General Street or Twin Air Plus?

[mr tommo]

Hi guys, I've been reading this forum for the last 2 days getting as much info as I can about the different models there are. Confusing!

I've decided that as I have a work car and my wife will be going back to uni, we don't really want to be keeping our BMW 330 convertible because, A) it gets around 23mpg, b) insurance and road tax come to £1100 per year, C) its 9 years old and I dont want any unexpected bills to pop up while we try to manage our money a little better.

May sound daft signing up for a brand new car but with the i-deal at 1% interest at the moment and residuals on Fiat 500's its probably one of the best new cars on the market.

I could just do with some help selecting a model..

Ideally I'd like the TA engine as I think it will be nicer to drive, but also will always be worth more when we come to trade it in, in 3-4 years time.

Not much for all the chrome so thats the lounge out of the question.

That leaves me with the 'street' model and the 'twin air plus'. I like the black on black look from both of these models and they both seem to have the options I want from what I can make out.

I'm struggling to find the spec of the Street model though. Does it have the half leather seats that the TA Plus has? Is the TA plus an old model that is being replaced by the street? Does the Street have the blue and me?

Obviously all these questions could be answered by a dealer but I'm working 7 days a week (70 odd hours) for the next couple of weeks and havent got time in the day to go to the dealers.

Thanks (sprry for all the questions I just find it mightily confusing.

 

[Squadrone Rosso]

The TA+ is discontinued.

A street with Climate would tick the box for me.

PS. Went though the same recently. Went for a plus as didn't want to wait.

 

[deeyup]

The street is the same as the twinair plus apart from these changes.

Street gains over TA+
Front fog lights
Matt black paint option back after about 10 months of being discontinued.


Street loses over TA+
Climate control (manual air con instead)
Leather gear knob
Free optional tomtom port (now a £50 option on the whole range)


So although as Squadrone Rosso says the TA+ is discontinued you can still get the same spec but with front fogs.

Istr that fogs were a £120 option on the TA+ so in reality the price has gone up with the street version.

If you can find a dealer with th right colour for you TA+ in stock you could save a little

 

[mr tommo]

Thanks guys that's a great help really cleared things up. Still can't find any real life photos of the street, ill keep my eyes open on the members cars for anybody taking delivery of a street.

My local dealer is offering the ta+ at 1% Apr on the i-deal so works out a bit cheaper than the street. Can't imagine there would be a reduction in resale if i had a TA+ version so will just see what I can get the best deal on!

 

[loveshandbags]

Thanks guys that's a great help really cleared things up. Still can't find any real life photos of the street, ill keep my eyes open on the members cars for anybody taking delivery of a street.

My local dealer is offering the ta+ at 1% Apr on the i-deal so works out a bit cheaper than the street. Can't imagine there would be a reduction in resale if i had a TA+ version so will just see what I can get the best deal on!

It's essentially the same car. Personally I would prefer Climate on the TA+ over the Fogs on the Street. Plus it seems to be a bit cheaper. That TA+ wouldn't be around for long.

Are you going for Black ?

 

[mr tommo]

Yes it will be metallic black. It's the wife's car really I'll only use it on Sunday's but I don't want to make it look too girls so we've both had to compromise a little. She can have a 500 as long as I get a sporty non girly looking version

Yeah not too fussed bout fog lights to be honest.

Have they both got part leather seats?

 

[loveshandbags]

Yes it will be metallic black. It's the wife's car really I'll only use it on Sunday's but I don't want to make it look too girls so we've both had to compromise a little. She can have a 500 as long as I get a sporty non girly looking version

Yeah not too fussed bout fog lights to be honest.

Have they both got part leather seats?

They both have Sports seats with the sides upholstered in leatherette (it's a good copy of leather) - better seats than the ones in the 'Lounge'.

I drove a Metallic Black 500 Sport 1.4 with 5o-spokes and then a 500 Lounge 1.4 in Pearlescent white with 16 multispokes with extra chrome. I much preferred the girly spec but I can appreciate the black on black look of the TA+/~Street look. My OH was sorry to see the FW go but not the Metallic Black - I think she had her eye on it.

 

[arorat]

Worth specing xenons if keeping the car for a while. The satnav port "68R" could be useful.

 

[wigit]

I was speccing a street up on the interweb and then priced a A500 up, I know I need to factor in road tax, insurance, mpg etc which in fact I'm not to bothered about given the TA is nippy and economical but never both at the same time but thought it was expensive compared to the A500

 

[snes]

Stanley Holloway would have loved your ending, Wigit!

You been thumbing the i-phone?

 

[wigit]

The I phone has got me into more trouble than that

 

[panda panda]

Worth specing xenons if keeping the car for a while. The satnav port "68R" could be useful.

what are the advantages of xenons over standard lights?

sorry to crash the thread

 

[deeyup]

They are brighter than halogen and come with washers.

Although on some cars its a main dealer job to change a bulb (unsure on the 500) the bulbs do last a lot longer than halogen.
Personally I wouldn't bother at £500 odd extra

 

[wigit]

xenons is a box i'd seriously consider ticking next time as my new GTI came with them and i've now become a convert

 

[arorat]

what are the advantages of xenons over standard lights?

sorry to crash the thread

Once you have used them over standard lights you will be converted. They are bright, very bright almost like daylight. Some people on this forum are against them as xenons lights are preceived to give them glare / blindness.

Regards cost justification, this is personal matter but if it helps anyone;

1) If you can afford it and see the benefits then get it
2) If you are on a budget but are getting the car on finance over 3 yrs at 1% ish then spread the payments.
3) Lastly if you intend to keep the car longer than 3-4 yrs then its a good investment especially if doing night driving

 

[loveshandbags]

Once you have used them over standard lights you will be converted. They are bright, very bright almost like daylight. Some people on this forum are against them as xenons lights are preceived to give them glare / blindness.

Regards cost justification, this is personal matter but if it helps anyone;

1) If you can afford it and see the benefits then get it
2) If you are on a budget but are getting the car on finance over 3 yrs at 1% ish then spread the payments.
3) Lastly if you intend to keep the car longer than 3-4 yrs then its a good investment especially if doing night driving

Good to see you back on form Arorat.
I thnk you might have forgotten one. Deteriorating eyesight. I'm resisting buying a set of glasses and have resorted to using a little LED torch if it's a little too dark to read.

 

[panda panda]

Once you have used them over standard lights you will be converted. They are bright, very bright almost like daylight. Some people on this forum are against them as xenons lights are preceived to give them glare / blindness.

Regards cost justification, this is personal matter but if it helps anyone;

1) If you can afford it and see the benefits then get it
2) If you are on a budget but are getting the car on finance over 3 yrs at 1% ish then spread the payments.
3) Lastly if you intend to keep the car longer than 3-4 yrs then its a good investment especially if doing night driving

Thanks for that arorat, I can see the point of xenons now you have shed some light on the matter!

I will do some more research on the subject. I thought for the price FIAT charge for them that they must be able to see round corners!

 

[deeyup]

To play devils advocate I would say that there are downsides too. Just so you know the pitfalls.

They are fitted with self levellers which is linked to the rear suspension.
There are also lamp washers that pop out when you spray water on your windscreen.
There's quite a bit to go wrong in the system, and you could face big bills MOT time.
As I said before, some cars also need the dealer to change the bulb for you, and it may be a headlight out job.
If you go to France it is a legal requirement to carry spare bulbs (they are not cheap) and the old bill will gladly relieve you of some cash if you don't have them even if you couldn't change them yourself.
Also, they will add little in resale value.

I have had them on 2 cars before, a Golf and an Espace. The way they light the road is pretty amazing, and signposts light up like they are illuminated with neon.

I am a fan of them, and if you could get them for say £200 I would order them, but any more and I'd think long and hard

 

[deeyup]

Good to see you back on form Arorat.
I thnk you might have forgotten one. Deteriorating eyesight. I'm resisting buying a set of glasses and have resorted to using a little LED torch if it's a little too dark to read.

Should be corrected with spectacles or contacts and not reliant on just putting more light on the road. It's a legal requirement.

 

[arorat]

To play devils advocate I would say that there are downsides too. Just so you know the pitfalls.

They are fitted with self levellers which is linked to the rear suspension.
There are also lamp washers that pop out when you spray water on your windscreen.
There's quite a bit to go wrong in the system, and you could face big bills MOT time.
As I said before, some cars also need the dealer to change the bulb for you, and it may be a headlight out job.
If you go to France it is a legal requirement to carry spare bulbs (they are not cheap) and the old bill will gladly relieve you of some cash if you don't have them even if you couldn't change them yourself.
Also, they will add little in resale value.

I have had them on 2 cars before, a Golf and an Espace. The way they light the road is pretty amazing, and signposts light up like they are illuminated with neon.

I am a fan of them, and if you could get them for say £200 I would order them, but any more and I'd think long and hard

Great points, MOT & France noted.

Re spare bulbs in France, how much would a xenon bulb cost ? approx ?