For A small punchy turbodiesel engine in a small, agile car. It's useful around town and mega mpg is possible. It’s the cheapest way to get the great 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine in the 500.
Against As with all Pop models, the standard equipment levels are a bit meagre. Spend some money on basics and you might as well have bought the Sport in the first place. Rear seats are cramped.
If you can live without air conditioning, alloy wheels and suchlike, this is appealing, but the 500 is all about looking – and feeling – cool.
You have the choice of five different engines in the 500, including the one in the hot Abarth version that sits at the top of the range. Although it’s brisk rather than stupidly fast, this is the most exciting car in the range to drive, thanks to its lower, stiffer suspension and weightier steering.
That’s in direct contrast to the cheaper versions, which are not so great on the road, thanks to their jittery ride and disappointing handling. Given that, we think the best versions are the cheaper ones, and the pick of the range is the cheapest, the 1.2 Pop.
It may not come with alloys or air-conditioning, but you can add those as options without reaching the overall price of the next-cheapest model in the range. It also has the added reassurance – as does every model in the range – of a maximum five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating.
I purchased this car new, in July this year after,…
The 500 is great fun. Steering is direct, gear…
I have owned this car since 2009 with 17 miles on…
I bought my Fiat 500 1.4 Sport in February and…