Overview & Reviews

Fiat is one of the earliest and grandest names in automobiles, dating from the establishment of Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino ("FIAT") in 1899. During the early years, its racing cars were the envy of every nation. Later on, the Fiat Topolino ("Little Mouse") was as famous as the Volkswagen KDF (subsequently known as the "Beetle") in the 1930s and '40s. The 1950s saw Fiat put much of Italy on wheels with the hugely popular 500, sparking the "Italian Miracle," a renaissance of European consumer products.

Sadly, the company's fortunes in the United States were mixed. Here, the Fiat 1500 won over a fair share of enthusiasts in the mid-'60s, and the early-'70s saw the Fiat 850 (Spider and Coupe) become popular among college students. Yet the Pininfarina-designed Fiat 124 sports car did the most to keep the Fiat image alive in America, as cars like the front-wheel-drive 128 and midengine X1/9 ultimately failed. Even Lancia, Fiat's premium brand, withered quickly after an introduction in the mid-'70s. Ultimately, Fiat's poor reputation for quality and its inability to cope with ever more stringent emissions regulations led the Italian company to pull out of the U.S. market altogether in 1984.

In 2000, General Motors acquired a stake in Fiat as part of a joint venture to create a new generation of small, affordable cars for Europe. GM's financial troubles led to the unraveling of this agreement in 2005, but Fiat had invested the GM money wisely in new air emissions technology. When the bankruptcy of Chrysler took place in 2008, Fiat saw an opportunity to return to the U.S. In 2009, Fiat acquired a controlling interest in Chrysler.

The Fiat 500, debuting for 2012, was the first of Fiat's new generation of cars to come stateside. Staying true to its lineage, the new 500 is very small, nimble and stylish. In addition to the 500 coupe, there are also the 500 convertible and hot-rod 500 Abarth to further tempt those looking for a small car with plenty of personality. More recently, Fiat has expanded its lineup with the fully electric 500e and the family-friendly, four-door 500L.

User Reviews:

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  Go dog Go! 500e is fun! - 2013 Fiat 500e
  By johnnymo1 - December 19 - 2:18 am

  1500 miles on my 500e. Lease $200 month. $2500 total down, $2500 rebate from state of CA. Aero environment 220 charger installed today compliments of State of CA. Est monthly fuel cost to drive 1000 miles approx $35 per SMUD utility rep. 500e total car expenditure less than gas and routine maintenance alone on my MB C230...like winning a free car in a contest. Enough ACCT 101. This little thing is pretty fun. Very spunky and quick off the line. Easily separates from ICE cars off green lights. Great around town car or 2nd car. I drove it 95 miles very gently today and had 10% charge left. Aggressive driving style/high ac use will lower range - 70~75 miles ?

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  Great little car - 2013 Fiat 500e
  By pelegri - December 15 - 4:17 pm

  We bought the car rather than lease it and overall we are very happy with it. The rear seats are very usable except for tall people but we use normally keep the rear seats down. Very zippy excellent acceleration, specially 0 to 50. I regularly get over 85 highway miles from each charge but YMMV: less if you have the A/C on, more in the city or if you drive less aggressively than me Ive driven the gas 500 (not the abarth) and the 500e is significantly more fun than it. We had to deal with the half-shaft recall and some additional teething problems but the fundamentals (electric engine, inverter, battery) all look very good. The car deserves the awards it has received recently.

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  A Very Happy Experience - 2013 Fiat 500
  By mefitzpat - November 9 - 5:59 pm

  After having had my Fiat 500 for two months, I feel that I know the car well, and can comment on it. This car replaced a turbo diesel car, so needing fast acceleration was not a requirement. The first week of ownership, I put mine and my wifes road bikes on the back and took off on a thousand mile drive to participate in a week long bike ride in Northern Idaho. We had to cross the continental divide, and drive over many types of roads. This car has extremely comfortable seats, and except for the extreme climbs, has enough power. We averaged 35 mpg, for the trip. Since then, it is averaging 35-39 mpg with mostly city driving. We have had no problems, great a/c, and no rattles. Love this CAR

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  Fiat 500E rocks! - 2013 Fiat 500e
  By bbergholdt - November 1 - 10:47 pm

  Just leased this. Really impressed with fit, finish and fun to drive performance! Easy to exceed rated MPGe. With sweet lease deal, total cost of car is less than I was spending on gasoline alone, each month. Range is OK, better than others except Tesla and Volt. Getting by with included slooow 120V charge device, others may desire $800 optional fast charger. Costs $1 per day for electricity to drive 40 miles, previous vehicle was $10 per day for gas. Very impressive car, hope future models offer extended range and lower cost batteries. My SUV will last forever, now parked except when needed!

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  One of the best Ive ever owned - 2012 Fiat 500
  By robhmass - September 12 - 6:30 pm

  Bought mine with optional alloy wheels, sunroof, and a couple of other options in April 2012. Got a great price. Had the car now for 17 months & have driven 38,000 miles with no mechanical problems. There was a service bulletin recall concerning ungrounded starter bolts which the dealership fixed promptly along with a blown bi-halogen headlight(probably related to the ungrounded starter bolts). However, service tech did not unhook the battery while replacing starter bolts and shorted out the climate control panel. So, now, the car is back @ the dealer to replace this. Dealer did give a loaner. Absolutely no other issues. Car is great on gas(38-40mpg mostly highway) and fun, fun to drive.

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  Very happy but disapponted - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By rafaelsfo - August 5 - 4:09 pm

  I really LOVE this car, after last year test driving several cars (soul, mazda, crv, tiguan, etc) , finally found this one to replace my old Honda crv 2000 , I quite love the space and size of the car, and its response to aceleration, my friends like the space in the back seats, is a very good looking car, the BUT is , after a week only , had an issue with the engine /oil , disapointing in a new car, things like this can happen, and will see if after the fix, car performs well and no more issues.

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  Second Fiat - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By bobfl3 - July 19 - 2:48 pm

  I loved my 2012 500c but found myself needing something a little larger. I traded in the cabrio for the new 500L and am very pleased with it so far. Ive only driven 500 miles on the new one, so time will tell if it is as reliable as the little 500 was. Im very happy with the Dual Dry Clutch Automatic. It is fuel efficient and has the pick up I need for merging into heavy traffic on the highway. Taller people fit well in the car, even with the sunroof. The car has an excellent ride quality and everything works as it should. It is comfortable, has great visibility, plus its fun to drive.

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  Lotsa! FUN! - 2013 Fiat 500
  By bwbroo - May 23 - 6:22 pm

  This is a good (great) driving car. A pleasure to drive. I have the basic model and still it has quite abit extras. Iam a driver and like the fun of driving a solid steering car. This one goes from a regular driving car to a Ferrari when the sports button is engaged/push at the console. Great for curvy roads and parking lots or anytime. On the hwy I leave it regular mode and just cruise. Did I tell you it has cruise control too. Anyway dont push the OMG button unless - are you experienced - (Hendrix) I have the auto transmission and this is great. Iam 60 and this shifts a lot in the sports mode (OMG). There you have it.

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  Cmon its lots of fun - 2013 Fiat 500
  By thunderbird59 - May 15 - 4:37 pm

  I am an old dude 53, I have a Light seafoam green with ivory interior 2013 500 pop 5 speed with a sunroof , alum wheels, and beats stereo , on top of all the other goodies that just come standard on this car . It rocks , fun , fast , stable, quiet , Ive owned one of just about everything over the years from Pintos to Porsches , literally. This is hands down one of my favorites. My only complaint is that the turbo doesnt come in ANY color I want! after 11,000 miles in just under 3 months not a single problem , rattle , or squeak . Maybe I bite the bullet and go for an Orange Turbo at the end of the year, anything but silver or grey . Im sick of seeing silver cars .

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  If youre a real "driver" get one - 2013 Fiat 500
  By bircken - April 16 - 9:22 pm

  As I said in the title, if you enjoy driving and take it seriously, get one. I was very pleased with my 500 Sport (35000 mi) but longed for a bit more oomph to play with. Its handling and overall demeanor was really good and involving but getting up to speed was lacking. Enter the Abarth. As someone else stated in a previous review, the many changes made to the car to cope with the added power turned it into a different animal. The power is there, the steering more direct, the brakes (helped by the 17"tires) are like hitting a wall, the shifting is more direct and positive. Short of driving a race kart on the streets, this is it. You just have to hear the engine fire up. Love it!