Used 2018 Fiat 124 Spider for sale 

The 2018 Fiat 124 Spyder is available in 3 versions namely Classica (Classic), Lusso (Luxury), and an Abarth edition, priced at $24,995, $27,595, and $28,295 respectively. The Abarth has been reviewed separately. All trims offer a delectable and stylish removable top and the agile and nifty driving character of the small car. The basic feature differences have been shown in the table below.

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The Lusso variant has almost all the features of the Fiat and offers some distinct luxuries including the infotainment. OVerall for the performance and driving character you get in the convertible, it makes sense to forgo the lowest trim as it doesn't do much in terms of modernity and feels a bit outdated. Overall considering the added luxuries still get the price in quite an affordable range, the Lusso is highly recommended.

The nifty car is based on the same platform as the Mazda Miata and even manufactured in Japan. The agile and quick driving character though comes paired with a sleek and tuned-up turbocharged engine, that offers a touch more performance. The 2018 Fiat 124 Spyder comes with a 1.4L Multi-Air Turbo Dual Intercooler Engine delivering 160HP and 184 lb-ft of torque coupled to a 6 speed Manual with a Short Throw 6-speed Stick Shifter or a 6 speed Aisin Sourced Automatic Transmission. The Engine is a 4 Cylinder Unit which is a revised version of the 2016 version and has been tuned by Fiat to deliver better performance.

Where the three cars in the competition are offered at the same price, the Volkswagen Beetle is backed with 14 more horses. Although the RWD on the Fiat 124, better called the Fiata offers better driving character and a more agile drive. The Mazda MX-5 Miata which is expected to be its archrival falls a tad bit behind when it comes to raw power.

2018 Fiat 124 Spider Acceleration

The zippy and small motor is enough to spring the light chassis into action. The Fiat 124 is quite good at pushing off the mark, and the turbocharged which springs in at 3,000 rpm makes mid-range acceleration quite responsive. The 124 is really good at overtaking on the highway, particularly with the manual transmission, it's one of the most responsive cars to drive.

The 2018 Fiat 124 springs to the 60 mph mark in just 6.5 seconds, and pushes to the quarter-mile in 14.9 seconds.

The Mazda Miata with its linear throttle response is much better at zipping to 60 mph, though the 124 starts catching up in the mid-range and would overtake the Miata at the half-mile. The Volkswagen Beetle’s turbo motor with a low rpm torque is decent at getting off, but the FWD seriously lets it down at the quarter-mile mark.

2018 Fiat 124 Ride and Handling

The near 50-50 weight distribution offers great handling and performance around corners and in the straight line with good stability. Also, the car feels planted at speeds around 50mph with the Top-down on cities as well as Highways. The 1.4L motor seems a bit clumsy on the get-go, but as soon as the turbo spools, at a high revving 3,000 rpm, it springs forward blisteringly fast. The automatic transmission seems happy to switch gears before this point and thus take a lot away from the driving character.

The Handling of the Fiat has a typical Italian flair and handles perfectly well. The cornering dynamics of the Fiat is superb, albeit, with a tad bit of body roll, it also maintains good composure in a straight line at all speeds. The Double wishbone suspension on the Front and Multilink on the Rear ensures good ride quality on smooth roads as well as bumpy roads. The Steering offers a great feel and feedback and grants great confidence while driving. The Suspension in the Classica and Lusso has been tuned a bit softly as compared to the Abarth version so as to give a better everyday riding experience and a bit more comfort without compromising on agility.

2018 Fiat 124 Spider Braking

The Lightweight body of the Fiat translates a leading braking performance and handling performance which makes it one of the fastest to reach a standstill from 60MPH taking just 113 ft to reach the feat. The pedal feel is firm and encourages smooth modulation. The braking dynamics spark predictability making it an ideal daily driver. The light chassis does wonders, that even the smaller brakes have it exceptionally easy to control the car. Due to the light dynamics, the 2018 Fiat 124 is surprisingly great around circuits, and that is even in the non-Abarth variants.

Compared to the Mazda Miata and the Fiat 124, the Volkswagen Beetle is quite clumsy on its brakes. The Miata which is a bit lighter than the Fiat is a tad bit quicker at coming to a stop, particularly considering that the brakes on either car are identical.

The Fiat 124 has a turbocharged engine as compared to the Mazda Miata, which shows up quite late in the acceleration, making it a great car to drive along highways, where it is the most efficient. Either car is very light and thus they are quite frugal on your pocket even in the long term.

The Fiat definitely is the most efficient car on the lot, although considering that you drive is free and opens up the throttle. The Volkswagen Beetle’s turbocharged motor does a great job of getting the efficiency sky high, even with the heavier chassis. Overall all cars are great and almost similar if you're commuting in urban areas.

The Interiors of the Fiat may look like the one found on the MX-5 and you will find a lot of identical bits including the knobs, soft-touch plastics, and others. However, the interiors have been tweaked a bit from that of the Mazda's and add an Italian touch to the layout. There are a decent amount of storage spaces and small cubby holes in the car to accommodate bottles, cups, and other stuff but they may be a bit small for certain stuff. 

The seats are well-bolstered and have been ergonomically designed to ensure a comfortable fit. You get a glove box in between the 2 front seats which can be locked. The Classica model offers Premium Black Cloth Seats and the Lusso offers Premium heated leather-trimmed seats. You also get a Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel for an added premium feel.

The legroom offered in the front is the Best in Class while the headroom may be an issue for passengers above 6ft but that can be solved by just removing the top. The shoulder room is also decent with respect to the competition as well. You also get Push Button Start and Keyless entry standard on all variants but the Lusso trim gets an Auto Climate Control which the Classica misses out on.

2018 Fiat 124 Cargo Space

The design of the 124 is a bit lengthier than that of the Miata and this results in a tad bit more cargo space. Even then the car is barely one you can use for longer travels, with the boot accommodating only about 5 cubic feet of space. That is enough to fit about two soft-sided gym bags. The Beetle offers a tad bit more space which amounts to around 7.1 cubic feet.

2018 Fiat 124 Spider Convertible Infotainment

The instrument console of the Fiat has a conventional layout with a Big RPM meter and a Gear indicator in the middle and the Speedometer on its right while you get a small digital screen on the left which houses the Odometer, Tripmeter and a whole lot of other information in it. You also get an MX-5 steering wheel which is a great thing but with a Fiat logo in the middle. There are even steering mounted controls allowing basic functions and controls. 

Fiat offers a 3'' Display for the Audio System on the Classica but there is a 7" Touchscreen Display on the Lusso. The Lusso also gets a Year Subscription for SiriusXM Satellite Radio. However, the car misses out on Android Auto or Apple CarPlay connectivity. The Navigation has a 2D or 3D mode as per preference. Some Standout features in Infotainment are:

• 4-speaker Audio
• Bluetooth Connectivity
• USB port
• 7.0-inch touchscreen
• Rearview camera
• Satellite Radio
• In-Built Navigation
• Premium 9-speaker Bose Audio

The Car has a manual soft-top which is super easy to operate and striking to look at as well. It is a pretty lightweight car owing to the fact that the underpinnings are shared with MX-5 Miata. However, Fiat has ensured that the lightweight doesn't compromise performance. The dimensions of the car look like a typical sports car with a long hood, character lines on the sides and on the hood just to give it a more aerodynamic feel and advantage. 

The overall length of the car is 159.6in which isn't compact in proportions but lends an advantage while driving around corners. The car has good weight distribution(near 50-50) which aids in cornering and handling as well.

The Miata MX-5 and the Fiat 124 have similar dimensions, though the Fiat is a tad bit longer, both of which are highly fun to drive. Though the car cuts a rather small profile on the road and is very unlikely to draw eyes, even when the top is down. The VW Beetle is surprisingly both longer and wider and has a more refined presence overall. The little Fiat comes with a lot of good standard exterior equipment, some of which have been given below:

• 16" Aluminium Alloy Wheels on the Classica and 17" Aluminium Alloys on the Lusso
• Aerodynamic Styling with body lines stretching from the front fenders to the rear end of the car.
• Halogen Projector Headlamps producing wide light spread and illumination
• The rear LED Tail lamps that offer a great view to the people behind the car and easy maintenance due to the absence of Filaments.
• Manual Soft Top Roof which is easy to operate.
• Dual Single Pipe Exhausts on either side of the bumpers.

Neither the IIHS nor the NHTSA has crash-tested the new Fiat 124 Spider. Though it comes equipped with all the mandated safety features and tech. The Fiat has standard dual front airbags as well as traction and stability control. Though we wouldn't expect much else from the car. Though fiat offers some optional safety tech including a rearview camera, rear park assist, and blind-spot monitors. Some standout safety features in the car are:

• PARKVIEW Rear Camera with FIAT Connect 7.0 which is available as Standard on the Lusso and as an extra fitment on the Classica which aids parking in cramped areas when the car is reversed.
• Blindspot Assist System that assists while changing lanes by providing an Indication on the exterior mirrors.
• Rear Cross Path Detection makes the driver aware of cars that pass across it when he is reversing when his views are blocked in cramped parking areas by providing illumination on the exterior mirrors.
• Steel Safety Frame made with High Tensile Steel consisting of dedicated Crumple Zones that absorb energy in the case of a collision and diverts it away from the passengers.
• 4 Airbags with dual-stage deployment with 2 of those airbags present as side-mounted units which absorbs impacts during the collision and provides cushioning during impact and 2 in the front.

2018 Fiat 124 Spider vs. Volkswagen Beetle

Well actually, the Volkswagen Beetle may not look like a direct competitor to the Fiat and most people may not feel the Beetle is worth comparing with the Fiat but there are a lot of ways in which this VW competes with the Fiat. Both Fiat and VW are using Turbocharger where the Beetle uses a Turbocharged Fuel Stratified Injection motor which punches out the most Power in this segment. 

However, the Fiat generates a similar amount of Power with a much lower displacement engine resulting in better fuel economy figures and lower costs of maintenance than the VW. Also, since this being the last generation of the Beetle, it may not be a wise choice to go for the Beetle mainly due to the availability of Spare Parts and Service costs. On the other hand, VW cars are always a bit expensive to maintain. 

The Beetle possesses appealing looks but the Fiat has an overall value for money package that appeals to a lot of customers. The other downsides to the beetle S include a powered convertible top which takes a lot more time than the manual Fiat to open and close, the absence of LED Tail Lamps, lack of good connectivity features, push-button start, and rear parking guidance.

2018 Fiat 124 Spyder vs. Mazda MX-5 Miata

Perhaps the closest rival to the Fiat is its own Sibling, the Mazda MX-5 Miata. To pick the better one would depend on the buyer's preferences here. Both cars share the same platform, have the same engines, and even built in the same Mazda factory in Japan. Also, you won't be able to track the differences between the interiors of both cars if you remove their respective company badges from their steering wheels. 

However, this is where the similarities end and the differences started to uncover. The primary changes can be seen in the exterior Styling and the engine. The Fiat has a typical Italian flair to its design and has to do more with Style unlike the Mazda, which looks determined to do a quick lap around a local street circuit. Also, the Fiat uses a Turbocharged engine rather than the naturally aspirated unit like in the Mazda. 

The Fiat is the heavier of both cars and is reflected in the performance figures but doesn't lag behind the Mazda by a lot with the differences being minute. Also, the Power Output in the Fiat is higher than the Mazda while delivering better fuel economy than the Mazda as well.

If you are looking for a bit of Italian flair and style and at the same time some nifty cruising character, the Fiat is the one to go for. The Fiat is the best-looking car in its segment and is quite well outfitted in its interiors. Also, being a turbo engine, the sudden surge of power from the spooling Turbos makes the Fiat 124 Spider an absolute hoot to drive. The Fiat is the most economical of the lot as well and is relatively inexpensive to maintain. As such overall, it's definitely the most recommended car in the competition. The car is the perfect fit for you if you are looking for an agile zippy character and a pleasurable manual drive.