I've battled on with my 500 since April, but I've decided that the sun is going down on it 
In hindsight I probably should have bought a white 1.2 Dualogic Lounge, if only such a rare specification had been available in NZ (only the 1.4 and the MultiJet diesel are sold here; can't get the TwinAir). You'll probably remember that I didn't really like my 500 from the start. The plain-Jane appearance (most of the chrome missing and not even real leather inside) meant that it seemed a cheap and cheerful car, except that it wasn't cheap, and any trip longer than half an hour was so fatiguing, I'd have to stop for a while until the bright spots stopped spinning and feeling returned in my legs and arms :bang:
I think most of the 500's appeal is lost on me, because I didn't have any interest in the original 500. Unfortunately I'm not the only one Within a 100km radius of here, I've only ever seen one other 500 this year, so it's basically an unknown car. People don't recognise it as a FIAT but instead as a Nissan Micra. I'm sure Micras are good cars but it irritates me that they're considered equal. For me it eliminates any style advantage that the 500 might have had, though people are simple and perhaps if it had more shiny bits or the cloth roof, that might register as a difference. Very few people drive new cars in NZ - 82% of new registrations are used imports. For every one 500 sold, there are probably 1000 Micras brought in 2nd-hand from Japan at 1/3rd of the price. It's a losing battle
The 500 has been good for short trips in town, though at up to 87dB it is ridiculously loud. My noise reduction efforts (lots of added materials) weren't a success. I made it quieter on smooth surfaces but somehow even noisier on the coarse chip surface common around here (often loose stones too, which the front wheels spray against the sills - stone chips are appearing all the way along). I suppose it has been years of roadworks in Hamilton, with new main roads both sides of town and one right past where I happen to live, extending about 10km to the north.
The 500 feels like a solid car, well made (the plastics don't squeak or rattle) and it's reliable, not a single false warning with the only repair being for three leaky air conditioning hoses. Good body rigidity, and the Dualogic transmission is a delight to use. It's my favourite part of the car, and I will miss its snick-snick gear change with exemplary clutch control.
Anyway, I'm very excited about the Stilo Abarth I've bought to replace my 500. I reckon it looks better than a Golf, more Audi than VW. I love the way that it doesn't need any shiny bits to stand out, and isn't trying to capitalise on past glories. "Forward thinking", as FIAT's slogan said. The Stilo seems unpopular with anyone who knows about them, but at least it doesn't seem to be confused with any other car, and I love how it drives. I think it rides even softer than a 166. Has all the modern electronics missing from the 500 (rain-sensing wipers, parking sensors, windows that go down with the key, that sort of thing).
I put a bit more effort into my post in the Stilo section: https://www.fiatforum.com/stilo/313530-im-back.html
I might well try another 500 in a few years when they're a quarter of the price - I expect values will drop fast in NZ due to the recognition problem - but second time around, I'll be careful to get a more 'retro' version that plays to the original 500's appeal
-Alex
In hindsight I probably should have bought a white 1.2 Dualogic Lounge, if only such a rare specification had been available in NZ (only the 1.4 and the MultiJet diesel are sold here; can't get the TwinAir). You'll probably remember that I didn't really like my 500 from the start. The plain-Jane appearance (most of the chrome missing and not even real leather inside) meant that it seemed a cheap and cheerful car, except that it wasn't cheap, and any trip longer than half an hour was so fatiguing, I'd have to stop for a while until the bright spots stopped spinning and feeling returned in my legs and arms :bang:
I think most of the 500's appeal is lost on me, because I didn't have any interest in the original 500. Unfortunately I'm not the only one
Within a 100km radius of here, I've only ever seen one other 500 this year, so it's basically an unknown car. People don't recognise it as a FIAT but instead as a Nissan Micra. I'm sure Micras are good cars but it irritates me that they're considered equal. For me it eliminates any style advantage that the 500 might have had, though people are simple and perhaps if it had more shiny bits or the cloth roof, that might register as a difference. Very few people drive new cars in NZ - 82% of new registrations are used imports. For every one 500 sold, there are probably 1000 Micras brought in 2nd-hand from Japan at 1/3rd of the price. It's a losing battle The 500 has been good for short trips in town, though at up to 87dB it is ridiculously loud. My noise reduction efforts (lots of added materials) weren't a success. I made it quieter on smooth surfaces but somehow even noisier on the coarse chip surface common around here (often loose stones too, which the front wheels spray against the sills - stone chips are appearing all the way along). I suppose it has been years of roadworks in Hamilton, with new main roads both sides of town and one right past where I happen to live, extending about 10km to the north.
The 500 feels like a solid car, well made (the plastics don't squeak or rattle) and it's reliable, not a single false warning with the only repair being for three leaky air conditioning hoses. Good body rigidity, and the Dualogic transmission is a delight to use. It's my favourite part of the car, and I will miss its snick-snick gear change with exemplary clutch control.
Anyway, I'm very excited about the Stilo Abarth I've bought to replace my 500. I reckon it looks better than a Golf, more Audi than VW. I love the way that it doesn't need any shiny bits to stand out, and isn't trying to capitalise on past glories. "Forward thinking", as FIAT's slogan said. The Stilo seems unpopular with anyone who knows about them, but at least it doesn't seem to be confused with any other car, and I love how it drives. I think it rides even softer than a 166. Has all the modern electronics missing from the 500 (rain-sensing wipers, parking sensors, windows that go down with the key, that sort of thing).
I put a bit more effort into my post in the Stilo section: https://www.fiatforum.com/stilo/313530-im-back.html
I might well try another 500 in a few years when they're a quarter of the price - I expect values will drop fast in NZ due to the recognition problem - but second time around, I'll be careful to get a more 'retro' version that plays to the original 500's appeal
-Alex
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