Fiat 500's in showrooms in January/February

Thanks Jim...

A somewhat positive slant in the article!

I thought the average 500 should be able to outperform the average Mini though... If so, that would be a GREAT selling point.

I also think the 500 is well equipped, although I haven't shopped for a car in a long time... but I thought much of its standard options (air conditioning, AM/FM stereo with CD and MP3 players and six speakers; power windows, locks and heated mirrors, cruise control, a tilt steering wheel and seven airbags, antilock disc brakes, stability control and traction control)... were just that, options, on most cars.
 
"...the Mini has very good build quality."

Agree that any new FIAT is going to need at least above average build quality to survive, but to your point about Minis having build quality, ya'd never know it by what Consumer Reports publishes about them based on responses to surveys of their readers.

Dodge as a brand is in a statistical tie with Mini and the only two brands with worse average predicted reliability are Audi and Chrysler.
 
I'm just going...

...by the four people I personally know that have them. I have also detailed several of them and found the fit and finish, as well as the quality of the plastics, leather and other trim to be at the same level as a BMW. Nothing going on there that I would be afraid of breaking off, like some had mentioned of the 500's they have encountered so far.
 
Is the mini really the competition? I am not saying it is or is not just asking? I also agree Mini has a good track record (of late) with quality and my sisters 2009 is a good driver and dare I say fun to drive!
 
I guess one could call it "static quality" vs. "dynamic quality."

The pieces seem to be well made and look good (static quality) but for some reason don't hold up in service (dynamic quality).

In that Consumer Reports reliability pecking order, BMW is only two or three notches above Mini.
 
What I am saying is...

...from personal experience...none of my friends or customers have had ANY service or mechanical issues with their Minis. Consumer Reports is what it is. I have never spoken with any of their guinea pigs. My friends and customers do not even have a dealer for support within 60 miles of them and have only had to take their Minis in for scheduled maintenance. Pretty good results there.
People can live and breathe by Consumer Reports if they like, but I prefer to get first hand results.
When you are detailing a vehicle, you pretty much touch and deal with every physical piece of an interior and exterior of a vehicle. You get a pretty good feel for the quality of materials and how they come together.
My verdict will be out for the 500 until I personally speak with someone who has put a few thousand miles on a US spec car (Euro cars are different), and/or personally play around with some.
 
I work on lots of MINIs and the build quality is well above average for a European car. They have a few pattern failures some of which are rather expensive (the $7k CVT trans and $1K electric P/S pump come to mind). The new (2007-) cars seem to have some significant engine troubles but it's a bit early to see how that will play out. I would say that if Fiat can match MINI quality they will be alright and miles ahead of VW.
 
That's good...

...first hand MINI mechanical experience...Now we have to wait for the 500 to arrive.
 
There will be one demo model in each showroom (that has finished construction) that cannot be sold in January or February. Fiats to sell are slanted for March. The PrimaEdizione is still scheduled to arrive in January.

BTW--on the mini comments--I had first year Mini Cooper S about 2 years ago. I got it with 85k miles on it. Fit and finish was poor. There was significant wear to the interior components--such as the plastic finish had rubbed off the door handles, the front seats were cracked on the sides--the switches for the power windows occasionally worked--it suffered from the mysterious battery drain problem (the battery would drain itself overnight about once every 2 months--this is a common problem). Roominess and performance were awesome--not to mention the sound of the exhaust with the Supercharger going through the Eisenhart (sp?) exhaust.

Eric
 
Sounds like most X1/9's...

...with only 60K miles, almost to the letter (except for the roominess and performance)! Must be a pretty good car.:)
 
"People can live and breathe by Consumer Reports if they like, but I prefer to get first hand results."

The Consumer Reports data is based on reader responses to their annual survey, so that has the potential to be up to 4 million people providing their first hand results.

I do not place a lot of value on their indivdiual car road tests, and their treatment of the Toyota unintended acceleration situation was pretty inconsistent (they "unrecommended" all Toyotas for about nine months then decided to "rerecommend" them) and reminded me more than anything of a waffling, spineless politician with a wet finger in the air to see which way the wind is blowing.

But I think their auto reliability stats are unique in the automotive industry, much more extensive and more broadly based than say JDPower, so I tend to be interested in the results.
 
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