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How does the 500 stack up to the competition?

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How does the 500 stack up to the competition?

Mick F said:
I'm not really sure that rear discs are even needed on a normal car. Drums have a lot going for them, and I reckon they are all that is needed on the rear of the huge majority of cars. Rear discs are a marketing ploy, making the prospective owner think that they have a performance vehicle ............ when they probably don't.

Thanks,
Mick.
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Sorry Mick, can't agree with what I've highlighted. Nothing to do with being a marketing ploy. Even on smaller cars, discs don't suffer from the same sort of brake fade issues that can occur with cars fitted with drum brakes. If you live in a really hilly area and you're having to brake often on the downhill, then obviously the discs will dissipate heat more efficently than drums.

Also, drum brakes can collect water inside the drums if driven through heavy rain or large puddles. You may laugh, but I've driven a small car fitted with rear drum brakes through a ford (for those of you who don't know what a ford is and I'm not being sarcastic! ) and the braking has been utter pants afterward.

I've driven through that very ford a number of times and people still get it wrong! https://www.gov.uk/government/news/drivers-warned-not-to-risk-driving-through-floodwater

As for people thinking they're owning a 'performance car' with disc brakes all round, well if anyone thinks an i10 with disc brakes all round is 'performance', they'd be somewhat deluded! I'll stand by my own comments, the brakes on our new i10 are far superior than our old TA. (y)
 
I agree about discs, I really do.
Disc brakes are wonderful.

It's just that REAR brakes are hardly used. Slam on the brakes, and 80%, if not more, of the braking is at the front.

You don't need "performance" brakes at the rear for a normal car.

Mick.
 
Mick F said:
I agree about discs, I really do.
Disc brakes are wonderful.

It's just that REAR brakes are hardly used. Slam on the brakes, and 80%, if not more, of the braking is at the front.

You don't need "performance" brakes at the rear for a normal car.

Mick.
Click to expand...

At the risk of coming across as argumentative, which I assure you I'm not (y), again from my own experience driving my Saab 9-3 which most definitely isn't a performance car, the rear discs are used far more than one would think. I've replaced the rear discs twice during my ownership of the car. From my understanding, when driven in a 'spirited' fashion, especially cornering at speed, the ESP automatically applies braking to help control steering. Now I'm a bit of a sod for taking bends on fast roads at speed and thus I suspect the reason why I'm still on the original front discs and pads but have gone through two sets of rear discs and pads, is because of my, ahem, 'driving technique'! This isn't exclusive to me, I know other Saab owners who have had the same experience. And no, there isn't anything wrong with the calipers, I maintain them well.

No one can argue that the front brake discs/pads do the majority of the work. At the end of the day, what difference would it honestly make to you if your car had them? Would you personally not buy a small car with rear disc brakes? It certainly wasn't a factor that even entered my head when we bought the i10, I just merely remarked during purchase that I was pleased to see it had them because from a servicing perspective, I can see when the pads need changing and in my own opinion, they're easier to clean and service myself. Anyway, I fear we're starting to stray off topic...;)
 
frupi said:
No one can argue that the front brake discs/pads do the majority of the work. At the end of the day, what difference would it honestly make to you if your car had them? Would you personally not buy a small car with rear disc brakes? It certainly wasn't a factor that even entered my head when we bought the i10, I just merely remarked during purchase that I was pleased to see it had them because from a servicing perspective, I can see when the pads need changing and in my own opinion, they're easier to clean and service myself. Anyway, I fear we're starting to stray off topic...;)
Click to expand...

My opinion as well, checking the rear brakes is a few seconds while washing rather than Jack up and wheel off. Also the Japanese like to have a small drum inside the disc for handbrake only. These are only used when parked so the handbrake doesn't get longer and longer as the shoes wear as they don't.
 
StevenRB45 said:
Also the Japanese like to have a small drum inside the disc for handbrake only. These are only used when parked so the handbrake doesn't get longer and longer as the shoes wear as they don't.
Click to expand...


Saab liked to do this and as a result the vectra got this set up on the back too.

Absolute bitch to change a set of pads, shoes and a combined disc/drum all in one go.
 
AndyRKett said:
Saab liked to do this and as a result the vectra got this set up on the back too.

Absolute bitch to change a set of pads, shoes and a combined disc/drum all in one go.
Click to expand...

Probably just a GM thing, mate did full upgrade to fast road discs and pads all round on a Galant V6 (which has the same system) on my driveway a few years ago and had no bother with only basic tools and a Jack. Will depend who built it and how well.
 
AndyRKett said:
Saab liked to do this and as a result the vectra got this set up on the back too.

Absolute bitch to change a set of pads, shoes and a combined disc/drum all in one go.
Click to expand...
Not as much as weird system as the Saab 99's. Hand brake operated the front disc's.When it worked you had an amazing handbrake but with age it was a nightmare to maintain and keep fully efficient. I love old Saab for their quirky engineering.

Btw, to clarify my earlier post. I'm not suggesting drums are better but it's almost a negative marketing thing by fiat. They put what's a probably more expensive drum set up on the lower models to make consumers think the additional cost of the next model up is money well spent. Very cynical.

Sorry, well and truly off topic now:)
 
Can I just make a point?

The drums on my 500 are 80,000 miles old and still work just fine.

The rear discs on the Panda were done about 2 and a half years ago and have done maybe 10 or 15,000 miles and have recently started the squeak.

If left to their own devices the pads will stick even more and heat up to the point where they kill the wheel bearing.

The drums on my 500 will do just fine thanks :)
 
306maxi said:
Can I just make a point?

The drums on my 500 are 80,000 miles old and still work just fine.

The rear discs on the Panda were done about 2 and a half years ago and have done maybe 10 or 15,000 miles and have recently started the squeak.

If left to their own devices the pads will stick even more and heat up to the point where they kill the wheel bearing.

The drums on my 500 will do just fine thanks :)
Click to expand...

I'd argue that's more an issue with FIAT's implementation- yet to have a problem with the rear (or front) discs on any of our three swifts over nearly 100k miles combined.

Interestingly enough, cooking swifts are fitted with powah drumz to the back axle in the 3 door, but rear discs to the 5 door versions.

That said, as someone mentioned up thread, no one bases their car choice on the presence of rear discs.
 
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Zanes, please educate me - what are "powah drumz"? Can they be the type fitted to my neighbours Twingo, which are huge in comparison to my 500's, and are finned to boot. Presumably it needs more braking at the back due to the rear engine.
Piccolo, I believe that disc pads self-adjust so that they very slightly kiss the disk surface, which in theory uses a little fuel. Doubt that it's detectable, though.
 
zanes said:
I'd argue that's more an issue with FIAT's implementation- yet to have a problem with the rear (or front) discs on any of our three swifts over nearly 100k miles combined.

Interestingly enough, cooking swifts are fitted with powah drumz to the back axle in the 3 door, but rear discs to the 5 door versions.

That said, as someone mentioned up thread, no one bases their car choice on the presence of rear discs.
Click to expand...

It is Fiat's implementation at work, but we're talking about Fiats :)

In Australia 4 wheel discs are a big marketing thing. People go ga ga for 4 wheel discs. Hell even a revcounter is considered a feature in Oz.
 
TrevC said:
Zanes, please educate me - what are "powah drumz"? Can they be the type fitted to my neighbours Twingo, which are huge in comparison to my 500's, and are finned to boot. Presumably it needs more braking at the back due to the rear engine.
Click to expand...

It's a bit of an in joke that originated on the barry boys site in reference to the highlighting of drum brakes by boy racers, often by painting them particularly garish colours and has stuck in my head.

306maxi said:
In Australia 4 wheel discs are a big marketing thing. People go ga ga for 4 wheel discs. Hell even a revcounter is considered a feature in Oz.
Click to expand...

Not entirely surprising for a country whose national drink seems to be Fosters....
 
Last edited:
zanes said:
It's a bit of an in joke that originated on the barry boys site in reference to the highlighting of drum brakes by boy racers, often by painting them particularly garish colours and has stuck in my head.



Not entirely surprising for a country whose national drink seems to be Fosters....
Click to expand...
No Australian drinks Fosters
 
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