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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  Love It - 2012 Fiat 500
  By joshproducts - January 22 - 5:12 pm

  We bought our Fiat 500c last Jan. We have had no problems with our fiat at all. We have gone to Az, Tenn 3xs, and back to Pa three times. Love it great gas mileage. Only one thing has popped up in the back seat there is a radling going on not sure what it is. But its not a big thing. We want to trade it in for the 500L now. Not that we dont like our 500c but we want more room for traveling.

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  Love the retro Pop! - 2013 Fiat 500
  By linfletch - January 9 - 8:13 pm

  After 2 months of ownership, I can tell you great things about my blue green Pop. Its retro styling is so fun--it makes me smile every time I see it. I love the manual transmission it is fun to drive and very fuel efficient. I average 36.5 mpg combined, and reached 44mpg using premium gas on a highway only trip. I am still evaluating using premium gas in town, but performance is definitely worth it for a highway trip. The seats are comfortable, and I love all the manual climate control. The bluetooth works well from both front seats. The standard audio system is really good and versatile. There is good headroom without a sunroof for taller drivers.

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  So many Issues Do Not Buy - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By shaynebenigno - January 6 - 9:58 pm

  I bought this car oct 30 2013. It has been in the shop 4 times for weeks at a time. The check engine lights and transmission lights go on. The whole car has lost power leaving me with no power steering brakes flying down the HWY 70 mph. The car is unsafe. Fiat acts like they never heard of this issue but I have found other people on forums that have had the same so apparently its an issue. I dont feel safe in the car and they are refusing to help me.

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  From Pop to this little monster - 2013 Fiat 500
  By hb1578 - January 4 - 2:13 pm

  Why I like this car? because Im a Scorpius, Why I get this car? because Im a Scorpius, and why I keep this car? because its a scorpion. Scorpius people always like choose something that others usually dont, many of my friends dont understand why I get a little car like this? but, why would I get a corolla? this little Abarth, its small, its easy to park in the city, its mean, its fun, its fast, it growl like a super car(on the happy meal menu), its full of excitement, its characteristic. I enjoy driving it everyday without worry about finding parking space(I live in SF, you know what I mean if youve been here). The customer service is excellent in SF and San Jose dealer.

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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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  Blast to drive - 2013 Fiat 500e
  By bradmtb - December 14 - 8:06 pm

  Leased a black model without sunroof in mid-October. With the $2500 the state air resource board is sending me, the net lease cost is about $180/month. I was spending $160 in my Tundra on gas each month. I leased this car for the HOV sticker, and its priceless. The car is quick off the line, and it surprised me how much acceleration power it has at most speeds under 50mph. Im 64", and fit not problem. The rear seats only fit kids. Its been freezing weather in NoCal for the past two weeks, so my range has been reduced due to heater and seat warmer on high. My commute is 28 miles round trip, so I can get by plugging it in every other day with the stock charge plug (110v). Luv it!

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  Buyer Beware: 2013 Fiat 500 Abarth first year - 2013 Fiat 500
  By furys - December 12 - 1:16 pm

  It stalls often and is disabled on the road. I called Fiat of Denver Service only to discover Fiat wont look at it for over a week, with no loaner cars. I was told only Fiat dealers will work on them now -- not other nearby Chrysler dealerships. Its not like there are any close to home. We had high hopes for Fiat but are sadly as disappointed. Too much fear, uncertainty and doubt to risk considering the brand again. So sadly we can no longer confidently refer or recommend a dangerous Fiat.

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  2500 Mile Review - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By redgoldkc - November 10 - 10:19 pm

  This car has excellent interior room for its size. For me, it is the perfect size vehicle. I wanted something smaller than a CUV, but still can fit some cargo. The exterior and interior styling is unique and looks upscale. The tech is user friendly. It has plenty of power and can be fun to drive. I say can because the vents and cheap interior plastic vibrate and rattle if not on a freshly paved road. Also, I hate to turn off the bass on the Beat audio because it made the plastic on the door rattle. Forgot putting stuff in the glovebox or center console unless you want the sound of a baby rattle. Occasionally the car wont kick-on when turning the key, but it has on a 2nd turn.

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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