EcoDrive

The next thing I have started playing around with is EcoDrive.  The FIAT 500 comes with a program built in that will track your driving habits and give you tips to be more fuel efficient.  

Basically, you download the software from their website onto a USB thumb drive.  You plug this in to your FIAT 500 and turn on EcoDrive.  I have found that you don't have to leave the thumb drive in all the time.  Your Fiat will store up to 8 days worth of driving information.  So I am plugging mine in each week to download the data from the car.  

You take the USB and plug it back into your computer in order to see how you stack up.  They give you an Eco Index between 1 and 100.  The higher number the more fuel efficient you are.  The tips they give you are common sense things like accerlate slowly and don't be an aggressive driver.  I guess that is easier said than done for some people.

So how did I do so far?  After my first week I was given a rating of 66.  This was already above the "community" which is the average of all the registered Fiat owners.  This past week I have been trying out my cruise control for the drive to work.  So I plugged in the updated data to see if it made a difference.  Wow.  I'm already at 77!  

While the EcoDrive is a fun little feature I'm sure I will get tired of it soon.  Since I already have a high score there isn't much incentive to keep using it. 

Bluetooth Music

One of the first things I had to figure out was how I would play my music or podcasts from my iphone. The Blue&Me system in the FIAT is great for phone calls but you can not stream your music through bluetooth.  You can plug MP3 players into the USB in the glove box and use the controls on the steering wheel to select music.  I really didn't play around with this too much.  My drive to work each day is only around 20 minutes each way.  Having my phone charging (hence using the USB) is not really necessary.  So it would be a pain to have to plug/unplug it.

The solution I went for is a bluetooth receiver.  It looks like a USB thumb drive with a 3mm cord attached.  You plug the USB into your glove box and the 3mm into the aux port next to your USB slot.  So it is completely out of sight.  You sync the receiver to your phone through bluetooth.  So when you get in the car it will automatically connect.  You change your media to be AUX on the radio and select what you want to play directly on your iphone.  The music/podcast will play through your radio stereo.

Here is the one I am using:

MELS 500

I ordered my personalized plates the day I brought Luigi home.  I was thrilled when the plates showed up about 2 weeks later.

There really was no question that Luigi was going to get his own plates.  It is kind of my thing when it comes to the cars I drive.  I know it would make more finanical sense to pick a plate that I could take with me from car to car.  However, that is just not what I do.  I like to keep the plates from each car as a memento.

Here is where it all started.  My first car was MELS BUG.

Then I went with MELZCUBE (never really liked this plate so was glad to see it go)

Here is Luigi with his new plates.  I was also contemplating MELSFIAT but I like how the plates look with a space like my bug plates.  So I was glad to find MELS 500 was available!

Retro Interior

Here are a couple photos of Luigi's interior.  I absolutely love how the green dash looks with the ivory accents. The seats with the brown/ivory leather go really well with the look too.  

Adoption Day!

I've been telling people that I have adopted a little Italian boy :)  His name is Luigi.  There really was never any other name.  It immediately popped into my head because of the association with Super Mario Brothers (one of my favourite childhood video games).  

June 1st was adoption day.  I was so happy to finally see him as he had to be brought in from another dealer.  It was love at first sight and I knew I made the right decision.  The colour combination was even better in person than the photos I had seen online.  Finally! A car that makes my heart sing.

Why I chose a Fiat 500

The Fiat wasn't my only option when I started to consider trading in my 2009 Cube.  I originally thought I would make a return to VW Beetle.  They released a new beetle in 2012 and I was willing to wait for the diesel version.

I had a 2001 TDI New Beelte, which I loved.  I still don't know what possessed me to trade it in for the Cube.  The Cube and I just never clicked.  When I looked at the redesigned Beetles in person I noticed how they have lost their cuteness factor.  Too sporty looking for me.  I also considered staying with Nissan and going electric with a Leaf.  Again, in person the car did nothing for me.  

It was around this time that I saw a Fiat 500 for the first time.  Now that is a car that brings a smile to my face :)  I went to the local studio and test drove a Lounge.  It was Blanco Perla with red/white seats.  I loved driving the car but I still wasn't feeling like it was the one.

One night I was watching a Fiat 500 commercial when I noticed a green fiat in the background.  I looked around online and realized it was the Verde Chiaro colour.  The car builder feature on the Fiat website does not do this colour justice as I had never considered it before.  I came across an interior photo online of the green dash with ivory and brown leather seats.  BAM!  That was it.  That was my car.  

When I learned that there was actually 1 car with the specs I wanted available in all of Ontario - I knew that it was my Luigi and I had to bring him home :)  I opted to have a hood spear added to him right off the bat - again a great retro look.