Car downgrade squabble
Discussion
Long story short - I have a six-month old Seat Mii (= VW Up) 6K miles which I hate. I have fallen in love with a smart-looking local Fiat 500 which has all the spec I want. It is a 2010 model with over 50K miles on. I could make the swap and pretty much lose no money. My wife, though, refuses to entertain the idea, thinking it’s crazy to change a newer car for an older one, and that a car of that age is pretty much on its last legs. My feeling is a 7-year-old car with that mileage is a perfectly practical and economic proposition.
What’s the Petrolhead concensus?
What’s the Petrolhead concensus?
Thanks for your opinions everyone - food for thouht.
A CAR IS NOT WORTH PICKING A FIGHT OVER???? :-]
I find it harsh, badly made, ill-thought-out and poorly equipped.
Prior to that I had a Panda 100HP. That was an awesome car - rock-solid, loaded with kit, ergonomic and a hoot to own and drive. Then it got written off, and it was pretty much the better half's idea to go for the Seat, instead of a replacement 100HP.
I am swayed by the 500 as the one I have my eye on is a nice colour (that's important to me - I am a designer), has ace wheels (that's important to me - I am a Petrolhead), a good stereo (that's important to me - I am a musician), bags of kit and nice trim. In short, it turns me on. It drove beautifully and felt right for me.
The Seat’s engine is adequate but unrefined and uninspiring, bearing in mind the resources that must have gone into it. The dashboard looks as if it came from a Russian truck. The pathetic randomly-spaced digital readout uses RED digits! Red - the warning colour. I see it in my peripheral vision and think “uh-oh, what’s broken? Ah no… 12 degrees.” You have to REACH THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL to change the display. The speedo is the size of a dinner-plate (why?) whereas the ancilliary dials are the size (again, why?) of a lady's watch.
OP sacrilegiously doesn’t need the performance - or insurance bills - of an Abarth.
OP was VERY HAPPY with the performance level of the Panda 100HP - quick enough to have fun but not enough to dump the OP into the hedges.
6 month old Seat was bought ex-demo for about 6K. WBAC initial offer for it was 5K. Fiat 500 (well above basic spec) is 5K windscreen price. I’m not grumbling about either of those.
Monkeylegend said:
You are either very brave or very stupid 
The minute anything goes wrong with the Fiat your life won't be worth living, especially if the Seat would still have been in warranty.
You need to pick your fights and this isn't one of them
Hullo? Hullo?? I though this was Pistonheads??The minute anything goes wrong with the Fiat your life won't be worth living, especially if the Seat would still have been in warranty.
You need to pick your fights and this isn't one of them
A CAR IS NOT WORTH PICKING A FIGHT OVER???? :-]
Dolf Stoppard said:
What is it you hate about the Mii and are you sure the Fiat will give you what you want? For example, if you think the Mii is poor quality, will a seven year old 500 really be any better? Are there any changes you can make to the Mii to perhaps improve things?
I expected the Seat to be as the reviews said, the class-leading baby car.I find it harsh, badly made, ill-thought-out and poorly equipped.
Prior to that I had a Panda 100HP. That was an awesome car - rock-solid, loaded with kit, ergonomic and a hoot to own and drive. Then it got written off, and it was pretty much the better half's idea to go for the Seat, instead of a replacement 100HP.
I am swayed by the 500 as the one I have my eye on is a nice colour (that's important to me - I am a designer), has ace wheels (that's important to me - I am a Petrolhead), a good stereo (that's important to me - I am a musician), bags of kit and nice trim. In short, it turns me on. It drove beautifully and felt right for me.
The Seat’s engine is adequate but unrefined and uninspiring, bearing in mind the resources that must have gone into it. The dashboard looks as if it came from a Russian truck. The pathetic randomly-spaced digital readout uses RED digits! Red - the warning colour. I see it in my peripheral vision and think “uh-oh, what’s broken? Ah no… 12 degrees.” You have to REACH THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL to change the display. The speedo is the size of a dinner-plate (why?) whereas the ancilliary dials are the size (again, why?) of a lady's watch.
Dave Hedgehog said:
do what she says
otherwise sometime in 2037 - "i told you not to get that, just like i told you not to buy that fiat"
Well… ^this^, of course… which goes without saying…otherwise sometime in 2037 - "i told you not to get that, just like i told you not to buy that fiat"
Ransoman said:
2010 will be barely 7 years old. Fiat 500's are very mechanically simple so if there is anything wrong with it it will be very cheap and easy to fix.
I wouldn't hesitate, although at this price bracket I might prefer to go brand new simply because 500's have held their value well and there are some great deals around.
That was my opinion. I would happily go for a newer one but this is a colour and spec which is no longer available.I wouldn't hesitate, although at this price bracket I might prefer to go brand new simply because 500's have held their value well and there are some great deals around.
bungz said:
The economics of this are not really sound.
What makes the fiat 500 better than the Mii for a day to day poverty chariot? Especially when its 6 and a half years older.
Fiat 7 years old and reliable are rarely used together.
You might be forgiven for thinking that. The Panda 100HP, though, was a reliability monster, no problems in 9 years. I would have had another one but that idea was also Firmly Vetoed.What makes the fiat 500 better than the Mii for a day to day poverty chariot? Especially when its 6 and a half years older.
Fiat 7 years old and reliable are rarely used together.
Greg_D said:
the petrolhead consensus is buy an mx5. if you must drive round in a girls cars, at least make it a good one...
I like the cut of your jib. I’m done with convertibles though… had a Suzuki Cappuccino for 9 years which was great but I didn’t have the roof off often enough. Plus when I drove an MX5 after that it seemed huge…TVRJAS said:
Those price difference figures don't look right for a basic 500.
6 month old Seat = about 7k
2010 fiat 500 with 50k = about 3,500
2010 ABARTH = about 6500-7k
We might be talking Abarth here gents. (Unless OP is talking after finance arrangements)
OP wishes he was talking about an Abarth LOL ROFL SmileyFace…6 month old Seat = about 7k
2010 fiat 500 with 50k = about 3,500
2010 ABARTH = about 6500-7k
We might be talking Abarth here gents. (Unless OP is talking after finance arrangements)
Edited by TVRJAS on Wednesday 22 February 16:08
OP sacrilegiously doesn’t need the performance - or insurance bills - of an Abarth.
OP was VERY HAPPY with the performance level of the Panda 100HP - quick enough to have fun but not enough to dump the OP into the hedges.
6 month old Seat was bought ex-demo for about 6K. WBAC initial offer for it was 5K. Fiat 500 (well above basic spec) is 5K windscreen price. I’m not grumbling about either of those.
Greg_D said:
as always with threads of this type, you were looking for affirmation of your position.
…uhhh, damn… got me there…Greg_D said:
I get that, i really do, but we impartial observers can see nothing but danger signs, you appear to be immune to SWT venom so crack on and get the fiat.
IN NO WAY am I immune to that stuff, and nor am I oblivious to the DSs. Quite the reverse. I am hastily writing this from a secure underground location in a hideout many miles from centres of population. However, supposing I pass on this Fiat, where am I then?(Massed ranks of Pistonheads): "P*ssywh*pped mate!"
…stuck in a crappy car I hate because someone who doesn't even drive it doesn't like it? This is EXACTLY how Nazi Germany started!
Greg_D said:
But by all that is holy, please god post pictures (or preferably a video) of her reaction when you pull up... you will at least get £250 from YBF to go towards any repair costs... or more likely 5 days in a travelodge while she cools down! hahahaha, you're f
ked
What a beautiful picture you paint… if it weren't me, I should be tempted.kedYou know what? Regardless of the domestic politics, this has been a very successful swap. The 500 is the By Diesel edition which I first spied in 2009, and I quite admired it then, but I felt it was a bit overpriced. It’s got lots of nice trim and toys, and a sexy colour.
It is in cracking nick and drives like new. Nimble, enthusiastic handling. It’s a super little beast.
So Mrs Gert has reluctantly adapted to the new wagon, her only comment being “you know what this is? This is a MID-LIFE CRISIS car, that’s what this is!”. To which I made riposte “…but ALL my cars are mid-life crisis cars”, which is true - at least all the ones I’ve enjoyed owning.
The thing is, though, I don’t get why the VW Up! and its clones got such glowing reviews. It seemed to me a pedestrian and uninspired little wagon. I was prepared to overlook that, if it felt like it was beautifully made, but it wasn’t. The Fiat, even at six years older, feels twice as solid. And the difference between the two jalopies is chalk and cheese. The Seat was like driving around in Eeyore… like, “”oohh… a HILL… I suppose you want me to go up it… well I will, but don't expect me to enjoy it…"
The 500 is more like Tigger! “Ooh! A hill! Let’s RUN!”.
I found myself awake an hour early the other day because I was so looking forward to driving it to work. You can’t ask for much more from a car.
It is in cracking nick and drives like new. Nimble, enthusiastic handling. It’s a super little beast.
So Mrs Gert has reluctantly adapted to the new wagon, her only comment being “you know what this is? This is a MID-LIFE CRISIS car, that’s what this is!”. To which I made riposte “…but ALL my cars are mid-life crisis cars”, which is true - at least all the ones I’ve enjoyed owning.
The thing is, though, I don’t get why the VW Up! and its clones got such glowing reviews. It seemed to me a pedestrian and uninspired little wagon. I was prepared to overlook that, if it felt like it was beautifully made, but it wasn’t. The Fiat, even at six years older, feels twice as solid. And the difference between the two jalopies is chalk and cheese. The Seat was like driving around in Eeyore… like, “”oohh… a HILL… I suppose you want me to go up it… well I will, but don't expect me to enjoy it…"
The 500 is more like Tigger! “Ooh! A hill! Let’s RUN!”.
I found myself awake an hour early the other day because I was so looking forward to driving it to work. You can’t ask for much more from a car.
Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff