by "JCAlan" (jcalan)
Published 02/17/2017 at 09:50
by "JCAlan" (jcalan)
Published 02/17/2017 at 09:50
No Tags
STARS: 7
I was surprised to find that I have a definite preference on which one drives better.
That’s the actual car I drove up there, and it’s very similar to the one that I have on order. Yes, it is a manual. However, this one has the tech package with rearview camera and bumper sensors. I passed on that and added Recaro seats and Brembo brakes instead.
And that’s the actual Miata that I drove up there. It is also a manual. I drove it first. First thing I noticed was that the interior felt and looked cheap to me. This one had cloth seats, and they were awful and looked like the kind that will get stained up if you let a drop of distilled water get on them. The center console is all plasticky and chintzy. But the shifter feels great! Mazda just gets the shifter right, from the feel, to the very short throw, to the overall smoothness of the transmission. This thing is a real pleasure to shake hands with.
Power is smooth and evenly dispersed. It’s not an incredibly fast car, but it’s no dog. I love the way it drives, hitting the redlines is fun and power in the mid range is ample if you want to pull away. It’s been awhile since I’ve driven a car this small, and it takes some getting used to. I thought a bro truck was coming up beside me, but it turned out to be a Hyundai Sonata that was towering over me. But small cars are hilariously fun, and the turning radius is just insane.
With a smile on my face I turned in the key to the Mazda and headed over to the Fiat. I’ve had one of these on order since last fall, but have never had a chance to test drive one. I was excited about this!
The Spider just looks great in Abarth trim. It’s aggressive and chunky and just puts out a pissed off vibe. I felt manly climbing in. Inside, there were remnants of the cheap Mazda interior, but with changes just subtle enough that it struck me as much classier. It’s still not a Bentley in there, but it’s adequate where the Mazda was not. Maybe it’s just the different trim levels, because this one did have nice leather seats, but not the Recaros that mine will have.
First thing that I noticed as I put it in first and prepared to pull away was that the shifter had lost its smoothness. It clunked into gear instead of gliding. That’s probably due to the manual from the last gen of the MX-5 this car is equipped with rather than the latest version that the Mazda gets. As I punched it pulling out, though I’m sure it accelerated probably within the margin of error of the other car, it felt sluggish in comparison. The redline is a little lower, and is impossible to find. Can you find it in this photo? (Hint: you cannot)
THE WHOLE TACH IS RED. It’s completely bizarre. You can’t see it in this photo, but right around 6500 rpm the hash marks between the numbers change from regular ticks to x’s. That’s it. It took me half the test drive to find it. But aside from the redline being lower, I think it takes longer to reach with the slow-revving Fiat engine. I never felt the turbo kick in, even in sport mode. I was disappointed in the performance of this car.
The final downer was that it lacks the hilarious exhaust cackle that the 500 Abarth has. Even though I knew my wife wouldn’t like it, and that really it’s better this way since it’s a convertible and the noise would just get annoying eventually, I have to say that I was looking forward to hearing that crazy sound that the spunky little 500 puts out. You can’t even hear the turbo. Bummer.
So my verdict is that the one I would have (and will have) is still the 124. The car just looks phenomenal compared to the Miata in my opinion. I personally don’t care for the styling of the Mazda, especially the backend. The Abarth, however, has that aggressive sporty look that just works on this car. Even though the Mazda feels better, the performances are certainly comparable, and my wife won’t know the difference anyway. Sure the Fiat would be better with the Mazda engine and updated transmission, but what it has works too.
Plus I already have some tricks up my sleeve. I already have some go fast bits tucked away in a drawer ready to install on this car when it comes in that should raise the horsepower from the 160 range to a little over 200. More on that later, for sure. Meanwhile my Fiata has been manufactured in Japan, shipped to California, and is currently at a vendor somewhere having its final parts bolted on before it gets trucked all the way across the country to my place of work. I am stoked!
"Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction" (rustholes-are-weight-reduction)
02/17/2017 at 10:00, STARS: 0
Wow, who gave that guy a camera?
"JCAlan" (jcalan)
02/17/2017 at 10:02, STARS: 0
Ya, not his best work.
"bwp240" (bwp240)
02/17/2017 at 10:04, STARS: 0
I should have driven a Miata right after I drove the 124. It would have been interesting to experience that. Not really sure why I didn’t, it was the perfect segue to bugging more people to let me drive cars.
"JCAlan" (jcalan)
02/17/2017 at 10:06, STARS: 1
I looked to my left, saw a Miata. Looked to my right, saw an Abarth. Slow day. It had to be done!
"random001" (random001)
02/17/2017 at 10:08, STARS: 0
I want a 500 Abarth Cabrio to have the best of both worlds, but I too love the Fiat 124's looks over the Miata.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
02/17/2017 at 10:18, STARS: 0
Agree about the Mazda interior. Very disappointing, especially now that their other interiors are so much better.
What inspired you to order a fiat before test driving one?
"JCAlan" (jcalan)
02/17/2017 at 10:19, STARS: 0
None existed to test drive, and it looks like a great car.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
02/17/2017 at 10:23, STARS: 0
Good thing you like it. I’m looking forward to testing one.
"Not a Sunburst Miata" (moezsayani)
02/17/2017 at 10:36, STARS: 0
If you’re looking at these two cars, is there a reason you didn’t consider the BRZ? I love my 17 with performance package. It adds brembos and wider wheels
"JCAlan" (jcalan)
02/17/2017 at 12:15, STARS: 0
I love the BRZ! But I don’t work at a Subaru dealership...
"Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)" (roadsterzach)
02/17/2017 at 12:21, STARS: 0
How many miles were on the 124? I’ve found that once I passed 500 miles on the Fiat, there was suddenly a lot more power than before. I’m convinced there has to be something in the ECU that limits power for the first 500 miles for a “break-in” period for some reason, because it’s kind of a night and day difference in power delivery.
Also, the Fiat loves it rev in a weird turbocharged way, it just has some weird throttle-by-wire-BS that takes some adjusting. The ND MX-5 doesn’t have this BS and seems very responsive by comparison (although it does rev faster).
You really can’t go wrong with either, but over time I’m enjoying the 124 way more than the ND.
"JCAlan" (jcalan)
02/17/2017 at 12:57, STARS: 0
I didn’t look at the odometer, but it was a new car, so I’d say less than 100. Interesting about the power kicking in later. I did notice that the pedal on the fiat felt nothing like the pedal on mazda, that must be the throttle by wire that you’re talking about.
"Not a Sunburst Miata" (moezsayani)
02/17/2017 at 14:05, STARS: 0
Thaaaaat makes way more sense
"MM54" (mm54mk2)
02/18/2017 at 20:59, STARS: 0
Shh stop, I very badly want a 124 Abarth and you’re not helping