Anybody own or has test-driven a fiat 500?

[Italianblend]

First off, I'm not much on cars. I don't need to own a new car every few years. I have a 2002 Saturn SL2 and she is still reliable. 10 years and going. Only about 92k miles.

For some reason I have my eye on the new fiats. Maybe because I'm Half Italian. But I do seem to like the look of them. And my Saturn isn't getting very good gas mileage right now. I don't drive a manual but I might learn just to get something with good mpg and a little cheaper.

Anyway, has anyone here test driven or own one of these little things? I think I would just get the base model, as I don't care about having a convertible. Looks like I can lease one for around $200/month. Not bad. I would usually prefer to buy and not have a payment after a few years, but this car is so small that I'm not sure ill want it for 10 years.

Looks like a fun little car to have. Just looking for some unbiased opinions on this car. Thanks!

Color?? That's important!!

Copper:

Or Olive Green:

 

[Benny-]

I've owned mine from new (2011), it's a lounge with most of the options added.
It's great fun to drive and I've received lots of compliments about it.
I'm a 22 year old male who is tall at 186cm but i have lots of head room in it and can even fit four adults inside.
I'm not sure about the American models but mine has a 1.2 engine which throws out 69bhp. It's not much but it will happily cruise on the motorway at 75-80mph and it's very quick to get up to speed.
I know you mentioned getting the basic which here would be called the POP, but i'd really recommend the lounge if your budget could stretched to it. You get air con, glass roof, blue and me system (which is better than in my Dad's Audi), chrome package and some other bits. Mine cost £13995 and compared to the other city cars it has so much more character and equipment.

 

[aziatiklover]

^^^^our base model in the U.S has AC as a standard but it would be a manual! For that much I would go with a honda fit more room, power, and mpg for sure.

 

[Benny-]

Here in England the cost of insurance for a young male is the killer. With my budget there were a list of other cars that I would've loved to have bought however the insurance was astronomical.
Last year for my fiat they stung me £3800 this year it's "only" £1900!

 

[Italianblend]

Thanks! Yeah Most if not all cars here have air conditioning. What is it with Europe and lack of a/c? I was in Europe of the first time this summer (Italy) and besides the hotels, not much air conditioning. And no ice in drinks!

 

[Benny-]

If air con wasn't included on my car I would never have paid the extra to have it. I used it maybe five times last year. The climate is not great here and even when it is warm my journey is under 30 mins so it seems like a waste using it.
I've been to Naples and Livorno but only stopped in both for a couple of days. When I stepped off the plane it was like walking it a wall of heat, absolutely stifling.

 

[afd]

Don't know about the rest of Europe, but here I only switch AC on for a couple of weeks in the year. It's more common in cars now, my last car, a 2007 Ford Focus was the first car I had with it.
Currently driving a Mini Cooper, did consider a Fiat 500 but am a big fan of Minis.
Also can't stand ice in drinks and find it difficult to get a drink without it...

 

[Italianblend]

I was thinking more of you apple Hipsters would've had more fiat 500 experience!

 

[GoCubsGo]

A family member owns one, the 500C and loves it to death. Obviously it is small but it is very economical, comfortable, and so far (9 months later) has been quite reliable. It is driven a lot too.

 

[725032]

Had one on hire a few times

Horrible car... Avoid!

 

[Italianblend]

Had one on hire a few times

Horrible car... Avoid!

Explain please! I'm looking for insights.

 

[davidjearly]

Explain please! I'm looking for insights.

That quote can't be explained. It is anything but a horrible car.

The Fiat 500 is fantastic. Safe, reliable, great design, fun, feature-packed and a bargain!

Here are 75 good reasons why it is a better purchase than a Mini, which is it's main competitor in the UK:

http://www.fiat500usa.com/2011/04/75-reasons-to-buy-fiat-500-over-mini.html

 

[MonkeySee....]

Never get a mass produced Italian car.

That is all.

 

[Happybunny]

I also have one since 2011.

It's got a 1.4 petrol motor 16v. I get a top speed of 180 km/h, and an average of 6.1 Lt per 100 km.
I do have the Blue me sound package and the built in Navigation system.
What I find difficult to explain in just words are the fun sensations when driving, it is primarily a town car, but it can hold it's own on the highways here in the Netherlands. It really is a joy to drive, I use it as my main means of transport.

Of course a major reason why I chose this car is these are the normal roads in the town were I live.

 

[Italianblend]

Ahh...those streets remind me of Firenze. Although I think if I lived in a town like that, I'd just ride a bike!

Thanks HappyBunny -

 

[yg17]

Never get a mass produced Italian car.

That is all.

FIAT: Fix it again Tony!

I also have one since 2011.

Image

It's got a 1.4 petrol motor 16v. I get a top speed of 180 km/h, and an average of 6.1 Lt per 100 km.
I do have the Blue me sound package and the built in Navigation system.
What I find difficult to explain in just words are the fun sensations when driving, it is primarily a town car, but it can hold it's own on the highways here in the Netherlands. It really is a joy to drive, I use it as my main means of transport.

Of course a major reason why I chose this car is these are the normal roads in the town were I live.

Image

Holy hell, that's a sidewalk in the US. You drive down those things?

 

[Don't panic]

I zipped one recently.
very fun and cool, will rent again.
feels very hi-quality.
the only drawback is the small size if you have to haul stuff.

very similar to mini in my experience, but this one looks cooler IMO.
I am starting to see quite a few in NYC.

depending on where you live, i'd go with the convertible or if not the lounge with the sunroof.

not convinced by the colors you picked.


my advice is rent one for a day (a few hours if you have zipcars in your area) and do a real test drive.

 

[Happybunny]

FIAT: Fix it again Tony!



Holy hell, that's a sidewalk in the US. You drive down those things?

Yes we do drive on this street, it is a one way system since the early 1960s.

The street is Snellestraat which means fast street.They must have had another definition of speed then

The street was first built in 1349.
I know nearly a hundred years before Columbus sailed for America.

 

[Italianblend]

not convinced by the colors you picked.

Okay...how about Espresso??

 

[Macky-Mac]

I had one as a rental.......quick and responsive but a few ergonomic issues for me. I liked driving it though.

At 6'1 I found the rear view mirror was in my sightline instead of just above it, the "blind spot" to the rear was larger than I'm used to, and the seat design wasn't the most comfortable. The interior seemed pretty bland.

But I did enjoy driving it.

 

[Huntn]

I have a yellow 2012 Fiat 500 Sport I have been driving for a year. It's great for personal transportation, fun to drive, handles well, 5speed stick, gets about 43 mpg on the highway, if you stay at 75mph or less, 34 in the city. It's perfect for two people. Two more can be stuffed in the back for short trips. The back seats fold down giving more storage space for trips. I'm still loving it.

For a while I thought I'd get a Ferrari horn put in it (offered by the dealer Northside Fiat, Woodlands, Texas), but I'm not keen on spending $500 for a loud horn. I also thought about putting racing stripes on it, but probably won't.

(technically the picture is a pop, but the pop and sport are basically identical outside).

 

[takao]

Never get a mass produced Italian car.

That is all.

funny advice considering that it's one of the most reliable ones in the sub-small class..
perhaps you are thinking of a FIAT from 1985 ?



ironically somebody has mentioned the Honda Jazz/Fit instead ... the _worst_ in his class
ranked #24 in the german breakdown statistics from small cars (out of 24 cars which sold enough to listed)

 

[garybUK]

Get the Abarth 500 instead, pocket rocket! Seriously though, they are cool and reliable, very good all round cars, I had a hire car Fiat 500 was nippy and good on consumption.... HOWEVER: it did feel a bit.... like a girls car... just saying.

 

[Italianblend]

Thinking about this deal:

I'd have to learn a manual - not too hard, is it??

 

[GoCubsGo]

Thinking about this deal:

Image

I'd have to learn a manual - not too hard, is it??

It is not hard at all but you probably would want to learn on another car before buying new. Why do you need manual? Not that they're not fun, but I wondered.

Also, I like the copper myself.