2020 Fiat 124 Spider Road Test and Review

The FIAT 124 Spider has a lineage that dates back to 1966 — the first was a very attractive two-seat sports car built by the design house Pininfarina in cooperation with Italian auto giant Fiat. While the lineage of the current Fiat 124 is so convoluted and complicated that it resembles a season of “Game of Thrones,” the remarkable thing is the current car captures much of the spirit and good looks of the original. Since the original model had a run of almost 20 years without substantive changes, we have to regard that as a good thing. 

Like the first Fiat 124 Spider, the current model has a peppy four-cylinder engine, the availability of a manual transmission, and a stylish open cabin fitted with just two seats. In the spirit that intones “slow cars are fun to drive fast,” the engines in both the original and current 124 Spiders deliver the right amount of horsepower versus the excess of horsepower that some enthusiasts always seem to crave. What you get in a 2020 Fiat 124 is both a time machine with the dial set to 1967 and a perfect way to lose yourself in a morning of foothills driving.

No, the 2020 FIAT 124 Spider isn’t a line-for-line copy of the original 124 Spider. Happily, its designers never tried to do that. Instead, what they delivered was a very credible picture of the spirit of the original 124 as rendered for the current day.

Thus, the round headlamps in their nacelles have now morphed into ovoid shapes that are similarly nestled in the hood and front fascia. The grille, bumper, and driving lights are in the same manner genetically related to the original. Perhaps the most obvious resemblance is the “kick-up” over the rear wheels, a muscular “haunchiness” that also evokes the original. While you might describe the original Pininfarina design as much “purer” than today’s model, the current 124 Spider does a nice job of carrying on the tradition.

The FIAT 124 Spider is built on the same chassis as the Mazda MX-5 Miata at one of Mazda’s Hiroshima, Japan, manufacturing plants. And the interior is where the Fiat 124 could have come off the rails. But despite being assembled in Japan, the car’s interior captures some classic European ambiance while at the same time showing its close kinship with the much-beloved Miata.

The 124's instruments, switchgear, and infotainment system are obviously Mazda-derived. The good news there is that Mazda goes out of its way to evoke a European vibe, and that is doubly the case in the Miata. The Fiat 124 does feature different seats than the Mazda roadster, and "Fiat" is emblazoned big and proud in the middle of the thick-section steering wheel. There isn’t a ton of interior space, but repeat after us — “this is a sports car.”

The FIAT 124 Spider’s infotainment system is one area where the car’s Mazda roots make themselves very obvious. Fiat Chrysler automobiles describes the infotainment as a UConnect, evoking the company’s highly regarded systems. But it operates in exactly the same way as the Mazda system in the Miata.

This system isn't bad, but it certainly takes a bit of getting used to. In most iterations, it makes use of a console-mounted controller that acts like a joystick. The standard system in the base Classica trim level has a 3-inch display for its AM/FM radio with Bluetooth. Lusso and Abarth trims have a 7-inch display, feature Sirius/XM Radio, and incorporate the console-mounted controller. Audio controls are also on the steering wheel on all trims. Four speakers are standard, and a Bose system available on the Lusso and Abarth has nine speakers including a subwoofer.

The Fiat 124 offers two variations of a single engine, and the engine is a key difference between the 124 and the Miata. The Spider is equipped with a Fiat-designed-and-built 1.4-liter MultiAir turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It delivers  160 horsepower and best-in-class (yes, it is a small class) 184 lb-ft of torque on the Classica and Lusso. In the Abarth version, the engine is slightly upgraded to offer 164 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque.

In both forms, the turbocharged engine is available with a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic, and each is worthy of consideration. Those who want to channel the full-on classic sports car experience will pick the manual; if you labor through stop-and-go traffic, the automatic isn’t a bad choice. In the tradition of the original, the 124 Spider is a rear-wheel drive vehicle. 

Pleasure driving — to some in today’s society, it is tantamount to a sin. But pleasure driving is what the FIAT 124 Spider was designed for. It all starts with the 124 Spider’s suspension that uses a double-wishbone layout in the front and a multi-link in the rear. The suspension has been specifically tuned for stability while braking and turning, and it makes the most of the car’s intrinsic balance.

Steering is light and responsive, and the electric power-assist on the dual-pinion system does not provide so much assist that you lose steering feel. From behind the wheel, you get the feeling you can get the car to do anything you want it to — right away. Yes, this is a roadster with a collapsing fabric top, but it isn’t terribly noisy. Recent noise, vibration, and harshness enhancements, including an acoustic front windshield and insulation treatments help to deliver a reasonably refined, quiet ride.

First, let us ask a philosophical question: How much driver-assistance tech do you want on your classic two-seat open sports car? That is certainly something to ponder, and we think Fiat’s answer to the question is the right one. It offers several safety and security features, but it doesn’t bog the experience down with a bunch of warnings, reminders, and alerts. If you’re driving a Fiat 124, you should be paying close attention.

The car is equipped with active head restraints, dual-stage front airbags, and supplemental side airbags. The front passenger airbag has an on-off switch. (You can make of that what you will.) Electronic stability control and an Enhanced Accident Response System are both standard features, as is tire-pressure monitoring (via a warning lamp.) Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-path detection are included as parts of the optional Comfort and Convenience Group package along with the ParkSense rear park assist system. A backup camera is standard.

We think the 2020 Fiat 124 has the right amount of power, and it also delivers the right amount of fuel economy. No, it doesn’t offer the eye-popping EPA numbers of a minicar, but the 124 is designed for sporty driving. In that sphere, it is one of the most fuel-efficient cars available.

EPA fuel economy ratings for the 1.4-liter turbocharged 124 with the six-speed manual transmission is 26 mpg city/35 mpg highway/30 mpg combined. The same car equipped with the six-speed automatic transmission offers EPA ratings of 25 mpg city/36 mpg highway/29 mpg combined. The very slightly more powerful Abarth model has the same fuel economy as the Classic and Lusso. If you were thinking of towing something with your 124, Fiat recommends that you don’t.

As we’ve alluded to earlier, the 124 is offered in three versions, all rear-wheel drive in the classic sports car tradition. Classica is the most basic trim level, yet it isn’t spartan. It features standard 16-inch alloy wheels, dual-tip exhaust, black roll-bar finish, and body-color header, side sills and door handles. The black fabric seats coordinate well with the “soft-touch” interior materials.

The Lusso model offers standard 17-inch alloy wheels, silver paint on the A-pillar header and roll-bar cover, and dual-tip chrome exhaust. The interior adds to the Italianate ambiance with heated premium leather seats in black or saddle and a leatherette-wrapped instrument cluster “brow.” The Abarth lays on the performance items: a Bilstein sport suspension, mechanical limited-slip differential, front strut tower bar, Sport Mode selector, and sport-tuned chrome quad-tip exhaust system that delivers “the world-renowned Abarth sound.” Brembo brakes and Recaro seats are available to take it up yet another notch.

On a smiles-per-dollar basis, the FIAT 124 Spider is one of the best values in current autodom. The car looks great, and it’s a blast to drive. We’d be happy to take a Saturday morning drive in one every weekend for the rest of our lives.

At the most affordable end of the scale, the Classica has an MSRP of $25,390, and we believe an open sports car like the Fiat 124 Spider at that price is one of the best deals for a sports car anywhere. The mid-range Lusso has a base price of $28,145. And the performance-oriented Abarth has a base MSRP of $29,390. If you essentially check every option box available on the Abarth, you can run the MSRP up past $40,000 — and you can still make the case that the car is a bargain. You won’t have the fastest sports car on the road, but we’re hard-pressed to think of one that will be more fun.