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 my Fiat! - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By J Junior - December 6 - 10:21 am

  We have a 500 and 500L. Love them both. The 500 is SO MUCH FUN to drive & handles better than any car i have owned, especially on highway. The 500L is slso fun and more practical when carpooling.

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  Dont bother! - 2016 Fiat 500x
  By IAHFLIER - March 2 - 6:08 am

  Mine was a European build that happened to make it to the US. Needless to say, Body control module needed replacing.. Three weeks later (with a loaner), Still not fixed. Ive asked for a refund I wouldnt recommend this car.. Stay clear!!!

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  Great Electric Car. Fun to drive. - 2015 Fiat 500e
  By Joseph - January 9 - 2:33 pm

  I recommend this car to anyone that is looking for a car that feels like it came from the distant future of the automotive industry. We purchased a used Fiat 500e and we are very happy with it. We test drove about 8 Fiat 500e at different dealerships until we found one that we liked. We studied the car and read many reviews before making the choice to buy the car. The battery is the most expensive part of the car and Fiat provides an 8 year or 100,000 mile warranty on the battery.

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  Best build fiat - 2016 Fiat 500x
  By Viken K - November 27 - 9:46 pm

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  Fiat 500e is really fun driving machine - 2015 Fiat 500e
  By FLJeff - November 17 - 8:59 pm

  I purchased a used low mileage 2015 Fiat 500e a couple of months ago and was so impressed with how it handles that I purchased another for my sister. These cars are a real steal on the used car market. I live in South Florida where it is warm and flat and generally have been getting over 100 miles of range (EPA 87). A Fiat 500 in general is not the most practical car but if you want something really fun to drive, this is it. This car handles very similar to my former Mini Cooper but without the gas.

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  Impressive SUV! Worth every penny. - 2017 Fiat 500x
  By Shawn J - November 12 - 1:35 am

  I moved into the 500x Trekking AWD from my 2013 FIAT Abarth. I really really liked my Abarth but absolutely love my new 500x! I have some physical disabilities and the Abarth was while very fun to drive also hard for me to drive and was starting to find that people just do not see you in that small of a vehicle. Looking for comfort, and size over the Abarth and the high quality of a precision Italian SUV boy did I find it! The new interior of the 500x Trekking is amazing and the technology in the features blew me away! It may take me a month to learn how to use everything this SUV has to offer. Styling is great and the optional 18" wheel package and AWD I got adds even more tremendous styling. Acceleration is so so but then again Im coming from the Abarth. Fuel economy is also not real fantastic but still pretty reasonable. Overall I have zero complaints on this SUV. The one serious recommendation I have though is, get either the Trekking AWD or Lounge AWD model. I test drove the Pop and Easy FWD models and they do not even compare. All the bells and whistles with the two higher models are 100% worth it!

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  Extra warranty takes me to 1M miles! - 2012 Fiat 500
  By Valbowski - August 3 - 10:30 pm

  This car has been driven nearly 7 days a week almost every week, for 5.5 years. Once a year, an oil change is called for, the car will show the warning for that when it is time. We put a little over 8K miles on it per year, and as this writing, we are at 44K. This is a base model, no special wheels, just a basic pop. Aside from once a year oil changes, and scheduled maintenance, the following things have required repair - 1) the wiring harness that connects all things powered to the hatchback had to be replaced. 2) the fan switch for the heating/cooling needed to be replaced 3) and the rear oil seal on the engine began a tiny drip, which was deemed necessary to be replaced. All of this would have fallen outside of the warranty, but I purchased the 1M mile bumper to bumper warranty. Per visit, with the extra warranty, there is a $100 plus tax fee. The above repairs, if I had not had the warranty, would have almost equaled the cost of the warranty!!! So, since we drive the wheels off of cars, we will be in great shape going forward. Really, get an additional warranty with your purchase if it is possible. On another topic, some observations. I am a big guy, I fill up the front seat, but this is not uncomfortable and I have driven it as far as 10 hours in one day with no suffering or ill effects. The handling of the vehicle in snow, ice or rain is phenomenal for a small car. Phenomenal. I use the auto shift and move from one gear to the other myself right at 2400 rpm. This gets you the best gas mileage. Summer, air on, 32+/42+, fall and spring is 33+/45, dead of winter, as in under 15 degrees day after day, 31.6/42. My drive is boring so I keep myself occupied with mpg games and metal music. If you look at the maintenance schedule you will notice that very little needs be done, and the maintenance is very far apart too. Love that. To fill it up is around $20-22+. So low. Forget fuel cells. Forget battery powered vehicles too. Sit down and calculate it all, as I did, and the cost per month is almost the lowest of any car on the market. Change the air filter once a year, don’t bother with high octane fuel, as I tested that and the economy and performance were unchanged, and buy the car. Surprisingly, when the seats are folded forward in the rear, the car can hold a week’s worth of groceries back there! It is really large back there I am serious. However, if you have to people in the backseats, think again! Short trips, sure. But that is it. It looks great, is fun to drive, and has tons of airbags, of course ABS and the electronic wheel control system, so there. Not perfect, certainly not for everyone, but the fuel economy, the safety, stopping power, and the HUGE warranty make this a pick that works for me and my wife.

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  Fun useful car - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By Gary - May 30 - 3:42 pm

  Impressive cargo space. Great visibility. Has Abarth turbo engine -- ZOOM!!! Dealer support has been exceptional by my standards after 60 years experience driving many brands of cars and trucks. 125 miles per day at 30-33 mpg on regular gas. Fun car...........

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  Love my Fiat 500 C Pop - 2012 Fiat 500
  By Anthony - May 10 - 8:15 am

  I have owned several Fiats through the years and i can honestly say, they are misunderstood. I have had a 1974 124 Sport, which was fun as could be to drive. I owned a 1980 Fiat 2000 Spider convertible ( also known as a 124). That was a blast to drive. I went through a midlife crisis and got another 1981 Fiat Spider convertible, this will always put a smile on your face, something about the top down and the wind in your hair and face. Forward to the 2012 Fiat 500C Pop, what a great design to put a cloth retractable top inside the roof pillars, much safer and way cooler. The car rides and feels like a big car, it is very solid and sure footed. I am 6 foot 1 and have plenty of room and I find the front seating extremely roomy and comfortable. I always sit in the back whenever i purchase a vehicle to see how much headroom and legroom my less fortunate passengers will have. While i am an empty nester, i tend to flop the rear seats down and create a nice little cargo hauling area that is very practical for hauling my two dogs around or for groceries. I bought my car used with 20,000 miles on it in 2014, i have since put 60,000 miles with regular oil changes and tire rotations. i have changed my own spark plugs twice, which is fairly simple, as is changing the air filter and cabin filter. I purchased an aftermarket warranty, but I have never needed to use it. There was a recall on a manual clutch spring replacement, where they also have to replace the brake sensor, but that was covered under the recall. I am sad that the cars do not hold their resale value, but I believe that the 500 C model was done correctly. I know there have been alot of complaints with the 500 L 4 door, but that is a different engine and model altogether. I love my 500C Pop convertible manual transmission. If you dont know about manual transmissions, they are the best kept secret. They are a lot more fun to drive. You are more involved with the driving experience and that is what you are doing driving! therefore one tends to pay more attention. I spoke with a used car salesman recently and he stated that he specifically bought a manual transmission vehicle for his daughter.... Because she would not be able to text and drive! She was initially upset.. but she thanked him later for this. Something to think about. I have had my Fiat up to 101 MPH and it rides the same at all speeds, 50-70 is the perfect speed for this vehicle, I cant stress enough , the big car feel. This is something American cars are getting better at, but I honestly do not know if I will ever buy American. I have owned several German cars and brands and there is nothing quite like their feel for the road, however reliablity and parts and pricing is a different story. I have owned Japanese and Korean and found them to be the most reliable. To make a long story short, on a beautiful day with the top down and a nice day trip planned with you and that special someone, I highly reccomend that you take the route less traveled in the vehicle (Fiat 500C Pop, Manual) less driven. You will not be disappointed. Just do your homework and check the car fax maintenance records. Good solid car, great gas mileage, unlimited smiles and Italian sexy.

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  Fiat 500C - 2012 Fiat 500
  By Jerry - February 17 - 11:26 pm