The 500's agile handling and crisp-shifting manual make it fun to drive. The four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual returned 33 mpg overall, but require frequent downshifts to keep up on hills and with traffic. A 135-hp turbo engine improves the experience, but the ride is choppy and the cabin noisy. Head room up front is good, but the cabin is narrow and the steering wheel is too far away for some. The rear seats are very tight and difficult to access. The convertible has a clever top. The high-performance Abarth is quick, corners well, and sounds good, and the 500e electric version is enjoyable too. First year reliability is average but the 500 scores too low to recommend
A subscription to ConsumerReports.org includes Consumer Reports road test reports (based on over 50 different tests).
Fiat Blog Content
Pick a road trip car for our engineer
The mission: Help me pick a car for a road trip to a human factors conference in the Adirondacks. Next week I'm heading to my favorite conference, Driving Assessment 2013. Held biannually, 200 or so researchers get together to present...
Just in: Fiat 500 Abarth sounds good at our track
I look up from what I'm doing at my desk every time our new Fiat 500 Abarth pulls in or out of the Auto Test Center's parking lot. Every time. Yes, this bantam Italian car sounds that good. While we've...
Electric car lease deals are the best way to drive an EV
Over the long haul, leasing is usually not the most cost-effective way to put a car in your driveway. It may not be the best choice for most car shoppers, but there are exceptions. Notably, if you're interested in driving...
Video: The Fiat 500e is an electric car with an attitude
The Fiat 500e electric car is Chrysler's token entry for complying with California's zero-emissions mandate. In living with the 500e, it was clear that Chrysler engineers didn't just phone this one in; they actually sweated the details and came up...
Who owns which car brands?
The auto industry has a very confusing family tree. The past few years have seen partnerships, sales, separations, bankruptcies, and entire divisions killed off, making it difficult to keep up with who owns which car brands. As automakers slim down...
