2008 Best Car Series: (Round 3) FIAT 500 vs Aston Martin DB9

[nd 4 holden spd]

Handling does not equate to fun. Joey mentioned nothing about the DB9 anywhere in his post. "The FIAT 500 will be fun to drive" does not imply "The DB9 handles like crap". It's this jumping to conclusions which has got you into arguments before.



What an analogy... Are horse-droppings now a budget item of food eaten by people as a fashion item (a criticism levelled at the 500)?

You have absolutely no basis on which to criticise - or laud - the "fun" factor of either car. Neither do I. Saying that one IS more fun than the other is nothing more than hopefulness.

Maybe you should read read his post again, then my post again explaining my conclusion. It's this poor moderating that got me in trouble in the first place.

So what ever, I've done my part for the DB9 and voted, I'll leave your opinions to yourselves seeing as they seem so horribly wrong to me.

 

[Joey D]

I never mentioned the DB9 in anyone of my posts or it's lack of fun, nor did I claim the 500 was more fun to drive then it. I'm merely saying that the 500 is a fun car to drive and that I assume it is more fun to drive then the MINI not the DB9.

What Famine said...why? A small light car with a tight suspension will be fun. The 500 is basically a slightly better packaged MINI and it's immensely fun. I have to imagine the 500 is more fun to drive around.

If you can show me where I said the 500 is more fun to drive then a DB9 in this post I will fly to Australia and give you a cookie.

 

[Leonidae]

No, it wasn't sarcasm from my part. IMO, the V8 Vantage is better than DB9 or DBS.. sounds better, is smaller.. and still I would consider twice or more before accepting the keys. with the 500 I don't need to worry about envious idiots who would love to pinstripe the DB9.. with a sharp object.

 

[Famine]

Maybe you should read read his post again, then my post again explaining my conclusion.

I did. He said nothing about the DB9 or how it handled for you to leap down his throat with "Are you honestly trying to tell me that you think the DB9 will handle like crap for its size?".

Re-read his post. Find "DB9", "handles", "crap" or "size" - or any words which can be used interchangeably for them - in what he typed.

It's this poor moderating that got me in trouble in the first place.

Rrrrrrright. Have I done any moderating in this thread? Have I ever moderated you? Am I perhaps not permitted to post unless I am moderating?

You read something you wanted to in someone else's post. You're using a preconceived notion with no factual basis (a car you've no experience of is more fun than another car you've no experience of) as an argument, for some reason, against a person who has no opinion either way (for the same reasons).

So what ever, I've done my part for the DB9 and voted.

I also voted for the DB9. And posted that I had done so.

I'll leave your opinions to yourselves seeing as they seem so horribly wrong to me.

Come on, nd. No-one's attacking you. We're asking for the reasons behind your opinions that a car you've never driven is more fun than another car you've never driven. No-one's contradicted you even - folk are just wondering why you hold this opinion.

In fact that's all that ever happens. Your opinion and reasoning behind it are challenged. For some reason you have, in the past, seen this as a direct attack on yourself and reacted abusively, earning sanctions for doing so. If you'd just see that a debate isn't a personal slight against your character you'd have never had any issues here. Ever.

 

[Leonidae]

And N4HS.. we aren't mental. we just see world in colors instead of black and white.

 

[slidesquad#1]

Dude, some people might like a small, agile, nimble car that may not be particularly fast over a crazy tyre shredding beast that has limits much higher than most of their drivers. I have no issues believing that a 500, esp. a sports-oriented one, would actually be far more fun to chuck around than a DB9. In fact I'd probably assume that that's the case. The 500 wouldn't see which way the Aston went, but that's not necessarily the point for a lot of people.

Yet, see which car I voted for.

 

[Tornado]

Pfft. 500.

 

[TheCracker]

Basing my opinions purely on reviews i've read on both cars, which i've likewise driven neither, i suspect i'd have more 'fun' in the DB9. The 500 doesn't handle as well as the Mini or indeed the Panda it's based on. The DB9 is much faster and has a better quality interior. However, i really like the idea and the looks of the 500 where as the DB9 has always left me a bit cold. This is why i voted 500.

 

[Joey D]

The 500 doesn't handle as well as the Mini or indeed the Panda it's based on.

Really? I figure it would handle better, but the reviews we get here are be bit iffy on the car since it's not for sale yet.

 

[daan]

I voted for the Aston [sarcasm]as it is more fun to drive. It must be anyway as it costs more and has rear wheel drive and oodles of power.

Everyone knows that all front wheel drive cars handle like crap anyway.
[/scarcasm]

 

[TheCracker]

Really? I figure it would handle better, but the reviews we get here are be bit iffy on the car since it's not for sale yet.

I've not seen a direct comparison, they are in slightly different sectors (at least over here). The Mini always gets praised for its handling - where as the 500 has been marked down for not handling as well as the platform-sharing Panda does. However, i'm basing this on a review of an early Italian market version of the 500. Perhaps one tuned for the UK market and it's roads may fair differently. I'm sure the Abarth versions will close the gap though.

 

[homeforsummer]

I'm sure the Abarth versions will close the gap though.

I've bought a couple of magazines recently with reviews of the Abarth 500, but unfortunately they're not with me so I can't furnish anyone with lines from the article. I do remember it having the same praise and criticism of the normal 500, but in greater and lesser quantities respectively. It improves the normal 500's strengths and reduces it's weaknesses.

Are you honestly trying to tell me that you think the DB9 will handle like crap for its size? The DB9 will still handle damn awesome, maybe even better in some circumstances, not to mention the sheer speed the thing has over the 500.

The DB9 is an awesome car to drive I'm sure, but I suspect at normal road speeds the 500 is more fun.

Lets put it this way - to achieve the same pace as the 500 driving at 9/10ths on a country road, the Aston driver may only be driving at 4/10ths. At 9/10ths in the 500, you'd have to be accurate with the steering, maybe correcting it occasionally, you'd be feeling every bump and undulation, braking pretty hard for corners and feel it squirming, the rev counter hitting the red in each gear and the engine buzzing away the whole time. And you'd still not be breaking any speed limits.

In the Aston at 4/10ths, you'd barely hear the wonderful engine as you'd not be revving it beyond about 3.5k revs, just flicking a paddle when you wanted to change gear. The car would have over half of its grip and braking reserves left, you'd be guiding the car along the road with no real effort, the suspension cosseting you from the road surface. Unfortunately, you'd have to keep looking down at the speedo as even 3.5k revs might take you into ticket territory.

I'm sure the event of being in an Aston would be more special, but given that road and both cars I'd put that $5 you owe me on the Fiat being more fun.

Sure, get the DB9 on the Top Gear test track with its runway and massive sweeping turns and the DB9 would come alive, but for fun driving on the road the Fiat would be the better car. And ceteris paribus, you'd be prepared to drive the Fiat harder because it hasn't cost over 100 grand.

The Aston is in it's element touring continents. Even with all that power, I'm not sure I could describe motorway driving as "fun"...

 

[Moglet]

This was a tough one, I voted for the 500 in the end because of how cheap it is while still maintaining that fun factor, but the DB9 is beautiful and sounds amazing. But there's the drawback, if I were to buy an Aston it would be the V8 Vantage. It's cheaper, looks better (IMO) and sounds better, but the performance is still quick enough to raise a smile. It's only 0.2 seconds slower from 0-60 than the DB9, but it costs £20,000 less. You could buy 2 Fiat 500s for that!

But then I suspect I'd get out of the Aston and into my 500 and still smile more. Plus, people let you out of side turnings in a 500, whereas in the Aston you'd just get people swearing at you

I'm actually disappointed to see the 500 losing because I think people are voting for the best 'dream car' as opposed to the actual 'best car' which should incorporate price and running costs into the equation. And let's be honest, how many people on here would buy a DB9 over a Vantage?

 

[JCE]

Aston. Can't avoid possibly the most beautiful coupe shape ever.

 

[Prosthetic]

Aston. Can't avoid possibly the most beautiful coupe shape ever.

x2, and it makes a super nice sound.

 

[Wolfe]

Even though I voted against the 500 when it faced off with the SL65, I'm choosing the 500 this time. What can I say? Astons don't impress me. M-Bs usually don't, either, but I wanted to commend them for the weight savings that went into the SL65 Black, because that's an aspect of car design that all manufacturers should be focusing on.

 

[Duke]

You guys are mental.

No, we just got over the excitement of standing on the gas pedal of a car with a big engine quite a while ago.

 

[Giancarlo]

The DB9 is a big yawner. No spectacular design changes from any other Aston, or even most other sport coupes.

The 500 is cute. Loveable. The rebirth of an icon, done pretty well. And still sporty.

 

[JCE]

The Aston isn't sporty enough for you?

 

[Venari]

Heh. Good thread.

though small, European, FWD hatchbacks tend to be actually "fun" while large, European, RWD GT cars tend to be more capable and faster - if we wish to push on how much "fun" the DB9 is, drag Venari in

Eh, what?

You can thrash a 500 around at its limits without bothering the speed limits too much. It's much harder to do that in the DB9.

Quite true.

skill? with DB9 all you need to do is floor throttle in the corner. with Fiat 500 you actually have to do a lot of things, earn the fun.

Leonidae, rest assured that if you did this in a DB9 in any gear below fourth and you would require at least a change of trousers, if not a six-foot box. Make no mistake, traction control will not save you from a 470hp V12 if you're an idiot.

Famine- I imagine the Fiat 500 to be roughly in the same league as a Fiesta, where the DB9 to be in a league well above a V8 Commodore. Now if I had 20 X more fun in the V8 Commodore than the Fiesta, what chance does a 500 have against a DB9?

I dunno. Most fun I've had driving a car recently was in a 150hp Ford Ka. DB9s are a bit brutal to drive hard, very scary. If you like to thrash a car, the 500 would be a far better proposition.

The 500 is cute. Loveable. The rebirth of an icon, done pretty well. And still sporty.

Well, any car looks sporty with stripes and big alloys. But it is cute. I'd drive one - I haven't driven a 500. I suspect I'd enjoy it, it gets rave reviews because it isn't bad, and it is a very stylish package. I had a brochure on my desk for ages which was a far more interesting read than the DB9 sales bumpf. The interior is a far better design both in ergonomics and style than the DB9. It's more practical, more spacious, more all around useable. The brochure illustrates how personalised it can be - which is done in a subtly different way with a DB9.

And all for under £10k.

Like others have said... tough choice.

 

[YSSMAN]

The Aston isn't sporty enough for you?

Its a different kind of sports car, as some may say, a "gentleman's sportscar." I love Astons just as much as the other guy, but come on, we're getting this nitpicky while its stacked up against what may be one of the most-important sub compacts in the past decade?

The 500 should have this one in the bag, lock stock and barrel.

 

[nissan tuner]

why did a reskinned fiat panda beat the black series and why is this poll even close?

I'm voting for the DB9

 

[HACKr]

I voted 500. I like the 500, but not as much as the SL65. I must say though, the Aston Martin fails to appeal to me. Aston Martins all look relatively the same, and they don't seem to have really anything extremely remarkable to them when it comes to performance.

 

[Famine]

why did a reskinned fiat panda beat the black series

Because it exists and the Black still doesn't.

 

[buickgnx88]

So why was the Black in the runnings then?

 

[Barracuda]

I like the 500, but I like the Aston a lot more. Though the 500 looks nice it definately can't beat the Aston's styling in my book.

 

[forza2.0]

skill? with DB9 all you need to do is floor throttle in the corner. with Fiat 500 you actually have to do a lot of things, earn the fun.

Disagree, unless you go for the fastest version you will soon get used to the speed of the 1.2's and 1.4's.

 

[Famine]

So why was the Black in the runnings then?

People like the unattainable. An extremely powerful German car, about which no-one has anything negative to say because no-one's driven it, which will be available to a handful of customers at an astronomical price... Pretty much unattainable right there.

 

[buickgnx88]

That was the reason against the Vette most likely, but suddenly when against the 500 it was disliked for being pricey and not even out yet...

 

[Leonidae]

Disagree, unless you go for the fastest version you will soon get used to the speed of the 1.2's and 1.4's.

in other words, you learn to know the limits and how to exceed them should it be needed and how the car will behave. You might think that heavy, powerful car would be easy guess how it will behave on the limits with no nannies, but it's not. once you step over the border, heavier car will respond slower to commands, making it harder to get back under control. that's why smaller, lighter sportscars are preferred to big powered heavy brutes in most cases.