Europe's been raving about it for years and it's finally here, the Fiat 500. The list of awards this car's won is staggering, so when given the chance I jumped in the driver's seat. I had the car for a week and put 1000 miles on it.
Looks: I had a red one. It looked like DC comic's Sinestro with it's little Fiat mustache. But I like Sinestro. The headlights look oddly VW Beetle-ish though, and I was hoping for a more Dodge Neon look when I actually saw it. The interior is gaudy, with a shiny plastic dash matching the exterior color. The average driver of these cars would likely describe themselves as trendy. Which the Fiat is too.
Performance: I would have liked to have broken this down to two separate reviews; one for the local roads, and one for the highways. The Fiat 500 is like two completely different cars given the speed you ask of it. Buzzing around town, it's a zippy little runabout that corners like a champ and is quite fun to drive. On the highway, it shakes at high speeds where the wind movement over the car is loud to the point of annoying. Getting up to speed is difficult and feels like it's dragging. The "sport" button doesn't seem to do much but make it rev higher longer, and does not light up when pushed, so at first I had to question if it was even engaged. The suspension is incredibly stiff and after my initial six and a half hour Tour-de-I90 my back was killing me.
Features: I've noted the previously mentioned "sport" button, which I found unimpressive. It has A/C and cruise control. The A/C dial lights a dull orange when it's on, which is difficult to see in bright conditions. The folding back seats fold nearly flat.
Practicality: This little car looks smaller than it is, and fits a LOT in it. With the seats folded down I transported a small storage array for a customer. My customer, who's about 6 feet tall, also comfortably drove the car around to the loading dock. The back seats are small, but perfectly sized for a couple of children, or dogs, or more of your stuff. I averaged over 32 mpg, a huge plus, but only a couple mpg more than my much larger Plymouth. And with only a 10.5 gallon fuel tank, you're still making frequent fuel stops.
Pros: In town, the car is almost flawless. If you rarely use the highways and like a responsive, practical yet fun car, this may well be your car. Local gas mileage was impressive as well.
Cons: Highway driving is painful. American (at least the northeast American) roads are just too rough for such a stiff suspension. The 1.4L engine might be great in Europe but in the land of Hemi V8s it just can't keep up. Also from my (fairly low) point of view, there is a significant blind spot.
Overall: While this car is definitely not for everyone, I can understand its appeal. If you've ever considered a Smart Car, the Fiat 500 is a far better option, but make sure you consider the Mini Cooper as well.
2012 Fiat 500
101 bhp @ 6,500 rpm
98 lb.-ft. Torque @ 4,000 rpm
Full Specs available
from Fiat
