Does anyone drive a Fiat 500?

[alldakatz]

I am about to change my car and thinking of getting a Fiat 500, but I have to admit I am swayed by the cuteness factor. Has anyone any particularly bad (or good) experiences with this model?

My dd had 2 over the years. Def no downsides. Although a baby car seat carrier doesn't fit into the back. Had to load ds via the back parcel shelf !

My dd had 2 over the years. Def no downsides. Although a baby car seat carrier doesn't fit into the back. Had to load ds via the back parcel shelf !j

Second hand experience rather than my own but my friend had a fiat 500L for about a year recently. It was in the garage more than it was and she eventually got the finance company to take it back.
I did the think the interior was really well designed and well thought out for family life though, it just a shame it wasn’t more reliable.

I used to have a Fiat 500 years ago and then my DC got a bit too big to be comfortable in the back. It was huge fun to drive and I could park it anywhere. The boot is tiny, I could fit exactly four bags for life in the boot when I went to the supermarket and any more than that had to go into a footwell.

Had them as holiday hire cars. Lovely experience except on steep hills.

When my mother was alive very easy for her to get in and out of the front passenger seat.

I had one and loved it. Had to sell it once we had Grandchildren because it was too small in the back to get the baby into car seat without ruining my back and shoulders.

Loved mine but had to give up due to having kids. Would have another in a heartbeat if I didn’t need a large car.

I brought mine new and have had it for 10 years. Been a perfect run around. We will have to sell soon as having a baby and not very practical for car seats.

Downsides are the two doors so not ideal if you will regularly use the back. I got the twin air turbo model because the engine on the mainstream 1.2L wasn't punchy enough for me. I think it's ok for most people though just depends on how much acceleration you like on motorways and hills etc.

I've had almost no work needing done until more recently. Last 2 years things have started to come up like coolant leaks/suspension but nothing too expensive.

I have loved mine - gorgeous little car.

I drive a 2010 fiat, I love it. It's small and cheap to run. 😄

I’m with you OP they are very cute but too small for me . My friend has one and it’s given her no problems .

A friend has one, she really likes it. It’s a 14 plate and has just gone through another mot just fine. It’s does have problems that pop up from time to time but they seem to be smaller, niggly things rather than anything serious. Says it’s fun to drive, turns on a sixpence but says it’s like driving a toaster it’s so tiny! I think I’d feel a little scared on a motorway but you’d probably get used to it I’m sure.

I'll be the dissenting voice.

Had several as a hire car for work and have had to ask never to have another provided!

Grossly underpowered, terrible fuel economy in both the petrol and hybrid versions.

You can't adjust the steering wheel positional depth, only up and down which is rubbish.

You can't adjust the height of the seat belt so it's constantly cutting into your neck (visible marks every time I drove it).

Tiny boot, couldn't safely transport a medium sized dog anywhere as back seats are shallow. Also uncomfortable for adult passengers to sit on.

No positives from me, really dislike them. I'm also only 5'9" so who exactly are the ergonomics designed for?

Had one for 11 years. It was the basic 1.2l not the twin air but that meant it was basic and bulletproof. It was the pre euro 5 engine as well so it didnt suffer from the hill start issue that came with euro 5.

They are small and cheap and fuel efficient. They have 7 airbags and have a high crash test score. I wouldnt want to be in one in a big accident with a landrover though.

We loved the cuteness and if it wasnt for all the bigger cars around and the extra miles we started having to do we wouldnt have changed. If i was just doing town driving then it would be high on my list for value and character.

The car we had cost £10k brand new 13 years ago. We ran it for 11 years and sold it for £3k with just servicing costs. Bargain motoring.

Mine is perfect, even with two car seats in the back!

Will add though that my husband has a big car that we use for long journeys and holidays and at 6”2 he struggles to get in and out that easily in my fiat! He also gets a stiff neck if he drives it. But for me to potter about in and do school run it is cheap, comfy and perfect!

I'm on my fourth! I love them. Easy to drive and park. Great manoeuvrability. And yes they are cute. Rubbish with kids though, no room in the back and a tiny boot.

Am on my third . Had to change when I had a baby as the car seat was impossible to get in. I like them (obviously) the looks rather than build quality. They’ve never really gone wrong. Brakes aren’t brilliant and would I fare as well in a crash as other cars probably not. No sat nav or reversing camera or any mod cons really.

I’ve had them for so long I’ve just thought what, you can get cars where the steering wheel and the seatbelt position are able to be altered?? And I could move my steering wheel up and down im my current car, never noticed that. Off to have a look.

We had a 500 L as a rental and the sat-nav didn’t know where Gatwick airport was, even giving it the post code!

I have a fiat 500. It has no guts. Go for a abarth. Looks cute still but has some power behind it. I wish someone had said that to me.

I’ve had 3, loved them all, despite the first one having practically no handbrake! I think I was lucky, apparently there’s a reason they’re known as Fix It Again Tomorrow!

I can't work out if these are typos or you've suddenly switched to Gaelic.

Oh, you've just edited. So what's an "abarth"?

I used a couple through work for business travel.

I would avoid the 1.2 engine as being far too underpowered but the twin air was great.

Like anything it really depends how you’ll be using it. As a city run around that you’re unlikely to have more than one passenger in it’s a great little car. Yes the boot is tiny, but again if it’s just you and even one passenger you can just fold down the rear seats.

The twin air, is nippy in city traffic, easy to park and I found it quite fun to drive (and that’s in the context of me loving driving and owning many high performance premium sports cars),

I wouldn’t want it to be the only car I had access to, but I can absolutely see why people like them (caveat don’t get the 1.2 engine).

I'm looking for an electric one, test drive was good, very nippy. Turns on a sixpence which I need as awkward parking where I live.

I love mine. Very cute and responsive. Great for city driving. It's a bit noisy on the motorway.