A funky little number.

The much anticipated Fiat 500s arrived in Inverness on Tuesday afternoon. First off the transporter was David's Punto (see photo) - he gets a Punto because he trains new instructors, so often has people sitting in the back. I stood with some of the other BSM instructors, deciding which colour we liked (we don't get a choice, our cars are already allocated). A little disappointed to see that there were no black 500s, as I think they are the most striking. There were 5 white, 3 light grey and 2 dark grey. I think the white might look quite cool in the summer, on long, sunny days, but with the roads being filthy at the moment, I was hoping for a dark grey. As it turned out, mine was the next car off and I got a.......... dark grey (Hooray). I was hoping for a 1.3 diesel, but, unfortunately, got allocated a 1.2 petrol. Hmmm...... I remember how puny the 1.2 petrol Corsa was. Oh well, with the mileage I do, it won't be too long before I can exchange for a diesel.

Hundreds of miles on the back of a transporter had left it covered in filth - not a good advert - so, first stop, the car wash (in preparation for the photo-shoot). One benefit was immediately apparent; it takes a lot less time to clean.

Two and a half days, and five hundred miles later, what do I think of it? How does it compare to the Corsa? What do my pupils think? Has it attracted any new customers? The short answers are: I like it; slightly better overall; mixed feelings; yes. But, as you were probably expecting, I will now bore you with the long answers:

I like it. I like its style, its handling and the fact that it has to be 'driven' - the Corsa was more forgiving and slightly easier to drive, but less fun. My wife, Jane, has been riding horses all her life and uses a technique called 'centred riding': She has developed this to such an extent that a turn of a shoulder, a light squeeze on a rein, even a deep breath will cause her horse to do exactly as she wants it to. I had developed a similar control with the Corsa; I knew exactly how it would react if my foot moved a millimeter and I had perfected gear changes so that they were completely unnoticeable. The Fiat is a different beast and, while I don't have the same level of understanding yet, I look forward to developing my control. It will be fun.

How does it measure up against the Corsa?
Appearance and styling: Not quite a 'love it/hate it' appearance, but it does divide opinions. Externally, I was not too keen, when I first saw a photo a few years ago. And, although I have softened to its looks, I was a bit concerned about some pictures I saw of some BSM Fiats in white - I didn't think the orange decals stood out and the wheels did nothing to reduce the 'toy car' look. On my car, however, I think the orange decals are quite effective and the alloy wheel give it a sporty look. Internally, I love it. Not entirely sure about the brown leather, but the dash, steering wheel and dash-mounted gearstick all look (and feel) good. The speedo area is a little bit busy, but I'm getting used to it. Marks out of ten (Corsa score in brackets): Externally: 7 (6). Internally: 8 (6).
Controls: The gearstick is great. Not quite as firm as the Corsa, but the lower dashboard position feels really comfortable and the action is good and quite precise. I found getting into 5th a bit 'notchy' at first, but I'm getting used to it. 1st and 3rd seem a little close, so there have been a few incorrect gear selections. The accelerator is light (perhaps slightly too light) and the brakes are good, although not quite as sharp as the Corsa's. The steering wheel feels good and steering is precise and positive. The shorter wheel base and sharper steering give pupils more confidence at junctions and manoeuvres. I would like to have had adjustable reach, as well as adjustable height. The indicators are, thankfully, of sound design. You can still have the 3-flash thing if you want, but my pupils haven't noticed it and we have not had any problems at all with the Fiat's indicators. The headlights are nothing special, but good enough if kept clean. What I do like, is that the light controls are all sensibly positioned, on the indicator stalks, rather than being buried down below your knees (as they were in the Corsa). Marks out of ten: 7.5 (5.5)
Performance and handling: It is not as gutless as I feared. In fact, it feels more nippy than the Corsa in low gears. It does tend to run out of puff at higher speeds though. Leaving Ullapool, in the Corsa, I could get up to 5th gear and stay in 5th gear almost all the way home (with the exception of 6 roundabouts and 2 junctions). Last night I left Ullapool and, ten miles later, I started the climb alongside Corrieshalloch Gorge, up to the Braemore junction. The Fiat soon started struggling and I quickly dropped to 4th gear. It still struggled and I had to drop to 3rd to climb the hill. Also, it doesn't feel quite so composed at higher speeds as the Corsa did. Around towns and village though, it is very responsive and a pleasure to drive. As I have said, the steering is better but, although not as much as a Mini, it is a bit more jittery on rough roads than the Corsa. Performance: 5 (6.5). Handling 8 (7).
Economy: Having a petrol engine, you have to use the accelerator more than in the diesel, especially at very low speeds. Also, the engine has to work harder to get up higher speeds, so you would definitely expect poorer economy than the 1.3 Corsa TDi. Very early to say, but not as bad as I thought it might be. When I has the 1.2 Corsa, I would get about 43 mpg. So far, I have averaged 48 mpg in the Fiat, which is really quite reasonable for a petrol engine. The gear ratios are more closely spaced which means I can encourage pupils to block change far more often than they could in the Corsa. Early days but, out of ten: 7 (9).
Comfort: A bit mixed. The seats feel firm, but comfortable. There is height adjustment, but it is not as effective as in the Corsa. Ashleigh, my last pupil today, cannot be much over five foot, and she did seem a little lost behind the wheel. Yesterday, I spent over thirteen hours in the car and still felt comfortable as I neared home. A similar time in the Corsa would usually have me adjusting the seat to stay comfortable. The seat belt fixing is not adjustable, so Helen, a new pupil yesterday, found that it rubbed her shoulder. The main area where it scores over the Corsa is that the controls and switchgear are in more sensible positions and, therefore, easier and safer to operate. Scores: 7 (5)
Miscellaneous: The Blue and Me Bluetooth system could be useful. I only set it up this afternoon but, supposedly, it will enable complete hands-free operation of my mobile, including reading out text messages. I have heard of some problems with the system, but it can only be a benefit. It's only a 3-door (the Corsa had 5 doors). For the most part, this is not a problem as there is only me, Jane and me, or a pupil and me in the car. However, it was handy being able to easily access the rear seats whenever I wanted, but, with the Fiat no longer having the big plastic orange roof hat, I have gained some space (I used to keep the roof hat in the boot whenever I drove).
Final scores: Fiat 500 - 49.5 (out of 70). Corsa - 45.

So what do my pupils think of it? A varied response. The biggest issues have been due to the change from diesel to petrol. The Corsa could quite happily move off and get up to about 5mph without any accelerator at all. This meant that manoeuvres, in particular, could be done without any accelerator, so the pupil would often keep their right foot over the brake. This has become such a habit with some of my pupils that they have found themselves stalling the Fiat because they are not applying the accelerator before bringing the clutch up. Two or three pupils have become frustrated by this and have asked if I can get the Corsa back. Almost all the pupils like the styling, the gears, the steering and, of course, the indicators. I liked Caroline's comment today: She has her test booked for next month and today was her first go in the Fiat. We talked about the car while she went through her cockpit drill, then she sat back and said "Right. How do I work it?" It will take some of my existing pupils a while to get used to the slightly different control, but the new pupils have taken to it like ducks to water.

BSM's new owners, in trying to sell the (idea of the) Fiat to instructors, claimed that the 'iconic car would appeal to leaners and bring an increase in pupil numbers'. Again, it is very early to say, but it seems that they may have been right. Certainly I have noticed more heads being turned (especially by other instructors). Also, I received two calls today from people wanting to book lessons with me. Both of them asked if it was me they saw teaching in Ullapool yesterday.
I still believe that BSM need to re-think the orange decals on the light grey and white Fiats - they just don't stand out - but my dark grey car has obviously caught the eye of some people.

It could be that, in two months time, I am complaining about faults and niggles and wishing I had my Corsa back. It could be that I may even lose pupils who do not adjust to the car. However, the early signs suggest that this will not be the case and that my pupils and I will increasingly like the car. Stay tuned to find out.

A very busy day tomorrow. I'm off at 6am to start work in Ullapool at 8. I have uploaded Anthology by The Ramones, and It's Blitz!  by Yeah Yeah Yeahs onto a USB stick that plugs neatly into the Fiat's music system. I almost can't sleep because I am so looking forward to the drive.