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Thread: RIP Fiat 500: cancelled in North America (it's official)

  1. #21
    Senior Member dspace9's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cobrajet View Post
    Apparently, it was a very big factory producing a relatively small number of low-margin economy cars back when gas was $0.79 a gallon.
    Gas prices are still really low in the USA compared to most of the world, even when it's past 4 dollars a gallon.

    Canada has like twice the price of gas and I live 25 minutes from Michigan border. It's all the taxes, taxes in Canada are way higher. Then you go to Denmark, price of gas is like 2x Canada's, so that many more expensive compared to the US' price.

    CAMI made the suzuki sidekick / chevy tracker, the small suv, and a few others. Not sure if they lost money or not making them, or the Metros they made as well.

    They say US car companies built Metros etc. just to lower the average fuel consumption across their thirsty product line.

    On a side note another car company I see going all electric (EV) is SMART, and some of their EVs are looking sharp these days and I'm a Mirage owner, not a SMART car person (too tall)


    Last edited by dspace9; 04-06-2019 at 08:47 AM.

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.2 mpg (US) ... 17.9 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.7 mpg (Imp)


  2. #22
    Senior Member Cobrajet's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dspace9 View Post
    They say US car companies built Metros etc. just to lower the average fuel consumption across their thirsty product line.
    That is true. It is known here as the Corporate Average Fuel Economy...or CAFE...standard. And it is why the 500 EV is staying in FCA's product line.

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    Senior Member DonkeyPal's Avatar
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    Watched a little Fiat 500 on craigslist about a month or two ago. Very cute little car. If somebody gave me one, I wouldn't turn it down. Probably a bit too much of a toy for what I really need as a vehicle most of the time.

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 automatic: 43.0 mpg (US) ... 18.3 km/L ... 5.5 L/100 km ... 51.7 mpg (Imp)


  5. #24
    Senior Member dspace9's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DonkeyPal View Post
    Watched a little Fiat 500 on craigslist about a month or two ago. Very cute little car. If somebody gave me one, I wouldn't turn it down. Probably a bit too much of a toy for what I really need as a vehicle most of the time.
    At my old apartment, the people across the street had a red Fiat 500. So when I looked out my kitchen window, I saw the little Fiat all the time. Cute car for sure, but yes I have the same sentiment, so small as to be impractical.

    I am seriously thinking of replacing my current '14 Mirage with a 500X, in black and manual tranny, it is a sharp little SUV, the best looking FIAT product they bring this side of the Atlantic. The other Fiat SUV they have here is so ugly to me. The one that was on Wheel of Fortune this week.

    I'm worried they won't be selling the 500X even in a year or two, I will ask the local Chrysler dealer soon.

    I mean FCA (Chrysler Fiat Jeep) cancelling the 500x in American and Canadian markets. They sell more in Europe etc. I think.
    Last edited by dspace9; 04-06-2019 at 05:13 PM.

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.2 mpg (US) ... 17.9 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.7 mpg (Imp)


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    Quote Originally Posted by Cobrajet View Post
    Apparently, it was a very big factory producing a relatively small number of low-margin economy cars back when gas was $0.79 a gallon. Which is why GM lost money on Metros. Keep in mind that it wasn't a huge loss per car. But the Metro was never profitable.
    When Ford offered a $1000 rebate on the 1990 Ford Festiva (designed by Mazda, built in Seoul, Korea by KIA, & sold by Ford), I bought one brand new for $5300. I doubt the Festiva was a big profit car for Ford. Best "bang for your buck" car I ever bought new. How many new cars can you buy/drive for 14 years and not worry about them depreciating more than $5300?

    Keep in mind - 55 mph maximum speed limits (imposed by Nixon) weren't totally lifted until 1995. I believe the speedometer of the Festiva only went up to about 85 mph. It was tough little car, however.

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    If someone gave me a Fiat 500 (manual), I wouldn't mind owning one. Most owners are not terribly unhappy with them, & some really like them.

    Mirage vs. 500 - I would pick/buy the Mirage (used or new). Even if the two cars were the exact same price for a manual, I would pick the Mirage. The Mirage just checked more important boxes for me. I wouldn't feel bad owning a 500, however. I sort of like the quirky 3 cylinder Mirage. It sort of grows on you. Some may feel otherwise, & I get that, too!

  8. #27
    Senior Member Cobrajet's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    When Ford offered a $1000 rebate on the 1990 Ford Festiva (designed by Mazda, built in Seoul, Korea by KIA, & sold by Ford), I bought one brand new for $5300. I doubt the Festiva was a big profit car for Ford. Best "bang for your buck" car I ever bought new. How many new cars can you buy/drive for 14 years and not worry about them depreciating more than $5300?

    Keep in mind - 55 mph maximum speed limits (imposed by Nixon) weren't totally lifted until 1995. I believe the speedometer of the Festiva only went up to about 85 mph. It was tough little car, however.
    Two of my buddies swore by Festivas...but never seemed to need to swear at them. Tough little cars, indeed.

  9. #28
    Senior Member Cobrajet's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    If someone gave me a Fiat 500 (manual), I wouldn't mind owning one. Most owners are not terribly unhappy with them, & some really like them.

    Mirage vs. 500 - I would pick/buy the Mirage (used or new). Even if the two cars were the exact same price for a manual, I would pick the Mirage. The Mirage just checked more important boxes for me. I wouldn't feel bad owning a 500, however. I sort of like the quirky 3 cylinder Mirage. It sort of grows on you. Some may feel otherwise, & I get that, too!
    I would love to have an Abarth someday. Definitely a single-with-no-kids kind of ride, and that is the ride for me.

  10. #29
    Senior Member dspace9's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cobrajet View Post
    I would love to have an Abarth someday. Definitely a single-with-no-kids kind of ride, and that is the ride for me.
    Fiat has other small cars in Europe besides the 500, I have an Abarth trim hatch in the videogame Forza, that's not a 500. Wicked sporty car though.

    I think Fiat even had Gucci trim back in the 1970s.

    I just want them to sell the 500x in N. America til 2021. So I can get a manual tranny new 500x in my own chosen colour, when my Mirage is done and paid for.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.2 mpg (US) ... 17.9 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.7 mpg (Imp)


  11. #30
    Senior Member DonkeyPal's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    . . .
    Keep in mind - 55 mph maximum speed limits (imposed by Nixon) weren't totally lifted until 1995. I believe the speedometer of the Festiva only went up to about 85 mph. It was tough little car, however.
    When my older brother was in high school (at a time when very few H.S. students had cars), he had a buddy who drove a Corvair. The fellow claimed that all of the numbers on the speedometer above 45 were rusty, because the needle was incapable of getting that high and wiping them off.


        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 automatic: 43.0 mpg (US) ... 18.3 km/L ... 5.5 L/100 km ... 51.7 mpg (Imp)


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