2012 FIAT 500

fun to drive great reiability

By italy (KY) on Tuesday, May 07, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 45,000

Pros: "fun reliabl"

Cons: "rear seat room"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"amazing keep it up FIAT really fun to drive with cabrio model"

1 person out of 3 found this review helpful

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2013 500 Abarth Cabrio

By droy (CA) on Wednesday, April 10, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 600

Pros: "Performance, Ride, Fun, Value, Build Quality"

Cons: "Steering Wheel needs telescope feature"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"This car needs is a telescoping steering wheel and passenger seat adjustment should offer same settings as the driver seat. It takes a bit to get used to sitting "on" the seat vs. sitting "in" the seat, but overall a really fun car for my daily commute of 60 miles in Southern California traffic. Very solid, and quiet on the freeway. Love the exhaust note around town. Yes cup holders are small so I bought an Abarth cup for 8 bucks it fits great. Skip the auto climate control, it works OK but for 800 bucks you get the same effect using the standard heat & a/c controls. The Beats stereo system is great and the Blue & Me works well. I also skipped the Tom Tom because I have a Garmin and I prefer to keep it on the left of the instrument cluster vs. the factory settings of on the right side."

3 people out of 3 found this review helpful

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Fantastic Value

By Music Dude (FL) on Saturday, April 06, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 12,700

Pros: "Quality of construction, fuel economy, reliability"

Cons: "Rear seat room"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"I bought my 2013 Fiat 500 Sport 5 speed to replace a 2009 Mini Cooper S Clubman. After owning the Mini just wasn't confident that it would hold up long term without having to take out a second mortgage to pay the mechanic. At under 30K miles, I had to have the following done: timing chain and tensioner and front brake pads along with regular routine maintenance. When I traded the car in at 32K, the car was indicating that it needed rear brake pads in another 10K miles. So, going from a 27,000 car to a 19,500 car would be painful, right? Not at all. I have features in tis car that the Mini did not have- 7 speaker Beats Audio with satellite radio and climate control. OK I gave up the power of the turbo in the Mini for the 101hp Fiat, but I am now averaging 39 MPG on my daily 120 mile round trip commute. Highway manners/handling are excellent, and the sport seats are very comfortable, even on long trips. The brakes are excellent, and the steering is very responsive. Fit and finish is excellent and the paint quality is far better than one would expect of a car in this price range. I have had no unexpected service visits, and the built in computer indicates when routing maintenance is requires. My oil change light came on around 8000 miles. While it does have rear seats, think of them as emergency seating only. With only 101hp on tap, expect to downshift from 5th to 4th for speedy passing. I'd buy this car again in a heartbeat."

8 people out of 8 found this review helpful

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A blast to drive, seems reliable so far

By bigelephant (TX) on Saturday, March 02, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 9,185

Pros: "Fun to drive, Great MPG, Low Cost"

Cons: "Some features could be better quality"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"I am frugal and wanted a fun car to drive, that was also low cost. Being a single person, I wanted a small car I could zip in and out of traffic with. I LOVE driving this car. You have to use the Sport button to really feel the power and control. I love the fact I'm getting 40+ miles per gallon. For me that means it's cheaper driving than taking the park and ride bus. Houston traffic is a nightmare, but I feel safe in this car and have been able to avoid accidents in it simply because of it's size. The interior is comfortable. There are some interesting attention to details pieces, but then there are a few things that are lacking. I wish the Bluetooth did a better job of integrating with my phone's media. I wish the armrest on the driver's side was a little more sturdy. and that the middle console a little bit closer up. But I've had this car almost a year with no problems. The only problem I see is chips in the paint. I don't know if that's from gravel/debris of highway driving, but I think it shouldn't chip like that. Other than that, the engine seems to run perfect, although it's hot to the touch. I say this is a GREAT car for the value. If you add extras, maybe not so much. It was between this and a Kia Soul. I only wish I had the soul when I move furniture. But I can get my bike in the back and pretty much a lot of stuff with the fold-down seats. I really would recommend this car to anyone who is looking for an inexpensive car, with great gas mileage and some good safety features."

7 people out of 7 found this review helpful

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Unreliable Italian. Cannot recommend.

By La Suocera (NY) on Monday, February 25, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 4,500

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 1

"Car has broken down completely three times in 4500 miles. Electronics flip out and shut down transmission, power steering, everything -- a terrifying experience for a jelly bean of a car. Am hoping it breaks down one more time, as 4 times are required in NYS for Lemon Law to kick in. They say that FIAT stands for "Fix It Again, Tony," and they're right. I've seen altogether too much of Tony lately, and I can't get out of my lease, Buyer, beware."

7 people out of 14 found this review helpful

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