What does "sport" really mean?

[FiatGal]

Yesterday I spoke with a friend who explained to me that a "sport suspension" means a more rigid feel to the car. That and the 16" tires and rims not only means more rigid feel to the car, but also a tendency to feel every little ding, pothole, pebble, etc. Knowing me, and knowing that I'm not about to go race around a track or plan to drive any car rally any time soon, but instead plan on commuting and driving the car around the town, my friend  suggested that I'd be more happy with the 15" rims and tires and the no-sport suspension. Especially with the snowy conditions around here.

Thoughts on "sport suspension" and driving feel / snow/ice conditions?

Also, I seem to recall on the TopGear video that there's a "Sport" button. Does that mean that the "sport" suspension is something that can be engaged or disengaged at will? Is it the same setup in the US version?

Thanks!

[ciddyguy]

LauraInME wrote

Yesterday I spoke with a friend who explained to me that a "sport suspension" means a more rigid feel to the car. That and the 16" tires and rims not only means more rigid feel to the car, but also a tendency to feel every little ding, pothole, pebble, etc. Knowing me, and knowing that I'm not about to go race around a track or plan to drive any car rally any time soon, but instead plan on commuting and driving the car around the town, my friend  suggested that I'd be more happy with the 15" rims and tires and the no-sport suspension. Especially with the snowy conditions around here.

Thoughts on "sport suspension" and driving feel / snow/ice conditions?

Also, I seem to recall on the TopGear video that there's a "Sport" button. Does that mean that the "sport" suspension is something that can be engaged or disengaged at will? Is it the same setup in the US version?

Thanks!

What your friend is saying is generally true. As far as snow is concerned, that's more of how you drive in it and the tires, you CAN get basic rims w/ snow tires to put on your car if you need to for winter driving. I drive a 2 wheel drive truck in the snow and with the snow/ice we've had here in Seattle, I've been able to get around no problem with just the all season radials that are currently on it.

That said, if you've ever ridden in an older truck, you'll get an idea of the kind of ride a sports car will give you, but what is a benefit of the sport suspension is you can drive by the seat of your pants with the feedback, and also through the steering, the main thing is how the suspension damps to lessen the crashing and bucking when you go over major imperfections (my truck crashes through them and my shocks are not shot either), refinement means how well the car handles such imperfections, just means your suspension is more firm, but also should be subtle enough to remain comfortable. Having a sport trim, such as the Fiat 500 allows for a more sporty drive when you go do the curvy roads out in the country or in the mountains and that is where a sport suspension shines, not just on the track.

The sport button does nothing as far as I know to the suspension but does give the steering a bit more weight (less boost) and hopefully allows for great feedback where you can tell where/how to correct the steering while driving and quickens the throttle response, generally.

Plus, look at the front seats, they have more aggressive bolstering to better hold you in the seats in comparison to the other 2 trim levels.

[FiatGal]

Thanks for that explanation!

My commmuting usually involves driving through curvy country roads. I say "usually" because lately, due to part of a road having crumbled into a river and being closed for reconstruction, I've been forced to use the boring turnpike. But hopefully in less than a year, I'll be using that very curvy and very fun to drive route again.

Hm... food for thought.

[CaliberSRT4]

I drive an SRT4 with 19" wheels and low-profile performance tires. So I won't be convincing you to avoid the Sport.

The stiffer ride is completely worth the trade off for me. I appreciate feeling more connected to the road and having confident handling.

Of course, with the Fiat 500 Sport, the difference will not be so drastic. I say go for it. The bumps won't be that bad, and the car will handle better. The Sport actually has wider tires, which is nice. Snow performance should still be decent with front wheel drive, traction control, ABS. If you really want snow performance, get a set of winter tires and wheels. There is a HUGE difference between all-seasons and snow tires.

[sjmst]

I drive a BMW 3 series with the Sport Package, 100 miles/ day. It is fine, no problems with harshness.
Also, I drove the European 500. It did not feel at all rough.
I think it will be fine.