Fiat Sales for April 2019

[Fiat500USA]

Fiat500USA.com Has Just Posted the Following:

Overall Fiat brand sales for April were up 10 percent compared to March. Fiat sales totals have been steadily increasing the past few months this year...

Read more here...

[tvmaster]

I see quite a few 500’s and 500e’s in SoCal, but almost zero Abarth’s, of either variety. For that matter, I can’t remember the last time I saw a 124 Spider (Fiata) on the road here, which is weird, ‘cause there are loads of Miata’s

[venom]

Gas prices are up...Good sign for Fiat

[Lil Blue]

Coming across I-70 yesterday and shooting north to spend the night in Cleveland...saw only 2 Fiats. A 500 on a rolling parking lot. And an L going west. Would have thought we would have seen more. Wife did say we kept getting "stares" from other drivers as we passed them. Still an unusual car...for which I'm thankful. Oh...and who says you can't get comfortable going cross country in an Abarth-Cabrio. Here's my wife...Her Majesty The Queen...racked out for part of the trip. Heated seats help. Vermont bound Italian style.
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[venom]

Are you sure you won’t getting stares because they thought you had a dead body in the front seat....������

[panther76]

Gas prices are up...Good sign for Fiat

how so? they sell a mini car with a highway rating of 34 mpg. unless they are prepared to bring us models that they've shown zero inclination to bring us, I dont see high gas prices helping fiat sales when folks can buy larger cars with better mileage numbers.

[KellyfromVA]

how so? they sell a mini car with a highway rating of 34 mpg. unless they are prepared to bring us models that they've shown zero inclination to bring us, I dont see high gas prices helping fiat sales when folks can buy larger cars with better mileage numbers.

Great point. Much larger Korean sedans get equal-to or better fuel economy than a much smaller Fiat 500. The selling point for Fiat's are they're, unique, quirky, European based designed cars that are easy to park and drive in congested cities.

[tvmaster]

Great point. Much larger Korean sedans get equal-to or better fuel economy than a much smaller Fiat 500. The selling point for Fiat's are they're, unique, quirky, European based designed cars that are easy to park and drive in congested cities.

Yeah, our KIA Niro gets 42mpg on regular petrol. It’s nice having two cars....

[Fiat500USA]

The 500 isn't intended as a fuel economy champ /econobox. It is made to be a fun, cool lifestyle car, much like a how a motorcycle is thought of. This is the hardest thing for traditional American car buyers (and even dealership personnel and some owners) to wrap their heads around. Even Fiat USA eventually caved into the notion on the Pop and Lounge in 2013 when they raised the final drive ratio to boost fuel economy. Originally the ratios were chosen to make the car fun to drive. They kept those ratios on the Sport.

Here's a link to the specs as an FYI: http://www.fiat500usa.com/2012/09/20...e-vehicle.html

[Koreanadian]

The 500 isn't intended as a fuel economy champ /econobox. It is made to be a fun, cool lifestyle car, much like a how a motorcycle is thought of. This is the hardest thing for traditional American car buyers (and even dealership personnel and some owners) to wrap their heads around. Even Fiat USA eventually caved into the notion on the Pop and Lounge in 2013 when they raised the final drive ratio to boost fuel economy. Originally the ratios were chosen to make the car fun to drive. They kept those ratios on the Sport.

Here's a link to the specs as an FYI: http://www.fiat500usa.com/2012/09/20...e-vehicle.html

Absolutely true. I rather stick with my Fiat 500 with the hideous B&M system and "horrible" (not really) MPG figures rather than those cars I call transportation appliances. (like Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord to name a few) the 500 has its own issues and quirks ... and sometimes they're a pain in the butt, but I still rather drive this car, because as said above, the car is fun to drive. Gotta apply Marie Kondo to cars too you know? If it doesn't doesn't bring you joy, get rid of it.

[panther76]

The 500 isn't intended as a fuel economy champ /econobox. It is made to be a fun, cool lifestyle car, much like a how a motorcycle is thought of. This is the hardest thing for traditional American car buyers (and even dealership personnel and some owners) to wrap their heads around. Even Fiat USA eventually caved into the notion on the Pop and Lounge in 2013 when they raised the final drive ratio to boost fuel economy. Originally the ratios were chosen to make the car fun to drive. They kept those ratios on the Sport.

Here's a link to the specs as an FYI: http://www.fiat500usa.com/2012/09/20...e-vehicle.html

those ratios barely changed the mpg. having driven both version it was hard to tell any difference. at any rate, many of us loved the notion that we could have a car than easily got 40+ mpg (with the 5 speed manual),was fun to drive, and stylish. that was a combination that barely exists in the USA. Maybe that was a winning combination. they sure sold a good amount of manuals when they were selling 30,000+ 500's, and the vast majority of those were not turbos. its not an either or proposition, imo. If gas started creeping up toward $4 Id say the 500 could have been well positioned with the higher mileage 500's. American are willing to go for some fun and quirky style, but they arent willing to give up the one thing a tiny car should do well, and thats to be fuel efficient.

[Fiat500USA]

those ratios barely changed the mpg. having driven both version it was hard to tell any difference. at any rate, many of us loved the notion that we could have a car than easily got 40+ mpg (with the 5 speed manual),was fun to drive, and stylish. that was a combination that barely exists in the USA. Maybe that was a winning combination. they sure sold a good amount of manuals when they were selling 30,000+ 500's, and the vast majority of those were not turbos. its not an either or proposition, imo. If gas started creeping up toward $4 Id say the 500 could have been well positioned with the higher mileage 500's. American are willing to go for some fun and quirky style, but they arent willing to give up the one thing a tiny car should do well, and thats to be fuel efficient.

But it was just enough to appease the cry babies and bumped the mileage to 31/40 mpg (city/hwy) from 30/38 mpg (city/hwy)

If it mattered, most owners who knew how to drive for fuel economy could hit or exceed 40 mpg, but it was just a matter of getting it on the Monroney label.

Here's my lifetime average on my Abarth, which is pretty remarkable seeing I rarely drive on the highway, and have a rural commute on hills with lots of stop signs, etc.:

[panther76]

But it was just enough to appease the cry babies and bumped the mileage to 31/40 mpg (city/hwy) from 30/38 mpg (city/hwy)

If it mattered, most owners who knew how to drive for fuel economy could hit or exceed 40 mpg, but it was just a matter of getting it on the Monroney label.

Here's my lifetime average on my Abarth, which is pretty remarkable seeing I rarely drive on the highway, and have a rural commute on hills with lots of stop signs, etc.:

...and i had lots of fun with my pop and sport (non turbos manuals) and got a lifetime average of 43.7 mpg. I didnt even have to work at it. thats close to hybrid territory except hybrids are boring to drive and boring to look at. (many of them, anyway). fiat was never going to survive hear on ONLY the lifestyle factor. even those that "get it" can concern themselves with practicalities like gas mileage. FCA cant claim to have made good choices with their offerings of the 500 as evidenced by the 500 dying on the vine.

[dprb]

They should cancel the standard 500 and just sell the Arbath. I owned a Prima Edizione #132 and now a 2017 Arbath. No comparison. ARbath is the killer Fiat car.

[venom]

how so? they sell a mini car with a highway rating of 34 mpg. unless they are prepared to bring us models that they've shown zero inclination to bring us, I dont see high gas prices helping fiat sales when folks can buy larger cars with better mileage numbers.

People think when they see a small car it gets better fuel economy. Then when they see an Abarth they think sporty and better fuel economy. Amazed at how they won’t even look to see the mpg listed on the sticker and just think because it’s small it gets great mpg.