USED Fiat 500 Hatchback (08 - )

My car

The Fiat 500 is a cute and endearing car. Several people have complimented it in the week that I have had one on hire. Inside and out the styling is retro. The dashboard is colored to match the exterior paintwork and features pretty, old-school buttons. The instrument display is a beautiful arrangement of concentric circles. It's a fun car to sit in and be seen in.

Things are less good with the 1.2l petrol engine. It's chirpy enough, but very weak. It generates just enough power for city driving, but out of town the engine struggles. This is a city car, and at motorway speeds the engine feels out of breath and cabin noise is loud.

It's a small car too. The boot is twee and rear leg room is cramped, though head and legroom are ample up front. Its small size does allow for easier parking and city maneuvering; Both of which are helped by the electric steering which can be made finger light at low speeds, but which feels detached at higher speeds.

Fuel economy is reasonable but not brilliant. The little engine does need to be pushed quite hard which cannot help its consumption. The stop/start system works well in traffic.

The 500 is a desirable car that never looks out of place. It is fine for around town but struggles on longer journeys. I suggest considering the 0.9l twinair over the 1.2l engine for a livelier experience, or if you want to overtake anything with reasonable safety.

My car

Went from an Audi A6 Sline > BMW 320D M Sport > Fiat 500 Abarth...

The 500 is by far the quickest off the line and the cheapest to fill up. (45lt Tank) The 500 has also been the MORE reliable car of the three brands! Nothing but 2x new light bulbs for front needing replaced in 6 months

Great car, fun to drive and look great! The Brakes don't feel as sharp as i want them to be, but may be due to me mibi needing new pads? Clutch and gear changes are smooth as anything! A lot better and smoother than a 3 Series!

Suspension & Ride CAN be a bit jittery and harsh...but no harder than a 320D M Sport on run flats! Grips and Corners like a fly! I'd say the 500 holds the road better and more confidence inspiring than a 3 Series!

Space...plenty! I would say this feels bigger and more comfortable than a Mini Cooper (had one of these as well) It can take 4 full adults on 30-40 min drives fine...no issues.

The "awkward" driving position report is a load mince! Nothing wrong with it.

The sound system is on par with the more expensive Audi A6 sound system! & has MP3 play back. The blue tooth system works fine with the Iphone 4 i have... The USB Media connection does not appear to work with the Iphone!

Averaging around 40mpg... About £40 to fill up from under a 1/4 tank. Roughly get around 270-300 miles per tank... Mostly town driving i do in 30-40 speed limits. Tyres. Got a Pair of Pirelli for £130 all in. Servicing. Its a Fiat Vs German Exec Cars...it HAS

My car

I purchased this car new, in July this year after, having had experience of driving my wife's 500 1.2 Pop. Must admit I was a little dubious of driving a less then 900cc 2 cylinder engined car, but after a comprehensive test drive and fully testing the Dualogic gearbox to it's full potential I was won over.

The car is fun to drive, very economical and the headroom in the car is most surprising seeing that I am 6ft tall. Have recently completed a 650 mile round trip which took in M25,M1,M18 and A19 which proved effortless.The driving position was comfortable and It held it's own amidst other traffic cruising along at 70mph and occasionally beyond.

One thing to note is that looking at the manufacturers fuel consumption figures of 60+ mpg, I cannot see how this can be achieved. If you look on the Fiat Forum you will be pushed to find anyone who attains this figure. However on the long run I achieved 50mpg which is Ok by me.

All in all I am pleased to have downsized from a larger family saloon. Bonuses are: easier to park, Zero Road Tax, £100 less on Insurance and a considerable saving on fuel.

My car

The 500 is great fun. Steering is direct, gear change is slick and acceleration is perky enough (even it if occasionally struggles in some gears). Revs need to be kept low for best fuel consumption - we find the best returns come from driving at 60 on the motorway (tops) and driving on A-roads and dual carriageways. We tend to get around the 50 mark but have achieved higher. It doesn't suck through the fuel too quickly, either, and filling the car up isn't too expensive in comparison to some cars.

The quality of the interior so far appears to be excellent. Some soft-touch plastics would've been nice, but those that do feature in the 500 are tough and well put together. The interior is great to spend time in - lovely dashboard, clear buttons, although it's a shame the Blue & Me system isn't compatible with Apple products straight away - you have to buy an extra adaptor if you want to listen to your iPod tunes through the system! Practicality is fine - the boot swallows a surprising amount, although the rear seat bases are quite shallow so your legs are left wiggling about when you go round bends. All part of the fun though!

Overall, ride quality could be better but the 500 really feels special on every journey. Great to drive, great to be in, and cheap to run.