I have had the Fiat 500 over two years and don't think I'll ever switch again. The size you not only get used to put with a hitch and aluminum box carrier it becomes extremely useful, yet not carrying all the extra room all the time. I love backing up in this, it's so easy. Seats are firm and upright and the most darn comfortable seats I've ever used especially on long trips. I don't get the legs cramps like seats set down in cockpit style cars. It drives smooth, faster than expected as you really must watch the speedometer or set cruise. Love the feel of the road and agility compared to U.S. sofa style ride. It's just darn fun and it makes you happy each time you drive it.
It's amazing what was considered a quick enough car 20 years ago is a slow car today! Just got the 2015 Sport; love it. Manual trans wakes it up a bit.
I had a base model flex fuel 88 HP (exclusive for Brazilian market, but they are also made in Mexico) and it never let me down in matter of performance in the motorway. The gears are short and that partly compensates the low torque. It used to spin at 3.500 RPM at 70 MPH. My only complaint about that car is the limited trunk space for long trips with more than two people. The fuel economy and the handiness of it in city traffic and parking, however, compensates it completely. I miss it so much... :'(
Nice review as always. Interesting to hear about the pricing of the 500 in the US. Here in my country (Eastern Europe) the cheapest 1.4 liter 100 bhp Fiat 500 starts at around 13.500 euros which is roughly 18.500 dollars. Also the base engine we get is a 1.2 liter with 69 bhp. Not really a cheap car but as you mentioned, you're after the styling when you consider buying one.
I remember back in 2012 when my friend first saw her Yellow Fiat 500 Sport at the dealership she was in love and had to have it. Now all these years later 3 replaced engines, major electrical system problems, and a severe transmission problem its still going barely with 120,000 miles. Maybe one of the worst cars ive ever experienced but she still loves it.
Loved the review (as well as all your others). I am considering this car after having owned three MINI Coopers (all first generation of the BMW version). They are heavily discounted at dealers and there are good used deals to be had in private sales as well. Perhaps the reason that the styling reminds you of the first generation MINI Cooper is that they were design by the same person! Mr. Frank Stephenson. Great designs in my opinion (he also did the Ferrari F430 and the new McLarens).
If you live for example in San Francisco and park on the street a car like a Fiat 500 is a huge advantage over whatever is the next length up. You can find a space when almost no one else can, after all the small cars like a Fiesta or Mazda 2 think they got the last one for miles around. When I lived there I had a car about the length of every other small hatchback, which was an advantage over half the cars but I often noticed that something a bit shorter than the usual small car would be able to get the remaining little spaces! Not something that applies to most people of course.
hey alex great review again! I do have a small suggestion, i think you're using the youtube image stabilization, and that causing some strange wobbly images. when you're detailing the dashboard, it looks like there is a mirage occurring.
I am not enthusiastic about scoring within car class. When someone sits in a car, the seat is very comfortable, comfortable, so-so, or not comfortable. It does not improve my back ache one bit that other cars in that category also suck. This will also inevitably lead to arguments like, "Fiat 500 scored just one point short of Mercedes E Class in driver's comfort". So if I want to know how comfortable Fiat 500's seat is, I need not only to know that you scored it 70% within the category, but I need to know what the category overall scoring is as compared to really comfortable cars (and I doubt you can provide such a sweeping number). Ultimately that renders your score not particularly useful.
Hm. Interesting point. My concern was that shoppers don't tend to cross rough category boundaries much so I'm wondering if scoring in that way would be useful to them as it may make it more difficult to compare within a category. For instance, in the general scheme of things most mid-sized sedans score similarly to one another, so if you had a Mitsubishi Mirage at 1/10 and a Rolls Royce Phantom at 10/10 every mid-size sedan would be jammed into 5/10 with little room to show the variation within the size class.
***** "comparing cars from totally different classes is obviously kind of pointless" Does your behind change shape depending on the car category you sit in? I was specifically referring to sitting comfort, and I stand by it.
Alex on Autos ***** Perhaps absolute scoring in areas that are contingent on external factors, like comfort (human body), trunk space (size of standard suitcases), etc., while maintaining relative scoring in areas like quality of cabin materials, aesthetics, etc.
Alex, so from the micro cars, Fiat 500, Chevrolet Spark, Scion IQ, Mitsubishi Mirage. Which 1 would you choose ? As far as ride comfort. Or at least which one has a less choppy ride?
Since Alex did not answer, I will chime in...the Mirage has the least choppy and least sporty riide. I would pick the Fiat 500! Sporty and comfy and fun.
Curious about the 500C and its lateral strength (or whatever the proper term is), and crash test results. I assume crash test results for the 500 series is generally miserable -? Perhaps a future video topic could be the strongest and best-handling convertibles, ie what to buy from a safety pov in the category, including a review of why convertibles are generally um, "un-strong".... Perhaps you already covered this elsewhere, and if so my apologies.
The 500 scores well for a small car. It's important to keep in mind that in general the larger the car the safer it is. So a small car that scored extremely well in all tests vs a large car that scored moderately in all tests would likely reveal that the larger car is still the one with less injury potential.
I just had the exact same car as a rental for a week. It only had 5000 miles or so, but it did not handle well at all. Maybe it's because I have a Fiesta ST, but the 500 was bouncy, the suspension was very soft, and the tires narrow and hard. I did not enjoy driving it at all - certainly not nearly as good as any of the dozen Mini Coopers I've driven over the years.
The Mini Cooper and Fiesta are significantly larger with larger wheelbases. In general the larger the wheelbase the more settled the car will feel. With small cars like the 500, Smart and Scion iQ, there isn't enough time for the front suspension to settle by the time the rear encounters the same bump. Also they can feel kind of "darty" due to the short wheelbase especially on grooved pavement. It's just the nature of the beast really.
Have you considered adding more context to your reviews rather than just running the same hilly roads all the time? I sort of feel that a city car should be primarily reviewed in its natural habitat on surface streets, getting into tight parking spaces, running over potholes, etc.
This one is better in diesel version, just getting opinions from here in Italy, I don't know if it's the same there in the US (and I'm not even sure you have the diesel one there). The 500C is cool idea, but is worthless in my opinion, better getting a "normal" 500, without any opening roofs or window on the top :) (And btw, yeah, of course the Abarth 500 is not the sportiest and quickest stuff you can find, but sure gives you lots of fun, trust me ;) )
Amazing review but i literally bust laughing when he said the scion iq remind me of a pregnant roller skate hahahahahaahhahahahaha what ? how? why? hahahahaha
Ancient comment, but the crash ratings are pretty good for the Fiat 500. The base car has a curb weight of over 2300 pounds, which is massive for how tiny the car is. That's all crash structure. The original Fiat 500 had a curb weigh of ~1100 pounds. Although that car is smaller than the new one, it's not half the size.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
I have had the Fiat 500 over two years and don't think I'll ever switch again. The size you not only get used to put with a hitch and aluminum box carrier it becomes extremely useful, yet not carrying all the extra room all the time. I love backing up in this, it's so easy. Seats are firm and upright and the most darn comfortable seats I've ever used especially on long trips. I don't get the legs cramps like seats set down in cockpit style cars. It drives smooth, faster than expected as you really must watch the speedometer or set cruise. Love the feel of the road and agility compared to U.S. sofa style ride. It's just darn fun and it makes you happy each time you drive it.
do you drive automatic or manual ?
+Kai Liu auto
I completely agree with you..well said.IlOVE the Fiat 500. I will always drive one
It's amazing what was considered a quick enough car 20 years ago is a slow car today!
Just got the 2015 Sport; love it. Manual trans wakes it up a bit.
I had a base model flex fuel 88 HP (exclusive for Brazilian market, but they are also made in Mexico) and it never let me down in matter of performance in the motorway. The gears are short and that partly compensates the low torque. It used to spin at 3.500 RPM at 70 MPH.
My only complaint about that car is the limited trunk space for long trips with more than two people. The fuel economy and the handiness of it in city traffic and parking, however, compensates it completely. I miss it so much... :'(
It's really cool. I would like the C with the non turbo engine and 5 speed. I don't like turbos.
Nice review as always. Interesting to hear about the pricing of the 500 in the US.
Here in my country (Eastern Europe) the cheapest 1.4 liter 100 bhp Fiat 500 starts at around 13.500 euros which is roughly 18.500 dollars. Also the base engine we get is a 1.2 liter with 69 bhp. Not really a cheap car but as you mentioned, you're after the styling when you consider buying one.
I remember back in 2012 when my friend first saw her Yellow Fiat 500 Sport at the dealership she was in love and had to have it. Now all these years later 3 replaced engines, major electrical system problems, and a severe transmission problem its still going barely with 120,000 miles. Maybe one of the worst cars ive ever experienced but she still loves it.
She must’ve gotten a lemon, these are relatively reliable little cars. There’s plenty over 200k on the original drivetrain
Loved the review (as well as all your others). I am considering this car after having owned three MINI Coopers (all first generation of the BMW version). They are heavily discounted at dealers and there are good used deals to be had in private sales as well. Perhaps the reason that the styling reminds you of the first generation MINI Cooper is that they were design by the same person! Mr. Frank Stephenson. Great designs in my opinion (he also did the Ferrari F430 and the new McLarens).
Good review. Yes, I would rather have the convertable too but NO THANKS on turbos. The 500's Are really cute.
If you live for example in San Francisco and park on the street a car like a Fiat 500 is a huge advantage over whatever is the next length up. You can find a space when almost no one else can, after all the small cars like a Fiesta or Mazda 2 think they got the last one for miles around. When I lived there I had a car about the length of every other small hatchback, which was an advantage over half the cars but I often noticed that something a bit shorter than the usual small car would be able to get the remaining little spaces! Not something that applies to most people of course.
Still love my 500! 🇮🇹💪🏼
Hello. How do you find it. Has it been very reliable. Any issues as of yet??
Nice review Alex, like always. I hope you do the 2015 Honda Fit! I would like you to compare it to cars like the Nissan Versa Note. Just a suggestion.
hey alex great review again! I do have a small suggestion, i think you're using the youtube image stabilization, and that causing some strange wobbly images. when you're detailing the dashboard, it looks like there is a mirage occurring.
It's Adobe Premier's image stabilisation routine and it normally does a good job, I just couldn't get it to do what I wanted with this raw video.
About too get 500 pop! & good well informed video
How you enjoying the Fiat?
I am not enthusiastic about scoring within car class. When someone sits in a car, the seat is very comfortable, comfortable, so-so, or not comfortable. It does not improve my back ache one bit that other cars in that category also suck. This will also inevitably lead to arguments like, "Fiat 500 scored just one point short of Mercedes E Class in driver's comfort".
So if I want to know how comfortable Fiat 500's seat is, I need not only to know that you scored it 70% within the category, but I need to know what the category overall scoring is as compared to really comfortable cars (and I doubt you can provide such a sweeping number). Ultimately that renders your score not particularly useful.
Hm. Interesting point. My concern was that shoppers don't tend to cross rough category boundaries much so I'm wondering if scoring in that way would be useful to them as it may make it more difficult to compare within a category. For instance, in the general scheme of things most mid-sized sedans score similarly to one another, so if you had a Mitsubishi Mirage at 1/10 and a Rolls Royce Phantom at 10/10 every mid-size sedan would be jammed into 5/10 with little room to show the variation within the size class.
***** "comparing cars from totally different classes is obviously kind of pointless"
Does your behind change shape depending on the car category you sit in? I was specifically referring to sitting comfort, and I stand by it.
*****
I would assume so, but I'm worried that would cause more confusion than it would solve.
Alex on Autos *****
Perhaps absolute scoring in areas that are contingent on external factors, like comfort (human body), trunk space (size of standard suitcases), etc., while maintaining relative scoring in areas like quality of cabin materials, aesthetics, etc.
Great review! Very thorough; especially appreciated your thoughts on the sunroof. Thanks!
the old Honda prelude had the tac and speed one gauge...everyone HATED it
Very nice video Alex.
Quiero una versión en. Español y más información sobre su motor y piezas. Perdí mi guía de información del vehículo o manual de información
outstanding review...as good as it gets.
Hah, the licence plate says GOKU...
How many cylinder is this, the speed and how much does it cost? Either 2012 to 2014 up
Alex, so from the micro cars, Fiat 500, Chevrolet Spark, Scion IQ, Mitsubishi Mirage. Which 1 would you choose ? As far as ride comfort. Or at least which one has a less choppy ride?
Since Alex did not answer, I will chime in...the Mirage has the least choppy and least sporty riide. I would pick the Fiat 500! Sporty and comfy and fun.
Hi, nice review. Is the cruise control standard or after market?
Is this better than a mini cooper? like which one is more reliable
Great review. What does the Sport button do?
I always wondered about that little car...thx for filling in the blanks!
Curious about the 500C and its lateral strength (or whatever the proper term is), and crash test results. I assume crash test results for the 500 series is generally miserable -? Perhaps a future video topic could be the strongest and best-handling convertibles, ie what to buy from a safety pov in the category, including a review of why convertibles are generally um, "un-strong".... Perhaps you already covered this elsewhere, and if so my apologies.
The 500 scores well for a small car. It's important to keep in mind that in general the larger the car the safer it is. So a small car that scored extremely well in all tests vs a large car that scored moderately in all tests would likely reveal that the larger car is still the one with less injury potential.
Alex on Autos
Thanks for the reply as well as again for the generally excellent videos.
THE 2014 FIAT 500 STYLED IN ITALY, BUILT IN MEXICO.
Great video makes me interested in seeing one on a Mini Cooper now...
Great review.
I just had the exact same car as a rental for a week. It only had 5000 miles or so, but it did not handle well at all. Maybe it's because I have a Fiesta ST, but the 500 was bouncy, the suspension was very soft, and the tires narrow and hard. I did not enjoy driving it at all - certainly not nearly as good as any of the dozen Mini Coopers I've driven over the years.
The Mini Cooper and Fiesta are significantly larger with larger wheelbases. In general the larger the wheelbase the more settled the car will feel. With small cars like the 500, Smart and Scion iQ, there isn't enough time for the front suspension to settle by the time the rear encounters the same bump. Also they can feel kind of "darty" due to the short wheelbase especially on grooved pavement. It's just the nature of the beast really.
Great review
Have you considered adding more context to your reviews rather than just running the same hilly roads all the time? I sort of feel that a city car should be primarily reviewed in its natural habitat on surface streets, getting into tight parking spaces, running over potholes, etc.
I always test on a variety of roads but filming on city streets is trickier because you have to pay more attention to traffic.
Audi S1 looks similar in design now?
This one is better in diesel version, just getting opinions from here in Italy, I don't know if it's the same there in the US (and I'm not even sure you have the diesel one there). The 500C is cool idea, but is worthless in my opinion, better getting a "normal" 500, without any opening roofs or window on the top :)
(And btw, yeah, of course the Abarth 500 is not the sportiest and quickest stuff you can find, but sure gives you lots of fun, trust me ;) )
Would have liked to hear the comparison VWbettle
Alex Joel, I'd take the 500.
Amazing review but i literally bust laughing when he said the scion iq remind me of a pregnant roller skate hahahahahaahhahahahaha what ? how? why? hahahahaha
You say "Relatively" a lot... just thought I'd mention that.
Well done sir... Very well...
probably one of the worst cars to get into an accident with.
No that's the Ford Pinto. Or as I call it, the Ford Fireball
bull
Ancient comment, but the crash ratings are pretty good for the Fiat 500. The base car has a curb weight of over 2300 pounds, which is massive for how tiny the car is. That's all crash structure. The original Fiat 500 had a curb weigh of ~1100 pounds. Although that car is smaller than the new one, it's not half the size.
Mustard Yellow*
If this car wasn't so unreliable, I'd consider it for my next car. I love the design.
good then your in luck...it’s very reliable.
Mine has 110k
You really should put some
Product in your hair!
Please do not hair shame
sweet...:)
I lost count how many times he said Fiat 500, kinda know what it is already.
approx 120 times 7 times per min for 17 min
he only said it once
not a fan of the fiat