I wouldn't buy this as a daily 30 mile commute car, but if I lived in the city, this would be a great little car. I also imagine it's a great second car for families that already have something like a minivan or a suv.
Even if being in Europe i wouldn't get this,not because i like big American cars or at least sedans like Insignia that give you space to breath and good mpg,but because this has a ridiculous price and look ridiculous too,aswell its 2Cylinder engine that comes with in europe.
If i wanted a small car although i hate them i would get a 50MPG Skoda Fabia or Scirocco that have nowhere near as bad interiors and equipment as this.
Though i understand this his is more of a competitor for the Smart.
Can they overcome the bad memories from the past? If it's a quality car,they might,but even one recall will doom Fiat. I had an x-19,I just can't bring myself to even test drive a Fiat. I know I know!
Im thinking my Mazda 3i will cream this in performance. It also wasn't that much more. I was out the door with everything for under 17k. I guess the Mazda 2 would be a better comparison. I know it has more room and a sub 9 0-60 so it wins there... I guess you do have to drive these fiats to understand them. People that buy them must drive in the city alot. They look like theyd be fun to toss about and acceleration doesnt matter un the city. I do think they look awesome though.
I purchased a 5 speed Sport model back in March of this year. Almost 9 months and 10,000 miles later I'm still crazy about the thing. It's the perfect daily driver. It's at home maneuver in the city, and very confident and surprisingly quiet on the highway. It's also an absolute blast to chuck into the corners on a twisty road. I also regularly use the back seats too. Looking forward to installing a coilover suspension and some sticky tires for next year.
@TheRocketExectutives The manual comes in a 5-speed and the auto comes in a 6-speed tiptronic, I recommend the auto trans because it has a quicker acceleration to 60 and it does knock of 3mpg off the city and hwy, but you can always shift at lower rpm's and get the same mpg back
imagine a front or side impact at 55 mph plus.. i know i seen the 35 mph crash test, but fatalites can occur at both numbers but anything over 55 and i just could not imagine.
I should also note, when I went to the dealer to test drive one, the sales guy went through SIX CARS before finding one that would actually START!!! Needless to say, solid first impressions were not in the equation.
@ThorMaxx the battery's might of just died from not being turned on in a long time... when i went to go test drive one the sales man said they haven't turned it on in a long time but it still started..
I absolutely hated the stickshift with this car. It was NOT fun to drive as I simply could not get used to this transmission. Constantly stalling the car and virtually impossible to shift smoothly. The other thing I hated with this car were the blind spots. For such a small car, center pillar is MASSIVE and i could not see around or behind it making the rear windows useless along with shoulder checking.
Shitty MPG for such a small car and poor acceleration. Why not just stick a 2.0 liter turbo diesel like audi or vw and still have the same MPG, but beastly acceleration?
I drove the high end model in Amsterdam for a weekend in 2009. While the 500 could barely fit me, my wife and 2 year old daughter it was a blast to drive in the tiny European streets. I had no problems cruising at 130 kph/80 mph for extended periods of time. After renting this car I ended up purchasing a Renault Modus (similar to the Fit). The Modus had more space and better ecomony (66 mpg) was not nearly as much fun when the revs got high and roads got winding.
Since I was blessed with male genitalia I could never see myself driving one of these things. IMHO aside from the driving dynamics this car is a high school girl's graduation present or a trophy wife's second car. It will see more sales as a fashion accessory than it will a drivers car. Fiat really screwed the pooch on the release of this thing too, it is selling no where near where they need it to, and with their bad dealer network you won't see sales to justify another model coming over.
@flatblackstrat Dude, I am male and I still want this car. 60% of all FIAT 500 buyers this past year alone were male. Also, FIAT is working fix the problem with dealerships, especially since they are supposed to have the number of dealerships increase from 130 to 150 in the foreseeable future, more specifically March 2012, coincidentally the same time when the performance-oriented 500 Abarth is supposed to hit showroom floors.
@silac1993 Great I'm happy for you, it's your money. But 60% of buyers does not equal 60% of drivers. Trophy wives and high school girls need someone to buy these earnings on wheels for them. The Abarth wont sell IMO.
@zedramer Premium fuel is recommended, but not required.
The Fit is larger and interior's more versatile, no doubt about that. It all depends on personal preference and needs. If you need to carry folks in the back seat of the 500, they better be small folks. =) But if it's just you and a friend, and you love to drive a go kart with a great exhaust note and a European heritage ...
@zedramer I have a new 500c and it runs just fine on regular. I tried premium and didnt notice any difference. The quality and expensive feel of this car leaves the Fit in the pit!
@zedramer I own a Fiat 500 Pop and the owners manual says 87 octane is acceptable, but premium is preferred. I have used 89 and 90 octane. Mine has automatic, and I get 32 mpg in town, and it has plenty of power.
@leaf16nut That's perfectly understandable; everybody has their own view points towards small cars. Personally, I love these cars because they are so nimble and capable in ways that bigger, more clunkier cars aren't. For instance, you can park cars like the FIAT 500 in spaces where you couldn't park, let's say, a Chevrolet Tahoe or a Nissan Altima; at least without having to squeeze yourself in, in some instances. Plus, small cars tend to be more challenging a design to pull off than big cars.
Finally, aside from the benefits small car drivers reap in terms of lower running costs (e.g. fuel, insurance, monthly payments, etc), most small cars sold in today's market can perform, and keep up with a lot of bigger cars on the highway, city and back roads.
@BisonRain It does seem high, but car prices in general are ridiculous these days. A starting MSRP of $15.5 on the Pop isn't bad, compared to the base Mini.
@BisonRain Additionally, piggybacking off of @mpgomatic's point, for much less you could opt for a brand new Nissan Versa, which wouldn't even grant you access to all the features a FIAT 500 has, such as hands-free Bluetooth connectivity, an optional navigation system and a decent driving character, most features without having to pay more money for a higher trim level.
@wikiwama Unfortunately, we have yet to see a TwinAir version of the FIAT 500. Why they aren't looking to bring that over to the United States, especially considering one of its' soon-to-be competing brands, Chevrolet will be bringing over a car with an 83hp-producing 1.2 litre engine, is far beyond my knowledge.
Had a few of these for rentals in the past few months and I have to say they are fairly impressive all around. It's a tad cliché but it really is more fun to drive a 'slow' car fast than a fast car slow.
@ghrpdx The sad part is, a lot of these people that say such things are daft and blind to the fact that the Cinquecento (or 500) has a starting price of $15,500. For slightly more, they'd have to opt for a B-spec automobile, such as a Ford Fiesta or Honda Fit, or C-segment cars such as the Volkswagen Jetta and the Ford Focus.
@ghrpdx Agreed; there are better choices in the market than the FIAT 500. How I see it, the 500 isn't really gonna be a car that everybody's gonna want or like. For one thing, this is an A-segment three-door hatchback, and of course not everybody is genuinely geared towards having to cram all their friends in a back seat that people aren't gonna be comfortable in, or not having a humongous cargo area, which perfectly describes some of the 500's characteristics, as well as most A-seg cars.
Additionally, there are a variety of stigmas that this car face here in the United States, such as it being a labeled a chick car although 60% of this car's buyers are men, according to Chrysler; also there is the fact that this is a FIAT, and although it's less prevalent in today's world, there are still concerns centered on reliability and build quality (e.g. the whole "Fix It Again Tony" stigma) from brands such as this. A lot of people may be waiting for the 500 Abarth to start sales.
Finally, a possible reason as to why the car didn't sell so well this year alone (this is the car's first year here, by the way) could very well be the lack of dealerships, for there are currently 120 FIAT Studios in this country, and the number is set to increase to 150 by March next year. Plus, some folks aren't looking to drive over 100 miles to a dealership in order to buy a car they want, especially considering that there are other brand dealerships closer by.
Nice to see the 500 has fit in nicely in the states :D I think you guys benefit most from this Fiat/Chrylser venture. Europe gets a few Chrylser models in Fiat clothing :l
Fun little car. But...why on earth does the speedo go to 140? I don't think it'd do 140 if you dropped it off a cliff.
osirtulane 6 hours ago in playlist 40 MPG Cars
the fit is so much better and probably has better reliability
redginger95 2 weeks ago
I wouldn't buy this as a daily 30 mile commute car, but if I lived in the city, this would be a great little car. I also imagine it's a great second car for families that already have something like a minivan or a suv.
yeldm23 2 weeks ago
@yeldm23 And I should say, I'm excited to try out the Abarth in person.
yeldm23 2 weeks ago
Sounds a lot better than it has any business to!
chunhaylee 1 month ago
YELLOW CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BlocklandTerminata 1 month ago
TROLOLOL I Took my drivers test in this..WHAT IS PARALLEL PARKING CAUSE IDK!!! XDDD
MrHallRight 1 month ago
Even if being in Europe i wouldn't get this,not because i like big American cars or at least sedans like Insignia that give you space to breath and good mpg,but because this has a ridiculous price and look ridiculous too,aswell its 2Cylinder engine that comes with in europe.
If i wanted a small car although i hate them i would get a 50MPG Skoda Fabia or Scirocco that have nowhere near as bad interiors and equipment as this.
Though i understand this his is more of a competitor for the Smart.
truebassB 1 month ago in playlist 40 MPG Cars
so cute which one a 2012 FIAT 500 Sport,2012 Smart fortwo PASSION or a 2012 scion IQ?
ladyyuna2000 1 month ago
Can they overcome the bad memories from the past? If it's a quality car,they might,but even one recall will doom Fiat. I had an x-19,I just can't bring myself to even test drive a Fiat. I know I know!
biggfingger5 1 month ago
The mini had very few dealerships when it first arrived and ended up being a hit in the US. The Fiat will do the same, it is a fantastic car!
ramblergarage 2 months ago
Honda Fit is a piece of shit! This is a fantastic quality car!
ramblergarage 2 months ago
Im thinking my Mazda 3i will cream this in performance. It also wasn't that much more. I was out the door with everything for under 17k. I guess the Mazda 2 would be a better comparison. I know it has more room and a sub 9 0-60 so it wins there... I guess you do have to drive these fiats to understand them. People that buy them must drive in the city alot. They look like theyd be fun to toss about and acceleration doesnt matter un the city. I do think they look awesome though.
MangoSmoothie16 2 months ago
I have looked at other reviews of this car and this has to be the best! It is a pretty damn good sounding car too!
pcsc1097 2 months ago
I purchased a 5 speed Sport model back in March of this year. Almost 9 months and 10,000 miles later I'm still crazy about the thing. It's the perfect daily driver. It's at home maneuver in the city, and very confident and surprisingly quiet on the highway. It's also an absolute blast to chuck into the corners on a twisty road. I also regularly use the back seats too. Looking forward to installing a coilover suspension and some sticky tires for next year.
C70drvr 2 months ago
@C70drvr Is the build quality good on them?
MangoSmoothie16 2 months ago
@MangoSmoothie16
Mine feels great, but I can't speak for everyone.
C70drvr 2 months ago
what is the difference between manual and automatic
TheRocketExectutives 2 months ago
@TheRocketExectutives The manual comes in a 5-speed and the auto comes in a 6-speed tiptronic, I recommend the auto trans because it has a quicker acceleration to 60 and it does knock of 3mpg off the city and hwy, but you can always shift at lower rpm's and get the same mpg back
SeadGBosnia 2 months ago in playlist 40 MPG Cars
imagine a front or side impact at 55 mph plus.. i know i seen the 35 mph crash test, but fatalites can occur at both numbers but anything over 55 and i just could not imagine.
masterpsychosis 2 months ago
I should also note, when I went to the dealer to test drive one, the sales guy went through SIX CARS before finding one that would actually START!!! Needless to say, solid first impressions were not in the equation.
ThorMaxx 2 months ago
@ThorMaxx the battery's might of just died from not being turned on in a long time... when i went to go test drive one the sales man said they haven't turned it on in a long time but it still started..
SeadGBosnia 2 months ago in playlist 40 MPG Cars
I absolutely hated the stickshift with this car. It was NOT fun to drive as I simply could not get used to this transmission. Constantly stalling the car and virtually impossible to shift smoothly. The other thing I hated with this car were the blind spots. For such a small car, center pillar is MASSIVE and i could not see around or behind it making the rear windows useless along with shoulder checking.
ThorMaxx 2 months ago
@ThorMaxx I found it simple to drive and a lot of fun. So I bought one and cant wait to get in mine and go!
ramblergarage 2 months ago
Shitty MPG for such a small car and poor acceleration. Why not just stick a 2.0 liter turbo diesel like audi or vw and still have the same MPG, but beastly acceleration?
drippinblood28 2 months ago
F-ix I-t A-gain, T-ony!
thunderstruck665 2 months ago
ill take the Hyundai Elantra. better fuel economy, bigger, more equiped, regular gas over the premiun on this garbage. and about the same price..
this car doesnt make sense at ALL !! unless u like tiny ass car.
jvrdlc 2 months ago
I drove the high end model in Amsterdam for a weekend in 2009. While the 500 could barely fit me, my wife and 2 year old daughter it was a blast to drive in the tiny European streets. I had no problems cruising at 130 kph/80 mph for extended periods of time. After renting this car I ended up purchasing a Renault Modus (similar to the Fit). The Modus had more space and better ecomony (66 mpg) was not nearly as much fun when the revs got high and roads got winding.
TheAxman2006 2 months ago
the rims look like the 07-08 Acura TL Type-S rims thumbs up if you agree
tim3058 2 months ago
About the price: you can spec up the new bmw 1 series to cost as much as 50 k, and that is simply intolerable
Mik5OO 2 months ago
Since I was blessed with male genitalia I could never see myself driving one of these things. IMHO aside from the driving dynamics this car is a high school girl's graduation present or a trophy wife's second car. It will see more sales as a fashion accessory than it will a drivers car. Fiat really screwed the pooch on the release of this thing too, it is selling no where near where they need it to, and with their bad dealer network you won't see sales to justify another model coming over.
flatblackstrat 2 months ago
@flatblackstrat Dude, I am male and I still want this car. 60% of all FIAT 500 buyers this past year alone were male. Also, FIAT is working fix the problem with dealerships, especially since they are supposed to have the number of dealerships increase from 130 to 150 in the foreseeable future, more specifically March 2012, coincidentally the same time when the performance-oriented 500 Abarth is supposed to hit showroom floors.
silac1993 2 months ago
@silac1993 Great I'm happy for you, it's your money. But 60% of buyers does not equal 60% of drivers. Trophy wives and high school girls need someone to buy these earnings on wheels for them. The Abarth wont sell IMO.
flatblackstrat 2 months ago
I want to save fuel but this car is a JOKE. Get a diesel or a hybrid but not a small lawn mower engine.
ivarsrini 2 months ago
@ivarsrini obviously you never drove this car. And the Abarth has 160 hp. not bad for a "lawn mower" engine.
MrDolcevita1 2 months ago
Two things:
Does it require premium fuel (I've read reports that it does/doesn't)?
Minus performance, is a Honda Fit a much better option?
zedramer 2 months ago
@zedramer Premium fuel is recommended, but not required.
The Fit is larger and interior's more versatile, no doubt about that. It all depends on personal preference and needs. If you need to carry folks in the back seat of the 500, they better be small folks. =) But if it's just you and a friend, and you love to drive a go kart with a great exhaust note and a European heritage ...
mpgomatic 2 months ago
@zedramer I have a new 500c and it runs just fine on regular. I tried premium and didnt notice any difference. The quality and expensive feel of this car leaves the Fit in the pit!
ramblergarage 2 months ago
@zedramer I own a Fiat 500 Pop and the owners manual says 87 octane is acceptable, but premium is preferred. I have used 89 and 90 octane. Mine has automatic, and I get 32 mpg in town, and it has plenty of power.
1John111 2 weeks ago
Sorry, meant ”love.” As in ”Love the review!” Was typing from my phone. ;-)
silac1993 2 months ago
Live the review! Expect me to show this off tomorrow! Also, I love how you picked Giallo for this car; it's my favorite color.
silac1993 2 months ago
i love the first gen Honda Prelude style gauges!
bajabusta 2 months ago
I don't get the hype over these cars; there ugly, small and nowhere near the price they should be...
leaf16nut 2 months ago
@leaf16nut You gotta drive one - fast - to understand it ... =)
mpgomatic 2 months ago
@leaf16nut That's perfectly understandable; everybody has their own view points towards small cars. Personally, I love these cars because they are so nimble and capable in ways that bigger, more clunkier cars aren't. For instance, you can park cars like the FIAT 500 in spaces where you couldn't park, let's say, a Chevrolet Tahoe or a Nissan Altima; at least without having to squeeze yourself in, in some instances. Plus, small cars tend to be more challenging a design to pull off than big cars.
silac1993 2 months ago in playlist More videos from mpgomatic
Finally, aside from the benefits small car drivers reap in terms of lower running costs (e.g. fuel, insurance, monthly payments, etc), most small cars sold in today's market can perform, and keep up with a lot of bigger cars on the highway, city and back roads.
silac1993 2 months ago in playlist More videos from mpgomatic
nice review
wigwams69 2 months ago
** I would love to see an Abarth version in the US. :-)
GrahamCrackers94 2 months ago
@GrahamCrackers94 Believe you me, the 2012 FIAT 500 Abarth is set to hit FIAT Studios this coming February.
silac1993 2 months ago
Bring the Ab
GrahamCrackers94 2 months ago
Ridiculous price for such a small car.
BisonRain 2 months ago
@BisonRain It does seem high, but car prices in general are ridiculous these days. A starting MSRP of $15.5 on the Pop isn't bad, compared to the base Mini.
mpgomatic 2 months ago 8
@mpgomatic Those are the words I would say! XD Thank you for taking the words out of my mouth!
silac1993 2 months ago in playlist More videos from mpgomatic
@BisonRain Additionally, piggybacking off of @mpgomatic's point, for much less you could opt for a brand new Nissan Versa, which wouldn't even grant you access to all the features a FIAT 500 has, such as hands-free Bluetooth connectivity, an optional navigation system and a decent driving character, most features without having to pay more money for a higher trim level.
silac1993 2 months ago in playlist More videos from mpgomatic
@BisonRain This car is major quality not like a cheap econobox at all!
ramblergarage 2 months ago
As always, excellent review Dan.
godwhomismike 2 months ago 3
what about the civic hybrid?
mb013962 2 months ago
The Honda Fit is a better choice!
talldude123 2 months ago
Do you guys get the TwinAir over there? It's coming to Australia sometime early-ish next year, the sound it makes is really weird but really good :)
wikiwama 2 months ago
@wikiwama No TwinAir here, yet ... but I'd reckon there are some running around Chrysler's HQ in Michigan.
mpgomatic 2 months ago
@mpgomatic You should have a test of the abarth version!
wikiwama 2 months ago
@wikiwama Just as soon as we can get our hands on one ... they just pulled the wraps off the US version of the Abarth at the LA Auto Show.
mpgomatic 2 months ago
@mpgomatic I've seen the commercial for it, it got banned in Australia because it "displayed reckless and dangerous driving on a public road." :(
wikiwama 2 months ago
@wikiwama Unfortunately, we have yet to see a TwinAir version of the FIAT 500. Why they aren't looking to bring that over to the United States, especially considering one of its' soon-to-be competing brands, Chevrolet will be bringing over a car with an 83hp-producing 1.2 litre engine, is far beyond my knowledge.
silac1993 2 months ago
Had a few of these for rentals in the past few months and I have to say they are fairly impressive all around. It's a tad cliché but it really is more fun to drive a 'slow' car fast than a fast car slow.
ChalklitReign 2 months ago
@ChalklitReign Bingo! :)
mpgomatic 2 months ago
These aren't selling too well in the US ... I guess not too many people want 1/2 a car for $20,000. Good review Dan!
ghrpdx 2 months ago
@ghrpdx The sad part is, a lot of these people that say such things are daft and blind to the fact that the Cinquecento (or 500) has a starting price of $15,500. For slightly more, they'd have to opt for a B-spec automobile, such as a Ford Fiesta or Honda Fit, or C-segment cars such as the Volkswagen Jetta and the Ford Focus.
silac1993 2 months ago
@silac1993 The sales numbers don't lie. These aren't selling well in the US. There are many other better choices for less money.
ghrpdx 2 months ago
@ghrpdx Agreed; there are better choices in the market than the FIAT 500. How I see it, the 500 isn't really gonna be a car that everybody's gonna want or like. For one thing, this is an A-segment three-door hatchback, and of course not everybody is genuinely geared towards having to cram all their friends in a back seat that people aren't gonna be comfortable in, or not having a humongous cargo area, which perfectly describes some of the 500's characteristics, as well as most A-seg cars.
silac1993 2 months ago
Additionally, there are a variety of stigmas that this car face here in the United States, such as it being a labeled a chick car although 60% of this car's buyers are men, according to Chrysler; also there is the fact that this is a FIAT, and although it's less prevalent in today's world, there are still concerns centered on reliability and build quality (e.g. the whole "Fix It Again Tony" stigma) from brands such as this. A lot of people may be waiting for the 500 Abarth to start sales.
silac1993 2 months ago
Finally, a possible reason as to why the car didn't sell so well this year alone (this is the car's first year here, by the way) could very well be the lack of dealerships, for there are currently 120 FIAT Studios in this country, and the number is set to increase to 150 by March next year. Plus, some folks aren't looking to drive over 100 miles to a dealership in order to buy a car they want, especially considering that there are other brand dealerships closer by.
silac1993 2 months ago
Nice to see the 500 has fit in nicely in the states :D I think you guys benefit most from this Fiat/Chrylser venture. Europe gets a few Chrylser models in Fiat clothing :l
573W1E6R1FF1N 2 months ago
@gardmans1 Thanks for the kind words and support! We did the 2500HD last fall. Awesome truck. I need to get a 1500 on the schedule.
mpgomatic 2 months ago
@gardmans1 Thanks ... Fixed! The dinner bell rang as I was uploading ... :)
mpgomatic 2 months ago 6