Didn't get all you wanted for Christmas? No need to pout, the Fiat Big Finish Sale is here to fix all that. Fiat's traditional year-end sale features great offers and incentives to get you into the Fiat of your dreams. We are talking low lease deals, or zero percent financing plus cash back, or straight up incentives up to $4,500 on certain cars. And that is before any dealer discounts.
Fiat sales for November were down compared to the same month last year. Fiat sold a total of 1,733 cars last month compared to 2,415 in November 2016, a 28 percent decline. All Fiat models except for the 500L MPV saw sales decline in November.
The 500L MPV recorded a 32 percent sales increase compared to the same month last year. It's the best November the 500L has had since 2015 and the fourth month in a row that the 500L has shown a significant sales increase. For 2018, the 500L has been redesigned with a more upmarket look and enhanced comfort and features which may be making a difference. The 500L gives you full size interior room within its subcompact length. Combine that with lots of storage room, multi-configurable seating and trunk configurations, it's the perfect car for someone who needs a minivan but doesn't want to drive one.
November Fiat and Alfa News
The Alfa Romeo Giulia won the prestigious Motor Trend Car of The Year award. The Alfa Romeo Giulia was picked over the competition not only for its overall performance, value, and design but also for its sheer driving enjoyment.
Additionally, the Alfa Giulia made Car and Driver's "10Best Cars” list for 2018. The list recognizes the best cars on the market under $80,000.
Originally sold only in California and then Oregon, Fiat 500e electric cars are starting to find their way all over the country. The combination of having great economy plus being fun to drive has made the 500e a hot selling used car. We published a list of Fiat dealers across the country (outside of California and Oregon) that can service these neat vehicles.
The Fiat 500's acquisition by the New York Modern Art Museum (MoMA) has earned the Fiat brand the 2017 Corporate Art Awards. The prestigious Corporate Art Awards connects the world of business to the world of art, and is in association with the LUISS Business School with support from the Italian Arts, Heritage and Tourism Ministry, Foreign Ministry and various industrialist, banking and museum associations.
The 2017 edition of the Corporate Art Awards involved 80 companies from 18 countries, and the Fiat 500 is the only vehicle from the automotive industry to receive this award.
The Alfa Romeo Giulia has won Motor Trend magazine's Car of The Year Award, besting a competitive field of 46 cars. The Motor Trend Car of The Year award is in its 70th year and has developed into an exhaustive evaluation. There are performance tests to measure acceleration, braking, and handling. After that, design and features are evaluated as well as on the road, everyday driving impressions. This year, the competition was fierce with competitors such as the new BMW 5 series, Tesla Model 3, Lexus LC 500h, and Porsche Panamera to name a few.
The Alfa Romeo Giulia was picked over the competition not only for its overall performance, value, and design but also for its sheer driving enjoyment.
Some of the quotes from the evaluation:
“There is sorcery in this car,” road test editor Chris Walton says. “The Giulia fills the space vacated by BMW. Yet even at the apex of its reign, a 3 Series never rode this well or cornered with such poise and precision simultaneously.”
“Best steering, best chassis—this car saves the sport sedan market.”
"On top of its outstanding performance, superior handling, strong fuel economy, excellent safety record, and killer value, the Alfa Romeo Giulia is just flat-out fun."
What's important to note is while everyone knows the 505 hp M3 crushing Giulia Quadrifoglio is a top performer, Motor Trend commended the standard Giulia models saying:
"What clinched the Calipers was the base Giulia. Many brands make blazingly fast performance sedans, but when the exercise is reduced by mass-market pressures, the lesser version is often found lacking. Not so here. The $38,990 base Giulia achieves something Acura, Lexus, Infiniti, and Jaguar have tried futilely to do for decades: build a better compact sport sedan than the Deutschlanders."
Also praised was the Giulias interior design:
"Many luxury sedans have imitated the stark Germanic style. But Alfa retained its legacy of what an Italian car’s exterior and interior should look like. It is unmistakable and sensual, imbuing a cosmopolitan glamour to the driver."
You would think a car with all these attributes would carry a high-end price but what cinches the deal is the Giulia can be considered a bargain. For the price of a mundane and boring Camry, you can get a world class leading sedan. Motor Trend acknowledges this by saying:
"Now let’s talk value. This segment is cutthroat, and Alfa has not flinched at what is expected. After following the industry-standard 36-month, $399/month lease deal, it launched a 24-month, $299/month lease deal that should get the attention of any individual with Maserati tastes but a Mazda budget."
Finally, Motor Trend summed up the Giulia this way:
"The Giulia was the only vehicle whose essence enraptured the jury with its charm and unbridled zeal for driving. Nearly every judge uttered the word “love” when describing this car."
The Senior Feature Editor said it all -
“I would be so happy if every day I got to be in this car."
------------------------------
Now, what are you waiting for?
Give these top Alfa dealers a call or check the link below for the dealer nearest you:
Here is a list of Fiat dealers outside of California and Oregon that are certified to fully service the Fiat 500e EV.
Introduced in 2013 and originally only sold in California and then later in Oregon, used Fiat 500e models have now begun migrating across the country. Don't be surprised if you see one for sale locally.
The Fiat 500e all-electric vehicle has been widely acclaimed by the experts and owners alike as a stylish, fun to drive car. Combining the award-winning Fiat 500 with an advanced EV drivetrain at an affordable price has made the Fiat 500e hard to beat. Now with used prices typically in the $10,000 range or less, a used 500e is one of the most affordable electric cars you can buy. Test drive one and you may be hooked!
Fiat Dealers Authorized to Work on Fiat 500e Electric Cars outside California and Oregon
ARIZONA
Everett Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT - Springdale AR
Bill Luke Tempe FIAT & Alfa Romeo - Tempe AZ
FIAT of Scottsdale - Scottsdale AZ
Fisher Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT - Yuma AZ
COLORADO
Mike Ward Alfa Romeo of South Denver - Highlands Ranch CO
Perkins Motor Company, Inc. - Colorado Springs CO
Flower Motor Co Inc - Montrose CO
Larry H. Miller FIAT Denver - Denver CO
CONNECTICUT
Valenti Alfa Romeo - Hartford CT
DELAWARE
i.g. Burton Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT - Milford DE
FLORIDA
South Miami Alfa Romeo - Miami FL
Arrigo FIAT Sawgrass - Tamarac FL
Arrigo Alfa Romeo Palm Beach - West Palm Beach FL
Greenway FIAT - Orlando FL
Alfa Romeo FIAT of Daytona - Daytona Beach FL
FIAT of Winter Haven - Winter Haven FL
FIAT of Ft. Myers - Fort Myers FL
Jacksonville Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram FIAT - Jacksonville FL
FIAT of Melbourne - Melbourne FL
GEORGIA
Landmark FIAT of Atlanta - Atlanta GA
Don Jackson FIAT - Morrow GA
IOWA
Dan Deery Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT - Waterloo IA
Pat McGrath Dodge Country - Cedar Rapids IA
ILLINOIS
New City Alfa Romeo FIAT of Chicago - Chicago IL
Coronet Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram FIAT - Peru IL
KENTUCKY
Mann Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram - Richmond KY
MASSACHUSETTS
Central Alfa Romeo of Norwood - Norwood MA
MARYLAND
Criswell Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram and FIAT - Gaithersburg MD
Heritage FIAT Owings Mills - Owings Mills MD
MAINE
Central Maine Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT - Waterville ME
MICHIGAN
Golling FIAT - Metro Detroit - Bloomfield Hills MI
Suburban FIAT - Ann Arbor MI
Zeigler FIAT of Grandville - Grandville MI
Lafontaine Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT of Lansing - Lansing MI
Slingerland Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT - Corunna MI
MISSOURI
Warrensburg Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT - Warrensburg MO
NORTH CAROLINA
Steve White Motors - Newton NC
Mike Toler Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT - Morehead City NC
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Crosstown Motors - Littleton NH
NEW JERSEY
Lester Glenn Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT - Toms River NJ
OKLAHOMA
Hoyte Chrysler Durant - Durant OK
Chris Nikel Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Broken - Arrow OK
Bartlesville CDJR FIAT - Bartlesville OK
SOUTH CAROLINA
Addy's Harbor Dodge Ram FIAT - Myrtle Beach SC
TEXAS
Nyle Maxwell FIAT Alfa Romeo - Austin TX
Greenville Chrysler - Greenville TX
Ewing Alfa Romeo FIAT - Fort Worth TX
Peters Chevrolet Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram FIAT - Longview TX
Glenn Polk Autoplex - Gainesville TX
Helfman FIAT Alfa Romeo Maserati - Houston TX
Toliver Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram - Corsicana TX
Alfa Romeo FIAT of the Rio Grande Valley - Weslaco TX
Stanley Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT Brownwood - Brownwood TX
FIAT of Mckinney - Mckinney TX
Port Lavaca Dodge Chrysler Jeep Port - Lavaca TX
Bruner Motors Inc - Stephenville TX
Love Field Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT - Dallas TX
All American Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT of San Angelo - San Angelo TX
VIRGINIA
Pomoco FIAT of Newport News - Newport News VA
Southern FIAT of Norfolk - Norfolk VA
Dick Myers Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT - Harrisonburg VA
Safford of Winchester - Winchester VA
Blackwell Auto Group - Danville VA
Safford Alfa Romeo FIAT of Fredericksburg - Fredericksburg VA
WASHINGTON
Alfa Romeo and FIAT of Tacoma - Tacoma WA
Car Pros FIAT of Seattle - Renton WA
WISCONSIN
Palmen FIAT - Kenosha WI
Pischke Motors, Inc. - West Salem WI
Schlossman Dodge City Chrysler Jeep Ram FIAT - Brookfield WI
Brickner's of Wausau - Wausau WI
Chilson Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT - Chippewa Falls WI
Van Horn Dodge - Plymouth WI
Bergstrom Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT of Kaukauna - Kaukauna WI
The Fiat brand sold a total of 1,769 cars during October, a 33 percent decline compared to the same month last year. So far this year, Fiat has sold 23,021 cars. This is a 17 percent decline compared to the 27,721 cars sold during the same period last year.
Good news from last month was sales of the 500L MPV were up 34 percent. This is the second month in a row that 500L sales were up. A redesigned and upgraded 500L is expected to arrive at dealeships sometime this fall.
Sales of other Fiat models were not as lucky and all posted numbers less than last year. Hurricane season, the California fires, declining small car sales and one day fewer selling days this October compared to last year all doing their part to keep sales down. Coming up this month, a special, Black Friday Sales event will take place the day after Thanksgiving and is said to offer amazing deals. Hopefully, that will give sales a needed shot in the arm. We will see...
Fiat October News
Continuing our series of 500X do-it-yourself Mopar accessories articles, we tackled how to install a body stripe on your 500X. Mopar has hundreds of accessories available for the full Fiat model range. Check the Mopar website to see what they offer for your car and get installing!
Starting in August and continuing through the month of October, Fiat offered special employee discount pricing to victims of Hurricane Harvey. In Houston alone, over 600,000 cars were lost due to the powerful storm. These pricing discounts were designed to help those struggling to replace transportation so they can rebuild and resume their lives.
This article is the third in a series we started last month covering how you can change the look of your Fiat 500X with a few simple Mopar accessories. This time we will show you how we installed a lower body side stripe. Body side stripes are a popular accessory and Mopar has a number of body stripe kits available. We chose a stripe that carries over the red accents our car has in its interior and matches the mirror covers and lower bodyside mouldings we installed previously.
The beauty of using Mopar accessories is their original manufacturer's fit and quality. Unlike many aftermarket parts, your Mopar accessory fits perfectly because it meets the same standards as the original parts used on your car. Mopar backs their products with a long, 2 year unlimited mileage warranty, plus if the product is installed at a dealer, the product is covered at any Fiat dealer in the country.* Hard to beat.
Fiat 500X Mopar Checkered Lower Body Stripe
Part Number: 82214955, Suggested Retail: $165
The Mopar bodyside stripe arrived packaged nicely inside a heavy duty tube that was also in a box. The kit contains the graphics and instructions. Installing stripes is generally not difficult and just requires some patience and care. Traditional body stripes are installed on a wet surface so they can easily be repositioned and moved into the correct position. A squeegee is then used with firm pressure to lock the stripe into position and push out any air or water bubbles.
However, to my surprise the Mopar 500X stripes were designed to be applied dry.
The stripes from Mopar utilize the latest generation in stripe material, 3M Controltac, which is designed to be applied dry. I was a bit surprised and a little apprehensive about installing the stripe dry as I've only done wet installs on large stripes. I even contacted a professional striper to make arrangements for them to do the install.
It was an unnecessary concern because after research I found that 3M ControlTac pressure activated technology is manageable for a novice. This isn't the old fashioned pressure sensitive type of tape with an adhesive that adheres as soon as it touches a surface. Controltac is repositionable and adheres by applying pressure. Watch the following demonstration and you will see what I mean.
After watching the videos I decided to give it a try. While the install was not as easy as using the wet technique, I would say it is very doable for a do-it-yourselfer who has patience. If the procedure below is too much for you to tackle, hire a pro to do the install and they shouldn't charge much.
What You Need
With the install concern out of the way, I went about gathering the necessary supplies. I also recommend having a helper. While I did the install by myself, I did have a helper hold the stripe while cutting the backing paper. You can do it by yourself, but a helper comes in handy.
Infrared temperature reader - optional (inexpensive ones available at Harbour Freight)
Waterbased, non-permanent marker
Sewing needle
Work Area
Anytime you adhere something to your car, the temperature needs to be considered. Mopar requires the surface temperature be between 70° and 90°. Your work area should be free of dust and breeze. If needed, wetting the ground area will help keep the dust from floating up and contaminating the surface.
This video gives the basic idea of how we'll install our stripe.
Let's Start
Cleaning the surface is critical in assuring the decal doesn't peel off in the future. You cannot overdo this step, so make sure you clean very well. When you think it is clean, clean it again!
First up is wax remover. Follow the directions on whatever product you are using. I used a white, lint free paper towel to make sure there was no discoloration left when I finished this step.
Examining the surface, I found there was dirt embedded into the paint. I got out a Claybar and using the wax remover as a lube, went over the paint until the surface was totally clean. I then redid cleaning the surface with wax remover.
After the cleaning with the wax remover, next step was cleaning with rubbing alcohol.
make sure the surface is clean.
Applying The Stripe
As I did most of the application by myself, with a helper just taking pictures, I first started by taping the stripe into basic position.
I also taped the instructions up so I could easily refer to them.
Once the stripe was laid out on the body, I measured the location of where it should sit. You can use your non-permanent marker to mark the location. For my stripe, I found the bottom of the stripe paper laid across the top of the lower door panel mouldings was a perfect guide.
I then ran masking tape over the top of the stripe to keep it into place and to keep the stripe from stretching when being pulled on.
Once the stripe is perfectly lined up where it needs to go, Apply a piece of tape vertically to create a "hinge". This allows you to apply the stripe in two steps and makes it more manageable to deal with a long stripe.
Starting at one end, carefully peel the backing.
Here is where a helper comes in handy. Have them hold the stripe securely while you cut off the backing paper. The worse thing would be to have the sticky side of the stripe touch the ground picking up dirt. That would be a non-recoverable error.
Once the backing paper is removed, pull the stripe taught and lay it lightly against the car, lining up your reference marks. Don't worry, if you get it wrong, you can lift the stripe back up off the surface as long as you didn't press the stripe against the surface with any appreciable force. I used the masking tape on the top to secure the stripe to the body while I lined up the reference marks. Even still, the stripe is very sticky, and pressure will only make it stick even more. Once you are satisfied the stripe is where it needs to be, a tap with the finger is enough to tack the stripe down into location. Have a light touch and you will be fine.
When the first part of the strip is perfectly lined up, start on the other side of the "hinge" and remove the backing paper. Stretch the stripe out, line up the reference marks and tack the strip down the same as you did the front half.
When you are happy with the position of the stripe, making sure there are no wrinkles or waves, use the squeegee to apply the stripe. I started along the top and systematically worked down, using firm pressure to push the air pockets out of the stripe. If there was a wrinkle, I lifted the stripe up, unsticking it from the surface, and redid using the squeegee.
I removed the masking tape and continued squeegeeing the stripe.
Go over every inch of the stripe to make sure there are no bubbles. These can be worked out by carefully pushing them out to either the top or bottom edge, depending on how close each one is to whichever edge.
Once the stripe is applied, you need to take the facing paper off.
Holding the backing paper back against itself slowly pull the paper straight back. Do not pull it away from the body or it can pull or loosen the stripe.
Keep inspecting the decal and if you see a bubble, stop and work it out with the squeegee.
When the backing paper is removed, carefully examine the stripe and continue working on any bubbles.
Use the heat gun to warm the decal up. Careful! The gun can overheat the stripe. Wave the gun back and forth to make sure you aren't using direct heat to one spot. The temperature shouldn't reach 125°. Use the infrared temperature reader if you need to.
Test the stripe to see if it is too hot with the back of your hand. The warm air will help the adhesive bond to the panel and will also help shrink bubbles. Carefully keep using the squeegee to work the bubbles. You can use a sewing needle to "pop" any bubbles that are too stubborn to remove.
Using a new sewing needle, carefully pierce one side of the bubble, while using your fingers to push the air out through the hole. Use the heat gun to go over the edges to make sure they are adhered well. Remember, holding the gun in one location can quickly overheat the decal!
You can give the stripe a day to adhere and then check again for bubbles. It helps if it is hot outside, but you can also use the heat gun and needle to carefully work on bubbles.
Take a new x-acto razor and holding the blade at an angle and along the door edge, pierce the decal skin and carefully cut the stripe. My left hand is resting on the front door and note the angle I am holding the x-acto knife. When the stripe is cut like that, the decal will slightly wrap around the edge of the front door, leaving a nice, cut line for the strip piece on the rear door.
Use a squeegee to ensure the stripe is adhered perfectly to the edges. If you ever have an issue with the stripe edge lifting a tiny dab of clear nail polish or paint can secure the edge.
That's it! Admire your new look!
==============
We hope you enjoyed this look at accessorizing your 500X. Mopar has over 100 neat items for your car, so take a moment and browse their site. Most accessories can be installed with some planning and patience so don't be afraid to give it a shot! Go to the Fiat 500X Do It Yourself forum to ask questions and discuss your ideas. We love to help and to see your car when you are done!
Disclaimer:This is how I installed the stripe on my Fiat 500X and is provided for informational and entertainment purposes. If you have any doubts on you ability to perform this work or have any issues, I recommend having it done by a professional. I am not responsible for any issues arriving from you reading this post. Use at your own risk.
Thanks goes out to Mopar for supplying items in these articles.
