Used 2017 FIAT 124 Spider Consumer Reviews
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8 Months research and finally bought the ABARTH
Michael Lang, 04/03/2018
updated 10/07/2019
2017 FIAT 124 Spider Abarth 2dr Convertible (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
58 of 59 people found this review helpful
I had concerns over buying a FIAT. Lets face it, lemons are common but some get real good 500 ABARTHS that work well. The fact that Mazda was building the 124 inspired me to look past this. The car itself is 100 times more beautiful that the Miata version. My sticking points were ABARTHs comming to US had FIAT badge on wheel. As of March 2018 that has changed. Abarths now have proper abarth badging on the interior for 2018 but you have to look around as there are many older versions on lots. Next sticking point was that Miata's got the Retractable Fastback and FIAT's did not. What is more Italian that the RF top. Looks like the 70's Targa tops. Fiat could have branded it a Targa and they would not have been able to keep them in stock. I know all my friends were hoping for this as well. UGH! So I bought the ARARTH in Black. Wow the color is so deep and rich in the sunlight. Pictures do not do this car justice. Must see in person. My ABARTH is a bit rough in 1st gear for a manual. Been driving manuals all my life. This one I stalled 4 times on way home from dealer. The car wants to go. Low RPMs the car lags a bit and begs you to let it breath. There are two essential tweaks that fix this. One the DV+ diverter valve allows more low end and solves some issues with the cheap plastic diverter valve that comes from the factory which is either open or closed.... No in between. This DV+ also helps prevent turbo flutter which is potentially damaging buy allowing flow the turbo air flow back though the valve as the turbo winds down between shifts. Much healthier.. Second as the high pressure through the lines can bring with it some oil, it is good to add an oil catch can on these cars to reduce the amount of oil that can get back to the throttle and multiair unit which can be damaging over time. These two changes do help the car become more bullet proof. The car shifts great and has power.. Much more than the miata which I drove several times in my search trying to decide whether to drop the Fiat and just get the targa I love and deal with the angular futurist look of the miata rather than classic Italian beauty. I got the loaded version. I suggest just getting it with all options. Bose system is awesome, Navigation is easy. While touch is disabled when the car is moving, it is easy to manage shifting and using the dial to change channels etc. so the Tech in the car is great. Was able to save all my Sirius Channel Favs on way home from dealer lot. ABARTH sounds great in either Sport of Normal. Noted the Sport mode dials up the performance a bit which did feel more responsive. Im about 5 foot 10 inches tall and hover around 200 pounds and I fit comfortably in the car. If someone is over 6 foot they may find it cramped. I love the gauges and Abarth logos on seats and steering. It gives the car uniqueness and people have no clue what the car is when they see it which Scorpion badges all over it. I was asked at a gas station if it was a Ferarri. Lol I wish. Car takes corners like a champ and those Brembo Brakes really work well. I know that squirrel thanks FAIT for its life. Convertible top is same as Miata and is sooo easy to put up or take down. Chrysler and many aftermarket sites are selling a lot of after market upgrades so this car is very good if you want to make it a track car. But.. I only bought the two items i spoke of earlier. Abarth already has limited slip diff, Front and rear anti sway bars, Front and rear strut tower braces, Brembo brakes, and a killer sounding exhaust etc.. so its more performance than most people need. Im getting around 30 MPG average which totally surprised me. In summary, this car is more than I could have hoped for. I would like to see an aftermarket company make a targa top for this car but outside of that. Its my childhood dream of owning that Triumph TR7 or Fiat X 1/9 Bertone Targa car that I could never find married to modern day conveniences. I want to slap myself for even considering buying that Miata. I would have never forgiven myself. :) I am living my childhood dream of owning and driving a EURO roadster even if it is a Miata in Drag. 1.5 Years later: so it’s fall 2019 and I was asked to update my review: in the most true sense, I fully stand behind my Decision. I love Abarths 124Spider. I drive all the time in Sport mode. It handles, drives, turns, and responds like a light weight convertible sports car should. It gets great gas mileage even though I can’t keep my foot out of it.lol It has been very reliable and I still get head turns, shouts out windows etc. of how cool my car is. I also get many pretty young women slowing down to take a second look or flirting. So it’s a confidence boost. Lol No issues mechanically at all. Just oil changes and a tire rotation. I feel my research paid off as nobody is buying them. 20 years for now I may sell one at Mecum for a major profit as a rare car. I bought 2 of them so I will keep 1 till I die for sure.
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What a great ride!
Leo M, 12/10/2016
updated 12/13/2017
2017 FIAT 124 Spider Lusso 2dr Convertible (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
28 of 28 people found this review helpful
I purchased this Car November 19, 2016. Its a base model Lusso with no real upgrades. I have had an extended highway trip and several day trips and I have fallen in love with this car. I owned an 85 Fiat Spider 2000 and I am partial to the Italian styling evident in the body design. Needless to say the performance over the 85 model cannot be compared. The 1.4l turbo accelerates on demand and shifts smoothly up and down. I am using the Asin auto transmission. The road handling and cornering are sharp and responsive. Even so, its a smooth highway drive even on long trips. Its not the fastest 0-60 but it is quick. In my opinion, the base sound system is adequate for all but the most serious audio enthusiasts. I stream Pandora thru my phone and the sound is terrific once adjusted for treble, bass and balance. So my major positives are style and road handling. The only major drawbacks are leg room and trunk space. I am 6'1" and I can fold my knees into a comfortable driving position, but there is not enough room for my big feet. Strangely, I have more than enough head room with the top up. If you have big feet there is limited room for the clutch, hence my selection of the auto trans. Any over 6'2" will have difficulty driving this car and they will not fit in the passenger seat due to the trim located where the glove box should be. There is very limited storage space inside the passenger compartment. The trunk has enough room for two small duffel bags and a computer bag. That's fine for my use as a weekender car. Price point for base Lusso is very attractive. In my opinion, a lot of the extras in tech package are not necessary or worth the addt expense. Lastly, when people see it they will think its a Miata or they ask what it is. Personally, I do not think it looks that much like a Miata but there are not many on the road yet, so its understandable for mistake. its a great car for those looking for a fun weekender.
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After twelve months, we still love this car
drbjaz, 08/08/2016
updated 08/10/2017
2017 FIAT 124 Spider Lusso 2dr Convertible (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
66 of 70 people found this review helpful
After twelve months of ownership, we're still in love with our FIAT 124 Spider. We've taken it on several road trips, some as long as six hours of driving and 400 miles in a day. For a roadster, the ride is excellent. We never feel tired, uncomfortable, or anxious for the ride to be over. It's awesome being able to enjoy the journey as much or more than the destination. For me, the Spider is the perfect blend of comfort, performance, and driving pleasure. Finding a nice twisting road through the mountains is pure joy. The handling is superb and the power is more than adequate to handle any situation whether it's climbing a steep grade or passing a slower vehicle. It stays planted in the curves and corners. The Spider has performed flawlessly with no problems of any kind. My original review is in the paragraph below. Realizing that a two seat roadster isn't for everyone, if you enjoy driving, or would like to enjoy it and have the luxury of being able to get by with just two seats, the FIAT 124 Spider is a great choice. Unless you just don't like driving, the FIAT Spider is sure to put a smile on your face and make you want to take the long way to wherever you're going. This car isn't a super-powered muscle car, but is light weight, nimble, peppy, and handles superbly. While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, for me, this car is gorgeous. Many sports cars are known for their harsh ride - not the FIAT. While providing great sporting performance, it also has a very comfortable and enjoyable ride with the top up or down. I'm 5'-8" and the car fits me very well. I can imagine that someone over six-foot would feel a bit tight. I test drove both the automatic and the manual and concluded that, while both are really great, the manual provides an edge higher level of driver engagement and driving pleasure. But, upon the insistence of my wife, I purchased the auto. While I enjoyed the manual, I'm very pleased with the auto. It's great cruising on the open road where you're not shifting a lot anyway, and it's also less of a hassle in city traffic. I couldn't be more satisfied.
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So far, so good!
Marvin Goodpickle, 10/09/2017
2017 FIAT 124 Spider Classica 2dr Convertible (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
26 of 27 people found this review helpful
I haven't owned a "roadster" since I ditched my 2000 Miata back in 2011 because it was nickle and diming me to death. This 2017 Fiat Spider blew me away. I was seriously considering a Miata again, but after I read a pile of reviews and took several test drives, I was hooked on the Spider. (Plus the local Mazda dealer was jerking me around). Granted, Fiat skimped on the "Mattel-made" sun visors and the bland, colorless instrumentation (not even a red line on the tach), overall, it's very easy on the eyes, very well made, and with enough accoutrements or lack thereof to meet most-but not all-budgets. My main complaint is the noise at highway speeds. They indicate in their marketing that it's quieter than a Miata, but it's definitely more noisy than my 2000. The radio is pretty useless at highway speeds, unless you have a headset. At first, I was taken back by not having a spare, but I suppose the fix-the-flat stuff in the trunk will work OK. (Maybe I should read the directions before I need it...?). Oh yeah, and it's a blast to drive. For an aging grown-up, the fit is snug but comfortable, the steering and handling are great, and it has MORE than enough power to get me very quickly from point A to B in style without acquiring too many tickets-I hope!
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This much fun has got to be illegal
Stelvio, 12/01/2016
2017 FIAT 124 Spider Abarth 2dr Convertible (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
32 of 34 people found this review helpful
When looking for two seater, drop top roadsters, that capture the fun of driving a curvy, technical back road for a low price, you have a choice of a Miata (Mazda MX-5) or a ?. And Mazda does it well with a light weight, quick, well made and reliable car. But it's styling, for me, was like the rest of the car, superbly functional. All it needed, was some passion to make it perfect and a little tuning by a culture with a rich road racing history. Along comes Fiat, to bring it both. The beautiful throw back looks of the 124 Sport Abarth, added to the MX-5 would have made a great car inspiring, and the looks distinctive, but it would still not be a Italian sports car but rather a better looking Mazda. But Fiat ripped the heart out of the Miata by replacing its engine with the soul of an Italian. Now it has it own looks and the totally different driving experience that a turbo charged motor brings to a car. But what about that tuning? That is where the Abarth model's unique features come in . The Bilstein shocks added to the front and rear, revised roll stabilizers, limited slip differential, 17 inch wheels with 205 low profile tires, the revised more throaty exhaust that adds four horsepower, - combine to allow the engine, suspension, and even the steering to be dialed in with the sport mode button to transform the 124 from a gentleman's sporting vehicle into a superbly controlled, feisty, canyon carver expert that blows the top off the fun driving chart. This car feels like it is nailed to the pavement no matter the road surface or the severity of the curves. Add the Brembo brake option as I did, and you can bring down your boiling cup of espresso to a standstill in a heart beat. Put it all together, as Fiat has, and this is the most fun you can have for a $25 tank of gas that will take you 350 fun (did I mention it was fun?) filled miles.. I have only known her for 1000 miles so far, but I can tell you already that if it were possible to marry this car, I would.
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