Anyone considering the Fiat 124?

Jessegroves · Postby **Jessegroves** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 9:45 pm

In person, it's quite good looking, while the red mirrors don't really sit right with me, I think it's a pretty nice piece of work. Having said that, id still take an ND any day

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smy0003 · Postby **smy0003** » Sun Oct 23, 2016 3:09 pm

I have been quite vocal about how much I dislike the 124. However, an FCA employee (I assume, there's always SRT Jeeps and 695 Abarths outside his house) had a shiney new Abarth 124 parked just around the corner from me.

Really is A LOT better in the flesh. Just one of those cars I guess.

OurCognitiveSurplus · Postby **OurCognitiveSurplus** » Mon Oct 24, 2016 2:49 pm

I think the key selling point for us is the turbo engine. Easier technically and legally to get more power out of a factory turbo than a factory NA. Hence why the SE is popular.

Randy · Postby **Randy** » Wed Oct 26, 2016 3:49 pm

Had a play in a 124 Abarth today. Unfortunately I couldn't drive it.
It looks better in real life.....but still looks like an NC with an ugly body kit on it and the front headlights stick out too much. Kind of Homer Simpson like. Not a fan of all the black plastic around the grill area and driving lights. It's proportions just look wrong.....and the cheap tacked on badges are huge!!!

Interior is a mixture of a Roadster and GT Mx5. The door cards look cheap but the grab handles to shut the door are nice. The red faced tacho is horrible...I really thought it looked nice in the photos, but looks like an aftermarket sticker was applied on it. The speedo is silly having only 30km/h increments. Infotainment system is pure Mazda and works really well. The steering wheel is nicer and thicker...but the red centre marker was off centre when the steering wheel was at the straight ahead. That would annoy me :shock:

The Recaro seats are brilliant. Which destroys Mazda's argument that they would be too expensive. Though FCA are taking a hit on every 124 sold at the moment as they were meant to cost $2k more but the new CEO slashed the price.

Oh and I'd love the Brembos. So bring on a wrecked 124.

Be interesting to drive it. I've dríven loads of 500 Arbaths with the multi air engine and they all had nothing below 2,700rpm and ran out of puff at 5,500. So it will be interesting to see if it's any better in the 124.

I'll definitely be sticking to my ND.

trader · Postby **trader** » Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:26 pm

Over the past few weeks I have been looking seriously at an ND now that they are coming on the second hand market. Never liked the colours but had been convincing myself I could live with white or ceramic. After our MX5 coffee yesterday we were close to Fyshwick so I dropped by the Fiat dealer for a look. They had a silver new release with red mirrors (yuk!) not impressed. But as I turned to walk away in came the "lady in red". Hell this is where Mazda got it wrong! It looks fantastic in Fiat's red and the seats I just drooled over. The only thing I didnt like was the Abarth bonnet badge and the red tacho - maybe the tail lights. Love the exhaust cluster.
So even before I drive it (there was another in line before me) I'm in dream land yet again. Lucky I'm an NA tragic or I would be signing up by now just on the look of the damn thing - something I couldn't say for the ND!
PS the opinion of an old school over 70 so probably not important comments for some.

pcmx5 · Postby **pcmx5** » Fri Nov 04, 2016 9:20 pm

Whats going on here Dave? Have you looked at your profile lately,shows ND GT???
I saw a Fiat in red and thought it was sensational but out of my 1.5 ND demo price range.

The more I drive my ND it reminds me of a modern NA!!

Cheers,

Peter.

Bauer · Postby **Bauer** » Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:36 pm

Saw one today, had a sit. Loved it. Was a white launch edition. Didn't make me want an ND but then I'm also not ready to take the plunge either way.

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trader · Postby **trader** » Sat Nov 05, 2016 8:14 am

No idea how that happened pcmx5! Must be an omen sounds like I will have to go the ND after all!

cosmo · Postby **cosmo** » Sat Nov 12, 2016 8:25 pm

Drove it today and loved it (way better looking in the flesh) - Fiat have done a great job. Also drove the ND 2ltr straight after....looked great too and a lot smaller. Felt soft with lots of body roll, like my old NC, but the size and lightness were similar to my current NA.

Fiat felt quicker, but not sure, could have been just the boost when in the right gear and rev range, had to rev the sh*t out of the ND...

Mazda really needs a MazdaSpeed ND to compete with this Abarth version I think.

pcmx5 · Postby **pcmx5** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 12:12 pm

Yeaterday saw a white launch edition in white with carbon boot and bonnet and it looked just sensational.Today having coffeee and there was silver one with the red mirrors parked and I thought it was terrible,couldn't believe the difference.Very dull and not helped by the black wheels.All the body sculpturing just got lost.

Parked my ND alongside the white one and the Fiat certainly looked bigger with a lot more rear bumper length and the flatter front.

If I was going to trump up ND GT money I would certainly be considering the 124!(in white)

Peter.

Code4 · Postby **Code4** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 1:09 pm

Having looked over an all red Abarth, that would be my choice if I was in the market. A lot better in 3D than photos.

JBT · Postby **JBT** » Fri Dec 23, 2016 11:10 am

I saw one proudly displayed at a Jeep dealership this morning. :shock:

I almost lost my breakfast on the ground in front of it. It looks even worse in the flesh than the photos! Never mind the ugly stick...the ugly tree must have fallen on it.

RBH58 · Postby **RBH58** » Thu Feb 09, 2017 8:36 am

Well....we've got both in the garage. ND RF GT for me and an Abarth 124 (white Launch Edition) for my wife.

I've done a few miles behind the wheel of the Abarth and I have to say that I really like it but it has quite a different character to the ND. The Abarth 124 is firmer and flatter and handles much more like my BRZ than an ND. You get confidence in it very quickly unlike the ND which you have to learn to trust. The first time I drove an ND after the Abarth, I have to say that the ND's habit of rolling onto its' outside rear...accompanied by a bit of a lurch/wiggle...was not something I liked. Why the hell is it this soft? Confidence with the ND comes with familiarity (or fixing the roll!) but I still prefer Fiat's setup as the cars come out of the box.

The next big difference is obviously the engine. The ND rewards use of the entire rev range...and there will be those that argue that this is more in keeping with a sports car. The Abarth has a stonking mid-range (3000 to 5500) but it's a bit laggy below 3000 and a bit breathless above about 5500. But when you are cruising, passing a line of traffic is a simple matter of flexing the right foot...whereas, in the ND, it's a planned coordinated event requiring you to drop 3 gears and floor it. The Abarth has much more of a loping "surfing the torque wave" feel about it. And on any given tight winding road, I reckon you be a gear higher in the Abarth a lot of the time. Dial up 3000 in the Abarth and "sideways" is there on demand. 25% more torque...and available from 1600 revs further down the rev range than the ND...will do that.

So despite their shared heritage, Mazda & Fiat have managed to give each car its own distinct character (unlike the 86/BRZ twins). I'm glad both exist and people will probably gravitate more to one than the other. I reckon they are both great cars in their own different ways.

Mr Morlock · Postby **Mr Morlock** » Thu Feb 09, 2017 9:58 am

so which company stands behind the Fiat for service and spare parts and have Glass or Redbook even guessed at depreciation.

RBH58 · Postby **RBH58** » Thu Feb 09, 2017 12:03 pm

Mr Morlock wrote:so which company stands behind the Fiat for service and spare parts and have Glass or Redbook even guessed at depreciation.

If it depreciates at the same rate as the Abarth 500s do, I'd be very happy indeed. Their retained value is very good. Not everybody still gets hung up about 1970s Fiats. That was a lifetime ago.