I first set eyes on this vehicle at the LA Auto Show two weeks ago, although I did see the J-Lo commercials prior to my visit. From that moment on, I wondered how this baby would handle on the road and if I would love it as much as I do my VW Eos. I'm always drawn to convertibles/open-air vehicles and this one drew me in.
So off I go to the first Fiat Studio (that's Fiat lingo for dealership) in Orange County - aptly named Orange Coast Fiat. As Jeff and I pulled into the lot, we were surrounded by hundreds of baby Fiats - all different colors and models (with the exception of the Abarth and the Gucci). They all looked cute as a button, I just wanted to give them all a hug.
While we were bouncing from car to car, we were warmly greeted by a very pretty and young Lila Jahangiri. Lila is not a car salesperson. Lila is a Fiat Specialist and rightly so. After I singled out the silver Lounge model, front wheel drive with body side, red racing stripe decals and 6-speed automatic (27mpg city, 32mpg hwy), Lila quickly returned with keys in hand.
Because this is a very small car (smaller than the Mini Cooper), less than 140" in length, we felt it would be best that Lila sit in the backseat since she is much more petite than Jeff! Before I entered the car, I did a slow once-over of the interior, stroking the seats and playing with the knobs and dials. I was very impressed with the two-toned leather interior of red and black (a $1,250.00 option). It added a lot of pizazz and the color combo was a perfect match to the exterior. When I first sat in the driver's seat, it immediately felt comfy and cozy. After manually adjusting the seats (not a big fan, but hey, they had to cut costs somewhere), I noticed that the instrumentation and controls were all in convenient locations. The sharp and snazzy styling was quite appealing, something I don't usually see in American autos.
And of course the Bordeaux (cloth) electric roof is down. Which, by the way, can be operated while the vehicle is in motion at up to 60 mph. Good thing Jeff didn't have his hat on!
Time to take 'er for a spin! I pulled out of the lot, made a right turn onto somewhat of a busy street, cruisin' at about 40 mph and so far it's feelin' pretty good. The steering isn't as tight as I'd like it to be, but it is in the "sport" mode, which gives the vehicle tighter steering and tighter suspension. We hit a red light and I immediately feel the ultra sensitive brakes with just a tap. The light turns green and I step on the gas. Surprisingly enough there was plenty of pep in her step! I anticipated a snail-like reaction off the line (kind of like "the little engine that could"), but she really pulled through for me. Not bad for a 1.4L, 4 cylinder, 101 hp engine. She knew she couldn't let me down and she didn't.
While crusin', Lila reminded me to turn on the Sirius Satellite radio because, after all, the Bose premium audio system is standard, another wonderful surprise. Because we essentially drove on flat terrain, I didn't really notice the tight suspension. But all in all, the Fiat 500c was fun to drive and the smallness didn't bother me one bit. The ride was smooth and she handles turns and lane changes with ease. The price point - low to mid 20's. But one thing for sure, this is definitely a CHIX car.
After we pulled in the lot, Lila invited us in to see the "Studio". It's ultra modern, sporting a snack/beverage bar, lounge looking chairs, a display of wheels and Fiat clothing.
She then introduced me to a very nice guy, Robert Kamarzarian, the studio Manager. Robert wanted to make a sale and who can blame him. I told him that I'm interested in the Abarth model (160 hp, turbo) which won't be available in their studio until March 2012. He offered to let me purchase the Lounge and trade it in when the Abarth comes in, with no cash lost. I told him that I appreciated the offer, but will wait the 3 months and see how I feel then. Because as of now, I'm not ready to part with my Eos (which only has 36K miles).
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