Featured Another efficint car killed off in the U.S.A.

With exception of some major east coast cities all us west coast folk pretty much live in a different country then the rest of giant SUVs and truck's coal rolling across america... My Prius friend who's retired military said before he moved out west his Prius was so rare on the roads of Mississippi that he got coal rolled all the time. Of course a new country based on the states of Oregon-California-Washington would thrive if we could cut out all those red welfare states that depend on more federal tax dollars coming to them than they pay into it.

 

My recollection is that neither was selling really well...

Also, I gather the 500 got about 30MPG, which is “fair,” but not particularly amazing, especially for that small of a car.

Yeah, according to 2019 FIAT 500 Performance, MPG, & Fuel Economy, 28MPG city, which is just over half what Prii get. Plus, it’s a smaller car. Granted, it’s probably more sporty though.

 

These Areas with a few thousand hybrids also get to pay 2.5 times more registration fees to own a 20 year old hybrid than a regular gas pickup truck further killing them off in flyover country

 

The manufacturers need to make a profit to keep a model on the market. The “tons” of cars you see aren’t much in the big scheme of production. The 500 was a tiny car that got average to below average fuel economy, had the well deserved Fiat reputation for reliability and had a limited market.

 

Fiat Chrysler CEO: Please don't buy Fiat 500e electric car - Reuters

 

Perhaps in the cities along the coast. Go inland a hundred miles or so and you'll see the larger vehicles, not all of which are coal rolling. Note that coal-rolling is relatively rare and confined only to diesel vehicles, and most SUV's and pickups are gasoline powered.

 

This is the 500C & 500e that are being discontinued? It looks like they’re keeping that L model.

A bit of a bummer. I liked the 500C, rented one for a week a few years ago. Fun little car. They did a great job of blending retro style with modern safety.

I read somewhere that Fiat briefly offered a lifetime bumper to bumper warranty on the 500C, to jump-start American sales. It was $2000 or maybe $2500 for the option, and was only available for a week or two. Still, how cool is that? You know they’d eventually have to buy the thing back- but you’re driving relatively carefree until then.

 

Coal rolling is not rare at all in the deep south, which is where I was referencing... My friend said if you drive a Prius in that region it happens on a regular basis.

 

There is a lot more of America than just the "deep south".

 

Il Cinquecento never made it big in this country. As I recall the largest variation is built at the Zastava plant in Yugoslavia.

As I recall, the same plant manufactured the in-famous Yugo imported to the US by Malcolm Bricklin, the man famous for the car with the same name he named for himself.

The Jeep Renegade is built in the same chassis. Wonder if that is discontinued, too.

 

Yeah, I’d seen that lament on Fiat’s part mentioned before.

 

The electric Mini-Cooper was announced.

Bob Wilson

 

Wasn’t that Yugo just a license-built Fiat 127 anyway?

I don’t know which endeavor brought Bricklin the most personal success, but I’d say Subaru of America is probably the most visible part of his legacy.

 

With stuff like that coming out of the CEO, it doesn't give the car too much of a chance.

 

I don't know that I'd believe everything. I know it happens, but I have yet to see a single instance of actual coal-rolling happen to a Prius. Now, I have seen it be done to a douche who was driving like an nice person in a regular car. Tailgating, passing on the right, just being a general DB. He got caught in some right lane traffic and then slid in behind a F350ish diesel which he had cut off earlier. That dude poured it on him over and over and over again. A few other people got caught in it, but I'm pretty sure we were all laughing. I'm pretty sure coal-rolling happens more due to these type circumstances than just because it's a Prius.

 

Apart from YouTube, I’ve only seen it happen once.

To me. The day after we bought the Prius.

It wasn’t tremendously effective, as we were driving in opposite directions, narrow 2-lane country road. It was unmistakable... I was so surprised that I actually had a belly laugh, looking at the cloud in the rearview mirror.

Fortunately it’s been a one-off so far.

 

You can get a fine up to $5000 for coal rolling in NJ. The law was started by an assemblyman after he was coal rolled in his Leaf.

 

Certainly, if someone is ok with coal rolling me, they would be ok with me spraying their truck down with a can or two of that 20' wasp spray? Maybe I'll keep a can or two in the car just in case a bee flies in..