This is a stronger car than just about anything made during the 1990s. It’s a contemporary, in both size and shape, of the Toyota Yaris hatchback. It’s safe enough.

I drove a late-eighties Toyota Van for years, back and forth from St. Catharines to Kingston (if you know the route, this means “over the Burlington skyway). More than six feet tall, not very wide, mid-engined and riding on a wheelbase a little smaller than Tercel of the same era. The skyway winds were enough to lift unloaded tractor-trailers and could blow that little bastard Toyota into the next lane if the driver (me) wasn’t attentive.

This Fiat is a Ferrari by comparison, and concerns about safety really aren’t founded because you’re no more safe in a Camry. Or a Suburban, if your concern is what a tractor-trailer will do to you.

It would have been a much better idea than the Compass.

Driving this vehicle on the Indiana Turnpike during peak hours, @ 75mph, surrounded by double and triple-trailered semi-trucks with a strong crosswind would make one think a lot about things such as rapid acceleration, structural integrity and airbags.

This is America, where what used to be moved by rails is moved by Interstate; though the recent spike in fuel prices and the down economy have reduced that somewhat, there are times when being caught in the ‘freight lane’ in a tiny car will aggravate your acid reflux.

Sorta’ loses something in translation, doesn’t it?

And when driven in their native habitat, by natives, you really learn to appreciate how much fun a low-powered, light little car can be if it’s well designed. I’m thinking especially of old friends who live 10k outside of Lucca off very narrow, very twisty single lane roads, that have maybe a foot of clearance on either side of the car, with berms and crops right up to the edge of the pavement. It’s driving like that that sold me on the Unos and Pandas et al years ago. Fun stuff!

P.S.: I just went back and read the 4×4 review. I find myself occasionally daydreaming about that car. If it were available stateside, I’d buy it immediately, depreciation be damned.

although the Panda is great fun and utility especially with 100hp and 4×4, the 500 is also great to drive. but nowadays, FIAT has been outdoing itself, they have a few nice looking cars, Bravo, Punto Grande, 500, Panda, and Linea to name the best ones. they are all roughly underpinned by the same chassis and share the same engines. maybe not the bravo though… in any case,they all drive nicely, are quite refined considering older FIAT’s and other competitors and their interiors are light years ahead in quality and design then what they used to be…

granted they still have issues, but with Chrysler they would probably sort them out before they ship them to the US, if ever. but believe me the US auto scene is missing a lot with the lack cars with the Abarth Logo in essesse kits.

oh yeah but dotn buy the automatic or sequential gearbox option, you will hate the brand for it…

I’ve had more fun in small cheap, not even completely functioning Fiats thain anything someone like the VW group (VW, Audi, etc.) managed to put together. It’s at low speed too, so relatively sane, safe and not antisocial in terms of endangering others on the road as a result :)