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Just wondering if anyone has any experience with the new Fiat 500, looking at a 2013 model with 45000mi.

Paul

CR did not have anything good to say about them. But they have been wrong before. I would love to have an Abarth one

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You meet the nicest people in a Locost Se7en.

Can't address the 'new' 500 b ut I did have a X-19 in the mid '80s. I don't remember the mileage on it when I sold it but I pretty sure it was well before 45K.
Biggest drawback were the electrics and then nothing too serious. Mechanically it was pretty sound. Tough to start if real cold out (below Zero).

I would buy another Fiat.

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Larry in Seattle

Old Fiat's were not engineered to drive over 35mph or in temps higher than 75°.

I read some where the new ones have a horrible failure rate, I don't know if that was for primary systems or ancillary.

I can think of a few other ways to spend that coin, I'd buy a Soul or an XB before I would consider a Fiat

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Honey anyone?

Since many locost drivers seem to enjoy spirited driving, it should be mentioned that SCCA doesn't allow the Fiat 500 in the "street" class due to rollover tendency. The Abarth version is allowed. However, we've had an Abarth competing for a couple of years without any of said evil characteristic until a few weeks ago. It rolled in a slalom section. (driver is fine)

Check out the Motor Trend road test of the 2012 version. http://www.motortrend.com/cars/fiat/500 ... -fiat-500/ I've never owned a 500 (the current version) but a rental experience reflected the thoughts in the Motor Trend article.


I can think of several different ways to reply to that statement but I think I'll leave it at there isn't any truth in that outlandish opinion.


It pulled 0.85 g's in the Motor Trend test and NHTSA results are Rollover 4 out of 5 stars, Dynamic Test Result "no tip", Risk of Rollover 14.7%. Not bad results.


Some good information here. http://www.carcomplaints.com/Fiat/500/ The 500 is not perfect.

Disclaimer - I'm a Fiat guy. I've owned, raced, slalomed and rallyed Fiat 500 (old style), Fiat 600, Fiat 750, Fiat 850 coupe and spyder, Fiat Abarth 850, Fiat 128 (a whole bunch of them), Fiat X1/9, Fiat 124 sedan and spyder, and a 131 sedan. My locost is based on Fiat 124 drivetrain. I worked for a few years at a Fiat dealership in the early 1980's. In general they are wonderful, fun vehicles that may present a few interesting challenges to ownership (such as the poor quality metal that was prone to rust through the 60's and early 70's) but they were cheap, easy to fix, and always fast for their engine displacement.

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Bill H
Winnipeg, MB, Canada

My mum bought a 500 just as they became available here in Canada, she has one of the "limited edition" cars. It's a fun car to get around in, but it does need more power. She did have to take it in for a new rear wheel bearing after about 9 months, and if it sits for more than a day there is a big cloud of blue smoke on start up. She took it in to the dealer and explained the situation (typical of bad valve stem seals) but the dealer couldn't find anything wrong with it (or they didnt want to find anything wrong). The fit and finish isn't bad, though my niece did manage to wreck the center arm rest trying to get out of the back seat.

Over all, not a bad car, but I personally wouldn't buy one, unless an Abarth came up for sale at a very low asking price.

In regards to Fiats being bad cars, I don't follow that. The older ones do seem to rust away (my parents used to have a Fiat 126? Wagon in the 70s' and they would always say "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, my Fiat was yellow and now its rust), but the mechanicals seem to work just fine.

I'm sorry, but other than a crib off the original design, I can't call it either a Fiat or a 500. It's like the VW Beetle, too heavy, too cushy, like they simply lost sight of what the car was supposed to be and do. I drove the Spanish version (Seat) of the original when I was in the Navy visiting Palma... omigod what a roller skate of a car... and deadly in the wet. Went through an intersection in the rain with both feet on the brake pedal spinning slowly 720 degrees.... and never hit a thing or (thank God) a pedestrian! Would I like to drive another? HELL YES.

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Who knew so much time involved in building a car is spent simply staring at the pile of parts you've accumulated?

the name says it all "fix it again Tony"

very chick, or was that with an "sh" and a "t"

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this story shall the good man teach his son,
and chrispin chrispian shall ne'er go by,
from this day to the end of the world.
but we in it shall be remembered.

It actually stands for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino. Been in business continually since 1899. How many British manufacturers can say that?

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Bill H
Winnipeg, MB, Canada

Sadly, not many, if any, survive to this day. Not under the mantles of their origins, anyway. And, just to poke the horse, how about all the Russian continuation under Lada and the unfortunately timed YUGO brands.... I suppose the Indian continuation of the Morris might be applicable, as the Hindustan Ambassador... The only British company that comes to mind as being hidebound to it's origins is Morgan, I think.

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Who knew so much time involved in building a car is spent simply staring at the pile of parts you've accumulated?