Quick Test Drive: Fiat 500

Though this is technically a 500C at the Indy Auto Show, it is similarly colored and equipped, with the exception of the automatic transmission.

Hello readers, I’m taking a pause in my Tokyo posts to finally bring you some test drive impressions of the Fiat 500. I got to test drive one back over Thanksgiving break, and wrote this up a couple weeks after the drive.

I’ve always enjoyed little cars, and was pleased that a couple years ago such a charming and stylish little hatchback got the chance to come to America. Not only that, but it’s the first new, affordable Italian car to make it here since the early 90s, and as a result, the first Italian car I’ve ever driven.

Easily the most striking thing about the Fiat is the exterior. The Fiat 500 manages to one up the cuteness of both the Mini Cooper and VW Beetle. That cuteness may be a bit hard to stomach for the insecure, but for those that are uninhibited by insecurities would be hard pressed to find any vehicle with the same level of style and chicness for the money.

The style certainly doesn’t end on the outside either. The interior takes the trendy Italian look even further, particularly with the red and white configuration in the 500 Pop I test drove. A short, body color coordinated dashboard evokes the old cars of the fifties that had plain painted dashboards. However, unlike classic 500s, featureless painted metal gives way to painted plastic bearing airbags and all the modern conveniences you would need. The instrument cluster also gets a big dash of style with the tachometer being nested inside the speedometer so that the tach needle races along the inside track and the speedo needle cruises along the outside track. While a very cool idea, the graphics on the instruments were a bit difficult to make out at first, and other data was in the trip computer in the center. The computer was controlled with a very convenient button on one of the steering stalks that is easier to access than those little buttons buried in the panel behind the steering wheel on other cars.

Fiat 500s come well equipped with standard cruise control, leather steering wheel, steering wheel controls, auxillary USB port, air conditioning, ABS, electronic stability control, and remote keyless entry. All of this for a base price of $16,000 MSRP, which also prices it favorably with subcompact leaders like the Honda Fit (only about $100 separate the two). Though from a practicality standpoint, the 500 doesn’t hold a candle to the Fit considering that the Fit has two more doors and is nearly two feet longer than the diminutive 500.

This is probably a good time to go over a couple of issues that crop up from this small package. First and foremost is that the backseat is nearly useless. With two adults sitting up front in comfortable positions, any rear passenger will find their legs merging with the seats in front of them. And even when the front occupants compromise their space for the sake of the rear passengers, comfort is not a word that would spring to mind. Also, avoid packaging your Fiat with a sunroof and the optional upgraded sound system if you have someone on the passenger side frequently. The sunroof takes away some of the admittedly rather good headroom, and the sound system places an amplifier underneath the passenger seat, raising it up. The end result is a severe headroom crunch for the passenger, as evidenced by my dad who is only about 5’10” and was feeling kind of tight.

There’s more space in here if you don’t opt for the Beats Audio sub.

However, it’s not all bad spacewise in the 500. In general, space is quite good. Plenty of headroom (in standard form, no sunroof and no upgraded stereo), elbow room, and leg room. I did find my knee occasionally coming into contact with the center stack near where the shifter is positioned, but pretty good overall. And surprisingly, the 500 does have more cargo space behind the rear seats than the Mini Cooper, another cool small hatchback that has tight rear accommodations as well. The impressive part being that the 500 comes up seven inches shorter than the Mini.

As important as all of this is, the driving experience is where everything needs to come together, and the 500 isn’t too shabby. The compact dimensions make the 500 a piece of cake to maneuver and position. This ease of mobility is reinforced by the superb visibility. Large windows give a great view out, and the very tall riding position lets you take full advantage of it. The high riding position can come as a bit of a surprise as well. For such a small car, you don’t expect to be at eye level of people in large sedans and small crossovers. The combined result makes for a small car that leaves you feeling quite confident darting around town.

Although it is fairly zippy and easy to maneuver, the 500 does come up a little short in the sporty department. The steering was solid and fairly quick, and cornering was fine, but taking it with a little speed up a highway ramp you could feel that it lacked the planted feel of a Mini or a Mazda2. Although the 500 has a sport button, it was a bit hard to tell if it made a difference. It may have been possible to discern a greater difference had we driven on some twisty backroads, but those are in slightly short supply on the north side of Indianapolis. It’s also possible that the Sport model 500 would be more enjoyable in the handling department, but the only one I drove was the base Pop model, which also shares its suspension with the top “luxury” level Lounge model.

Something to relieve those concerned about driving small cars on the highway, the 500 felt quite nice and secure. The ride was nicely composed and the interior was really quite quiet at normal highway speeds. And while the 500 in standard form isn’t going to break any speed records, it does keep up with traffic, even if you may need to downshift to make rapid passes.

Overall, the Fiat 500 is a charming and attractive little car. It’s infinitely stylish with a nice interior, plenty of amenities, all for a reasonable price. Not only that, as a city car, it’s quite nice keeping up with traffic adequately and plenty of agility. However, if you’re looking for a sportier experience, you may want to try something else like a Mini or Mazda2, or if you’re completely in love with the 500, give the 500 Sport a try. Or if you have more of a need for speed, you can try out the more expensive, but more powerful, 500 Turbo or 500 Abarth, both cars I’d like to test drive as well. Either way, the Fiat 500 offers a great all around package if you want a stylish, fun, economical subcompact and don’t need to carry too many people or too much stuff.

And this little test drive segues nicely into my next Tokyo post: European cars.