Oh nice, a manual Fiat 500X! Sort of appealing, right, a fuel-efficient, manual transmission compact SUV? Consider your opinion unpopular then, because this new Fiat 500X with a manual transmission is worse lot poison than the typical, slow-selling Fiat 500X. The upside to this is the $5,500 discount before any negotiations begin. That works out very well for a vehicle whose warranty clock will begin to tick the day you drive it off the lot, as opposed to the day it was supposed to be sold.

Admittedly, there are better options in the compact SUV class. Many better options, in fact. But we aren't SUV enthusiasts, we are Italian car enthusiasts, and as such, we must mute out reality with our unassailable bias. What we really have here is a jacked-up, 5-door, 5-seater Fiat 500 Abarth. Yank the muffler, and you'll be familiar with the cackle of the 1.4L FIRE MultiAir turbo's exhaust note.

Year: 2018
Model:  Fiat 500X Pop
Engine: 1.4L turbocharged 4-cylinder
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Mileage:  14
Price: $16,499
Location: Bonham, TX

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2018 Fiat 500X Pop manual

We'd feel worse featuring one of the worst-reviewed compact SUVs were it not for the 500X's redeeming qualities. First, there is the Abarth engine with a manual transmission. And second, there's the fact that should something go wrong, you'll be sourcing parts from one of the best-selling platforms in North America - the Fiat Small Wide 4x4 architecture underpinning the Jeep Renegade and Jeep Compass. Safety in numbers, or something.

The 500L is more our speed, but were we to need some more room from an Italian car, the 500X would be on our (short) shopping list. We love the manual transmission availability, and we'll take the Abarth engine in anything we can get it. Laggy and loud, it's a hoot once on boost.

-Graham