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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  WARNING - Dangerous vehicle - 2012 Fiat 500
  By wikolia - March 27 - 7:27 am

  while driving in left hand hand lane of I-95 in FL, (blood alley) the engine shut down and I had to drift over 2 lanes to the hard shoulder. got towed to dealership where the valve actuator, camshaft and generator had to be replaced. this vehicle had only 6000 miles on it. after NO help from dealership or FIAT corporate office I have no faith in this brand at all. Im lucky to be alive. please note this is an automatic vehicle. there was no option for automatic in the dropdown menu.

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  I wish I didnt purchase this car. - 2012 Fiat 500
  By nomorefiat500 - March 13 - 1:34 pm

  Sigh..I fell in LOVE with my little 2012 Fiat 500 Sport until problem after problem. I just hit 30k miles and so far here are the issues Clutch plate needed fixed, sometimes it wouldnt start since day 1 boot shifter replaced 2x back windshield wiper fluid doesnt spray anymore, tire has a hole in it upon purchase, noticed next day, clock replaced as it wouldnt keep time, radio (CD Player) wouldnt eject CDs. I bought the car with 4 miles on it. I do not trust the Fiat dealerships and I do not trust this car anymore. I am trading it in soon. Its ashame, as I loved it.

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  Not Happy - 2012 Fiat 500
  By donna1954 - March 6 - 2:53 pm

  I bought the Fiat 500 less than 6 months ago and have never been so unhappy with a vehicle. The gas mileage is not what is advertised, the interior design is horrible, no center console, the visors do not even come close to protecting your face, the heat/ac when set on your feet blows directly, about 1/2" from your driving ankle so it either burns your ankle or freezes it. And do not let the wind blow at all because you cannot hold the car on the roadway. I do not enjoy driving anymore and cant wait to trade the car in.

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  Love Our Trekking! - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By markj5362 - February 21 - 9:09 pm

  Traded in a 500 Sport to get a bit more space. Our Sport had 8,500 miles with zero problems. We now have 2500 miles on the L. Very well built. Both cars were ordered with the manual transmission which I think is a better option. The negative reviews all seem to be on cars with the auto/dual clutch trans. Combined mileage is 27.3-mostly around town. 33 mpg on highway.

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  Fantastic value and just plain fun to drive - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By jabird101 - February 16 - 4:56 pm

  I purchased my 500L in early July 2013. When I tried to insure it, Progressive had no rate for this vehicle. This is how early I got in on the 500L. After 7 months I am more than pleased with the performance, quality, economy and just plain fun. There have been reports of transmissions issues, and while there were some that had issues, this was caused by a faulty version of the controller software, and has since been corrected. Those affected became a very vocal group of three or four people who have plastered false info every where they can. This is proven by the 25,000 plus units with the DDCT, the tens of thousands of Dodge Dart DDCT units and the 100,000+ good units world wide.

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  Amazing car for the money - 2013 Fiat 500
  By grizzinwi - February 15 - 11:42 pm

  Im very pleased the Fiat 500 Sport thus far. Very comfortable for my 6 frame despite its diminutive size along with better ease of ingress/egress than its rivals. Handles well and is surefooted in snow. Fits in parking spots others wont. Feature rich- AM/FM/CD power windows, a/c, heated mirrors, fog lights, cruise, automatic door locks, Bluetooth and alloy wheels are standard. Excellent fit and finish. Current incentives for 2013 models make the 500 a steal. This is one small car that doesnt feel like a penalty box. It brings a smile to my face every time I drive it.

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  Fiat 500L Easy with Sunroof. - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By evbruno - February 14 - 3:07 am

  We purchased a 500L Easy Rosso Perla with Red/Cementite Seats and sunroof at the end of 11/2014. I really enjoy the dual clutch transmission gives me the "manually feel" but I do not wear out my left knee in city traffic. The adjustability of steering column up/down in/out is excellent. The vehicle is mainly driven in the city we have done some highway driving one 3 hour trip and the ride was very comfortable. With the rear seats down I was able to get a 55 inch flat screen TV in the box with about 1 to spare with length and width in to the 500L. The 500L has the Daytime running lights which I have enabled. The UConnect works well with my iPhone.

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  Dangerous Vehicle -- Do not consider buying - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By valibertarian - February 9 - 8:15 am

  I purchased a 500L Trekking for my wife three weeks ago. After the first week, we drove down the road and the transmission was locked in 2nd gear. It would not shift up or down -- even with auto stick. We had to pull over and shut the car off -- then it would not restart because it was locked in second gear. We were stranded on the side of the road. We eventually made it to the dealership and they gave us a 500L loaner -- the next day the same thing happened with it! Check the Fiat 500L forums and youll find that this is a known and common issue. There are also multiple complaints with the NHTSA. Two weeks into the repair, there is no word on when well get the car back.

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  So Far so good - 2012 Fiat 500
  By carlonz - February 8 - 10:17 am

  We bought a 2012 pop c in February 2013 for my wife. She thought it was a great looking car and we were trading a Mini Cooper. We only have 3000 miles on it so its hard to say it has been a great car. We have had to have the headliner replaced already - really, the headliner... Anyway, my wife still likes the car. It gets good gas mileage although she doesnt drive it often. Interior parts are cheap plastic but we havent had anything break yet. Service department is OK to deal with, BUT my one major complaint so far is that FIAT doesnt offer courtesy cars to drive if they have to keep your car which is different from any other manufacturer I have ever dealt with.

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  NEVER BUY FIAT!! - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By mahmabear - January 23 - 4:19 pm

  I got the car, drove it home, very next day it didnt start. Took it to the shop, it said, "Its too cold for it here" (Northern Indiana)...Brought it back home, drove it for three days (300 miles) with starting issues...then it totally broke down. Wouldnt start, stereo was cutting out and blowers on the heater/air conditioner stopped working. Call for Fiat Roadside assistance, three times a day for 6!!!!! days until they finally came to get it. Towed it to the shop where it has sat for two weeks. I am getting the run around completely.