Fiat 500 vs Ford Fiesta

I just priced both cars out and the Fiat is coming in at $17,500 and the Fiesta is at $16,050.

Is Fiat making a mistake bringing the 500 in roughly $1500 more than the competition, or is the Ford just a great bargain?

I'm looking forward to a comparison on these.

I'd opt for the Ford....but an Abarth might sway me.

looks like the 500 will be available in three trim levels, starting at 15,5 so the first run will probably 20k+ for base models, given the local markups..

I think i need to see a fiesta vs fiat 500 vs mini comparo...

IMHO the biggest difference- you CAN get the Fiesta today :D .

Don't forget the Mazda2. Bigger than the 500 and just a bit smaller (trunk space) than the Fiesta

amg_rx7 wrote: Don't forget the Mazda2. Bigger than the 500 and just a bit smaller (trunk space) than the Fiesta

the 2 actually has more passenger space than the fiesta.

I think you are looking at this wrong Fiat is not going after the Fiesta they are going after the the Mini and Mini S.

I noticed since mid summer in the Baltimore area that there has been a LARGE up tick in TV, Radio and print advertisement for Mini Coopers and I think this is to try and pick up as many buyers before the Fiat hits with full force.

FlightService wrote: I just priced both cars out and the Fiat is coming in at $17,500 and the Fiesta is at $16,050. Is Fiat making a mistake bringing the 500 in roughly $1500 more than the competition, or is the Ford just a great bargain?

And I hope (winkwink) that some magazine may do big write up with the Fiat 500, Mini, Fiesta , Mazda 2 and like cars

Paul B

I specd the 500 sport pacakge vs the Fiesta SE Hatchback with sport body kit. I tried to make them even.

I would go with a Fiesta before the 2, same chassis but the Fiesta is said to have a more powerful engine and same weight, needs verification.

Yes yes, Fiesta vs Cooper vs 500 and then when the power that be get their proverbial heads relocated to the daylight we can have a

Fiesta S1600, vs Cooper S vs 500 Abarth vs Renault Twingo RS

Then all will be right in the world. LOL

Why Nissan doesn't pilfer the Renault line for the U.S. market is beyond me. Why Ford is deciding to kill the RS brand is also beyond me. Why Ford doesn't import the 95 HP diesel they put in the Fiesta S1600 that gets 60+ MPG is beyond me.

Why I am ending all these sentences with "is beyond me" is beyond me.

Happy New Year's everyone!!!

FlightService wrote: I would go with a Fiesta before the 2, same chassis but the Fiesta is said to have a more powerful engine and same weight

actually, the Fiesta is 200+ lbs heavier (~2540 lbs vs. ~2300).

Flight Service everyone old enough to remember when Renault was offered over here would run screaming from new Renaults.

I don't know if the new ones are any better, but being open minded I'd let a few thousand people buy one and then see if they had as many problems as they did before - then I'd consider it.

When I first started working on cars in the 90s at a Jeep dealer there were any number of renaults in the line up and the were all berkeleying junk !! Broke all the time and hard to get parts and so on.

The best thing I ever found was a sticker on the back of the steering wheel " WARNING made in France " NO I am not making this up. Paul B

carguy123 wrote: Flight Service everyone old enough to remember when Renault was offered over here would run screaming from new Renaults.

As for why Nissan doesn't "pilfer" Renault's model line up for cars....look at a Versa and a Renault Clio or Megane 5 door. At least on the previous gen. Megane it looks like Nissan just applied a different front "clip" to the car.

Mazda and Ford in Europe, each have diesels in their small (and not so small) cars. You can even get a CX-7 with diesel power in Europe. Now that the U.S. has the kind of low sulphur diesel fuel that the rest of the world has had for years....our emissions laws make car diesels tough to certify.

BTW, Ford's 2nd gen Ka is based on the platform used for the Fiat 500. Unfortunately, the 2nd gen. Ka isn't as well liked as the 1st gen. was.

I imagine poor ownership experience of Fiats is going to be a stronger memory to the average American buyer than Renault. I could be wrong of course but I doubt it.

If I were looking at this end of the market, I would probably go with the 500 because the Ford looks dorkier than it needs to for this segment and the Mazda has that stupid smiley face tacked on the front. I don't need easy access to the rear seats much of the time and I like the size of the 500. Bonus points if we could get a diesel 500 here in the States. As it is I'm still watching the Porsche 911SC market so what do I know.

pres589 wrote: I imagine poor ownership experience of Fiats is going to be a stronger memory to the average American buyer than Renault. I could be wrong of course but I doubt it.

No, Fiat didn't just have a reputation for building cars that broke, they had a reputation for cars that went like stink and then broke. Quite a difference than Renault's reputation.

You're serious with this? Americans thought Fiats were quick cars? When did that happen, and which models?

I'd most likely go with the Mazda 2 over the Fiesta. Unfortunately, the Fiesta seems to have gotten a bit watered down for us American buyers and it does weigh about 200 lbs. more than the 2. Or, you can do what I did when I eventually ruled out the Fiesta: Get a five year old Ford Focus. It's roomier, faster and handles better. The gas mileage is not as good, but I liked paying $4500 a whole lot more than $16500 to purchase a vehicle.

In reply to JohnW: Yeah I buy nothing new, I will buy whatever I get used. I would like to track down an SVT Focuse but I might be getting power hungry, so 2011 Mustang in a few years, then a diet.

there's a pretty clean SVT Focus at auction in the District tomorrow - I'm gonna go just to see how much it brings - if anyone's close, it's at the Brentwood auction across from BET and the P.O. building targeted in the anthrax scare, and close to the Home Depot.