You could have done my write-up.

Without question, it was the most poorly-built car I ever test-drove.

 

Wait...there were 2 generations of Fiero??? I thought that the later years just had different bumper panels; and of course, the GT model with different styling and engine.

 

By the term "generation", I'd consider it more than just a styling-update...a number of things, inside and out were changed on the GT. I never test-drove a GT version, though.

 

Is the Fiero the one with the speakers in the seat?

 

Yes.

 

^^ awesome thank you

 

The original post said the 84 Fiero beat the MR2 to market by a couple of years...I would argue it was one year tops, and well worth waiting for! My dad bought an 85 MR2 in February of 1985. He's gone, but I still have the car today (pic below). It's one of the best cars he and/or I ever owned. While the Toyota was extremely reliable, the GM was extremely problematic. I initially liked the styling of the Fiero slightly better, but the more their reliability reputation plummeted, the uglier they became! I've never researched how and why GM and Toyota developed these similar, odd, mid-engine models concurrently, but I have to believe there was some sort of espionage at play (at least it's interesting to think so).

The first two years of the MR2 were considered the best handling. They were the lightest and had the best suspension setup among all the successive years. In 88 and 89 a supercharged version was available and from what I understand, they were a kick in the *** to drive! I only test drove a used supercharged model once, but, it was an automatic and I wasn't impressed. The second gen offered a turbo, but snap-oversteer put most of them in the junk yard once totaled by unsuspecting drivers. I test drove a used third generation too, but couldn't accept the total lack of storage with no rear trunk...it's like driving a motorcycle! My 85, on the other hand, has a front and back trunk, so I'm never short of cargo space, even with trips to Costco!

 

You might be corrcect. I know it wasn't more than two years, possibly just one like you said. I agree it was worth waiting for, though both of them were simply too small inside for my physique. The Honda CRX was a lot easier for me to fit into, because it was front/transverse engine, FWD, and had open interior room behind the two seats instead of the engine.

Many of Toyota's skyrocketing sales in the 1980s came because of disgruntled owners of unreliable American-designed vehicles.


Fiat/Bertone had already been selling the similar mid-engined X-1/9 for a number of years, and both the Fiero and MR2 gave it some competition. The X-1/9, though, like the Fiero, was problematic. One of our office-managers had an X-1/9...a bright green one.

 

Thanks for the review! I always thought the Fiero was a cool looking car but always heard they were junk. I’ve only ever seen one in person once. It’s scary how poorly built that car was from the factory.

I’m really enjoying these retro reviews.

 

That was the GM of the 1980s for you. CEO Roger Smith's philosophy, for the most part, was to develop vehicles and run them through the assembly-line as quickly and cheaply as possible, never mind quality (warranties were only for 1 year), and maximize profits on each vehicle. Millions of previously-loyal GM customers got burned (some quite seriously) and defected to Toyota and Honda. I never liked Smith, but I'll give him credit for one thing....approving the upcoming Saturn division, which, in the 1990s, turned out to be an astounding success.....until they starting mismanaging that brand, too. The Saturn SL-2 was my first domestic new car in more then 15 years.....and I wasn't disappointed.

Thanks. Glad you like them. More are coming.....although I would consider them more of a brief write-up than a formal MM-review. I'll be able to assume my regular new-vehicle reviews than life (and the dealerships) get back to normal.

 

I heard horror stories of how terrible GM cars were when I was a kid. That’s what pushed me towards Japanese cars.

That’s crazy the warranty was only one year. I can see why people moved away from GM products. I agree with you about the Saturn division as it was the best decision they made at the time. It’s a shame they screwed up the brand.

The retro reviews are awesome. I enjoy all of your reviews since you have driven such a wide variety of cars, both new and old.

 

All of the Big Three domestic automakers, to an extent, helped convert Americans to Japanese products. But it seemed like, Pinto and Mustang II disasters aside, that Ford was not quite as indifferent to quality as GM and Chrysler, despite flamboyant TV ads by Chrysler's boss Lee Iacocca at the time touting quality and a break from the past. Those ads, despite his well-known smooth-talking, were mostly bull-s***.

The 1-year, 12000 mile total-vehicle warranty was the industry standard, not just with GM, although Chrysler sometimes experimented with longer warranaties.


Yes, I've posted a lot about that. As long as they stuck with the unique plastic-body compacts, they really had something successful. Their mis-management came when they forgot what they were supposed to be marketing, and tried to make it into just more generic GM division. There's an old saying...if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Thanks....Glad you like them. More of them are coming.

 

Don't forget the 1984 Indy pace car :

 

I enjoyed driving the Fiero's except for the shifter.

 

Yeah.....it actually managed to make a couple of laps at Indy without breaking down.