The 2018 Fiat 124 Spider Lusso. |
Make it a beautiful convertible and give me an El Dorado County, California backroad on a late afternoon in early spring, and I'm a goner.
2018 Fiat 124 Spider Lusso. |
But it's five inches longer than the Mazda, giving it better proportions, and the styling is an echo of the 1970s 128 Spider and more pleasing to some eyes (including mine) than the current angry look of the Miata.
And its extra weight (193 pounds, from the added length, thicker rear glass, added sound deadening in the firewall and under the carpet plus an acoustic windshield) plus a touring suspension makes the Spider feel smoother and more refined than its Japanese cousin.
2018 Fiat 124 Spider Lusso interior. |
And, of course, our tester came with extra-cost options:
- Comfort and Convenience Group (blind spot and crosspath detection, rear parking assist, heated exterior mirrors, auto-dimming exterior mirror, auto-dimming rearview mirror, universal garage door opener, security alarm): $1,495.
- Navigation and Sound Group (upgraded nine-speaker Bose audio system with subwoofer, Sirius XM Satellite radio and GPS navigation): $1,395.
- Visibility Group (Adaptive LED headlamps, automatic headlamp leveling system, headlamp washer and LED daytime running lamps): $995.
- Six-speed automatic transmission with a leather-wrapped shift knob: $1,350.
With $995 destination charge, the bottom line came to $33,275. More than reasonable. If you could get it with the Mazda engine, I'd be in. The Fiat turbo only adds 5 horsepower, which is offset by the extra weight. But a few more early spring late afternoons on backroads here in Northern California, and they'd probably have me, Fiat turbo and all.