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This post was updated on .
Yesssssss! After three years of closely watching this car, even writing to Fiat in Italy before the Chrysler merger and asking them to bring the car across the pond... I finally got to test drive and order. I had initially reserved a Prima, but after giving it much thought, decided it was a bit too much car (Sirius? No!!) and with the money saved (granted, not that much) I could invest in a good set of winter steel wheels and get the color of my choice.
Yesterday, drove down to Kelly Fiat in Peabody, Mass. There were three Primas on the lot, a few test drive and a few model cars. The pearlescent white was still there, but - I knew this from having spoken to Brian Kelly Jr. the day before - it had already been reserved and in fact, its new family (looked like mom and dad plus two small kids in tow) were eagerly looking over the car again. At least I got to see the color up close. Yes, it is stunning. But even in the few days sitting out there, I could see a little bit of dust/dirt accumulating and shading the finish. If I had a garage, I'd be tempted, but without, I felt stronger about the Argento... beautiful color! I love how the red badge stand out against it. Of course, that red badge looks good against just about anything!
I got to test drive. My 83 year old mother (she's been pushing me to get a new car for years!) came along for the ride. Carmen, my very tall salesman, was gracious enough to take the back seat. Kudos for that! We did some mixed driving. Others on this forum are very articulate when speaking about the handling. I will not be that articulate. I loved it! From being a faithful reader to this forum, I knew about a number of details, like the volume control on the back of the steering wheel - brilliant design! - or the electronic mpg algorithmic display. I loved being able to depress the control lever to flash through all the menus and I just know that when I finally get the car home, I'll spend a good evening going through all the controls. I found the car handled beautifully, and much less road noise compared to my 88 Mazda 323! That said, road noise was the second issue my mother raised; she drives a Toyota Prius. The first issue was her head rest. When we first got into the car, we struggled to get her comfortable with the headrest. (Caveat: she is a very short woman, probably less than 5ft.) This seemed very strange, no less to her, because last week when we got to "test-sit" the car at the local dealer, she found it to be very comfortable. We/She couldn't remember if she felt that sitting at the driver's or passenger's seat. With Carmen in the back and me in the passenger seat, we dropped the head rest as far down as it could go, or at least as far down as we could manage. Guess I'll have to get a booster seat for her! While driving, I pressed the Sport button a couple of times. There was a bit of change in the steering's tension, but nothing that struck me as remarkable. Then again, I was driving in an unfamiliar city, trying to get my bearings. This Sport button may be an adjustment I will sense as I become more familiar with the car and its handling.
Back at the dealership, the experience with Carmen and the staff was very smooth. There was no pressure, no added anything. My only big disappointment... the HEATED SEATS!!!! Some of you may remember that when the "Build your own" site finally went up, the issue of the heated seats was one of my main concerns - hey, I live in northern New England and just had my snow tires removed yesterday! To make a long story short, back then, I called the Fiat line, asked about this, and after having my issue "escalated," was called back by a Fiat rep who made it a point to confirm that heated seats could be available with the manual transmission. What became clear, after speaking with a few dealers, and conversations with folks on this forum, was that heated seats would just be a dealer aftermarket install. When I was sharing my frustration with my local dealer a few months ago, he said that they have an upholstery shop that will do the install for about 450$. When I spoke to BK Jr last week, he confirmed that the figure sounded about right. But at the dealer yesterday, big disappointment: I could get the heated seats only if I switch to leather seats. I could also wait until the third quarter of this year, by which time heated seats would be available on all models. Having seen (thanks to folks on this forum) the few online outlets that sell heated seats kits, and having researched the process a bit, I don't understand why aftermarket dealer installed heated seats couldn't be done on the sport with the existing upholstery. I decided to take my chances, and see what the local upholstery shop could/would do.
Aside from the heated seats issue, everything else was a breeze. The young family buying the Bianco Perla was speaking with the financing manager. I just plopped down my deposit and was told the car would be here in 4-6 weeks. Sadly, I'll be in South America at that time, but I'm excited to know that upon my return, I'll be just that much closer to driving my new car.
I realized this morning I forgot one essential item: request that they not advertise their name on the back decal or the license plate frame. Carmen was great, and the experience painless, but this is my first new car ever, and I want it pristine.
And now, for the truly ironic: I get home, and check my voicemail... my local dealer, from whom I would have bought but he's not yet ready to order, left a message informing me that my *cancelled* Prima has just arrived! I haven't spoken to him yet, so I can't confirm the details. But if memory serves me right, #349, your white (I think) car, with sunroof, ordered with no-stripes but who knows if that's still the case, and engine block heater in case you decide to drive way up north... your car is in Portland, ME!
xxxx > keeping fingers crossed for heated seats!
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