mmcartalk
Expert
- Messages
- 4,164
- Reactions
- 2,677
Can't get a good deal on a Miata? Try the Fiat 124 Spider.
It's no secret to say that the Mazda Miata is one of the most successful, if not THE most successful open-top roadster in history. Ever since its July 1989 introduction to the American market, it has won the hearts and souls of those who loved the driving dynamics of the old 50s/60s vintage British open-top roadsters, but hated the leaky side-curtains, junk-quality gaskets/seals, Lucas electrical systems that shorted out every time you flipped a switch, constant carb/ignition adjustments, and the seemingly endless list of other problems that accompanied the typical ownership. (those of you who frequented Peter Egan's former Side-Glance column in Road and Track magazine could get a glimpse of what those problems were like, as Egan was always on some kind of rebuilding/restoration-project with them). The Miata accomplished what thousands, if not millions were waiting for.....British old-school charm and open-roadster fun combined with modern Japanese reliability. In addition, the Miata's ingeniously simple manual top-raising/lowering hardware made the car even more appealing.....I've described that mechanism in detail in other threads, and won't go into it again here.
So, of course, the car's success is unquestioned....but, like with Toyota and Honda products of the 1980s that were a seller's market for dealerships, Mazda dealers could (and sometimes did) profiteer on the Miata from its popularity, appeal, and supply/demand situation, particularly on the Special-production versions. If you, as a potential new Miata buyer/owner, are working with a dealership that still has its mind back in those days, and won't budge on the figures (or at least not to your liking), you may (?) now have a good alternative....the Fiat 124 Spider. Unlike other American-market Fiats, which have reliability ratings not far from those of the old British sports-cars (yes, I'm exaggerating LOL, but you get the picture).......the Spider is essentially a Japanese-designed Miata with some differenced in trim/styling and with an Italian Fiat-sourced turbo power plant. So, while the engine itself may not be as reliable as the Miata's in the long run, the rest of the car is likely to be. Not only that, but, though styling is subjective, I think the Spider looks significantly better than the Miata, particularly in the front end. Prices for the Spider start just under 25K....almost exactly where the Miata base price does.
https://www.fiatusa.com/spider.html
https://www.mazdausa.com/vehicles/mx-5-miata
As with any vehicle, though, there are (admittedly) some drawbacks to the Spider compared to the Miata. First, of course, is the possibility of a (less-reliable) engine. Second, the Fiat dealer network, having been the U.S. for only seven or eight years, is much sparser than Mazda's......you might have to travel some distance to actually reach one, though there is one only a couple of miles from my own house. Third, Spiders aren't always as readily in stock as, say, the Fiat 500s and 500L stable-mates, so you may have less of them on the lot to choose from.
Still, for at least some potential Miata shoppers, under the right conditions, it could (?) be a good credible alternative. A number of large auto shows are coming up in the next few months....Los Angeles, Detroit, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Baltimore, and Fiat will probably display the Spider at all them.
And, as always, Happy car-Shopping.
MM
It's no secret to say that the Mazda Miata is one of the most successful, if not THE most successful open-top roadster in history. Ever since its July 1989 introduction to the American market, it has won the hearts and souls of those who loved the driving dynamics of the old 50s/60s vintage British open-top roadsters, but hated the leaky side-curtains, junk-quality gaskets/seals, Lucas electrical systems that shorted out every time you flipped a switch, constant carb/ignition adjustments, and the seemingly endless list of other problems that accompanied the typical ownership. (those of you who frequented Peter Egan's former Side-Glance column in Road and Track magazine could get a glimpse of what those problems were like, as Egan was always on some kind of rebuilding/restoration-project with them). The Miata accomplished what thousands, if not millions were waiting for.....British old-school charm and open-roadster fun combined with modern Japanese reliability. In addition, the Miata's ingeniously simple manual top-raising/lowering hardware made the car even more appealing.....I've described that mechanism in detail in other threads, and won't go into it again here.
So, of course, the car's success is unquestioned....but, like with Toyota and Honda products of the 1980s that were a seller's market for dealerships, Mazda dealers could (and sometimes did) profiteer on the Miata from its popularity, appeal, and supply/demand situation, particularly on the Special-production versions. If you, as a potential new Miata buyer/owner, are working with a dealership that still has its mind back in those days, and won't budge on the figures (or at least not to your liking), you may (?) now have a good alternative....the Fiat 124 Spider. Unlike other American-market Fiats, which have reliability ratings not far from those of the old British sports-cars (yes, I'm exaggerating LOL, but you get the picture).......the Spider is essentially a Japanese-designed Miata with some differenced in trim/styling and with an Italian Fiat-sourced turbo power plant. So, while the engine itself may not be as reliable as the Miata's in the long run, the rest of the car is likely to be. Not only that, but, though styling is subjective, I think the Spider looks significantly better than the Miata, particularly in the front end. Prices for the Spider start just under 25K....almost exactly where the Miata base price does.
https://www.fiatusa.com/spider.html
https://www.mazdausa.com/vehicles/mx-5-miata
As with any vehicle, though, there are (admittedly) some drawbacks to the Spider compared to the Miata. First, of course, is the possibility of a (less-reliable) engine. Second, the Fiat dealer network, having been the U.S. for only seven or eight years, is much sparser than Mazda's......you might have to travel some distance to actually reach one, though there is one only a couple of miles from my own house. Third, Spiders aren't always as readily in stock as, say, the Fiat 500s and 500L stable-mates, so you may have less of them on the lot to choose from.
Still, for at least some potential Miata shoppers, under the right conditions, it could (?) be a good credible alternative. A number of large auto shows are coming up in the next few months....Los Angeles, Detroit, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Baltimore, and Fiat will probably display the Spider at all them.
And, as always, Happy car-Shopping.
MM
