Strongly agree with this article. The car I love is my 1980 Datsun, but it just isn't good in the rain. My daily car is a Fiat 124 Spider. Reason I bought it was it was the least complicated, most direct driver-to-pavement, latest, fastest ride I could get for $20k with a stick shift. I won't buy an automatic. To Fiat's credit, I think they're the last manufacturer selling cars in America whose standard price is for a manual transmission and who charge extra for an automatic. (Which, let's be honest, only an idiot would buy an automatic on a 1.4L turbo that has to be kept revved to a sweet spot smaller than 1500 RPMs per gear).
There are four things that piss me off about the Spider. 1: Touch screen which I don't want lit up most of the time, but which doesn't respond to touch to turn it off while you're driving. 2: Stupid as hell autobrake comes on for 2 seconds if you clutch and brake on a hill over 8% grade. You have to toggle the emergency brake or do a heel-toe to not be pushing against your brakes when you start up off a hill. 3: It's beyond me how they could sell this car with a touch screen but without a boost gauge. 4: No ashtray.
There are four things that piss me off about the Spider. 1: Touch screen which I don't want lit up most of the time, but which doesn't respond to touch to turn it off while you're driving. 2: Stupid as hell autobrake comes on for 2 seconds if you clutch and brake on a hill over 8% grade. You have to toggle the emergency brake or do a heel-toe to not be pushing against your brakes when you start up off a hill. 3: It's beyond me how they could sell this car with a touch screen but without a boost gauge. 4: No ashtray.