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27 minutes ago
53 minutes ago, balthazar said:

touting cubic footage

Yup, sry, was early

1 hour ago
6 hours ago, ocnblu said:

In the new trucks, GM is claiming moar square footage in their 5.5' bed than competitors' 6.5' beds.  But it is mostly width.  I suppose that is a good th…

5 hours ago

Last year, I had the chance to spend a week in a Fiat 124 Spider Abarth. While I found it to offer improved handling and a somewhat nicer interior over the Mazda MX-5 Miata it is based on, there…

6 hours ago

Last year, I had the chance to spend a week in a Fiat 124 Spider Abarth. While I found it to offer improved handling and a somewhat nicer interior over the Mazda MX-5 Miata it is based on, there were a few items that kept me from saying it was better - mainly the turbo engine and exterior design. A couple of months ago, I found myself in another 124 Spider. This time, it was the Lusso which drops a fair amount of the aggression from the Abarth, along with providing a softer suspension tune. Would this model be able to change my tune?

The Lusso is the polar opposite to the Abarth I drove last year in terms of looks. It is toned down with the removal of the aggressive bumpers and quad-tip exhausts. The end result is a much cleaner look. I just wished Fiat could have done more to the rear end as it still looks a bit out of place with the rest of the design. This particular Lusso is the Red Top Edition which as the name suggests has a red soft-top. I will admit this does add a touch of personality and helps the 124 Spider stand out. Not much has changed with the interior since our last review. Getting in and out is still a bit tough due to the low ride height and anyone over six-feet will feel quite cramped. The overall design is the same as the MX-5 Miata, with slight differences to the steering wheel and instrument cluster to make it slightly more Fiat-ish. Material quality is slightly higher than the Mazda, with more soft-touch materials. One issue I did discover in this go-around is the location of the 12-volt outlet. It is mounted deep in the passenger footwell, almost near the engine firewall. Finding it was not a pleasant experience as I needed to pull out my phone to act as a flashlight to find the stupid thing. Power comes from the turbocharged 1.4L MultiAir four-cylinder. Compared to the Abarth, the Lusso loses four horsepower. This is due to a more restrictive exhaust. My tester came with the optional six-speed automatic. I wish that I could say Fiat solved the engine issued I mentioned in the previous review, but they have not. The turbo engine still feels laggy on the low-end of the rpm band. Plus, the automatic transmission is tuned to quickly upshift to improve fuel economy. This leaves you without any turbo boost when you want it. I keep thinking that the six-speed manual would be slightly better as it would me control when it is time to shift, allowing the engine to be fully exploited. One trait that sets the 124 Spider apart from its Miata brethren is the suspension tuning. Fiat decided to go with a softer tune on most models - the Abarth is the exception as it gets a stiffer suspension setup. The difference is noticeable as the 124 Spider provides a slightly smoother ride than the Miata. This softening doesn’t change the handling dynamics of the Spider. It still darts into turns with minimal body roll and fast steering. The Lusso Red Top Edition sits as the flagship of the 2018 124 Spider lineup with a base price of $31,440. This comes equipped with a number of options such backup camera, Bose audio system, navigation, and heated seats as standard equipment. With destination, this vehicle comes to an as-tested price of $32,435. The Lusso model may be the sweet spot in the 124 Spider lineup as it offers a slightly smoother ride and improved interior. But Fiat still needs to address the performance of the turbo-four. It is a great alternative to the MX-5 Miata, but not better.

Gallery: 2018 Fiat 124 Spider Lusso

Disclaimer: Fiat Provided the 124 Spider, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas

Year: 2018
Make: Fiat
Model: 124 Spider
Trim: Lusso
Engine: 1.4L MultiAir SOHC 16-Valve Four-Cylinder
Driveline: Six-Speed Automatic, Rear-Wheel Drive 
Horsepower @ RPM: 160 @ 5,500
Torque @ RPM: 184 @ 3,200
Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 25/36/29
Curb Weight: 2,476 lbs
Location of Manufacture: Hiroshima, Japan
Base Price: $27,595
As Tested Price: $32,435 (Includes $995.00 Destination Charge)

Options:
Red Top Edition Package 22T - $2,495.00
Red Top Edition Package 2DT - $1,350.00

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7 hours ago

Saw a really clean silver TrailBlazer SS with a For Sale sign at a local Mexican restaurant yesterday.   

7 hours ago
9 hours ago, dfelt said:

Not true, China went from the 15% to 40% and that killed imports of CUVs from America and other auto'

Have a list of cars imported INTO Chi…

7 hours ago

Currently:  Nightfall Gray Bolt when I was leaving work last night.  I do like the Battleship Gray color on the 2019 Bolt.

On 12/4/2018 at 9:06 AM, balthazar said:

I occ…

13 hours ago

15 hours ago

Either way the damage has been done...

Also would help if we imported more to them,,,,,,

16 hours ago

Talk about an ultimate Toyota Commercial for the Failure of a Range Rover.

Seems the Range Rover got stuck in flood waters and the Toyota Hilux just enters in and mov…

16 hours ago

The research consortium  made up of European and US auto companies presented their first prototype of a CCS or Combined Charging System standard 450 kW charging station Thursday Dec 13th 2018. This charging station is open to the public, it is in Jettingen-Scheppach, located near the A8 motorway between Ulm and Augsburg Germany.

Porsche with it's 90 kWh battery pack was able to show off charging at 400 kW at the new station. This station allows a full battery recharge in 15 minutes or less. BMW also was there to test out and show off their system that can handle the full 450 kW charging.

These new charging stations are 400V and 800V wired, so while current EVs could not use them, new EVs that can handle either voltage will be able to charge up from near empty in the same time an ICE vehicle would do at the pump.

Both auto companies have acknowledged that their charging controllers are built to the same standard and can actually handle up to 920V charging. Recent additions to the 800V power club for recharging are GM and Toyota. More auto companies each month are signing onto this standard which brings recharging like ICE auto fill up of gas to reality.

Porsche Press Release BMW Press Release

16 hours ago

You could make a stronger case on that point for the GTO, but the SSR was nothing but a extremely limited 'toy' vehicle, even if it had 700 HP.

16 hours ago
1 hour ago, balthazar said:

[looks at internet info] - I see 1. the 6.0L was offered 2 years out of 4, not 1. 2. SSR ended because the Lansing Craft Center closed.

I…

16 hours ago
3 hours ago, ocnblu said:

I call it a win because NOTHING was done up to now.

Not true, China went from the 15% to 40% and that killed imports of CUVs from America …

18 hours ago

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18 hours ago

[looks at internet info] - I see 1. the 6.0L was offered 2 years out of 4, not 1. 2. SSR ended because the Lansing Craft Center closed.

I dunno; Chevrolet builds a limited production,…

19 hours ago

One question: where is the Cadillac equivalent?

19 hours ago
1 hour ago, balthazar said:

How did the sales volume rebound when the 6.0L was offered?

According to Wikipedia, the SSR only sold about 24K vehicles the entire time…

19 hours ago

I need to see what else comes out of this in March.  This is at best a partial victory.

20 hours ago

I call it a win because NOTHING was done up to now.

20 hours ago

Resembles a turd that's been in the desert for 23 years, baking in the sun.  See?  It's turned black.

20 hours ago

I built mine:  $73,259.00 for a base Sport with stick.  No options.  Turns out, doors and roof are bundled in an "all-weather" option package that also includes automatic parking, lane departure…

21 hours ago

Since the CT6 may end up being sourced from China if it stays, it would be a direct result of what this tariff ends up as.  I also believe the future fate of a Buick Envision and Enspire depend …

21 hours ago
19 hours ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

Not necessarily. The Buick Regal is as much a Malibu as it is an Insignia. Not to mention.. its on a GM platform designed with GM engineering …

21 hours ago

How did the sales volume rebound when the 6.0L was offered?