9/1/15 Test Driving Fiats?

    We were at the mall, Saturday evening with no real purpose, other than to walk around.  Below the food court, in the big open area, where Santa is usually set up, they had some Fiat cars.  Only one was open, I thought ehh, big deal.  We got close anyway and asked about the SUV one.  A chick and a dude were quick to say that those cars were closed, but if we went outside, they had all their cars there, set up for quick test drives.  For our time, we would get a $10 gift card each.  She gave Wife a lanyard with a "credit card", she promised the registration would be quick.  It actually was.  We slid our driver's license through a scanner thingy and all our info was uploaded quickly.
    Wife test drove the SUV, which is small but very much a sexy little SUV.  I test drove the 500 Cabrio.  Honestly, it is too small for us, we are both jumbo sized and Chubs is already half way there.  I liked the convertible part though.  The guy who came with me noted that a fully loaded Cabrio "lounge" would fall around $23,000.  I thought cute, but too small.
    Wife's car's theoretical price would also fall into the below $23,000 price point.  I have to guess Fiat is aiming at the young, new car buyers starting out.  The last two cars we have bought new cost twice that much, but I am not sure we want to do that again.
    I had settled on the idea of buying a "certified" car for Wife next year.  That is Ford's thing with near new cars with low miles.  She wants an SUV, so we are either going to get an Escape if it will be solely for her running back and forth.  An Explorer, if we get real serious and trade in my Excursion, I love that thing, but it is 11 years old.  We would still have the extra seating capacity plus way better gas mileage than the Excursion.  Possibly an Edge, I like them, but they still seat only 4-5.  I love the Flex, but Wife hasn't come around.  They are square, small, but will seat seven.
    I'm not sure where the Fiat fixes into our plans.  The SUV was a looker, I guess we can consider it as much as a new VW Beetle, which Wife keeps saying no, but I still enjoy.  I also would like a big ole Taurus SHO, but Wife says "no cars".  I liked their way of bringing the cars to where the people are, plus $10....