2018 Fiat 124 Spider essentials: MX-5 with a makeover

What is it: The Fiat 124 Spider is a two-seater roadster, replete with Italian flair and the spirit of little roadsters past. The Lusso Red Top Edition is top of the line for 124 Spiders, above the base, Lusso and Abarth editions. Red Top Edition comes with unique 17-by-7-inch wheels, a nine-speaker audio system and a Bordeaux soft top.

Key Competitors: Audi TT Roadster, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Mercedes-Benz SLC

Base Price: $28,590 As-Tested Price: $32,435

Full review: Fiat 124 Spider

Highlights: New for the 2017 model year, the 124 Spider gets minor updates for 2018 like new paint, some package changes and the Red Top Edition, like our example here. Unchanged is the 1.4-liter turbo engine making 160 hp at 5,500 rpm and 184 lb-ft at 3,200 rpm. If you get the Abarth model, it’s slightly different: 164 hp and the same 184 lb-ft, but at 2,500 rpm.









Our Opinion: Let’s get one thing out of the way: The 124 Spider is softer and heavier than an MX-5, by about 100 pounds, which make its reflexes less sharp and the driving experience less pure. It also has “more stability” on braking and cornering — read: understeer — deliberately tuned into the suspension. So if you’re a driving purest like me, you’ll prefer the MX-5. And now that the 2019 Mazda has more power, well … 

But a direct comparison is, ultimately, foolish. The 124 Spider was not built for the stodgy engineer race car nerd like me. Instead, the experience of the 124 Spider is much more than the driving experience, but a wholistic journey back to earlier times in the automobile’s history, when little two-seater roadsters were fresh and novel. It's a car that satiates the needs of the nostalgic among us.

The problem is, the modern engine and automatic transmission dilutes that experience a bit. In many ways, the 1.4-liter four-cylinder’s turbo torque is satisfying; it’s nice to feel real pull at the lower revs. And as the revs build, so does performance. It’s better than expected, given the seemingly modest 160 hp. But it’s not the same as the crescendo of naturally aspirated motors of yore. And you must shift on your own to even get a glimpse of an era gone by. Thank goodness, the 124 Spider can be had with a manual.

This is a softer and more forgiving roadster than its MX-5 brother, which makes it a calmer grand touring car. More suited to a pleasant fall cruise than a back-road blitz. And I think many people would find that a preferable way to spend a Saturday. And that’s the point. Choosing this car is like an inkblot test into how you prefer to spend your leisure time. If you like more relaxed fun, you’ll like the 124 Spider.

–Robin Warner, managing editor

 

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