The Fiat 124 Spyder might go down as one of the most underrated affordable sports cars of the year. Similar in size to the already popular Mazda MX-5, the 124 Spyder was designed to be a car that put handling first. They are relatively uncommon even for such a low price point, and you’d be surprised to hear that you can buy these sporty roadsters for less than $30,000 brand new. If the Fiat 124 Spyder was so great, why aren’t they more popular?

The Consumer Reports recommendation

Many drivers trust reputable websites like Consumer Reports when it comes to looking for advice on a new car. With a seemingly endless amount of resources at our fingertips, there can be a lot of contradicting information. Sure, you could go out and test drive every single sports car in your price range, but that would probably take more time at the dealership than most people care to spend. The Fiat 124 Spyder has some good ratings, but does it get the official recommendation by Consumer Reports?

A lot of positive reviews for the Fiat 124 Spyder

Many owners of the Fiat 124 Spyder really do love their cars. Like with any sports car, especially one so modestly priced, there are usually a lot of sacrifices that need to be made. What the 124 Spyder does well is handling. There really aren’t a lot of brand new cars on the market that offer such a fun driving experience for such a low price. The cool factor for the roadster comes with how very few of them there are on the roads, making it a surprisingly unique option.

Some unfortunate downsides

According to Consumer Reports, the 2020 Fiat 124 Spyder holds an overall score of 64. That means it is too low to be officially recommended, but it isn’t low enough that they suggest avoiding it. The cabin is small and cramped, without a lot of comfort or luxury features. It isn’t well insulated from road sounds, making it an incredibly loud vehicle. The cramped two seats don’t allow for tall passengers, and the trunk is too small to be practical.

While the Fiat 124 Spyder isn’t specifically recommended by Consumer Reports, there are still a lot of reasons that drivers like the car. For the price, you get a sports car that handles well and offers a pleasant driving experience. If that is important to you, and you’re willing to sacrifice comfort, space, luxury, and standard safety features, this might be the roadster for you.