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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  As good as my GTI Autobahn - 2017 Fiat 500
  By Marc - April 13 - 6:35 am

  Car is wonderful, as much fun as any car Ive owned. Enjoy driving it as much as if not more that my GTI. Enough power for this light car. Manual tranny great. Ride and handling great. The Abarths extra power must ,(I have the non turbo) be a real treat in this Italian tomato on wheels. Mine is red,adorable. Highly recommend good quality throughout.

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  There are no boring trips in an Abarth! - 2012 Fiat 500
  By Seth Simon - February 5 - 8:53 am

  This is a niche car and not for everyone, and thats why its a special. A Camry or an Accord are for everyone, and when you make something to please as many people as possible you end up with middle of the road blandness. Thats great for some, not for Abarth owners. This is a performance car based on a relatively humble small European city car, originally designed for dense urban areas. So, yeah, if you have 5 kids and two dogs, guess what? Its not a car for you. If you like space, fuel and technological efficiency, are concerned of your footprint on the planet but really like to drive, then an Abarth may be for you. It oozes character, it sounds fantastic and I love that it doesnt look like its angry and wants to kill you, like so many other cars on the market. Its actually pretty comfortable for long trips, and despite its compact exterior dimensions, it has a lot of space, more than a Mini. Im 5-10" and 190lbs and I can sit comfortably in the rear seat behind myself. Its easy to park and cheap to fill the tank, and no one get s annoyed at you when you pass them. Try doing that in a BMW or Mercedes. I considered a Ford Fiesta ST, but was turned off by the four door-only bodystyle, and although objectively it was a tad more refined than the Abarth in some areas, it just didnt feel special, and certainly wasnt as much fun to drive. The quality of materials is not on par with say, a Lexus, but then it doesnt cost Lexus money. Ive had mine for two years and the only issues Ive had were a burned out light bulb in the cruise control switch and a faulty tire pressure monitoring sensor. Nothing squeaks or rattles. Overall, Ive been very very happy with this car.