Fiat 500 Anyone?

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hogged cob

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I am thinking of changing my car for a smaller car, I have 2.5L engine and it is not being used enough, I only do about 60-75 miles a week and they are all short half hour journeys, I am also thinking of something more economical to run.

I like the look of the Fiat 500 and the Fiesta, I will not be buying brand new say around 5 years old.

I am not rushing into it as I love the car I own, but just want a few honest reviews from people that own them and are not trying to sell them to you.

Thank you in advance for your help.
 
I've just traded my fiat 500 for a mini clubman. Cute car and cheap to run but couldnt fit ANYTHING in it - even a bag of feed had to go on the passenger seat. So personally needed something with a bit more room.
 
I had one and swapped it for a Honda Jazz. The FIAT was just too small, even the dog struggled to get comfy and like Hogged Cob said its useless if you have to put anything horsey in it.
However the Jazz might not be the sexiest car but its like Dr Who's tardis!!
It's really roomy, nippy and well made.

Also FIAT stands for Fix It Again Tomorrow...it will fall apart!!!
 
I work for peugeot and would seriously consider a 107. They are small and cheap to run. £20 tax for the year and 63mpg combined. They have a small boot but it's so easy to stick the back seats down and they do sit flat.
 
cobden99 said:
I've just traded my fiat 500 for a mini clubman. Cute car and cheap to run but couldnt fit ANYTHING in it - even a bag of feed had to go on the passenger seat. So personally needed something with a bit more room.
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surprised you've had this problem, you just have to put the back seats down and you get a big boot to fill with feed ect. (obviously if only you or 1 other in the car)
I have a fiat 500 and I love it, about 350 miles on a £40 tank of fuel. and like I said when you need more boot space you just put the back seats down. great little run around. I rarely need to move big things anyway, and saves me a fortune on fuel.

however, I think you do now pay for the fashion look for the car, it has got more expensive, it does look gorgeous though! I have the basic model which wasn't too expensive compared to similar cars, 5 years ago.
 
OH had one for a year - bought new. He sold it on, as it was clear that it was flimsy and the paintwork was poor - it clearly wasn't built to last. He thought it was fun for the time he had it but went back to a Saab in the end.

I drive a Panda. Great robust wee car, high mpg, you can fit a saddle on a saddle tree in the back. OH says it actually drove better than the 500 although his 500 had a bigger engine :) They're built in a different factory, so I suspect the build quality was better. I'd love one of the new style ones (and I'd adore a Panda 4x4)!
 
Love mine. It's not as big as my old KA was. But I can fit 2 shaving bales and one bag of feed in, so big enough for me.
 
I had a 500 as a rental and managed to get 2 bales of shavings in the back with the seats down with room to put something on top.

The only problem I had with it was that the seam on the edge of the bottom part of the seat rubbed the back of my legs and caught on my wellies when changing gear etc.

I own a Fiesta and can get tons in that. I have diesel one that does moon miles to the gallon.
 
I think for a small car you can't beat a Polo. Pretty economical and quite roomy especially with the seats down and, when you shut the doors they go 'clunk' instead of a Fiesta style 'clink'!!
Also, Fiesta's suffer from corrosion around the wheel arches pretty quickly.
 
Last year I bought a Suzuki swift, and it it the most economical car I have ever bought! It's not too small, but small enough, its £30 a year tax, cheap to insure, runs on thin air and its pretty nippy for a 1.2! I love it :)
 
Fiestas are great! Picked mine up yesterday and has plenty of boot space, in fact my two labs jumped in and had plenty of room still!
 
I love my 500 but sadly he will have to go soon. Baby + dog + 6ft OH and me don't all fit without a squeeze.

With back seats down I have fit 3 bags of hifi, 4 bags of nuts and over 20 t/o rugs in my diddy fiat - its all in the technique!
 
Fix It Again Tomorrow!

I have a fiesta and theres loads of room. Fords only suffer from rust/corrosion if they aren't looked after, like anything.
 
Thank you all so much for your replies I will take my time and have a really good think and of course test drive a few before I make my choice. Like I said in my original post I love the car I own now and it will be a hard decision to sell it. I am not too bothered about boot space as hubby has a 4X4 so he goes and gets the supplies for me. And most of the time its just me, our daughter and the border terrier. X
 
I love my 500, best little car I've had... And sooooo much fun to drive... I get all my horse stuff in it no problems :)
 
Love mine. Think I will still have it in 20 years! Great to drive, you can do 3 point turns anywhere.

I have 2 children and we fit fine. But our dog is an Italian Greyhound and I am on part livery so that all helps.
 
I have a Panda, flimsy but not gone wrong in four years so far. Neighbour had a 500 and loved it, but growing family...

Don't get any Ford. The pug 107 is a great car.
 
My husband recently bought himself a new Fiat 500c Abarth Competizione to drive to his new job, round trip about 120 miles/day, because he didn't want to put so many miles on his Merc. He absolutely loves it, so much so that he bought me one too, as I'm always complaining about how thirsty my Disco is for every day driving. Mines a bit more girly, pearlescent white with brown leather interior and a diesel, so amazing fuel consumption. Last week, with the rear seats folded down we had in it 6 bags of horse feed (eg hifi), layers pellets x2, dog food, huge Sainsbury shop including bulky items like 16 loo rolls, a tub trug and a new water pump. I love mine too, fun to drive and super economical (£20 car tax, cheap insurance).
 
Have had my 500 a year from new, can't really fault it. I have the lounge twinair. Tried the 1.2version, very sluggish. But the twinair is a bit nippy and free road tax.
 
Working in the motor industry I drive a lot of cars, fiat 500 is like driving a go kart, put your foot down nothing happens, I didn't like it on the motorway either, not enough go in it for my liking, plus it is very small. The fiesta has got more punch, you feel a bit safer in it, mpg are also very good, and the tax for the newer ones is £20 per year :)
Good luck in your search!
 
Not much use to the OP but fir anyone reading this who is due to change cars. I've just changed from a Mercedes A Class (which I loved) to a Pugeout Bipper 1.4 van and have to say it's been a complete revelation - I didn't need passenger seats anyway, I get at least 55mpg and the freedom of having something that can just be swept out instead of hoovered and worried about is amazing. Tax is expensive but really it's the only drawback, the van has more gadgets and comforts than the Merc did
 
Tinsel Town said:
Working in the motor industry I drive a lot of cars, fiat 500 is like driving a go kart, put your foot down nothing happens, I didn't like it on the motorway either, not enough go in it for my liking, plus it is very small. The fiesta has got more punch, you feel a bit safer in it, mpg are also very good, and the tax for the newer ones is £20 per year :)
Good luck in your search!
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I went from a Fiesta to a Fiat 500.
I'd take the 500 over the Fiesta every time. The Fiat is significantly cheaper to run (same engine size) plus they hold their price for resale. I had my 500 for 18 months and sold it to a garage for the same amount I bought it for :).
I'm now in an Audi A1 Sportback as I couldn't cope with 3 doors in the Fiat.
 
I dislike my Fiat 500 apart from the fact that at 5 years old I am still getting 72 mpg, and as I drive a 70 miles round trip to work that's pretty likeable. Also tax is £20 a year. It is diesel though. OH has a 4x4 so don't need to worry about horse stuff, but with the back seats down it's surprising what goes in.

However I will be getting rid in a year or two and probably won't get another. I think there are some issues with build quality; both me and a friend have had door handles fall off and mine was losing paint around the wheel arches even almost new. At three years a shed load of stuff went wrong, just out of warranty - and not wear and tear items either. My reliable garage man said if I'd told him I was getting a Fiat he'd have warned me off!
 
I've known three people buy fiat 500s brand new and all have sold them as they got sick of the mechanical problems!
I think for small reliable cars you can't beat a ford!
 
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