2008 Best Car Series: (Round 2) SL65 Black vs FIAT 500

[Joey D]

Or maybe people are just ignorant. A majority of people I see driving MINI's are men either in their late 50's and bought the car as a weekend fun vehicle now that they are retired, or young guys who are in college, play around with computers, and are rather geeky. Most of the time chicks drive the convertible Coopers.

I have a feeling if the 500 comes to the states it will be the same thing. You'll have the older men buying them for the weekend fun car and young guys who are geeks buying them as well.

And if men have to have a big muscle car to feel good about themselves I feel sorry for them.

 

[gator of kana]

I don't look at a car that is manly, in fact I don't car about being man at all, I just like the thrill of high performance cars because they could make your heart stop with excitement/fear. I haven't been having much fun driving on public roads because I'm in a speed limit barrier, I just want to experience how fun it would be to go 300km/h, I would vote for the 500 really I would, but I just want to experience a fast car before I die. I do like to capture the fun of driving in both these cars but I just need some adrenaline.

 

[homeforsummer]

Compensation is the other way around, guys buy small cars so they feel "big" in their small interiors.

...Says the guy with a Ute, which has how much space in the two-seat interior?

 

[Leonidae]

^good one

 

[Moglet]

I voted for the SL65.








Actually I didn't. I voted for the small, economical Fiat stunner that has tons of character and is a blast to drive. The interior is an amazing place to be, the exterior is perfectly formed and causes people to approach me and ask to look around it, it's one of the safest cars in it's class and it's cheap to run. But on top of all that, it feels brilliant to drive. The steering is fairly light, but still gives good feedback and even though I've only got the 1.2 engine it still pulls fairly well as long as you rev it a lot.

And that's another reason to vote for it. It begs you to drive it hard and have fun! It keeps asking for more and more revs and when throwing it through the corners it just grips and grips but still has that Fiat bodyroll to make things feel brilliantly fun. Then there's the back end that, if you hit a bump in a corner at speed, actually starts to try and jump out. For some, this is a bad thing but it just adds to that all important fun factor that small cars like this should have.

It's cheap to buy (and packed with features) cheap to run (£30 a year tax and brilliant MPG) and there's nothing else on the road at the minute that even comes close to drawing as much attention and admiration unless you're in a supercar. I've had a woman at a garage want to look around and even a fairly old guy who works in a factory asking me about it every time I park up to pick up my brother.

And mine is still running perfectly, no problems at all. The dealership staff were really helplful and friendly, too. 👍

EDIT: How can you look at this and not vote for it?

 

[homeforsummer]

It begs you to drive it hard and have fun!

'Tis how a Fiat should be

 

[Moglet]

'Tis how a Fiat should be

Exactly! All of the reviews comment on that, it makes you want to drive like an Italian, zipping through the streets with a massive smile on your face

 

[Leonidae]

paint it yellow, give it a nose and you have a pikachu

 

[Dave A]

I've seen quite a few 500's and it's quickly becoming one of thoes cars annoying people trying to be trendy are buying. It's not as good as the cheaper alternatives and some of these are alternatives that FIAT actually makes. All the 500 is, is an overpriced fashion accessory that you can drive. Ofcourse the SL65 coule be classed as an overpriced drivable accesory, but at least with the SL65 you are getting something special, something you won't see hundereds of men with more hair gel on thier heads than hair. Besides my personal opinion of cars like the 500 where they're over priced because of nothing more than fashion and as a result are not as good as cars cheaper, there is the issue of cost with regards to the SL65 black also. But if I were to put myself in two positions, both where I had enough money to buy a car in either class, I know that hands down I wouldn't entertain buying the 500, whereas I would think the SL65 black.

 

[Moglet]

Besides my personal opinion of cars like the 500 where they're over priced because of nothing more than fashion and as a result are not as good as cars cheaper

Like what, exactly? The base model is £8,100!
Also, nice stereotyping. The 500's buyer range actually mainly consists of middle aged men and women. I own one, and I'm definitely not the sort of guy who has more gel on his head than hair. I've not met one person who bought it as a 'fashion accessory'!

I'm hoping it never gets that way either, but if it does then so be it.

 

[homeforsummer]

The 500 is amazingly cheap actually, so it's unfair to claim that it's overpriced in any way. Sure, it's more than the Panda, but then subjectively it's offering more too.

 

[Philly]

I just want to experience how fun it would be to go 300km/h, I would vote for the 500 really I would, but I just want to experience a fast car before I die. I do like to capture the fun of driving in both these cars but I just need some adrenaline.

Since when is going extremely fast in a straight line the only way you can get an adrenaline rush? I would not be at all surprised if the 500 was just as fun, or even more fun in corners than the SL. On public roads, I'm sure you could get all the adrenaline rush you need going silly speeds on an autobahn. The only place you'll ever get to enjoy the SL's speed is at a proving ground, where I would guess (I haven't tried) going that fast isn't that thrilling, seeing that the road was designed for it.

 

[homeforsummer]

Young Gator has a lot to learn...

 

[Moglet]

I have found the ultimate corner to take a Fiat 500 round near my house. It's a fast uphill left that is VERY bumpy and the whole back end of the car lurches to the right as you go through it at about 40, then the road becomes much narrower, forcing you near a hedge so the car feels right on the edge. I might film it one day.

 

[forza2.0]

Since when is going extremely fast in a straight line the only way you can get an adrenaline rush? I would not be at all surprised if the 500 was just as fun, or even more fun in corners than the SL. On public roads, I'm sure you could get all the adrenaline rush you need going silly speeds on an autobahn. The only place you'll ever get to enjoy the SL's speed is at a proving ground, where I would guess (I haven't tried) going that fast isn't that thrilling, seeing that the road was designed for it.

Once the 500 gets fixed Im gonna convince my GF to let me drive the 500 like its stolen to see if it lives up to all the hype, as from what I have experienced so far as a passenger and only having driven it myself in pretty much a straight line down my road I wouldnt say its anything overly special. But that could be down to my GF's softly softly careful approach to driving. I would really but this car through its paces

I've not met one person who bought it as a 'fashion accessory'!

[insert pic of GF here]

Only reason she got the 500 was because its the latest fashion accessory car lol

I told her about it just before they came out that the 500 would take over from the mini as the latest fashion accessory.

 

[Dave A]

Like almost every new car under £8,100 though the 500 can be had for closer to £7,900. I managed to get a 500 to over £11k just by ticking the options my Focus has standard yet cost less than that new and the Focus is a bigger car. You can get a Grande Punto which again is a bigger car with most of thoes options for less than £9k. The Fiat Panda which is a similar car to the 500 in every way but looks can be had for under £6. The Peugeot 107 can be had for just over £6k. Renault Twingo £6,900, Vauxhall Agila £7,500, VW Fox £6,000 and most of these cars are bigger than the 500. You see the 500 is competetively priced, when compared to bigger cars. You compare it to cars like the Fox, 107, Twingo and Panda (which the 500 is basically a stylised version of) and it is way over priced. Especially when the options list gets used. You can get a VW Polo for just over £7k. The cars the 500 competes with all cost under £7,000 barring the Agila, the most striking comparison is the Panda which is £2000 cheaper almost than the same car in trendy jeans expect most magazines tihnk the Panda is more fun to drive. I don't think the 500 is a rubbish car, just over priced and a novelty, like the Beetle it's a fashion statment more than it is a reasonable cost-benefit good value car for your money purchase.

 

[Joey D]

Is it that hard to believe the reason cars like the 500 are overpriced is because there is a long line of people willing to pay for it? There is nothing wrong with the way it's priced, it's the way marketing works. If the demand goes down, which I doubt it will, you'll see the price go down. Why do you think BMW raised the price of the MINI in the states? They can't get them here fast enough.

 

[Moglet]

I'll be posting properly tomorrow because I'm going to bed now, but if it's such an overpriced fashion accessory, then why does this link look like it does?

http://www.caroftheyear.org/pages/Coty08.htm

 

[Dave A]

Is it that hard to believe the reason cars like the 500 are overpriced is because there is a long line of people willing to pay for it? There is nothing wrong with the way it's priced, it's the way marketing works. If the demand goes down, which I doubt it will, you'll see the price go down. Why do you think BMW raised the price of the MINI in the states? They can't get them here fast enough.

Exactley, and why are they willing to pay for it, not because it's a better car than the £2000 cheaper Panda, but because it's a fashion statment. Nothing inherrently wrong with that nor did I say so. However this is a poll and discussion about personal opinions and reasons on why we would pick one car over the other individually. Personally I wouldn't look past the Panda if I wanted a car this small, I'd get a car that handles better and save £2000 in the process. I wouldn't even contemplate buying the 500. If however I was in the market for an exclusive Grand Tourer and had the money for one I would contemplate the SL65 Black. I doubt I'd actually buy it since the DB9 and Vanquish are on the scene. But meerly contemplating it makes it more of an appeal than a car I wouldn't entertain owing at all.

 

[Joey D]

I wouldn't call it a fashion accessory, an iPod is a fashion accessory, a small, fun car is not. You could easily buy a cheaper car but how fun would it be? I could have gotten numerous small cars for thousands less then my MINI but they weren't as fun to drive. I assume the 500 is the same way based on what I've read on it. You are paying for the heritage behind it and the fun factor you have while driving.

I find the Mercedes to be ghastly, at first I sort of liked it but the more I've looked at it the more I think it looks like an overdone Hot Wheels car. It's placed in the same category as the ZR1.

 

[McLaren]

Until the Mercedes actually exists, I just can't vote for it...

What do you mean until the SL65 Black actually exists?

 

[Joey D]

What do you mean until the SL65 Black actually exists?

I think he means until it's a production car possibly. It seems a few people are saying the car is still just a concept, I personally have no idea though.

 

[homeforsummer]

...Focus...Grande Punto...Panda...Peugeot 107...Renault Twingo...Vauxhall Agila...VW Fox...VW Polo...

And what's the price like compared to the MINI, which is it's actual rival?...

 

[Tornado]

It seems a few people are saying the car is still just a concept, I personally have no idea though.

Its a car confirmed for production.

 

[McLaren]

I think he means until it's a production car possibly. It seems a few people are saying the car is still just a concept, I personally have no idea though.

It is a production car, though. $320,000 a piece, and only around 200 expecting to come stateside.

 

[forza2.0]

I wouldn't call it a fashion accessory, an iPod is a fashion accessory, a small, fun car is not. You could easily buy a cheaper car but how fun would it be? I could have gotten numerous small cars for thousands less then my MINI but they weren't as fun to drive. I assume the 500 is the same way based on what I've read on it. You are paying for the heritage behind it and the fun factor you have while driving.

I find the Mercedes to be ghastly, at first I sort of liked it but the more I've looked at it the more I think it looks like an overdone Hot Wheels car. It's placed in the same category as the ZR1.

For the money of the 500 one could get say a mazda 2 which is just as fun to drive, if not more so.

And what's the price like compared to the MINI, which is it's actual rival?...

The 500 and mini may be of the same vein but they are not rivals as such other than as both bein fashion accessories.

 

[Tornado]

And what's the price like compared to the MINI, which is it's actual rival?...

Its cheaper, but the 500 is in a smaller size class. They do have very similar usable space despite this, however.

 

[niky]

Hmmm... win for the 500, and deservedly so, I believe. The next rounds will be quite interesting.

 

[nd 4 holden spd]

I think some people need to learn that you can have fun in corners in any car, some won't be as fast and demand more skill in corners, but you will still have fun. (Having been in numerous V6 and V8 sedans/Utes as driver and passenger, and been in numerous hatches as passenger and driver I'd like to see someone tell me otherwise), but you can't have fun on the straights in just any car from the factory, only cars with enough power have fun on the straights.

...Says the guy with a Ute, which has how much space in the two-seat interior?

Good one LOL, luckily I have a big tray I can just stretch out and feel comfortable in.

I wouldn't call it a fashion accessory, an iPod is a fashion accessory, a small, fun car is not.

Mate, if people are willing to use a living breathing creature as a fashion accessory (read small dogs) and spend $1000s on them to make them look miserable good, they are going to buy an object they cover the most distance in they think will be fashionable as well.

 

[Joey D]

How does one have fun in a straight line? I mean I suppose acceleration, but really a majority of the people I talk to describe a fun to drive car being able to corner decently well and hold it's speed.

I didn't disagree with cars being fashion accessories, all the rappers and their Escalades are a perfect example, but the 500 is not. It's a small car for people who enjoy driving.