Anyone Ever Own A Fiat ?

To answer your question, yes. I believe someone out there at one time owned a Fiat.

Fiat=fix it again Tony

Is Fiat even selling in the US anymore? I wouldn't buy a car where there are no dealerships to do repairs.

I've always liked their look, but R2 is right, it's earned its anagram. I know of one woman who bought a new one and it was ALWAYS in the shop (someone hit it in her own driveway within the first week of her owning it, ominous start). She was trying to sell it under 5 yrs in.

I had a Fiat as a rental car & I HATED it! To be fair, I didn't have it for long, but I thought it was a total POS, beer can, death trap on wheels kind of car.

Yes and it sucked. Italian cars are crap in general.

Ok. I’ll take the Fiat off the possibilities list. Any other small cars that are solid and can park easier. I’m in LA and the parking worries me. Cramped and the SUV contingent takes up a lot of space. -op

[quote]Any other small cars that are solid and can park easier. I’m in LA and the parking worries me.

Mini Cooper. They could drive right through a house.

I had a Fiat and my father had several and they all worked great.

You want cheap and reliable, buy a used Toyota Corolla.

It was a long time ago, but my 850 Spider was as impossible to live with as it was beautiful. The windshield wiper motor caught on fire more than once. The pulley wire that opened and closed the window fell off its wheel so often, I just left the door panel off. And it would suddenly stop running, once as I was driving on the NJ Turnpike. I couldn't wait to get rid of it.

Buy the Honda.

Honda Civic

Thank you, everyone. This is helping. I’m not looking for a cheapie car. I’m getting a new car. I get so anxious from parking. The Fiat was attractive because it looks like it can park easily. Too many people park too close to the drivers door. I do like that Honda is a quality dependable car. It’s just kinda boring. So many cars look alike now. -op

I owned a Honda Civic hatchback for many years and loved it. I own a Kia Rio sedan now and it's fine. I prefer compact and subcompact cars.

Would you consider a Toyota Prius? Small and wonderful MPG rating.

Yes, I had a Punto. The engine gave out after a while.

I love Fiats, but they don't love me.

Even Italians in Italy hate Fiats!

My family had two in the 1970s: an avocado 128 hatchback and a blue 124 sedan.

The 128 lasted longer. The clutch went out on it several times in the 5 years my family owned it, and it had multiple flats; I got very good at changing the tires on it from experience. The only regret was the color. Avocado was a terrible color for anything, especially a car. But it was my first car, and I learned to drive on it. If you can learn to drive on a standard (with manual choke) and an iffy clutch, then you can deal with any other car afterwards.

The 124 was recalled because the axles had this unfortunate propensity to rust and crack in two when you were driving. Not a good thing in a car. It was recalled less than 2 years after my parents bought it.

That avocado soup can on wheels will always hold a dear spot in my heart, but I'd never buy another.

Fiat is down to 1 vehicle in the US, the 500x, but they’re bringing an electric, redesigned 500 back later this year.

They discontinued the new 124 Spider a couple of years ago, unfortunately-it was essentially a Mazda Miata (same engine/chassis/dashboard) with a sexier Italian body and a lower price.

I'm driving a 20 year old Toyota Corolla, worth every penny. R10 is right. This is my 2nd one. A driver hit my first one (with me in it) and totaled it.

I have owned a 126, 127, 131, and a Strada. Fun cars to drive.

my first car was a triumph. my dad's friend had a lot and i got my pick, within reason. of course i wanted the sporty, 2 seater, hard top.

in the shop all the time. all the time. sould have picked the mustang.

i did get an international scout after. that was a fun ride.

Just get a Subaru.

OMG, r22! My uncle owned an International Scout when I was a kid and I loved that thing! It was a stripped down old beater but ran for years!

The engine ran until the body just gave out. I had forgotten all about that thing until you just mentioned it!

I ruled by one but did not "own" one.

Do you even speak Italian?

mine was white just like BOBBY'S! on dallas. took the top off at the beach during hs trips, which was nearly every warm weekend.

The body work was always terrible due to the steel they used, but they improved that.

OP, try looking at older Volvos. Some models are VERY compact, and they're safe, heavy and drive well in bad weather. Repairs are more because of part prices, but they're the kind of cars you can get a lot out of.

Their design changes from year to year are done in a way that makes using older/'junk' parts easier than other manufacturers.

I did. What a nightmare.

As a lifelong Angeleno, I highly recommend you get a use used Toyota ($12,000 - $18,000) for now and don't worry about the dings. Because it will get dinged and bumped. It's not called a bumper for for nothing. Once you've acclimatized to living here, you can get that expensive car that you want.

I don't recommend getting to close to Fiats, they'll ruin your Mercedes...

Made Jags seem reliable.

Just buy a Toyota Prius - you rarely have to buy gas and it will outlast you.

Mazda CX-30

Fiats have horrible reliability. Some good suggestions up thread from Honda, Toyota, Kia and Hyundai. American car makers are no longer manufacturing compact and sub-compact cars favoring SUV and trucks - a huge mistake if you ask me. You might want to consider a Honda fit - they have a small footprint like Fiats with very versatile interiors. Not sure if Honda is still manufacturing the Fit, but there are plenty out there if used is acceptable.

I had a 1977 Fiat X19. Fun car. And it was a rust bucket after only two years! Never bought another Fiat. Have a Toyota Tacoma 2002 with 180,000 miles and runs great. I’ve gone through some Hondas. Love Honda. Have a 2017 Ridgeline that’s fabulous.

[quote]Not sure if Honda is still manufacturing the Fit, but there are plenty out there if used is acceptable.

You can no longer get them in North America; the US "successor" to the Fit is the HRV, which doesn't get great reviews. I used to have a Fit & it didn't have much power, but you could fit about anything in that car & it got great gas mileage. It'd be a perfect "city" car. But it's true - for whatever reason, US car makers are getting away from compact/sub-compact cars, which given high gas prices seems silly.

R36 I used to work with a dreamy guy, who had an X19 back in the early 90s. We used to go out for drives in the country. The wind blowing through our hair. Until we located a quiet spot for some lunchtime fun.

He was devastated when he found out that it was a 'cut n shut' two cars welded together.

I saw a Fiat on the road the other day for the first time in YEARS.

I almost felt like taking a pic.

BTW I'm seeing love here for Toyotas and Hondas, but no love for VWs?

The Germans are shameless in their price gouging for OEM parts.

I have a 20 year old Honda Civic (only one major repair) and I can’t tell you how many people have asked to buy it. I want a new “city car” but can’t decide like you OP. Problem is that Honda doesn’t make cars this small anymore. I wouldn’t touch a Fiat, or Mini Cooper because of the cost of repairs.

^when I was purchasing a car about a year ago, Honda was coming out with a "redesigned" Civic Hatchback, which appeared to be their smallest car. It wasn't available at the time, but that might be worth looking into

Didn't Fiat design the infamous Yugo from the 80's?

The Mazda 3 is a nice-driving small car that’s more compact than a Civic.

Yes I did . back in the 90's when I lived in Paris.

R42, everybody, NEVER buy a car in its first model year.

Every 5-7 years, Honda and most car companies "redesign" one of their models, that means it's a completely new car compared to previous years of the same name. Make sure the re-designed one has been out for at least two years so they've fixed the bugs in it.

Kia Soul. The older crowd loves them! My buddy has one, and he loves it as well!

[quote][R42], everybody, NEVER buy a car in its first model year. Every 5-7 years, Honda and most car companies "redesign" one of their models, that means it's a completely new car compared to previous years of the same name. Make sure the re-designed one has been out for at least two years so they've fixed the bugs in it.

Honda and Toyota are more conservative with redesigns and tend to just update and improve their vehicles, and don’t radically reinvent everything. I bought a new ‘18 Accord, which was the first year of that redesign, and it’s had absolutely zero problems in the five years I’ve had it.

R48 I bought a new first model year of a totally new car on the market. It is now eight years old and trouble free!

R48, you may want to research the 2001 clunker called a "Civic."

I love their Italian styling, but they are not reliable. Save yourself the headache and expense of a finicky machine and buy something that won’t leave you stranded by the side of the road. I owned a Jaguar once, and it was like being in love with someone beautiful with bpd. I was so traumatized I went out a bought a fucking Yaris, which by the way is still running perfectly after 14 years.

^ " I was so traumatized I went out a bought a fucking Yaris"

😂

I've been "traumatized" by a few cars myself, but going from a Jaguar to a Yaris is like joining a monastery after being a porn star

If you like cars that don't quite look like all the other cars, consider a VW Golf. I've had two and they've been excellent. Peppy and roomy for a small car.

Of course, you're dealing with a former Nazi-loving company that cheated so badly on its emissions data that even the powers that be had to reign them in. But no one's perfect. And Golfs are great.

^When I was car shopping in '22 (granted, a very bad time to be car shopping), the only Golfs available were the tricked GT Golfs, which if I recall had a fairly high price point for what you were getting. At the time I was interested in the Taos (though not a small car) and it apparently got pulled back due to issues.

People seem to have great experiences with VWs & just love them, or hate them with a passion.

OP

Why are you choosing a new car? Why not look at a Certified Used?

It's easy enough to research the loss in value of a new car vs. the benefits of Certified Used. Check it out before you make a final decision.

My eldergay neighbor had one one of those new little Fiats. It was cute, but it gave him nothing but trouble. He got rid of it within a year or so, and now drives a little Ford station wagon that’s kind of cute. I mean, for a Ford.

R54, I've had two mechanics advise not to get a VW because of reliability issues these days.

I have a 2013 VW Jetta Sportwagen with 152,000 miles. It still looks great, gets 30+ mpg and is very comfortable. I haven’t replaced it because nothing on the market right now has the same qualities.

It’s been reliable-but I think the key to keeping a VW running is to strictly follow the maintenance schedule. You cannot go 1,000 miles past the due date on an oil change on a VW the way you can with a Honda.

Hondas are trouble-free.

What about a Mazda MX-5? Very small. You can park it anywhere, probably. I think it's the update to the beloved Miata.

[quote]I have a 2013 VW Jetta Sportwagen with 152,000 miles

2013 is TEN YEARS AGO. Things have changed, dearest.

Well cunt at r61, if you read the 10 posts above mine, you will see that 3 of the 10 were about VW reliability. I am sharing MY experience, since I know that VW’s reliability tanked in the 90s and their reputation for durability is still poor.

My point was they can be reliable if meticulously maintained. I am aware my car is ten years old since I know how to read a calendar.

I also see someone posted about their 2009 Toyota Yaris, but you chose to act like a dick with me instead of them.

Was there anything else?

If you're truly just going to use the car to run errands (low mileage city driving) then any new car, even Fiat, will probably be reliable and serve you well. Fiat has a "Yacht Club" model that looks real nice. Pricey but there are other trims too.

Do not keep any VW or Audi past 12 years. Their value as an old car is pitiful.

There must be a lot of people who sell these for cash 'cuz with all those wingers complaining about fiat currency, right?