Sorry to see Road and Track panned the car in their 9/16 edition

[AndyS]

they didn't like the turbo lag or chassis mods Fiat changed from the Miata. The main sum of their article is that Fiat took a great car and made it into a good one. I personally think it looks a lot nicer than the current Miata, and will save judgement on it until I personally have driven both of them. Wondering if the factory engine tune could be at fault with the lack of power under 2000 RPM's and the throttle hesitation I have seen described in several other reviewers notes. Also wonder if that can be tuned out without losing the warranty. I might personally like the chassis tune better, as from what I have read it rides smoother and is less hyper than the Miata. Could be more enjoyable on the street. Especially our not paved to perfection streets.

[DUCeditor]

I think that many of us want to like it. Or wanted to.

I have actually given thought to replacing my `77 with a more modern little sportscar. I am retired now so do not really need two every-day automobiles. And I somehow feel less comfortable going out on to my favorite, far from anyplace, two-lave roads with a car that could let me down. That never was a problem, but has become one now. (Its my age I expect -- I am about to turn 70)

Thus the new 124 had my interest, and to a small degree still does.

The issues for me are two-fold, both centered upon this one: Why a Fiat? Especially a pretend Fiat that is actually more a Mazda.

There are few dealers in my home State, and none near me. And a local old-Spider owning friend who did go out of State to get a new Fiat - a 500 -- had a terrible experience. One much like we used to hear about in the `70s. (Oh, and I do mean terrible. With none of the support he'd hoped for when he contacted Fiat of America.)

But not too far from me is a Mazda dealer that I have dealt with. Good people. Good company. So, yes, it comes down for me, not to something like chassis tuning or turbo lag, but, again, "why a Fiat"?

And so far I can come up with absolutely no good answer.

(And that saddens me to no end)

-don

[Ramzi]

Don,

If you have that many obstetrical to overcome, possibly a new 124 is not for you. And that is not intended as a rude or dismissive observation. Living in the US, we are fortunate to have dozens of interesting sporty cars to choose from, and perhaps there is a dealer network which better supports your location.

For me ... well to be honest, when I initially saw the new 124, I was not impressed by the styling... and I absolutely hated the look of the new ND Miata. But we are 124 guys, so the new Spider was clearly in our future.... so when we actually saw it in person, I was very pleased. Its a modern sports with heated seats and Bluetooth connectivity. And with the performance upgrades we have added (suspension, exhaust and 200+ RWHP) it's real pleasure to drive.

The new 124 is not a remake of our classic Spider, but rather a homage to the styling of the cars we all love. With almost 500 new 124's sold in only three weeks, there is a good chance this car will find a home in the hearts of a new generation. And that is good for us all.

[DUCeditor]

For what its worth, Ramzi, I hope you are correct.

I've yet to see the car 'in the flesh' and I know of other cases where doing so made all the difference.

The dealer issue, however, would have to change.

If there was a REALLY good one, even some distance from me, I'd put up with the inconvenience. But I have to say that my taste has been etherealized by a certain Nissan dealer who captured me fully with their service. (Five new cars in a row!) With them the customer is ALWAYS number 1. No games.

Just an example -- my 2012 Altima was in for a minor service, but in the afternoon, when it was time to pick it up, I was unwell. Without my requesting it the dealer had a member of their team drive it to my home -- more than 45 minutes away.

When I compare that to the horror story my new Fiat buying friend suffered through, well, yes, it'd take a pretty good dealer to win me over.

But that is how the market works today. Are we "spoiled"? I dunno. Its a far cry from how things were in my younger years. And a far cry better.

-Don

[AndyS]

Don,

If you have that many obstetrical to overcome, possibly a new 124 is not for you. And that is not intended as a rude or dismissive observation. Living in the US, we are fortunate to have dozens of interesting sporty cars to choose from, and perhaps there is a dealer network which better supports your location.

For me ... well to be honest, when I initially saw the new 124, I was not impressed by the styling... and I absolutely hated the look of the new ND Miata. But we are 124 guys, so the new Spider was clearly in our future.... so when we actually saw it in person, I was very pleased. Its a modern sports with heated seats and Bluetooth connectivity. And with the performance upgrades we have added (suspension, exhaust and 200+ RWHP) it's real pleasure to drive.

The new 124 is not a remake of our classic Spider, but rather a homage to the styling of the cars we all love. With almost 500 new 124's sold in only three weeks, there is a good chance this car will find a home in the hearts of a new generation. And that is good for us all.

Hi Ramzi, I wanted to hear more about your ecu tuning you did on yours and how it affected the lag and throttle response and top end. I am guessing you did not do a factory sponsored performance tune (if they have one available) so I guess you basically forfeit your drive train warranty? I am with you on the newest Miata styling--I don't get it that no one else seems to mention its kind of an ugly car now from most angles-looks worse in person too. A good friend of mine (and owner of many cool sports cars over the years) who is interested in the new 124 drove the new Miata and was also not very impressed with its engine. Car magazines seem to be really over hyping that car for some reason.

[Ramzi]

Hello Andy,

Yes you are correct , there is no factory tune available, nor do I anticipate anything of this nature from either Fiat or Mopar. I'm actually still on vacation so I don't have access to much information at this time. But when I return I will be able to post dyno charts which should help. Please keep in mind this is a turbo motor so it may behave differently than a normally aspirated motor.

And Don,

I agree, customer service and availability of service are key. And owning a car that cannot be serviced easily makes little sense in most cases. Conversely to you, we had a horrible Nissan experience a few years ago. In a metro are of nearly 6 million people, I'm fortunate to have a lot of choices. That said, we also had a less than good experience with a local Fiat dealership. Fortunately there is another Fiat dealer 20 minuted the other direction.