My car should be here by March 7th!

[spindoc]

God willing!  Yesterday my salesman (Greg Eaton at Hendrick Fiat of Cary NC - [phone]) called me after he'd "cracked the code" on his invoice list of cars coming to their studio.  I'll be getting a Rosso Sport with the Safety & Sound Package, the Safety & Convenience Package, and the "Smoker's Package".  It's in transit now and should be at the studio by 3/7 (it may even come earlier as they anticipate it being dropped off at the rail depot on 3/3).

So a few interesting production details have now emerged.  One is that the Safety and Convenience Package is available with the manual transmission.  Also, it looks like about 13 Sports and Pops will be in his first shipment.  He has 35 cars on his invoice list, but a number of them (including all seven Lounges) are yet to be built.  There are no Rosso Brilliante, Mocha Latte or Verde Chiaro cars on the list. And it seems none of the cars in the initial shipment will have the Nav system, though apparently that can be added by the dealer once they become available.

(Of course, there's no "Smoker's Package" on the Fiat "Build Your Own" page - must be an ashtray and a lighter.  I'm not a smoker, but the small added expense for this is obviously not a deal-breaker for me.)

I'm excited about the timing as I just completed the sale of my current car and it's being shipped away next week!

[MrJones]

Awesome!
So much for the PEs having any real exclusivity.
All the more reason to pass on my PE and just order a vanilla sport model in a color I might like better. (At least then I won't have to figure out what color the bezel will be! I guess I lose the special badges on the seats--badges? I don't need no stinkin' badges!)

[Mike S]

Is their studio open?

It's interesting because I know of other dealers that are getting in cars for their inventory and they will be available for immediate sale.

Prima Edizione my ass.

[MrJones]

Mike S wrote

Prima Edizione my ass.

I'm with you, Mike!

[sjmst]

Mike S wrote

Is their studio open?

It's interesting because I know of other dealers that are getting in cars for their inventory and they will be available for immediate sale.

Prima Edizione my ass.

Fiat...what's up?  

I called this dealer and they told me the same thing.

[sam500]

I'm pretty curious to see how things pan out. So far there has been a LOT of "talk" about deliveries (not only of the prima) but heaven knows with the lack of communication, what will actually happen. Next thing we know, we'll find out that FIAT is not coming back to the US for another 25 years :/

I'm sure things will work out! Not sure how exactly, but interesting it should be :)

Also, I would like to declare BEZEL the official word of the Prima Edizione.

Mike S wrote

Is their studio open?

It's interesting because I know of other dealers that are getting in cars for their inventory and they will be available for immediate sale.

Prima Edizione my ass.

[Vlad92]

Maybe that means we will get our Primas BEFORE March 7th!

[Mike S]

We should!

Start yelling now.

[prima 109]

WTF FIAT!!!!!!!!!  OUR CARS ARE SOPPOSSED TO BE FIRST!!  mine is going to some dealer that the rep couldn't tell me where they are in PA.. Again I say WTF!!!!

craig

[Minuszka]

Spindoc, thanks for the update.
Did Greg told you about the "Safety and Convenience Package" and the "Smoker's Package"? I wonder about this information, since the Convenience package would include the heated front seats and every information so far was stating that it will not be part of the Primas, maybe a dealer installed aftermarket extra. Of course other parts of the Convenience package are part of the PEs and that was never questioned. Can you verify the "I'll be getting a Rosso Sport with the ...Safety & Convenience Package" information relative to the heated front seats?
Your post stats again later that "the Safety and Convenience Package is available with the manual transmission". What does it mean in our case? - are the PEs coming with it already, along with the heated seats? Is it going to be a dealer installed option? If so, what's the price?
What does "small added expense" means for the ashtray and lighter? ? ?
Can you be more specific and give us more details about these new developments? Did Greg also tell you about the $500 fee they charge as doc. fee? It all got explained on this forum I just wanted to make sure you're aware that they add that to the price.
March 7th sounds great!

[MrJones]

Minuszka wrote

 
Did Greg told you about the "Safety and Convenience Package" and the "Smoker's Package"? I wonder about this information, since the Convenience package would include the heated front seats and every information so far was stating that it will not be part of the Primas...

I could be wrong (wouldn't be the first time!), but I don't think spindoc is talking about a Prima. He ordered a non-PE Sport.

[sjmst]

MrJones wrote

Minuszka wrote

 
Did Greg told you about the "Safety and Convenience Package" and the "Smoker's Package"? I wonder about this information, since the Convenience package would include the heated front seats and every information so far was stating that it will not be part of the Primas...

I could be wrong (wouldn't be the first time!), but I don't think spindoc is talking about a Prima. He ordered a non-PE Sport.

Correct.

[Minuszka]

Ok, I somehow assumed that we're talking about a Prima. Also, because we're, we were expecting those vehicles to arrive first.
I'm still puzzled by the "smoke" option...

[CaliberSRT4]

Usually the smoker's package includes a cigar lighter and a removable ashtray for $50. It may be possible to get that for a Prima as a dealer-installed option.

[jvsgabriel]

Remember these cars are still Italian/European....where smoking is still seen as fashionable.  I have always thought that when you go to Europe people just love to smoke.  The option to be seated at a restaurant should have been, " do you want to be seated in the smoking or chain smoking section?"
As for me I can totally see the "Smokers" package coming from a European or even Asian car.  As I have seen Japanese, Korean and Chinese men are pretty much chimneys when it comes to smoking.  

Just for the record, no one has contacted me by email, letter or phone call yet.  But I did make the 1.75 hour trip to LA's Motor Village on Saturday to test drive the car.  IT WAS AWESOME, even in the rain.  But then they say never test drive a car in the rain, don't know why they say that.  I didn't get to go on the freeway, it was a parking lot, bumper to bumper.  And it had just recently hailed, which is odd for Southern California.  But I have no doubts that I want this one to be my next car.  

Joel #366

[sjmst]

Great post. This may be worth reposting. This is what I place in the comments section of Fiat 500 articles and reviews. Always there are people who say ignorant things, and here is my rebuttal:


To those who are reading this trying to decide if the Fiat 500 is worth a look consider this:

No car or car company is perfect, or can be all things to all people.

If you don’t like the way the car looks, or feel it is too small for you, fine. Those are legitimate gripes. As they say though, you are entitled to your own opinion, not your own facts.

The following are facts:

1) Almost EVERY reviewer raves about it.

(Overwhelmingly positive, very few negatives)

2) Price is great

3) MPG is great

4) Fun to drive

5) Very well equipped

6) These have been sold for years in Europe. They sell all they can make, and proved themselves quite reliable enough to be a great seller.


Now consider the ‘critics:”

“Yeah fix it again Tony, yuk, yuk, what a POS, they were junk 25 years ago.”


Ask: What makes more sense?


Following the many positive reviews and thousands of satisfied owners?

Or some random "critics", 95% of whom have never driven the car, and think that what happened 25 years ago in the car industry is somehow relevant today?


As or me, I already put down a deposit and can’t wait to get one."

[MrJones]

I agree that this is a great car. I don't think anybody in this thread was making an argument to the contrary.

sjmst wrote

If you don’t like the way the car looks, or feel it is too small for you, fine. Those are legitimate gripes. As they say though, you are entitled to your own opinion, not your own facts.

The following are facts:

I would just like to point out that some of your "facts" are actually opinions.
When you say "price is great," that is an opinion. (Price is great relative to what?) So is "MPG is great," and "fun to drive." (that last one is especially an opinion.)
The word great is subjective.
Facts would be, "price is less than comparably spec'd vehicles." Or "MPG is best in class." Fun to drive would be hard to make into a factual statement.

I'm not trying to pick a fight with anybody. Overall I agree with your declarations.
Ciao!

[sjmst]

MrJones wrote

I agree that this is a great car. I don't think anybody in this thread was making an argument to the contrary.

sjmst wrote

If you don’t like the way the car looks, or feel it is too small for you, fine. Those are legitimate gripes. As they say though, you are entitled to your own opinion, not your own facts.

The following are facts:

I would just like to point out that some of your "facts" are actually opinions.
When you say "price is great," that is an opinion. (Price is great relative to what?) So is "MPG is great," and "fun to drive." (that last one is especially an opinion.)
The word great is subjective.
Facts would be, "price is less than comparably spec'd vehicles." Or "MPG is best in class." Fun to drive would be hard to make into a factual statement.

I'm not trying to pick a fight with anybody. Overall I agree with your declarations.
Ciao!

Thanks for te feedback..and actually, you make good points. MPG & Price are relative to similar cars. BUT,even if I said that, it would still be picked apart. "What do you mean 'similar' cars?" etc
Fun to drive I go out on a limb and say because every single review I have read says so.

So, yes, I made an argument. But I think I can make a case for most if not all of that.

[CIAO RR]

Hello everyone!

I received a call today from FIAT asking where the PE should be delivered.  When I mentioned to her (not Maria) that I discussed this issue last week, I was told that the FIAT Studio in Cherry Hill, NJ would not be ready for the delivery and I will need to select another location.  OK, so now I will need to drive to Wilmington, DE to get the car.  

I was also told that the dealer will be calling me in the next week or two to work out the details.  I asked about delivery, and all I was told that they needed to be delivered by April 30th.

[spindoc]

sjmst wrote

MrJones wrote

I could be wrong (wouldn't be the first time!), but I don't think spindoc is talking about a Prima. He ordered a non-PE Sport.

Correct.

Right.  I passed on ordering a PE as I didn't want the black stripes and black roof.  It also seemed that the first batch of regular production cars would be released around the same time as the PE's.

By the way, I hope no one got the impression from my original post that I was thumbing my nose at anyone who'd ordered a PE.  Obviously there are a few folks here who are frustrated that their expectations aren't being met.  My intent was just to share my excitement at learning about my order, and to share some new (to us) details about initial production.