esseesse kit is coming to upgrade the power to 200+HP. And this car weighs 2500LBS.

Mini has lost their way with ALL their current cars. I won't be the only one to jump ship for the Italian scorpion.

This is all my opinion. I'm happy for anyone who enjoys the new Minis. But insulting the Abarth/Fiat for lame reasons that mask insecurity/jealousy is childish. There's no need to compete. You can like both cars.

 

I saw the 22k price as not too startling, given that the 500s I'd perused were typically 19k'ish Sports with some options. We get MINI Coopers here, too, not MINI Ones with less equipment; that may play into the cost spread evaluation.

The Abarth purchase is to include a driving "school", not driving lessons. Learn to get the best performance out of your new ride. Nice touch, there's a MINI oriented school here in the US?

 

Really? I drove the regular 500 last year and found the seats to be way less supportive and less comfortable in the short term than the MINI's.

It will be interesting to do the comparison to my Justa if I can snag a drive in the Abarth.

 

Apparently there are several MINI oriented driving schools in the US (google "Mini Cooper driving schools"). One favorite is Phil Wicks MINI Driving Academy (www.minidriving.com).

Maybe MINI should offer a free driving school to JCW buyers so they can keep up with the schooled Abarth drivers.

Porsche offers a Porsche driving school, but it's far from free. My dealer provided free track days for good customers at VIR for several years, but that dealership's gone now.

 

"But insulting the Abarth/Fiat for lame reasons that mask insecurity/jealousy is childish."

Nobody said anything like the Fiat 500 looks like the Suzuki SX4 that went through the dryer and is riding on 4 spare tires.

You must live in a nice climate if you have had 4 JCW's. However, driving a car that's noticeably smaller than the Mini yet has a sport suspension over the pothole laden roads in parts of the US will certainly put a damper on the driving experience. There's a definite trade off for cute/small/sporty.

I don't think the only negative comments are here.
I've found as many negative reviews of the 500 as positive.

No doubt, the Mini loses out to a lot of vehicles when you start comparable priced vehicles in value, passenger/cargo space, etc..


The Abarth looks like it could be a great vehicle at it's price point, but it's hard to tell at this point. The happy European drivers aren't driving a version made in Mexico. They probably have better dealer networks, more experienced mechanics, etc.

The Mini Cooper has ten plus years of satisfied customers. Let's check back on the Fiat in 2022.

 

Abarth = smaller than Mini = really uncomfortable to drive over pot holed roads.
If you live where the skies always blue and the roads are beautiful, go for it!


It's also made in Mexico from where you tend to find car's with various production gremlins. I'm guessing Porsche isn't made in Mexico.
And a quick Google search turns up as many negative comments as positive about any number of features.

At it's price point it might be a great car, but hard to say.
At this point, I can't even tell what colors it comes in. Just black and white?..and I'm guessing nobody here has actually driven one to give a fair comparison to the Mini, although I agree that Mini has been trending away from driving dynamics in recent years.

 

Based on a google search the Mini isn't very reliable, even if it is built in Germany. Heck, BMW's aren't very reliable either via google what with the snapped engine bolts and such.

 

Though I'm intrigued with the Fiat, I wouldn't buy one.
Yahoo: The Worst Product Flops of 2011

6. Fiat 500
Company: Fiat

This year, Fiat released its new 500 — a three door car that is under 12 ft. long. The car was expected to be a big seller, rivaling BMW’s Mini. Even before the car’s launch, however, detractors were predicting failure. ...

~gloat~

 

True, Mini's fall to the bottom of the reliability lists. But, they aren't made in Germany!

Mini's(except the Countryman made in Austria) have been and continue to be made in Oxford England. Your buying a car with a British tradition that's made in Britain, or a car with an Italian racing heritage that's made in Mexico in the case of Fiat. Would Corvette fans buy one made in Mexico, China, etc?

Go visit yourself...
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...e_England.html