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Welp, everyone may or may not remember that I picked up a 2018 Fiat 124 Spider Lusso a few months back and I am really dissatisfied with the purchase - major buyer's remorse. Anyhow, I did have a 2017 Acura ILX A-Spec that I had nicely upgraded and gave it to my dad. My dad is willing to take the Fiat in exchange for the Acura given that I make the payments on the Fiat because he loves the way the Fiat looks as do I. The Acura is paid for and titled in my name still.
The Acura has 46k miles on it and the Fiat has 13.5k miles on it. Both are under either factory or extended warranties. The Fiat needs the warranty more than the Acura.
My major gripes with the Fiat are that it's very noisy when commuting at highway speeds and although I'm working from home at the moment, I will be going back to work at some point and it's not ideal after a long day's work to get into a noisy car (yes, I know that I should have taken the car on an extended test drive at higher speeds prior to purchasing it).
So, the plan is either to take the Acura back and give my father the Fiat while still making payments on the Fiat ORRRR I keep the Fiat for a period of a few months and trade it in. I feel like the more financially sound decision would be either to keep the Fiat and not trade it in until I'm not upside down on the loan OR take the Acura and continue making payments on the Fiat while my dad has fun with it.
The 124 is probably no noisier than an equivalent Miata would be...plus, IMO, it beats the Miata hands-down in the looks-department. If you have strong Buyer's Remorse that you can't deal with, fine.....but I'd keep it, and if you find it too noisy, simply get yourself a set of earplugs. Small sports cars aren't intended to (or designed to) have the decibel-levels of luxury-sedans.
Trade it in. No sense keeping a noisy and repair prone car that only looks good.
No. Except for the Italian-sourced Fiat MultiAir turbo-powerplant, most of the car is a rebadged Mazda Miata......and quite reliable in that department. The two are built in the same Mazda plant in Hiroshima, Japan.
The 124 is probably no noisier than an equivalent Miata would be...plus, IMO, it beats the Miata hands-down in the looks-department. If you have strong Buyer's Remorse that you can't deal with, fine.....but I'd keep it, and if you find it too noisy, simply get yourself a set of earplugs. Small sports cars aren't intended to (or designed to) have the decibel-levels of luxury-sedans.
well, but i'm not considering the miata at all, so i don't know why you'd mention it. also, the bmw 2 series convertible is noticeably quieter than the 124 spider, but that car costs about 10k more on the used market with the same age and mileage as the fiat. i'm sure other luxury roadsters are much quieter, but the fiat was built to a price point and as i stated i didn't take it on an extended test drive at highway speeds as i should have. in town it's quiet enough, on the highway, it's not at all.
earplugs are lame because then i can't listen to music and also i wouldn't be able to hear sirens in the event that emergency services were to need to pass.
okay, so i suppose that after thinking it over for a while that i'll keep the 124 spider and then trade it in in several months. we'll see what i wind up with or whether i decide to keep the 124 spider because i do have to say, it is a very beautifully designed car, to my eye at least.
the posssibility that immediately pops into mind is the bmw m240i should i trade it in but that car would need an extended warranty as i like to keep my cars for a good six years or so.
the acura is nice, it really is, but i had that car for quite a while and i'm bored with it. i changed the wheels to the acura oem accessory 18" diamond cut wheels, i added the aero kit and the chrome bits while changing the fogs to leds to match the headlights and drls. the a-spec package does make a difference, but i'm just not feeling the vehicle any longer.
well, but i'm not considering the miata at all, so i don't know why you'd mention it.
I was addressing the 124's potential reliability....Miata-based. Many folks are apparently afraid to own one because of the poor Fiat reputation, when, in fact, except for the engine, it is not a Fiat at all.
earplugs are lame because then i can't listen to music and also i wouldn't be able to hear sirens in the event that emergency services were to need to pass.
Agreed....I only mentioned them as a possible last resort.
Any small and lightweight roadster will be a bit loud at highway speeds.
There is much less sound insulation to keep the weight and price down.
Comparing 124 to 2 series is apples and oranges. The 2series is much bigger and weighs 1,000 pounds more lol
right, but i should have purchased the 2 series and that's why i mentioned it. it was another option at the time that i thought would be more unreliable than the 124 (and probably is) so i went with the 124. also, i like the styling of the 124 more than the styling of the m240i.
I was addressing the 124's potential reliability....Miata-based. Many folks are apparently afraid to own one because of the poor Fiat reputation, when, in fact, except for the engine, it is not a Fiat at all.
yes, although that particular engine has proven to be quite unreliable in a variety of fca products available here in north america as well as in europe so i do have an fiat extended warranty on the car in the event that the engine implodes.
Sooooo, CL community, I decided that I had enough with the cheap Fiat and traded it in for my first ever German vehicle and a crossover at that. I present to you all my new 2020 BMW X2 xDrive28i with the M Sport package. I still have my Lexus, of course, which is parked in the garage. The Acura is still in the driveway and no one wants nor is using that car, so I suppose I'll sell it to Carmax or Carvana or something.
Congrats on the new X2. Is that Phytonic Blue? It looks great. We had the X2's cousin, an X1 and enjoyed it. Fun to drive too. Enjoy the new ride.
thanks! it is fun to drive and is much more serene than the fiat. it's not phytonic blue, it's mediterranean blue metallic. it's quite a striking color in person and i picked a color that's not seen on the road terribly often. the x2, actually, isn't seen on the road terribly often, so i'm pretty smitten with this little ride.
Congratulations. . That's about the same size as the Encore GX I have on the way, but, obviously, with probably three times the engine, and three or four times the suspension. Sharp-looking blue paint-job.....that is an attractive color.
Just out of curiosity.......did your insurance company hit you hard on the new policy? M-cars, because of their reputation for being driven aggressively, probably don't have inexpensive insurance. Of course, it is not a two-seater like the 124 Spyder was......insurance companies often like to sock it to two-seaters.
08-22-20, 08:44 AM
2018 Fiat 124 Spider Lusso GONE! BMW X2! Woo Hoo!
. That's about the same size as the Encore GX I have on the way, but, obviously, with probably three times the engine, and three or four times the suspension. Sharp-looking blue paint-job.....that is an attractive color.