Americans here planning to buy a "new" Fiat?

It may take a few years but....

...as soon as the economy gets its act together and rebounds (which it will) commodity prices will increase (which they will).

I think they would be silly to try to mass market these things now with gas at $2.00 / gallon. It would be a hard sell.

As soon as gas gets back to $4.00 a gallon tho (which it will), 1.5L and less cars will be very much in demand. I have a feeling that C/F might have the luck of timing on their hands, as it will invariably take a couple years for the new cars and the stream put into place.

That said, you betcha I will grab a 500 quickly. Another nice thing is that the NA-spec car will have 3 years of engineering mods prior to hitting our roads. Nothing like a first-year car full of bugs to pop the happy ballon...

-M
 
The next few years are going to blow your mind. Be prepared for yearly registration fees (use tax) based on displacement and weight. Or if that doesn't fly, the alternative is to approach the problem from the other end and tax the hell out of gas, effectively having the same result. One of these will happen, and then people will look at a smaller vehicle more favorably.

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the deal between the US Government, Chrysler and FIAT had some type of fuel efficiency requirement, as in 'your days of building gas guzzlers are over.'
 
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I had no idea

Mac said:
...Suzuki SX4? http://www.suzukiauto.com/2009/

Those (iirc) are actually Fiats, or rather co-built(?), and are already being sold here as Suzukis

http://www.fiat.it/cgi-bin/pbrand.dll/FIAT_ITALIA/carconfig/carconfig.jsp?modelKey=1892
Click to expand...

Thanks for that link.:) I've seen the Suzukis and thought they were very cute, it now makes sense. Sort of like that Kia Sportage a few years back; very good proportions and pleasing lines (I imagine those have all fallen apart by now, though). We need a new small car ...
 
2 Yrs for fiat 500 in US ?

I'd check out the 500 Abarth, theres a nice one page review in the latest Road & Track that just hit my door, says the Abarth has a lot more juice and moves then the standard 500. That said I'm kinda with Jim that there's a lot of great used cars out there. A low mileage 350z sure is tempting!

Some folks will be interested in small cars like this, but high quantity interest will only occur if gas hits $4 a gallon again. Also I've read it will take 22 months before fiat will be ready to put a car on our shores, thats a long time, who knows where we and the world will be by then. Will stay tuned!

JeffSC
77x
 
True but...

Not that many Americans want big US built cars either!

Where the dust is going to settle on all of this is a guess at best.

TonyK.

Grimsby Ontario Canada.
 
The same in OZ. People say they prefer big cars. But if you check the long term market share of Ford and GM, you will find it is declining. Why? Because despite peoples stated large car preferences, they are buying more and more Japanese cars - which are generally smaller then the locally built stuff. And better built.

IMO and FWIW, unless Ford and GM bit the bullet and play catch up with the Japanese and to a degree the Euros, then they will fail. If they already haven't done so.

I find it interesting to match up peoples so called preferences with their wallets.

My 2c.
 
The Italian Invasion...

Good news for enthusiasts will be the addition of two nice cars to the current short list of affordable fun cars:

The Abarth 500 and Alfa MiTo
 
Yes, if . . .

Fiat offers 4 or all-wheel drive when here.
I looked into buying and importing the Marea sedan or wagon a few years ago since it was available in a dual-fuel version; gasoline or compressed natural gas (CNG) with automatic changeover and a minor penalty in power when driving with CNG.

We have free natural gas entitlement on our rural West Virginia property but our home is about 1000 feet from any hard-surfaced road and the grade is about 8%.
You can't do that when it is muddy, regardless of fuel, with a two drive -wheel vehicle.
 
Funny you should mention this! Just the other day my wife and I talked about this. She has a lease on her VW that ends in Nov. She wsa seriously considering a Mazda 5. Suddenly she says she wants to look at a mini. While checking those out, she asks when the Fiats will be here. I told her maybe by the end of the year, but most likely early next year. SHe floored me when she said "Maybe we should get crazy and turn in the VW. Then I could drive your truck and you drive the 128 until we can buy a new Fiat. :headbang: WOW! That is crazy!
I think the 500 would be a little too small. We have our daughter, and in the near future, we will be adopting a 2 year old from China. So, I think the Punto (I think thats the name) would be better for us. But, I also think if we did this, it could create a problem down the road, if she looks at the new Fiats and decides that she doesnt want ony of them. If we had a guarantee of the panda SUV, then I would wait for it.
Until then, we do not know when they will be here, or what they will be selling at first. In my opinion, its a big gamble to HAVE to drive the 128 on a daily basis over the winter. SNOW IN THE 128! HELL NO!
 
Snow in the 128

Actually, you would be surprised how well the 128 drives in the snow. Put on a set of studded 145/80 r13's and you can go anywhere! It is a fricken snow monster!

Congrats on the adoption, my wife and I are adopting from within the country. We originally were looking at Russia, but then found some options here which will work out for us.

Let me know how it goes!

Eric Armstrong
 
Snow ain't the same in MO...

...as in Oregon. Pretty benign stuff in PacNW.
Just frozen water...no problem.
Toss salt into the mix...that's a potential problem.

E-strong...adopting another?
Mind blowing...

I guess parental genes don't run in my family.
My 3 siblings and I are past our fertile years,
with a total of 2 decendents between us.
Both sprouting from fertile loins of one brother.
Snow trek in MSR 128...
128snow.jpg
 
The problem with the 128 in snow isn't traction. It is road salt. When it snows here, they blanket everything in a thick layer of salt. NOT good for a Fiat.
As far as the adoption, we accepted his profile in oct. Since we wanted to adopt a deaf kid, that changed the order of the process. I am hoping to go in June. He turns 3 in July, and the older he gets, the smaller the chance of him developing speech becomes.
 
Wow, best wishes...

I hope it goes great for you guys! Didn't think about the salt... Yeah, that might be a small problem.

Mike.... er... old rascal.... Great pic of you 128 in the snow! Let me know when you get the estate 128, I can't wait to see it!

Eric
 
I hate car payments and have personally never owned a new car, but my husband and I may buy a new (hopefully available) Abarth version of the new 500. He was able to inspect it for himself at last year's Fiat Freakout. He was impressed enough to buy some Fiat stock. :italia:
 
Permutations

I'd never buy a new car.....too much 'initial depreciation' and the cars
today are so ridiculous to begin with, with notable exceptions.

Chriatuki

Suzchryliat

Fisuzysler

Fuzuki

Chryiat

Fiuki

Suziat

Chryzuki

Zukiat
 
Shopping around for a lease return SX-4 right now!

Got to drive the Fiat version in Europe, and really liked it!

Great visibility all around, family friendly and nice peppy handling, just like you'd expect from a Fiat.

Hope the Multipla makes it over here...funky, but great cars.

And I hope Fiat takes a cue out of Citroen's book--as a car manufacturer, they've come around to once again creating really interesting and overall great quality cars, that stay true to their heritage. Fiat would do well to stick with it's origins, rather than attempting to adapt to Chrysler's. Just sayin...
 
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