Overview & Reviews

For an automaker to sell a lot of cars in the United States, it typically needs to offer a vehicle with four doors. So the Italian automaker Fiat made sure its four-door 500L was ready for prime time as soon as Americans began to take a shine to its tiny 500 hatchback. The idea behind the Fiat 500L is simple. It's a tall hatchback/wagon that's far more suitable for family use than the regular 500, while retaining the smaller car's shapeliness and Italian charm. Of course, Fiat offers the 500L in a wide variety of flavors and color combinations, so it's easy to personalize to your liking.

No matter how much the 500L may make sense on paper, however, in practice it has disappointed our editors with its unresponsive transmission, busy ride, unrefined suspension tuning, subpar interior quality and a lack of versatility that can't be detected simply by looking at a spec sheet.

Current Fiat 500L
The Fiat 500L is a small wagon/tall hatchback that debuted for the 2014 model year. All Fiat 500L models are front-wheel drive and have a turbocharged, 1.4-liter four–cylinder engine rated at 160 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque. You can choose either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automated manual transmission that basically functions like an automatic transmission. All-wheel drive currently isn't available for the Fiat 500L.

The 500L is offered in four trim levels: Pop, Easy, Trekking and Lounge. Standard features on the Pop include keyless entry, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity and a six-speaker CD stereo. The Easy trim adds features like alloy wheels, upgraded seat fabric and an upgraded stereo. The Trekking gets unique front and rear body panels, two-tone interior trim and premium cloth upholstery, while the top-of-the-line Lounge gets amenities like leather upholstery, heated front seats and dual-zone automatic climate control. The automated manual transmission is standard on the top-of-the-line Lounge, while the other trims are available with either transmission.

In reviews, we found the 500L to be softer and less nimble than the standard 500 on the road. Ride quality can get a bit busy on uneven road surfaces and its upright stance and large side mirrors combine to create lots of wind noise within the cabin. With the automated manual transmission, the car can be slow to respond when accelerating from a traffic light or merging onto a freeway. On the plus side, steering is precise and the 500L navigates turns with confidence.

Designed to be more family-friendly than the regular 500 two-door coupe and convertible, the L is 27 inches longer and 6 inches wider and taller than its sibling. This opens up considerably more headroom for taller drivers, while the extra hip- and shoulder room in the backseat makes it a more viable option if you've got kids. It's still a bit too compact to seat three adults in back. The 500L's maximum cargo capacity of 68 cubic feet rivals that of larger compact crossovers, and its 21.3 cubic feet with the seats raised is similarly segment-leading. However, real-world utility is hampered by a high cargo lift-over height and rear-seat backrests that don't fold totally flat.

There's plenty of style inside the Fiat 500L. It looks distinct from the regular 500 thanks to its revised dash, instrumentation and steering wheel. This wagon features the latest version of Chrysler's Uconnect technology, which provides enhanced functionality for smartphones via the car's Bluetooth connection. You can wirelessly stream music from your mobile device, and the system offers text-to-speech capability for SMS messages sent to MAP-enabled phones. A six-speaker Beats by Dr. Dre sound system is also available, as is a dual-pane sunroof (though it significantly reduces headroom). There's a large assortment of interior and exterior color combinations, too, and you can opt for cloth or leather upholstery.

User Reviews:

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  Excited to Frustrated/Alarmed - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By William Pilcher - December 28 - 1:23 pm

  Excited to buy, loved having a fiat but should have done more homework but when we bought last year there was not this much about the cars. Purchased it as a commuter/local use. Love the room inside, lots of head room, wide so you are not rubbing you elbows and the back seat is very roomy as mentioned in other reviews. Cons:1. on a slight incline when you take your foot off of the brake the clutch takes about 2 seconds to engage, so you roll back and there is a slight pause before power goes to the wheels. Nearly got T Boned the first time, 2. going uphill the power steering looses power so you have to exert more muscle to turn the wheel, then in the middle of the curve the power returns and if you are not ready you end up in the oncoming lane, 3. As mentioned in earlier reviews the brake are not consistent, one time quick and grabby the next there is pedal drop before a smooth application, 4. The low beam headlights do not illuminate nearly far enough, I asked the dealer to dial them higher and he told me they were as high as they would mechanically go. I jus keep them on high beam all of the time and almost nobody notices, If you live in the city you would never notice but if you are driving around back roads or not spending all of your time on interstates then you will feel blind, 5. As mentioned earlier there are few dealers in the Dodge/Chrysler organization that have a trained Fiat mechanics so you have to go to the Fist dealer for anything beyond oil change despite the dealers claim that you can get service at any Dodge/Chrysler service shop, 6. The front seats are not comfortable for a drive longer than 20 minutes, there do not go back far enough for me to have my legs (510"), 7. The steering wheel tilts but only slightly so that if you tilt it up it stops and blocks part of the display, They give you plenty of head room but the car does not accommodate persons over 5 5" or so, we tested with friends, 9. we have had the car for just over a year and I was thinking about trading it in for another Dodge/Chrysler product and the dealer appraised the car at $8,000 and the salesman informed me that it was one of the worst depreciating cars in the USA and he had about 15 used Fiats. I am not 18 and understand car depreciate. I am also old enough over 45 to have driven many cars and know the difference between not liking the feel of handling of a car and not feeling safe driving a car. At first I thought I just needed to get used to it but over time it just gets worst and having to adjust my driving to keep from getting into a dangerous situation is not healthy. I made a big mistake purchasing this car for a number of reasons. I plan to trade it in as soon as I can research and purchase a replacement.

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  DONT Buy ONE, Mayor REGRET! - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By Frank - July 18 - 2:05 pm

  use it was cute, looked fun. I regret the day I did that, Ive never had a vehicle with so much issues. lights go off frequently. Breaks inconsistent, lastly panel board goes crazy, with engine light, and others go off I call the dealership to take it in, I setup an appointment to have it diagnosed, they keep it for a week to advise me that the transmission is gone at 70,000 miles. I challenged that since I drove it there. I had researched recalls on this model, and was told that all the recalls where completed, I asked where and when and was told that the place it was originally done is no longer in business, sketchy with Fiat INC. they avoided me with follow up which made it even more frustrating. I highly recommend YOU to stay away from looking at this disaster of a car, the so called Corporate side of them is in complete denial, Im now stuck with a car, that I serviced & maintained when due, to have this extra expense of a new trans that they priced at $5,400 to repair, is disheartening!!!

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  Biggest mistake EVER. Nothing but headaches - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By L. Kozloff - July 26 - 7:09 am

  DON"T buy Fiat if you want a quality automobile, if you are looking for cute and disposable then your in the right place, but if you like a return on your investment or a car that is safe and reliable or a company that cares about quality and helps their customers .. over 8 months of dealing with their Customer Service call center, multiple weeks of car being in for service. The car loses power when accelerating leaving the driver with no ability to move the car out of busy intersections, or the ability to go at all from stops. Random occurrences so problem is hard to replicate, have had the service engine light come on - even have pictures of it on - still to be told that the computer never shows or records a problem so there fore they can do nothing. I have called and open a "case" with FCA and all I am told again and again is sorry until I can show and have a service tech with me when it happens they cant do anything. I guess my word isnt enough, all the other online complaints I have found of others having the same issue mean anything. I am told it must just be an isolated incident. I figure until they are forced, sued or have someones death on their hands from an accident the issue will never be addressed. Dont buy FIAT ! To be safe avoid any and all FIAT/Chrysler products!!