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Thread: Fiat 500, anyone got one?

  1. #1
    Master stoneyloon's Avatar
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    Fiat 500, anyone got one?

    Looking for a small runaround and the 500 in Lounge spec looks fine.
    Local dealer has a pre-registered one for a good deal, anything I should worry about?

    Cheers,
    Adam.


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  2. #2
    Craftsman
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    wifes on her third i think . No major issues however the car is very under powered on hills . Lounge spec is air con iirc and not climate but we did have the flap on the aircon ( climate) snap a few years back and its a dash out repair and well known so that got traded in ! Only stuff is tyres/ disc and pads and ball joints taking a whack in the first 20k ish miles . Oh and a door handle snapping

  3. #3
    Master
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    Mrs has also had 3 and picked up a new one last week.
    The 1.2s struggle to get up a hill and the 0.9 twin air was a giggle.
    Nothing went wrong with the older ones but the new dash and interior is much better.

  4. #4
    Wife has one, she loves it, i hate it.

    Her ecoboost Fiesta i would find any excuse to have a drive of rather than my 14yr old Saab, this thing, i've driven it once and have no desire to ever again, the 1.2 engine is dire and the interior is shiny horrid scratch-able plastic, especially the body coloured dash bit.

    They seem popular though

  5. #5
    Lease is about £100 a month and throw it away after that here

    Tons of them about second hand so wouldn't go new

    Mates mrs has the auto no issues


    The fiesta st "line" is the same lease price and goes like stink

  6. #6
    I have one and no issues but my mileage is embarrassing low. There is biggish service every 5years or so- water pump and cambelt. If I do get that climate issue then I may also consider selling. Wish they had zip cars in the burbs.

  7. #7
    Anything you should worry about? If you're a bloke called Adam, your dignity!

    Seiously though, my daughter has one and for the price, it's very nice. Not much umph of course, but it depends what you're comparing with.

    Got to say I do feel a bit of a chump driving it, but don't let my issues with my masculinity sway you.

  8. #8
    Craftsman
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    Quote Originally Posted by samswatch View Post
    I have one and no issues but my mileage is embarrassing low. There is biggish service every 5years or so- water pump and cambelt. If I do get that climate issue then I may also consider selling. Wish they had zip cars in the burbs.
    i tried and considered changing the plastic cog/flap but when i looked at it , it was a dash out and about 1k at the dealer etc so it went as a trade in , iirc you only got air to the windscreen as a sign of it not behaving . I would consider a diesel but the 1.2 is very limp to drive and we have had ones prior to the watchdog recall and after so go figure

  9. #9
    Grand Master
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    Test drive it before going forward.
    I'm tall and found the seating position horrible. Giving yourself enough leg length means having to fully extend arms to reach the steering wheel. Having the wheel at a comfortable distance means knees for earrings.

  10. #10
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    My mrs just had one as a courtesy car while her alfa was in for a service and absolutely hated it. Funnily enough every time she used to see one she would say she liked the look of them and always fancied one for tearing round town, but having now driven one she wouldnt touch it with a bargepole. She described it as "flimsy" and reckoned it was gutless and like it was powered by a hairdryer.

  11. #11
    Master -Ally-'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by stoneyloon View Post
    Looking for a small runaround and the 500 in Lounge spec looks fine.
    Local dealer has a pre-registered one for a good deal, anything I should worry about?
    Hills ?

    https://www.motoringresearch.com/new...bbcs-watchdog/

  12. #12
    Master
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    We contract hired one for my wife, great little town car but that's about it. It jigs about on uneven roads and I hated it but wife loved it especially parking it. Nothing went wrong with ours in three years but we only did 15k miles. Servicing is expensive

  13. #13
    Master Wolfie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nexus04 View Post
    My mrs just had one as a courtesy car while her alfa was in for a service and absolutely hated it. Funnily enough every time she used to see one she would say she liked the look of them and always fancied one for tearing round town, but having now driven one she wouldnt touch it with a bargepole. She described it as "flimsy" and reckoned it was gutless and like it was powered by a hairdryer.
    Is it the same same engine as the Panda???

    Currently got one as a hire car in Greece and it doesn't like hills, which is a bit of an issue in Lefkada

    Getting out of a steep beach yesterday took some rather fulsome driving…. Sharp turns and foot down whilst praying that nothing was coming the other way as it would simply not move if I had stopped… A nice car in many ways, but, how can you provide an engine that won't even shift in first gear??? It simply left me stranded Ion a few hills chugging at 2mph in 1st gear until it levelled out…. Quite extraordinary.

  14. #14
    Master senwar's Avatar
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    Mrs bad one (new in 2010). She hated it. And it was very problematic.

    Back in the garage 6 times in first 5 weeks - in hindsight should have rejected it. She got rid finally at 3yrs old as they were trying to fleece her on a warranty item and it was the final straw

    Lovely looking little car for women but it definitely lived up to the bad rep of fiat.

  15. #15
    It is weird that the Abarths have a good reputation for reliability?

  16. #16
    Master yumma's Avatar
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    The wife and I test drove one, it was a while back before the 0.9 Turbo, so we took out the 1.4 petrol Sport model (same engine as a Panda 100HP), we thought that should feel sprightly, it felt like a car twice its weight and not good to drive at all, we bought a Mini Cooper 1.6 instead - really liked that car and now on our third new shape Mini.

  17. #17
    We have an Abarth and it is great, both of us love it.

    Does not have any hill problems, but then it has 165 bhp in a tennis shoe

  18. #18
    Master
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    As a cheap(er) run about I'd get the Panda... the 500 is essentially a re-bodied panda anyway but with a several grand markup, IMHO.
    If it's for a women then okay 'cause they seem to be aimed very much at the fairer sex with the 'cute/retro' styling.

    The second hand market is flooded with them.

  19. #19
    Master yumma's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by b11ocx View Post
    We have an Abarth and it is great, both of us love it.

    Does not have any hill problems, but then it has 165 bhp in a tennis shoe
    These fly, I remember driving around in my 2.7 Boxster and thinking 'what the heck was that as one came past me', they are properly fast and I loved the backfiring exhaust pops too.

  20. #20
    Journeyman Paulie's Avatar
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    I had the same problem on hills with the 1.2 I hired in Lanzarote last year, barely climbed in 1st gear, at one point I thought we were going to have to give up and roll back down! I drove a customers Abarth recently and that was a lot of fun!


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  21. #21
    Grand Master Foxy100's Avatar
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    We have a 2010 1.2 and it doesn't like hills, plus you have to give it some revs to pull away without stalling. It handles really nicely once you get it into your head that you can't afford to slow down for anything, so all the fun is trying to keep it at 60 on an A- or B-road, not slowing down for roundabouts and corners and so on. Overtaking requires massive run-ups and good fortune. If you like that sort of thing or live somewhere without too many hills you'll be fine. The car weighs over a ton, which for me is unacceptable for a small city car. I wouldn't recommend it if you have children unless they're old enough to climb in and out of a child seat and are under the age of 10 or 12. I'm 6'2" and find the seats very comfortable, although the size of them affronts my sensibilities, it's so far from the original in terms of weight and ergonomics it's silly. We're on our second niggling electrics problem (the stop-start gave up years ago), with the digital dash no longer working, so guessing how much fuel is in the car is all part of driving anywhere (I'm hoping the fuel light is still working but don't know yet!). After about 25k miles the car needed new front discs and pads and a set of tyres, which isn't bad but not ideal on the brake disc front.

    I forgot to say that I'd go for a Panda any day of the week unless you specifically want the styling of the 500 at the expense of handling, ride, general practicality and just sheer fun of driving. I've loved all the times I've driven the bog standard Panda, which has never pretended or tried to be anything else.
    "A man of little significance"

  22. #22
    The hill problem was featured on Watchdog a while back.

    https://www.motoringresearch.com/new...bbcs-watchdog/

    Foggy

  23. #23
    Mate's missus has one and loves it - in Arbath spec it's quick enough for modern traffic (less so in poverty spec) but made of awful cheap plastic - bits have already broken (most recently the seat release lever) and parts are slow to arrive and silly money. Reliability OK but at £16k (IIRC) there's a lot better cars to be had!

  24. #24
    Craftsman
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    Quote Originally Posted by Foggy View Post
    The hill problem was featured on Watchdog a while back.

    https://www.motoringresearch.com/new...bbcs-watchdog/

    Foggy
    thats it! if we go out there is a hill near a restaurant near us that we have to take a good run at to get up it with any sense of normality and not revving its nuts off. The downside i found with it was it was great for pottering about in but to move along at say motorway speeds and overtake safely you have to cane it and the fuel economy drops like a brick then so a bit futile if you go by the fuel economy to buy it

  25. #25
    Craftsman Lazydonkey's Avatar
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    We've had a 0.9 twin air lounge for 3 years and 10k and my mrs loves it. Twin air is night and day better than the 1.2 and well worth the extra if you can find one. Sounds hilariously throaty for a town car and has the torque to allow you to join a motorway at speed.....which our old 1.2 panda really struggles with.

    Nothing has broken or fallen off ours - despite our toddlers best endeavours.

    I drive it once every few weeks and it never fails to raise a smile (in town certainly). On the open road it's not quite as much fun but it's a great wee car.

  26. #26
    Master stoneyloon's Avatar
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    Cheers chaps, it's a 1.2 locally so won't be going for that.....
    There's a 0.9, 105hp at a decent price too. I think they're great looking we cars and have plenty of space in it for me at 6' 2" .

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  27. #27
    Craftsman
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    Talking of not liking hills, we had a Lancia Ypsilon 1.0 as a hire car whilst on holiday and it was literally the worst car I have ever been in.
    One day we were coming out of an underground car park in Alicante city, at the bottom of the exit was the barriers then once they lifted immediately you were hit with a short but steep incline to ground level. Took me three attempts to get up it in the piece of sh*t, first and second time even with the revs higher than normal it just stalled after a metre or two, in the end I had the engine screaming before letting the clutch out and it finally plodded up. By the sounds of it the 500 is the same so definitely do not go there!

    Suppose it made good entertainment for the people at the top haha

  28. #28
    Grand Master Foxy100's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by stoneyloon View Post
    Cheers chaps, it's a 1.2 locally so won't be going for that.....
    There's a 0.9, 105hp at a decent price too. I think they're great looking we cars and have plenty of space in it for me at 6' 2" .

    Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using TZ-UK mobile app
    Why not go for a test drive? You just have to go for a lower gear for steep hills, it's not the end of the world, and as it's a dealer you don't have to feel guilty about wasting their time trying it out to see if you like the seats etc.
    "A man of little significance"

  29. #29
    Sure you cant be tempted with the Abarth? incredible little cars


  30. #30
    Master stoneyloon's Avatar
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    The daughter will get a shot too so insurance for the Abarth for a 17 yr old will be nuts I'm assuming.....

    Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using TZ-UK mobile app

  31. #31
    My wife has the 0.9 twin air and loves it, reminds her of her old Minis :)

    Servicing costs are a little pricey from memory, others have said well worth going for a test drive in a twin air

    Sent from my Lenovo TAB 2 A10-70F using Tapatalk

  32. #32
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    We have a 1.4 Sport - coming up to 9 years old now and no issues apart from a hub bearing, wiper blades, set of discs and pads, rear silencer box and tyres. Boot space is on the small side, as is rear knee room. Driving position is good but quite high - if you prefer to sit with your a*** (English spelling) on the floor then a 500 isn't for you.
    Rear silencer sits in a stream of spray in bad weather and tends to rot quickly. I got a stainless version 5 years ago from a member of the FIAT Forum for £175 and it will outlast me.

    Goes very well and certainly doesn't feel "heavy" as someone suggested (it is around 250kgs lighter than Mini - depending on model). Yes a modern Mini may feel more solid and a bigger car - but then it is more expensive and better trimmed. As always though. find a local specialist independent garage for ANY car, dealerships are for warranty work and company-owned vehicles. Plenty of nearly-new cars around if you need a bargain (applies to most other marques as well)

    - - - Updated - - -

    We have a 1.4 Sport - coming up to 9 years old now and no issues apart from a hub bearing, wiper blades, set of discs and pads, rear silencer box and tyres. Boot space is on the small side, as is rear knee room. Driving position is good but quite high - if you prefer to sit with your a*** (English spelling) on the floor then a 500 isn't for you.
    Rear silencer sits in a stream of spray in bad weather and tends to rot quickly. I got a stainless version 5 years ago from a member of the FIAT Forum for £175 and it will outlast me.

    Goes very well and certainly doesn't feel "heavy" as someone suggested (it is around 250kgs lighter than Mini - depending on model). Yes, a modern Mini may feel more solid and a bigger car - but then it is more expensive and better trimmed. As always though. find a local specialist independent garage for ANY car, dealerships are for warranty work and company-owned vehicles. Plenty of nearly-new cars around if you need a bargain (applies to most other marques as well)

  33. #33
    Master Wolfie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Foggy View Post
    The hill problem was featured on Watchdog a while back.

    https://www.motoringresearch.com/new...bbcs-watchdog/

    Foggy
    Blimey… that's if !!!

    Frankly, it's unsafe…. How can you produce a car that can't go up a sodding hill?

    Anyway…. I've got my technique down now after nearly 2 weeks in Greece!!!

  34. #34
    Master
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    My wife has a twin air 105hp Lounge model - got it new about 2 years ago. She loves it, and it's fun to drive. Only the 1.2 4 cyl model is sluggish. Not sure it's a good car for long distances though.

    The driving position is definitely high up.

    Fuel economy is nothing to write home about if you use the turbo, but it's fine if you are gentle, and the 2 cylinder engine sounds brilliant when revved.

    Absolutely no issues in 2 years.

    Pete

  35. #35
    Grand Master AlphaOmega's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by verv View Post
    Having the wheel at a comfortable distance means knees for earrings.
    [Austin Powers]

    Grrrr!

    [/Austin Powers]

  36. #36
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    0.9 twin air sport.
    A little harsh on the ride, but great fun to drive, zero tax, hardly ever seem to put petrol in it. Great for parking :)

  37. #37
    Grand Master number2's Avatar
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    A mid 1980's Fiat 126 had 26bhp on tap, doing a demonstration up and down the hills of Sheffield never caused a problem, it was all about technique, same with the 2cv.
    "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."

    'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.

  38. #38
    Craftsman
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    Wife has one,she has the 900cc twin air sport one,they do use a bit of oil but most small engine cars do,its had both rear shocks replaced under warranty due to them leaking.

    She loves it and its great on fuel.

  39. #39
    Craftsman
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    Forgot to mention 2nd service was £290 and its on its second set of rubber after 14k

  40. #40
    Master stoneyloon's Avatar
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    Thanks again chaps....

  41. #41
    Craftsman
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    Quote Originally Posted by number2 View Post
    A mid 1980's Fiat 126 had 26bhp on tap, doing a demonstration up and down the hills of Sheffield never caused a problem, it was all about technique, same with the 2cv.
    We have a right ball ache getting up eckington hill in ours if we don't get a run at it fully loaded

  42. #42
    Master
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    Funnily enough I got back from Malaga last night after a short break and so have been driving one all week.
    No idea what cc it was but compared to the last one I drove (also a hire car) it was indeed poor on hills. Some needed first gear, which is rather embarrassing.

    Fine for a city car though, and easy to park.

  43. #43
    Grand Master TheFlyingBanana's Avatar
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    Friend bought one of the people carrier versions - poorly put together and so underpowered he gave it back.

    I think the regular ones with the higher power engines are a different kettle of fish though.
    So clever my foot fell off.

  44. #44
    Grand Master number2's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by P ELLIS View Post
    We have a right ball ache getting up eckington hill in ours if we don't get a run at it fully loaded
    Towards Barlbourgh, or Mosborough?

    Just curious.
    "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."

    'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.

  45. #45
    Master KavKav's Avatar
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    Blimey, last time I had to take a run at a hill was in my first car, a three gear Ford Popular!

  46. #46
    All this talk of them struggling with a hill... to me they always looked they would struggle getting up a speed bump.

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