2017 Fiat 124 Spider Automatic

The pages of Car and Driver, whether they’re printed on paper or backlit on a screen, are full of unbridled praise for the Mazda MX-5 Miata, a car so exquisitely rendered with such well-balanced, joy-inducing attributes that it’s hard to imagine how it can be improved upon.

The 2017 Fiat 124 Spider is rendered on top of the same skeleton as the latest Miata, but Fiat fleshed out those bones rather differently. On the outside, it dresses like a proper Italian, appearing sleek and tailored despite stretching five and a half inches longer than the bar-of-soap Miata, with enough retro cues to connect it to its disco-era predecessor. Our $33,635 Lusso test car included $3795 worth of creature comforts and tech bits in addition to the $1350 automatic transmission, but its basic style can be had for the Lusso’s $28,490 starting price. Thus equipped, the Lusso is sporty yet tastefully restrained, and even passersby with no clue of its ties to either the previous Fiat Spider or the Miata seemed to be drawn to it, eliciting many a thumbs-up and lots of inquisitive conversation. The classic Rosso Red over Nero Cinema Jet Black color scheme with gleaming 17-inch 10-spoke wheels certainly didn’t hurt. It’s a busier design than that of the Mazda, but it works.

Similar Yet Not

Practically speaking, the Lusso proved to be the user-friendliest version of the Mazda/Fiat duo we’ve tested yet. The 124 already has the larger trunk of the two, thanks to that longer rear end, and as a non-Abarth variant, the most compliant ride, too. With its padded fabric roof—something reserved only for the Miata’s fancy Grand Touring trim level—it has the quietest interior for top-up cruising. And with an automatic transmission, it was the most traffic-jam-friendly.

Yet it took the better part of our week with the car to appreciate the above. The Miata’s puppylike enthusiasm was dampened. We missed the Mazda’s tactile steering and visceral road feel. We missed the linearity of the Miata’s naturally aspirated 2.0-liter engine. And we really missed the ability to shift ourselves with a proper stick and clutch pedal, or even paddle shifters, which at Fiat are reserved only for the harder-riding Abarth automatic (they come standard on all Miata automatics, though). Clearly, this is a convertible for people who care more about sunshine and style than bona fide sportiness.

Perhaps most disappointing is the Fiat’s laggy powertrain—a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 160 horses and 184 lb-ft of torque—which feels extra dull with the slushbox. At 2533 pounds, this 124 Lusso weighed a full 150 pounds more than the last automatic-equipped Miata to pass through our hands, weight that showed in the 124 Spider’s slower acceleration numbers. It required 6.8 seconds to hit 60 mph, nearly half a second behind the auto Miata, although it started to close the gap by the quarter-mile mark, 15.3 seconds at 91 mph versus the Mazda’s 15.1 at 93. At full throttle, the automatic’s uninterrupted torque delivery seemed to keep the Fiat’s turbo spooled during our acceleration runs. But catch it off boost and what feels like an eternity can pass before it catches its stride, as exemplified by its lazy, 8.0-second rolling start from 5 to 60 mph (the Miata gets it done in 6.7 seconds). We constantly found ourselves flooring it just to get the turbo going even when maximum thrust wasn’t required, which surely contributed to the 124’s observed fuel economy of 21 mpg versus the automatic Mazda’s 28 mpg.

Refined Strengths

Keep it on boost, though, and the little Lusso can drift like a champion. The steering is still direct and communicative, just not quite as talkative as the Mazda’s. And with the driver sitting basically on top of the rear wheels and that long, straked hood stretching out up front, there’s no mystery as to what direction the car is pointing. Meanwhile, Fiat’s springs and dampers, tuned differently from those of the Mazda, smooth out the ride appreciably, especially compared with the MX-5 Club version. Not insignificantly, the smooth ride, quieter highway cruising, and larger trunk give this car perhaps the longest highway legs of any “Fiata” variant we’ve tested. Its brakes also proved to be strong, halting the car from 70 mph in 165 feet, but that’s seven feet more than required by the Miata.

When the Fiat version of the roadster emerged late last year, we noted that “Fiat’s intent seems to be to sell a more luxurious Miata though not necessarily a less sporty one.” Regardless of Fiat’s intent, the 124 did end up being less sporty, especially with the automatic. Opting for the standard six-speed manual transmission—essentially the same one used by the previous-gen Miata—helps somewhat; it’s a joy to row, even if it requires a bit more effort than the new car’s. So if you absolutely must have the Fiat version, we suggest saving the $1350 for the autobox and hitting the gym; if you have to have the slushbox, well, the 124’s sportiness quotient takes a hit. But if that’s a problem, there’s always the Miata.

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door convertible

PRICE AS TESTED: $33,635 (base price: $27,340)

ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled SOHC 16-valve inline-4, iron block and aluminum head, port fuel injection

Displacement: 83 cu in, 1368 cc
Power: 160 hp @ 5500 rpm
Torque: 184 lb-ft @ 3200 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 90.9 in
Length: 159.6 in
Width: 68.5 in Height: 48.5 in
Passenger volume: 49 cu ft
Cargo volume: 5 cu ft
Curb weight: 2533 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 6.8 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 19.1 sec
Zero to 120 mph: 34.1 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 8.0 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 3.8 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 5.1 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 15.3 sec @ 91 mph
Top speed (drag limited): 133 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 165 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.87 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 25/36 mpg
C/D observed: 21 mpg