Fiat 124 Spider a Fun Ride

CARLSBAD, CA – Gasoline prices still are near record lows in the U.S. and small-car sales still are suffering.

And any brand specializing in diminutive, fuel-efficient cars rather than crossovers is hurting.

Fiat is a case in point, with deliveries down 18.6% January through May to a mere 15,191 units, WardsAuto data shows. For perspective, sister-brand Jeep sold 19,208 Cherokees in May alone.

So the Italian brand launching yet another low-volume small car may not be the best remedy. But at least the new 124 Spider roadster, on sale this summer, will bring buyers into showrooms who don’t want a 500 or its derivatives, which make up the entirety of Fiat’s current U.S. lineup.

The good news is the 124 Spider has the same fun-to-drive and flingable characteristics of the MX-5 Miata, on which it is based.

But the Spider isn’t entirely a Miata clone. It also has its own unique exterior look and feel thanks to a reimagining by FCA designers, who never miss an opportunity to add style, and FCA chassis engineers, who put their own stamp on the suspension.

Among drawbacks are the automatic transmission and some of the roadster’s interior, which borrows too heavily from the Miata. But the manual/engine combo is so much fun we can live with the Miata’s so-so LCD screen and controller.

The 124 Spider roughly is 100 lbs. (45 kg) heavier than a similarly equipped Miata and an overall 5.5 ins. (140 mm) longer, although the wheelbase remains the same and height and width are almost identical.

That extra length, which increases trunk room, has a lot to do with the weight gain, as does sound-deadening measures such as the acoustic windshield and extra insulation beneath the carpet and along the firewall. A bigger engine than the Miata and an older manual-transmission design also add pounds.

About the automatic: Upon beginning our morning route during a media-test-drive here, we turn left out of the hotel onto a moderate hill. The 1.4L turbo I-4 strains under even half-open throttle paired to the optional 6-speed auto. Not a great first impression.

The 6AT, an Aisin unit tuned by Fiat, generally is slow to downshift. A manu-matic shifter is standard with the auto, and paddles are available in the Abarth grade, but using these defeats some of the purpose of having an automatic.

Get the Manual

The afternoon leg of the route in a 6MT base-model Classica is more fun, with the self-shifter a better match for the 184 lb.-ft. (250 Nm) of torque the 1.4T Multi Air mill puts out.

As with WardsAuto’s previous test of this engine in the 500 Abarth, we again find it to have an unrefined clamor. But buyers concerned about noise likely won’t buy a roadster anyway. The vibration at idle of our Lusso and Classica test cars is more bothersome. Not having to grab a jittery shifter as often may be the only benefit of the automatic.

The 184 lb.-ft. of torque peaks at 3,200 rpm in the mid-grade 124 Spider Lusso, better numbers than the MX-5 Miata puts out. The Mazda’s naturally aspirated 2.0L Skyactiv 4-cyl. manages just 148 lb.-ft. (201 Nm) at 4,600 rpm.

Immediately following our 124 Spider test, we pilot a manual-equipped Grand Touring MX-5 Miata around Metro Detroit and find the lack of torque means we can’t stay in second or third gear as often as in the Spider Classica. But the MX-5 still is plenty zippy, a fun suburban commuter car thanks to its small size and cat-like reflexes.

The 124 Spider uses the previous-gen Miata’s 6-speed manual, but it’s hard to tell the difference. Both have short throws, but Fiat engineers supposedly tightened theirs up even more. It’s a very slight alteration only a diehard Miata fan will notice.

The Fiata (Fiat officials hate to hear it called that) shares its front double-wishbone and multilink rear suspensions with the Miata, but has unique antiroll bars, dampers and springs.

Most testers find the Fiat the least roly-poly of the two roadsters. As our test of the Miata came on the flat terrain of Novi, MI, and not the hills of La Jolla, CA, it’s difficult to make an apples-to-apples comparison, but on flatter surfaces during cornering in both cities, the Fiat is more planted.

Not tested on roadways in any city, but on a closed course at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium is the Fiat 124 Spider Abarth. Yes, the newest addition to the Fiat lineup gets the Abarth treatment, too.

Exclusive to the Abarth is a quad-tip exhaust, resulting in four more horsepower over the Classica and Lusso grades, as well as Bilstein dampers, Brembo brakes, a mechanical limited-slip differential and deep exhaust tone.

It’s not the fastest sports car you’ll ever drive, but it may be one of the most fun. Tossing the relatively light, grippy-tired Spider Abarth around left us with a permanent smile in the hour following our drive.

And at $28,195 to start the 124 Spider Abarth is a great bargain. If you’re in the market for a roadster, start your shopping with this one.

A Friendly Face

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the 124 Spider is more attractive than the MX-5 Miata. The rounded, eye-like headlights paired with a wide, high mouth (aka grille) make for a friendly face. We also like the rear treatment better, with its square, horizontally placed taillamps – a nod to the original 124 Spider, and plate-holder placement between the lamps instead of on the bumper.

Fiat says every exterior panel is updated from the Miata’s, although the character line curves upward in a similar fashion, just above the door handle vs. below it on the Mazda.

Fiat designers use materials to differentiate their interior in select areas. The steering wheel and shifter are unique, as is the soft-touch instrument panel cover. But vents, knobs and some metallic trim carries over.

The carryover LCD screen, controlled via a center-console-mounted controller knob, operates well enough. Within the audio setting, excess scrolling required to select a radio station is cumbersome.

But materials are top notch, with the saddle-colored leather of the Lusso especially nice quality.

Abarth models, due in the third quarter, get sharp red and black leather and leatherette on seats.

Fuel economy generally is good with any small car, but the Fiat does lose a little bit in city driving vs. the Miata due to its more powerful engine. The good news is highway fuel economy is the same excellent 36 mpg (6.5 L/100 km) as in 6AT Miatas.

The manual-equipped 124 Spider outperforms the MX-5 on the highway, rated at 35 mpg vs. 34 mpg (6.7 vs. 6.9 L/100 km).

We return an excellent 35 mpg in our morning route with the automatic Lusso and 29 mpg (8.1 L/100 km) in the afternoon, thanks to one hour of stop-and-go driving, with the manual-equipped Classica. That’s just a smidge off the 30-mpg (7.8 L/100 km) combined figure Fiat cites in press materials.

Fiat likes to say the original 124 Spider should help sales of the new model. With the original 124 Sport Spider sold in the U.S. from the mid-1960s through the early 1980s, and the average new-car buyer in the U.S. today in their late 40s to early 50s, some potential buyers will remember it. Fondly? That’s another matter.

What really should help sales is affordable pricing. The Classica base model begins just below $25,000 and the Lusso $28,000.

The 124 Spider is a fun addition to Fiat’s lineup that doesn’t immediately scream Miata by appearance and has some unique driving character. Even if Fiat sells just 10,000 per year, that would help boost its meager annual volume. But it needs to get in the market soon. The summer, the season when folks think about buying a convertible, is flying by.

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'17 Fiat 124 Spider Lusso Specifications