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:
Showing 11 through 20 of 263.00-
Baja Life - 2012 Fiat 500
By bajatexan - November 4 - 2:22 pmI bought my 2012 Fiat 500C (automatic) new in Aug 2012. To date, I have put almost 60,000 miles on it. I would drive 90 miles each way to work from Baja to San Diego on a daily basis. The exterior has held up extremely well and I have had no mechanical issues! The interior looks inexpensive but has held up well. Id buy one again in a heartbeat!
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On our 2nd 500L and my 5th FIAT total - 2014 Fiat 500L
By roiscuba - October 19 - 9:03 pmThis has got to be one of the most underrated cars on the market today. When you strip away the funky exterior (to American tastes) its a great car, especially in a market segment that has essentially been abandoned. We bought our 1st 500L (Trekking w/manual trans) back in February. Loved the car. Only had minor annoyances (armrest and hand brake operation) that we would have found in any car. Loved it for day to day driving, loved it on the freeway. Used it to haul our 2 Great Danes around with us. When my wife wrecked the car and the insurance company totaled it, we immediately went to another 500L (fully loaded Lounge) without hesitation, because my wife was not hurt at all.
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Fun little beasty - 2013 Fiat 500
By rosso14abarth - June 7 - 9:05 pmWhen Fiat left the US market oh so long ago, I was not happy. By that time I had owned a very used 128 wagon, a new X-1/9 and then a new 131 Brava. Each one a wonderful little car....as long as you loved sporting little Italian designed automobiles. I did, and I do, so I was thrilled when Fiat returned to our market. Then, when they tossed in the Abarth engineering along with a Turbo and strengthened trans, equal length half-shafts etc. I knew I was going to own a Fiat again. Hooray, because I own one now. This Abarth is truly a fun car to drive. Sure, it has quirks, but like Fiats of old, they are endearing to a "Driver".
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2014 500 Pop - 2013 Fiat 500
By domino14 - May 20 - 2:29 pmI have had the 5-speed Fiat 500 for a few weeks now and so far I am happy. My main concern in getting this car was the quality - but getting a warranty with it eased the pain. When driving alone or in a big city: this is the car to have. It has prominent strengths and weaknesses.This car is not meant for offroad, mountain, or utility driving. It dominates normal streets and freeways though with small size, agility, and economy.
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Fiat 500L Easy with Sunroof. - 2014 Fiat 500L
By evbruno - February 14 - 3:07 amWe 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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So Far so good - 2012 Fiat 500
By carlonz - February 8 - 10:17 amWe 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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From Pop to this little monster - 2013 Fiat 500
By hb1578 - January 4 - 2:13 pmWhy 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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Blast to drive - 2013 Fiat 500e
By bradmtb - December 14 - 8:06 pmLeased 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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First Fiat - 2014 Fiat 500L
By redgoldkc - September 12 - 9:24 pmThis is a great looking small car with a surprising amount of interior room. I love the emerald green color that I selected. It is recommended to use premium gas and the engine does seem to run smoother and more responsive with premium gas. I am not sold on this "automated manual" transmission. It feels somewhat unstable and it is difficult to shift from park to reverse when parked on hill with the front of the car higher than the rear. The gas mileage is subpar for a small front wheel drive car. I have averaged 25mpg in primarily city driving. Overall, this car has it perks and drawbacks. As for competitors: Soul and Juke were too much of a kid car. Encore cramped and Mini CM pricey
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Truly is more fun to the gallon! - 2013 Fiat 500
By barbinwoods - September 9 - 6:22 pmTraded in a 2010 Prius for my 2013 FIAT Pop four-dr hatchback. Bright Yellow. I loved the Prius but did not care for the Service Dept for Toyota in my area. Happy to not have to return to them. My FIAT has six-gears Automatic transmission. It has a Sport Mode button. I live in a hilly region of AR and appreciate the sports-car feel of my FIAT 500. Attended a FIAT Rally recently with 22 FIAT 500s. Great time on mountainous roads! Staff from Landers in Benton AR made it all the more fun. I highly recommend both the car and the people from Landers.
