DECISION MADE: 2019 Fiat 124 Spider Now Gives You ZERO Reasons To Choose It Over A MX-5 Miata

The Fiat 124 Spider enters 2019 with a handful of new features aimed at improving the personalization possibilities of the retro-chic roadster. Most notably, the top-of-the-line 124 Spider Abarth adds a dual-mode exhaust to its options list. The stainless-steel unit offers quiet operation at idle and when the throttle is applied lightly. Stomp on the go-pedal, though, and the Abarth clears its throat thanks to a valve within the exhaust system that closes off the muffler and makes for a raucous hullabaloo.

Sadly, the $995 exhaust setup adds no additional power to the 124 Spider Abarth, and the turbocharged 1.4-liter inline-four continues to produce the same 164-hp (119 kilowatts) as before. Those in search of more power will be better served by the 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata, which now pushes 181 horses (135 kilowatts) out of its naturally aspirated 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine – 26 ponies (19 kilowatts) more than last year.

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JRobUSC - 9/5/2018 11:37:31 AM

-2 Boost

No. It does not.

https://youtu.be/9DAwPsiCTpE

MDarringer - 9/5/2018 6:38:53 PM

-4 Boost

Imagine this with a V8 under the hood. One will fit. There's a kit available in the UK that restyles a Miata into a TVR "Sagamora" of sorts.

MDarringer - 9/6/2018 9:02:37 AM

-3 Boost

It's not even a car for anyone who enjoys sports cars either. It's a dull handler and the engine runs out of breath rather quickly. The Miata and Fiata are horrid in their lack of performance and handling. They are built for old people like TomM to drive flat out at the track and they can be driven flat out because they are so damned slow. Hell, a base 4-cylinder Camry with plastic wheel covers is likely faster at the track.

mini22 - 9/7/2018 10:26:02 AM

+1 Boost

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder the saying goes. Personally I think the Fiat is prettier than the Mazda. In terms of handling its a toss up. The Mazda has lighter quicker steering. the fiat rolls less in corners. Neither has the handling in stock form of the BRZ/86. Darringer is correct on one thing. The fact is that both of these cars mimic sports cars from the 60's, 70s, and 80's. The people that liked the Triumph TR6, the Fiat 124 spider, the Alfa Spider, the MGB will like these cars. These cars range in age today from 30 to 50 plus years old today. So naturally the people liking them are in their 50s and 60's. As for driving them on a track all I will say is that there are a lot of Miata Clubs out there that auto cross and due time attack etc. many consider the platform good because they are cheap and fairly cheap to modify for track use. No they are not fast on any straight but they tend to do well on short tracks. At Sandia Raceway in Albuquerque which is a short track most Mazda's as well as BRZ will run lower times than Mustangs simply because they do better in corners and the straights are very short. For very little money if you lower these cars even slightly and put thicker sway bars on them their handling is 50% better than before. Us old folk find that we can enjoy a car even if it does not do 0-60 in 1.8 seconds(you know not to good for the blood pressure).