The 2017 Fiat 124 Spider held the promise of melding two automotive cultures: the romance of the Italians and the centered finesse of the Japanese.
In easy phrases, the Fiata, because it got here to be known as by aficionados, was in reality half Fiat, half Mazda, and all character. Sadly, the Miata MX-5 ND dominated the roost on this restricted market. Mainstream customers by this time have been already satisfied that the longer term was the SUV; a bit two-seater with a stick shift and a rumbling trip wasn’t on too many want lists.
After all, the Miata, consistently up to date by the years, survives right this moment. The Fiata closed up store in 2020 after solely 4 years. Fiat’s questionable popularity for reliability and construct high quality all through the earlier many years in America didn’t assist to push the sporty Spider up the gross sales charts.
Why is the Fiat 124 Spider a future basic?
The inexpensive roadster (which isn’t to be confused with the unique Fiat Spider that launched within the Nineteen Sixties) landed on US shores in three trim ranges: Classica, Lusso and the performance-oriented Abarth, with beginning costs that ranged from $25,990 to $28,195.
It was constructed alongside the Miata at Mazda’s Hiroshima plant in Japan. Comparisons of the 2 automobiles have been anticipated, and voluminous: The Fiat used the identical chassis, most of the identical inside components and even the identical key fob because the Mazda. However the Spider had completely different tuning for its steering and suspension, and a distinct engine underneath the hood. After all, each have been convertibles.
Weight was a difficulty. The Spider’s 1.4-liter, turbocharged inline-four was good for 160 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, however that made it 130 kilos heavier than its Japanese near-twin.
Then there was turbo lag. One evaluation mentioned that the Fiata Classica’s greatest launch from 0 to 60 mph required 6.5 seconds, not as fast because the 5.8-second begin recorded in a Miata Membership.
Fiat engineers have been in a position to tame the roll of the Miata, however in doing so robbed the 124 of considered one of its extra enviable traits: its tossability. The Fiat’s guide tranny acquired excessive marks, the automated not a lot.
Wind noise with the Fiat’s comfortable prime down was horrible, which was unhappy as a result of the 124 was in any other case very good in freeway driving. It had a extra compliant suspension that the MX-5, and extra sound-deadening padding. Nonetheless, tall/huge folks weren’t notably blissful in both automobile’s interiors; “cramped” was a well mannered method to describe head and shoulder room.
Talking of freeway driving, an Autoblog evaluation raved concerning the sounds of the highest trim degree Abarth, calling it “the one 124 accessible with the particular Document Monza exhaust, and it makes the Fiat growl and snarl like solely Italian automobiles can.”
Normal security options on the 2017 Fiat included antilock disc brakes, aspect airbags and stability and traction management. A rearview digital camera was accessible on all trims, whereas a blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert and rear parking sensors may very well be ordered on the Lusso and Abarth through the Security and Consolation bundle.
The 124’s inside has a contact of baked-in Euro class, with soft-touch plastics, easy local weather controls and a Mazda-sourced touchscreen. Fiat additionally claimed its mannequin had a much bigger trunk, however “larger” on this case is one thing of an exaggeration: it measured 4.9 cubic ft in comparison with the Mazda’s 4.6.
What’s the perfect instance of the Fiat 124 Spider?
The 124 Abarth was billed by Fiat because the efficiency mannequin. That boast was mitigated considerably in 2019 when the Abarth’s 164-horsepower 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-four specs gave method to the Miata’s 181-hp 2.0-liter naturally aspirated engine.
Nonetheless, the Abarth served up 184 pound-feet of torque in comparison with the Miata’s 151 lb-ft. Extra importantly, the Abarth made its energy down low, feeling punchier within the decrease rpms.
And the Abarth did add some actual advantages on prime of the lesser trims of the 124, together with a rear limited-slip differential, upgraded shocks and sharper tuning for the steering and suspension (and the grittier exhaust notice talked about above).
On the finish of the day, the not-too-steep $3,000 value bump above the Classica made a barely extra convincing argument for selecting the Abarth, plus think about the gunmetal matte hood and scorpion Abarth badges fore and aft.
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Are there any good options to the Fiat 124 Spider?
Used Spiders may be expensive. A white computerized one-owner Abarth from 2017 with 33,000 miles costs at $23,000 on the time this was written; different 124 Spiders are listed at about $20,000.
The options have been (and, by way of the MX-5, nonetheless are) restricted. The Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 come to thoughts so far as affordability, they usually’re considerably extra refined by way of trip and facilities.
The Audi TT and Mini Cooper Roadster make sense for these trying to match the enjoyable quotients of the Fiata for a better value, and each have German roots.
