I really think that Fiat have missed a trick with the new Fiat 500.

So the missus has expressed an interest in getting one and I think it's quite a nifty little car so I was having a look at prices. Holy crap! Have you seen how expensive they are?

The entry level 500 1.2 Cabriolet is R175, 000. If you want to go for the entry level 1.4 Cabriolet is a mind boggling R209,521. Who the hell is going to spend that much money on a car that small?

I'm guessing the 500 appeals mainly to women and I'm guessing hipster young 18-25's are probably creaming their jeans at the thought of owning one. They could have every female going to 'varsity promising their daddies to remain virgins until they are 30 if they buy one. They just need to cost between R100,000 - R150,000. Young female professionals would be queuing around the block to get one if they could afford one with their first real paycheque. I've spoken to a reasonable number of young women and they all think it is an awesome, cute car. They could have made the little 500 an icon of a generation like the Beatle but they missed it out of total greed.

Honestly, I don't understand the mentality of car dealers and manufacturers these days.

i cannot agree more with you... that car could be Fiats answer to all their problems if they would just drop their prices. Same with the Toyota Auris, if they would just drop the price by 50k they would actually sell a lot more.

thedutchman said:

i cannot agree more with you... that car could be Fiats answer to all their problems if they would just drop their prices. Same with the Toyota Auris, if they would just drop the price by 50k they would actually sell a lot more.

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To give you an idea of how ridiculously overpriced the 500 is, you can get a four door Auris for R190,000 which is a 1.4. So, it is only 15k more than the two door 1.2 Fiat.

How is that for ridiculously overpriced.

Agreed, it's crazy expensive...but what a cool little car. I drove one for a week when my car went in for service at Alfa.

I would imagine that their reasoning is that its not a car for the masses. Its not a picanto or an i10, its a chíc car for the trendy, for the Sandton or Camps Bay girl. They probably trying to retain 'class' and they think a higher price tag will do that.

Stupid reasoning in my opinion but the same as mini. Look how damn expensive they are. Fantastic car though and much better than the 500.

Can get the 1.2 standard for 140k, thats not too bad. You're looking at cabrio prices, and cabrios are always exp. It is a trendy little car, so its not going to compete at the same price of the 1.2 picantos and i10 etc....

It is much cheaper in the UK though, pretty sure the Abarth 500 SS was around 14 000 pounds, now I wouldn't mind one of those!

phiber said:

Can get the 1.2 standard for 140k, thats not too bad. You're looking at cabrio prices, and cabrios are always exp. It is a trendy little car, so its not going to compete at the same price of the 1.2 picantos and i10 etc....

It is much cheaper in the UK though, pretty sure the Abarth 500 SS was around 14 000 pounds, now I wouldn't mind one of those!

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Why can't a car be trendy and affordable? If you were a 23 yer old woman, just out of varsity, in your first job, would you buy a 500 or an i10 for the same price or R20k extra for the cabrio?

BobsLawnService said:

Why can't a car be trendy and affordable? If you were a 23 yer old woman, just out of varsity, in your first job, would you buy a 500 or an i10 for the same price or R20k extra for the cabrio?

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You need to ask, what is the cost to get a car from bland and boring (i10, picanto) to trendy??? Look inside a i10 or picanto, its plain, boring, black, plastic, where the 500 has a pulse, and that pulse comes at a cost. Also, you need to look at what Fiat has designed the car for? Is it a car for every person on the road to be driving? Do they want it to remain a bit more exclusive, so the people that own them feel a bit more special?

The 1.2 picanto is 120k, where the 1.2 500 is 140k... That 20k is not too much to pay for that 'Special' feeling. The 500 comes with history as well, something no Picanto comes with.

I know I sound like salesman here, but i dont think the 20k jump is too much of an ask.

phiber said:

You need to ask, what is the cost to get a car from bland and boring (i10, picanto) to trendy??? Look inside a i10 or picanto, its plain, boring, black, plastic, where the 500 has a pulse, and that pulse comes at a cost. Also, you need to look at what Fiat has designed the car for? Is it a car for every person on the road to be driving? Do they want it to remain a bit more exclusive, so the people that own them feel a bit more special?

The 1.2 picanto is 120k, where the 1.2 500 is 140k... That 20k is not too much to pay for that 'Special' feeling. The 500 comes with history as well, something no Picanto comes with.

I know I sound like salesman here, but i dont think the 20k jump is too much of an ask.

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+1
Test drove one yesterday, on the lookout for a new car for the missus.
No other car comes close to refinement and spec and exclusivity.
Do however don't like the quality of the paintwork. not on standard if you compare to a Alfa in same showroom.

I'm 1.87m, and only a very few city/compact cars have space without jacking down the seat and have some headroom to spare. And supprise, the 500 is one of them.

SA 1.2 Pop is better specced than in the UK, excluded the start/stop function.
Think Fiat has done right this time.

If you look at what you get for the price + the style + the soul + the heritage I don't think it is badly priced at all. It is paying R7 for No-Name Cola or R8 for a coke. The generic just isn't as good, you can't put your finger on it but coke is just always better.