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Wednesday, December 10, 2014

If Two Wheels Move the Soul

If two wheels move the soul, then four wheels keep me off the bus.

Not that there is anything wrong with taking the bus or rapid transit if it is available in your area. Troubadour has been taking the Subaru to work rather than the Tiger for the last few months.  In the cold, dark, and rain it just isn't any fun to do 23 miles of straight, 5-lane highway.  Especially after surmounting the very large dead raccoon obstacle on his way to work in the summer.

While he's been commuting via Subaru I've been on the city bus.  We've been running with one car for about 7 years now.   For me, it is quite convenient to take the bus to work, it is getting home that is the issue.

We live on a commuter route which means that it comes by twice in the morning and I can get on to come home at the parking lot downtown transit station at 11 am, 3:00 pm, or 5:15 pm.  Most days I am at work at least half an hour early and work through lunch.  I can usually leave early if I have a means to get home. I've been known to walk the three miles weather permitting.  If I miss the bus and the weather is too poor to walk I wait until hubby can pick me up at 5.

Enter the second vehicle debate.  We weighed the pros and cons and finally decided two vehicles made sense at this point.  Not only could I leave work early so hubby could come home to a warm house and dinner ready, but on the days I could leave a little earlier I could stop and get groceries on the way home so we don't have to do it on Friday afternoon or the weekends when it is busier.

We looked, and looked and debated new versus used.  We have a habit of being able to talk ourselves into or out of anything, so it wasn't an easy decision.  We test drove a few things and on the Sunday before Thanksgiving finally decided......and we drove home our new 2015 Fiat 500 Sport we purchased from Lithia Fiat of Eugene.  

(2015 Fiat 500 Sport - color - Billet Argento)

(Silver wasn't our first choice, but it was preferable to the pale green they had in stock)
With a Fiat cash back bonus and a Lithia discount we paid well under MSRP and had no complaints. Hubby even managed to get them to throw in winter floor mats.  It was a long day but we were pleased.  We took turns when we drove it the 50 miles home, switching up with the Subaru.  

Some reviews peg the little Fiat as not having much power but we chose the 5-speed manual transmission and the Sport model.  Press the sport button on the dash and there is enough torque to set you back in your seat....or maybe that is the way we drive.


We've had the car for just over two weeks now and I don't think there is one thing we don't like about it.  It is small, nimble, easy to park, and has great fuel economy - 30 mpg city and 40 mpg highway. I think that might depend on who is driving too.


So far it has had no trouble keeping up with traffic.  We've taken it on our favorite twisty road to Salem and also for a run up Marys Peak on Sunday and it did just fine.  I am glad we chose the manual transmission though, as I don't think the automatic would have been quite as capable.

- Au Revoir

" I must scream it to the world, my excitement from the top of someplace very high. Do you know many Ferraris?" - Luigi in Cars
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47 comments:

  1. The Fiat 500 is a very attractive vehicle. Should we ever need a second car, this would be my first and second, and third choice. It's an icon, like the Vespa. It's Italian. It's sexy. Good choice!!!

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    1. We are loving it so far. It makes a good second car, and nice that we have something smaller than the Subaru too for short jaunts.

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  2. Very cute car! The dealer up here opted not to carry the as they think that no one would buy one. (They're clueless!)

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    1. They have more clearance than we thought they'd have so I am surprised they aren't carried up there. Like you said, clueless.

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  3. I love the smell of the interioir of a new car. You just sit there and soak it all up. Ahhhhh.
    Gray will hold a better resale value.

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    1. The new car smell is nice. The Subaru sure doesn't have it after 4 years of being a do-all vehicle.

      Resale value - we've only had it two weeks, lol.

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  4. Nice, even though you are bikers you can still get excited about a new car, I must admit it is good.

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    1. Thanks. One of the reasons we went with such a small car is for the fun factor, like the bikes.

      And in sport mode it has a g-force indicator on the dash.

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  5. super cute! yay for the new car smell, and, for great mpg! :) congratulations! :)

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  6. It is the way you drive AND if you keep that up you won't get that mileage! :)
    Just kidding. Your little fiat is adorable. The green might have tempted me! But silver is stealthier - for those "set back in your seat moments" when you want to fly under the radar. Kudos on picking the 5-speed. We did the same when we purchased our Vibe, and don't regret it. What a nice little commuter you got there!

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    1. Brad calls the manual transmission our 'anti-theft' device. People don't seem to be taught how to drive them anymore.

      Let's just say when Brad drives, the gas mileage isn't is a good. Damn thing corners like it is on rails when he drives too.

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  7. In the Spirit of the Italian job I'm a Mini man!

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    1. Love that movie!!

      But, with as tall as you are that surprises me. We had to fall into and climb out of a Mini, whereas with the Fiat it is easier to get in and out of.

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  8. That is a nice choice as far as a cage goes. I agree with Nikos about the Mini, but Miata would win me over.

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    1. We thought about a Miata, but I actually like that I sit up higher in the Fiat.

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  9. So cute - does it come with four wheel drive?

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    1. Not this one but they're already coming out with the Fiat 500x, which is a larger 4-door and 4-wheel drive. Things get bigger when they get imported to the USA. Same thing happened to the Mini.

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  10. That is just as cute as a button. Love it!
    Good luck with it :)
    ::throws virtual change in the backseat::

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    1. Thanks Fuzzy. We wanted something as close to as fun as the bikes, but with 4-wheels and a roof, lol.

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  11. I've driven one of those -- surprisingly roomy inside. I'll go for the obvious question, though, and ask: is commuting by bike equally impractical for your daily grind?

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    1. It is surprisingly roomy and we preferred it over others the same size.

      Commuting by bike for 3 miles in just an inconvenience for me. Dealing with helmet head and with my long hair wicking rain into my helmet and jacket it is a pain. I wear ATGATT so it isn't simply grabbing a helmet and jacket and off I go. Change of shoes, lunch, work mail, etc.

      For me (with our Oregon rains 3 seasons of the year, the bike seems impractical....or maybe I am just lazy.

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  12. What a great car! These small cars are wonderful to get around and easy to park. I leased the Smart car and am so glad I did. I will probably buy it out. or lease another. Those Fiats are beautiful and amazingly all these little cars have plenty of room. I think being a motorcycle rider also helps being a driver in these small cars. Some people are afraid of them, but using motorcycle sense really works while driving. Congrats!

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    1. It is fun to drive and easy to park. Although the Subaru is surprising easy to maneuver too.

      We test drove a Smart Car and were not enamored of the manual transmission trying to be an automatic. The lull every time it shifted bothered me and almost made me car sick. A friends wife just bought one and she loved it. If it had of been a proper manual we may have thought otherwise.

      I agree, riding a bike helps with driving little cars. I feel safe in it. It has 7 air bags, 7 more than my motorcycle (6 depending on who you talk to, lol)

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  13. That is a great choice. Nothing beats a small car with a bit of zip to increase the fun factor. That car will have no trouble at all keeping up with all but the fastest drivers. I have an old VW Beetle and a (proper) old Mini. I adore driving them, so I reckon the 500 will give you a lot of pleasure. The bit I liked most in your post? ".....or maybe that is the way we drive."

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    1. Thanks Gary. Small cars are fun. We wanted something practical but wanted the fun factor since the Subaru is the do-all vehicle.

      You liked that part, did you? Cue maniacal laugh.

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  14. If it's anything like the Fiat 500L we rented in Europe you'll love it. Great little car, enough pep for most sane people, and excellent gas mileage. Was it available with a diesel engine?

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    1. I think the L is the four-door model, a step above our Sport. Sadly no diesel model available in the USA, I bet the gas mileage would be really great if there was.

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  15. Nice choice! I'm not surprised you love the manual transmission, especially because it's the Sport! Yeah, diesel would have been even better. But the US market is slow on diesel. It took Volkswagen a while to get the Golf TDI, finally in 2012. Such great milage (45 mg). Have fun with your Fiat!

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    1. Thanks Andrea. The US is slow on a lot of things auto related. Too many restrictions when importing vehicles means we do not get a lot of the fuel efficient ones from Europe. Sigh.

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  16. I find it hard to put my finger on why exactly the 500 is such a fun drive but it is. My wife watched Carmax for months waiting for her convertible deal to show up and a year old car with a thousand miles on it seems to indicate someone didn't much enjoy it. Can't think why. I think yours will prove to be a lasting pleasure.

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    1. There are quite a few used ones for sale here, but most are the base Pop model. If you can find a used Sport (and we looked at a few) they were only $1,000 less than brand new. That seemed a no brainer for us, to have a new one with warranty for such a little amount more.

      I am guessing people realize how little that back seat is. When they have kids or more than one dog it might be a little tight. We don't plan on carrying any passengers so it is just fine with us.

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  17. Cute and seems to be a perfect fit for you! Congrats on the new wheels!

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    1. Thanks Barb. We really do love it so far. Fun to drive to work and the backroads. After some heavy rain I did have a little hydroplaning on the way to work but it was no big deal, just a surprise. Car is way lighter than the Subaru.

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  18. Cute car! I've admired them since they came out. Sounds like a winner for you and nice to learn from a satisfied owner!

    Lately I've leaned to silver and white vehicles. Like the look of your mini car in silver.

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    1. Yes, we do enjoy it so far. Drove it to coffee yesterday since the fog was too thick for riding.

      The silver has really grown on us. Our Nissan Versa was dark grey and we liked it, like the silver more now.

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  19. Every time I see one I smile, especially so with a guy nearby that drives an Abarth. It would be sooo easy to sort of push him aside and climb in when I see it in the parking lot. Have fun with yours you two, it looks and sounds like a blast!

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    1. I've liked the Fiat 500s since they returned stateside. I still look out at the driveway and I am surprised we own one.

      There was a new Abarth in the showroom they let Brad start and rev. Boy, did he have a smile on his face. You can find them used, but the price made them impractical. But we did look....

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  20. congrats
    what a great purchase
    i recently purchased a little suzuki swift and am pleased with both the performance and the fuel economy is out standing
    you will get better fuel economy as it gets run in a little as well

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    1. Thank you. We used to see quite a few of the little Suzukis when we lived in Canada. Not so much around here and Suzuki actually stopped selling autos in the USA a few years ago. Not sure why they didn't sell. Is your swift a 3 cyl or 4?

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    2. the 4
      1.5 litre
      http://duncslounge.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/suzuki-is-here.html
      still getting the same fuel economy now
      16,000 klm now on it

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  21. After the pain of the buying process is over, riding in a new car just feel good! :-)

    I don't think I've seen a Fiat 500 around here...I think we might have potholes that are bigger. Folks in Texas seem too enamored with their big trucks to drive smaller, more efficient, and eco-friendly vehicles. Maybe one day Texans will come around. Definitely seems like a smart choice to me (I have a small truck).

    Congrats on your new purchase. Enjoy the ride...but don't forget about your motorcycle. :-)

    Cheers,
    Curt

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    1. We have our share of potholes and studded tires kill our roads but there isn't much you can do about it. I imagine your pot holes are way bigger though.

      The more rural areas of our state have a high concentration of large pick ups, but the college kids have a fair amount of jacked up trucks too.

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  22. I know I left a comment...maybe just in my head.

    Love the little car. My second car ever was a Fiat and I loved it. I even drove it in Portland! I would like to have a small car again (I had 2 Honda Fits), but the snow (and now the deep mud) has kept me from making that change back. I tend to go more rural. And my Honda CRV is all paid for and in excellent condition and I like it. Still, I do look at the little ones with envy and a smile. Enjoy!

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    1. Cool that your second car was a Fiat. Of course we have heard tons of Fix it Again Tony jokes, but those were to be expected.

      If we only needed one car the Subaru fits the bill perfectly like your CRV does for you. We were able to go small because it is a second car.

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  23. That is a good looking car! Congrats! I love the Abarth ad...

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    1. Thanks Ken. And what red blooded male doesn't love those ads, lol

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