[frankmar]

Earlier this year Road and Track did an article on "best Japanese sports cars of all time" and we weren't included. That's because we're better.

124 Spider is considered Italian. LOL

 

[Steele]

Where does that leave Maserati?

above that, it's a 'rati

 

[Cakewalk]

Yup. Sounds about right.

Now that I own a Mini, I realize Marchionne was delusional in thinking that Fiat was a “premium” brand. Mini’s quality of assembly, quality of materials, paint finish, level of features, dealership experience, are beyond anything Fiat can deliver.

I agree, Spiders are brilliant. But the reason our Spiders are well built and finished is because Mazda made them.

Anything “premium” about Fiat is only wishful thinking...

Do you know Mini is owned by BMW? It it was still in British hands, it would be a lot more Mini and (if the company managed to survive till now) be a mixed bag of reliability and quality.

 

[Aldo]

Do you know Mini is owned by BMW? It it was still in British hands, it would be a lot more Mini and (if the company managed to survive till now) be a mixed bag of reliability and quality.

Yes, I know.

I am not claiming that the Brits are the masters of quality or anything of the sort; simply that my Mini product and dealer experience, so far, has been much more premium than anything I have experienced from FCA or Stellantis.

For thirty-five years I owned nothing but Jeeps, Chryslers and Dodges; I enjoyed them very much, served me well and feel that I got my money’s worth. But over the past six or seven years my FCA dealer experience has ranged from mediocre to downright terrible. Everything coming out of Stellantis these days is truly uninspiring and grossly overpriced, especially when you take into account the quality of the product and the level of service you get for your money.

I love my Spider; I don’t plan on getting rid of it any time soon. But I honestly don’t see myself owning another vehicle from Stellantis again.

 

[Steele]

. But I honestly don’t see myself owning another vehicle from Stellantis again.

That’s tough for me, I’m a Jeep guy through and through.
my wife has owned 5 and I’ve owned 2
I have 2 Jeep Cherokees my Trailhawk and my wife’s Overland plus my Spider

 

[Aldo]

That’s tough for me, I’m a Jeep guy through and through.
my wife has owned 5 and I’ve owned 2
I have 2 Jeep Cherokees my Trailhawk and my wife’s Overland plus my Spider

I was a Jeep guy through and through myself; I owned two Grand Cherokees and NINE Wranglers over a 25-year period. But my Jeep dealer beat it out of me.

The stuff I put up with from CDJR dealers around here is unbelievable, if it weren't for the fact that I lived through it myself.

As the saying goes "I didn't leave Jeep; Jeep left me..."

 

[Aldo]

Speaking of Jeep, Stellantis announced today that brand CEO Christian Meunier is out, a new guy from Brazil is in.

Apparently, they had enough of declining sales. Which is great. However, I don't think executives are fully aware of the mess they've made of things. I'm sure more heads will roll in upcoming months.

 

[fiatmidway124]

Warning…sarcasm ahead

Gee. Wow. Unbelievable. These super genius mba’s who justify their multi million dollar salaries because, well, they are super smart business people couldn’t possibly eff up a company. And , well, oops, they mess up, and it’s golden parachute baby. Then on to the next company because, well, they have ceo experience.

 

[Scorpius]

20pcs for a mere $9 USD is a great deal, $0.45 a piece vs. dealer stealer prices (He needed to order the two pin/plugs, at 9.50 each). US stock

20pcs Fit Mazda Splash Shield And Bumper Clip/Fastener B45A-56-146A | eBay

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www.ebay.com

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Buy Rexka 10pcs Fender Liner Splash Shield Bumper Cover Clip Fastener Rivet for B45A-56-146A Mazda 3, 5, 6, CX-3, CX-5, CX-9 & MX-5 Miata Toyota Scion 90118-WB048: Clips - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

[Chipshot]

Speaking of Jeep, Stellantis announced today that brand CEO Christian Meunier is out, a new guy from Brazil is in.

Apparently, they had enough of declining sales. Which is great. However, I don't think executives are fully aware of the mess they've made of things. I'm sure more heads will roll in upcoming months.

WTH does this mean? During the days of the Soviet Union, departing leader just caught a cold.

Antonio Filosa is appointed Jeep Brand CEO, replacing Christian Meunier who will take a long break to focus on personal interests.

Stellantis Announces Changes in Leadership Team

AMSTERDAM - Stellantis today announced the following organizational changes, effective November 1st, 2023. Emanuele Cappellano is a

www.stellantis.com

 

[CDPond]

So looking for those black push pins for the rear wheel fender flap, I had tried to call the parts department at the Fiat dealer. Puzzled, he recommended that I come in with the car. After describing, and showing a pic of what I needed, and coming up still baffled, I showed a pic of the part number a member of this forum had posted. He needed to order the two pin/plugs, at 9.50 each. Fortunately, I told them I’ll pay when I pick them up.
They still hadn’t come in, so on a hunch, I went to my local Mazda dealer, went to the parts counter, confessed that I own a “Fiata“, and in about 10 seconds explained what I was looking for. Without looking up anything on a computer, etc, he disappears in the back, and in two minutes comes out with two plugs. Awesome I say. How much. He waves his hand, forget about it.
I have been looking for an inexpensive awd vehicle for my place in the mountains of Utah. (No cvt’s please.) They had a cx-30 in the showroom and a number on the lot. long story short, comparing the cx-30 with the 500X at the fiat dealership was laughable. The Mazda was SO much better, for the same price. The leather seats, the soft touch dash, fit and finish. Absolutely no contest. It drove fantastically. Solid, firm, fast. Everything that the 500X wasn’t.
I love my spider, but man, it’s like watching the Bears play football. I mean, I’m rooting for the home team, but…ugh.
So anyway, looking for the plugs? Go to the Mazda dealer.

Nice of them to give you a couple for free.

There are a lot (not all, but many) of parts that are the same for our Spider and the Miata ND, and my experience is that the Mazda part is typically orders of magnitude less expensive than the MOPAR branded identical item. I've purchased a few items from a local Mazda dealer and their parts department have always been good to deal with. No attitude in regards to me being a Spider owner coming in to buy parts or ask for assistance. I won't have the Mazda shop service my vehicle, but I'll certainly be a customer for parts.

I have an incredible relationship with the Service Department at the Chrysler dealership where I bought the car seven years ago. And their parts department are good folks too. But if I can source the parts I'm looking for at considerably less cost by going to the Mazda shop, then that's where my wallet will take me.

 

[fszmark]

won't have the Mazda shop service my vehicle

for non engine things, why not?

 

[CDPond]

for non engine things, why not?

Well, I guess my initial response is that I don't have any need to see a service department for work on anything that doesn't involve the engine.

But the longer answer is this. I have two reasons. First, I'm running tweaks on my infotainment system and I don't ever want to take the chance that some Mazda tech, thinking they're doing me a favour, decides to update my firmware and buggers up the system and the modifications I've got installed on it. That would make for a painful and expensive fix, and my best plan for avoidance is to not have them work on my car. Additionally, I've got a significant amount of modifications to both the engine, lighting, and other systems. My dealer's service department actually installed a lot of the engine mods for me, so they know my vehicle and it's history. Second, my Chrysler dealership's service department has been exceptional in regards to service and support since day one of my ownership of the vehicle. They have a tech who has been trained well to service Fiat vehicles, especially the 500 and 124 Spider, and he does all the work on my car when I take it to them. I know the Service Manager, the tech, and all the long term employees at the parts desk and guest services areas... been dealing with them for seven years now. I have zero need to look elsewhere for my service. As for stuff like oil and filter changes, tire rotation, and general maintenance... I do that myself because I find it both therapeutic and relaxing to do a little menial wrenching once in a while.

 

[fszmark]

Well, I guess my initial response is that I don't have any need to see a service department for work on anything that doesn't involve the engine.

But the longer answer is this. I have two reasons. First, I'm running tweaks on my infotainment system and I don't ever want to take the chance that some Mazda tech, thinking they're doing me a favour, decides to update my firmware and buggers up the system and the modifications I've got installed on it. That would make for a painful and expensive fix, and my best plan for avoidance is to not have them work on my car. Additionally, I've got a significant amount of modifications to both the engine, lighting, and other systems. My dealer's service department actually installed a lot of the engine mods for me, so they know my vehicle and it's history. Second, my Chrysler dealership's service department has been exceptional in regards to service and support since day one of my ownership of the vehicle. They have a tech who has been trained well to service Fiat vehicles, especially the 500 and 124 Spider, and he does all the work on my car when I take it to them. I know the Service Manager, the tech, and all the long term employees at the parts desk and guest services areas... been dealing with them for seven years now. I have zero need to look elsewhere for my service. As for stuff like oil and filter changes, tire rotation, and general maintenance... I do that myself because I find it both therapeutic and relaxing to do a little menial wrenching once in a while.

ok so your statement “I won’t have a Mazda Shop service my vehicle” wasn’t a general statement applicable to most people, but unique to you because you have a great Chrysler dealer near you that did a lot of your mods to your unique car. Got it. I thought you were saying it was bad to take a 124 to a Mazda dealer non engine stuff for some more general reason that was relevant to others.