2012 Fiat 500C Review

The 2012 Fiat 500C.

Regular TireKicker readers know I am hype-averse. The more something gets promoted, plugged, built-up, the more skeptical I am about it.

So, a dumb commercial featuring J. Lo and the Fiat 500C is a great way to turn me all the way off:

And, I'll admit...even before that started airing, I had my doubts about the Fiat 500. It looked like another super-sized re-creation (the original 500 could probably fit in the passenger space of the new one) of a cute car from 50 years ago that almost no one in North America has ever seen, much less driven. And the changes required by government regulation and consumer preferences in the intervening half-century insured that, despite a distinctive appearance, this would very likely be just another contemporary small car.

But, as Brock Yates once said about driving a Yugo for Car and Driver, "It's a car magazine. We drive the sunsabitches." So I did.

It went back to Fiat 24 hours ago after a week and 250 miles with me.

I miss it.

The 2012 Fiat 500C front and side view.

While still waiting for our time in a 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, I can tell you this: The Fiat 500 is a terrific little car. The styling is a mood elevator and conversation starter. You'll make a lot of friends just getting out of the car to run into the grocery store. Its 1.4 liter four-cylinder and 6-speed automatic provide a good blend of performance and fuel economy. It cruises at 80 on the freeway without the least bit of drama and with a surprising lack of noise and vibration.  You sit upright and tall in the car, aided by the arching roof. I'm six feet even, and I had headroom to spare. And the seats might be the most comfortable chairs we've been in since TireKicker launched more than three years ago.

It is, as I thought it might be, a contemporary small car...but in the best possible way.

The charm factor was amplified by the fact that our tester was the 500C...the convertible. Or giant canvas sunroof model. Whatever. Just look at the photo at the top of this review and know that it opens to three positions...just back of the front seats, just behind the rear seats, or all the way down. And since it doesn't raise into the air or fold, you can open or close it while driving.

In the first two positions, wind noise and the feeling of a breeze through the cabin are muted. This is a convertible you can drive without mussing your hair. All the way back, and you get the sensation of the breeze circulating through the cockpit, but you still can carry on a conversation without raising your voice.

Interior of the 2012 Fiat 500C.

Our tester was the top-of-the-line Fiat 500C Lounge. Base price of $23,500, bringing with it leather seats, the six-speed automatic, a full batch of airbags and reactive head restraints, along with a driver's side knee airbag. There's also electronic stability control, hill start assist, rear park assist (a good idea, since the rear window is smallish with the top up and with it folded, the resulting stack blocks some of your rearward view), four wheel antilock disc brakes, speed control, power door locks, a security alarm, remote keyless entry, tire pressure monitoring, intermittent wipers, automatic climate control with micron filter, driver seat memory, power windows, a Bose premium AM/FM/Sirius/CD/mp3 audio system with USB and auxilary jacks, Bluetooth, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, tilt steering column, and a vehicle information center.

Options? Our car had two...Customer Preferred Package 22J, the Luxury Leather Package...leather-trimmed heated front bucket seats and an auto-dimming rearview mirror for $1,250...and $300 to upgrade the 15-inch aluminum wheels. With destination charge of $500, the bottom line is $25,550.

No, that's not cheap for a small car...but the Fiat 500C isn't meant to be cheap (although you can buy a base hardtop with a manual transmission for $15,500 and a less lavishly-equipped convertible, the Fiat 500C Pop, for $19,500). It's a premium small car. A Mini Cooper convertible can't be had for less than $25,650 base...$100 more than our 500C's as-tested price. Yes, the Fiat has 20 horsepower less than the Mini...but it weighs 100 pounds less.

So does Fiat beat the Mini? Maybe. It's been years since BMW has sent a Mini our way (save the high-performance, high-pricetage Mini John Cooper Works Convertible we reviewed a year and a half ago),  so, as with the 2012 Beetle, we can't make a direct comparison yet. But we will say this much: The Fiat is a very strong contender. Underestimate it at your own risk.


2012 Fiat 500C Lounge

Base price: $23,500.

As tested: $25,550.

Likes: Interior room, 3-position convertible top, great seats.

Dislikes: Vehicle information center confusing. The trip computer in ours either didn't work or we couldn't understand it in a week. Neither of those is a good thing.

EPA estimates: 27 mpg city/32 mpg highway.




Nationwide Vehicle Contracts offer out a wide range of car lease deals including deals on Mazda contract hire.

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German Tuner Thinks Louis Vuitton-esque MINI JCW with up to 252HP Looks Kewl

We're no luxury handbag experts, but the first thought that comes to mind upon seeing CoverEFX's MINI John Cooper Works [JCW] tuning proposal is a....Louis Vuitton bag on wheels. For obvious reasons, the monogram canvas is different than the one found on the products of the famous French design house, but its styling as well as the colors and the leathery texture of the special foil wrap all point to an inspiration that come from Louis Vuitton.

The new look is complemented by a set of matching matte black and matte gold metallic 17-inch OZ LM alloy wheels surrounded by Toyo R888 205/40 R17 84W tires.

In the performance department, CoverEFX says it offers two stages of tune for the 1.6-liter twin-scroll turbo engine. The first adds an ECU upgrade along with a 2.5-inch exhaust system with Milltek downpipe, sports catalyst and extra large sports air filter to lift output from 211HP and 280Nm to 236HP and 350Nm. The second stage includes a more aggressive software tune pushing output to 252HP and a maximum torque of 382 Nm.

A short shift kit for the gearbox and a stainless steel KW Variant 3 suspension round off the performance upgrades.

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MINI Announces New JCW Sport Packages and Clubman Hampton Edition

The newly developed 2.0-liter turbo diesel we told you about in our previous post isn't the only fresh addition to MINI's lineup for 2011. The new year also brings a John Cooper Works [JCW] Pack option for the hatch and convertible models, a performance kit for the Cooper S and the Clubman Hampton special edition.

The JCW pack option for the Cooper and Cooper S Hardtop and Convertible vehicles is due to be available from the second quarter of 2011 as a factory option. It includes an aero kit with front and rear aprons, plus side skirts, as well as 17-inch weight-optimized aluminum alloy wheels.

The interior is upgraded with a new leather steering wheel with red stitching, gearshift knob with red shift pattern lettering, plus a leather handbrake boot featuring -what else- red stitching.

In addition, the package will include Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), which has a special mode that raises the intervention thresholds of the stability control system, as well as EDLC (Electronic Differential Lock Control.) These two features are on top of the already-standard stability system, DSC (Dynamic Stability Control.).

Next up on the menu is the JCW Tuning kit for the Cooper S Hardtop, Convertible, Clubman models. The highlight of the package is the engine kit that optimizes the ECU and adds a specifically designed air filter system to raise output by 11-horsepower to 195HP. The twin-scroll turbocharged 1.6-liter unit also delivers 184 lb-ft of torque between 1,250 and 5,000 rpm, while this can be raised to as much as 199 lb-ft between 1,800 and 5,000 rpm courtesy of the Overboost function.

A model-specific sports silencer with polished tailpipes, which is said to optimize the exhaust gas discharge and gives the engine sound a particularly sporting note, and the newly designed 18-inch Cross Spoke Red Stripe light-alloy wheel, complete the package.

Finally, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original 1961 Morris Mini Traveller, the British company has introduced a new special edition of the Clubman called Hampton. MINI has designed a new Reef Blue metallic color specially for this model, which also sports a silver color for the rooftop and door surrounds.

The exterior colors Pepper White, Midnight Black and Eclipse Grey can also be specified as an option, while Black and Reef Blue are available as contrast colors for the roof and C-pillars.

The Hampton also gets unique 17-inch Twin Spoke alloy wheels that can be ordered in either silver or black with a dark red trim ring, black headlamp surrounds, plus “Hampton” lettering on the B-pillar, door entry sills, side scuttles and radiator grille.

Inside, special features include the Black Lounge Leather seats with an “H” on the seat tags, red edging and contrast stitching in orange, the anthracite headliner, anthracite gauge faces and a matt dark red border on the central speedometer.

This Hampton special edition will be available for the MINI Cooper Clubman and MINI Cooper S Clubman models, with production to be limited to one year.

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Mini John Cooper Works Convertible

Cute only goes so far. Fast and cute goes a lot farther (comments posted about girls you knew in college will be deleted upon reciept).

But fast and cute will cost you money, just like that girl in college (I'm invoking one-time editor/founder privilege).

This is the story of the Mini John Cooper Works Convertible. Its base price is $10,000 and change more than a base Mini Cooper Convertible, but that ten grand buys you the difference between 118 horsepower and 208....between a top speed of 123 and a top speed of 146...while giving up only 3 miles per gallon in both city and highway fuel economy (the EPA says 25 city/33 highway).

                       

It also gets you a six-speed manual Getrag transmission, 17 inch alloy wheels with run-flat tires, and red Brembo front brake calipers. All of which covers going and stopping. And it handles like a slot car.

                      

Inside, it's six-way adjustable sport seats with height adjustment, an on-boarad computer, a leather three-spoke steering wheel and the Sport button...which produces quicker throttle and steering response....neither of which was in short supply to begin with.

This is one of those cars that will put a grin on your face that will take days to go away.

No, $34,700 for a Mini convertible isn't cheap....nor is the $38,400 as-tested price (Mini threw in a cold weahter package, premium package with alarm, automatic air conditioning and chrome interior and exterior accents), Xenon headlights, custom paint, a Bluetooth and USB/iPod adapter (frankly, Mini's got....what's the German word for cojones?...charging $500 for that piece...which most automakers are including free of charge)...and white turn signal lights ($100? Really?) .

But find another convertible with this blend of speed, handling and fuel economy...and then find one anywhere near $38,400....much less $34,700.

A truly exciting car today...and, because it's likely to sell in smallish numbers, a collector's performance machine you'll be glad you kept years from now.

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