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 31 through 40 of 263.00-
Sleeper of a deal... - 2015 Fiat 500L
By Carl M. - October 14 - 9:02 pmWHY is this car not more popular? I mean, I know it looks "different", but thats a good thing in the endless sea of "blah" crossovers and SUVs. Had to give up my beloved VW GTI because were "of a certain age" and getting in/out of a vehicle is now a major factor for us. This thing is a hoot. I dont understand any of the reviews that state the car has a rough ride. We rented a Cadillac ATS a while back, and this cars ride is, unbelievably, just as good. We find the engine plenty peppy (remember, I traded in my GTI for this), the transmission is just fine, and the steering is nice and light for dodging other cars in parking lots. Ive got 1000 miles on it as of this review, and no problems. The interior of this car is GI-MON-GOUS. Huge headroom, legroom, and space in all directions. I wish more people would test drive these things Once you drive one, youll buy it. Very very European driving experience. Youll love it.
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Terrible - 2012 Fiat 500
By Dave M - October 14 - 6:57 pmIMHO, this is the worst and most dangerous car on US highways. We were given one as an Enterprise rental, so beware. On the Interstates, it feels like the Fiat 500 could be run over by any compact American car. The ride was rough and noisy. Ive been told that some people love them......but I think its a standard answer for those who already have them. I was teased by acquaintances who suggested I put the Fiat in the back of their car. My wife, me and two suitcases were hard to squeeze into it! Terrible car....and without a doubt the worst car Ive ever rented. Complaints to Enterprise went nowhere....only questions. My objective would be to keep the Fiat off American roads.
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Never again - 2013 Fiat 500
By Sarah Bennet - October 10 - 10:48 pmEverything is falling apart from the inside out. I have already needed a new clutch, fuel pump, and steering column. Worst car ever. Loved it in the begining....... great on gas and fun to drive. BUT NEVER would i recomend this to ANYONE. Oh yeah i have under 30,000 miles on this. Im going to feel terible even selling this to someone.
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I love my fiat - 2013 Fiat 500
By John Schmitt - September 30 - 1:14 pmI bought my Fiat in January of 2014 and have put just over 22,000 miles on it. I love the drop top which I can drop going up to 50 mph and my gas mileage is at 40.2-I drive 30% city and 70% road. I live in the upper Great Lakes and this little bulldog is surprisingly good in snow, plus witth heated seats I can drop my top and watch the snow fall inside my cabin!
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Used Abarth is a perfect second car - 2014 Fiat 500
By Wade Morefield - September 26 - 1:34 pmI love my Abarth. Its our second car, but weve already taken it on one long road trip. It is a very fun car to drive and feels much faster than it is. Im surprised how comfortable it is, given all the negative press Ive read. For 2 six foot adults, the car is perfectly comfortable. Miles per gallon are better than EPA estimates, but smiles per gallon are off the charts. The touch points in the cabin are very nice, even if there is a lot of hard plastic. No complaints at all. Comfortable, fun, economical, practical and it sounds awesome when you run it up through the gears! But a lightly used one and you wont regret it.
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Piece of crap car! - 2013 Fiat 500
By leah - September 14 - 11:23 pmHorrible car!! DO NOT BUY!! i have 22K miles on it and my turbo stopped working, in addition both my windows motors broke. Worst car ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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50,000 thats it! - 2012 Fiat 500
By Dp - September 10 - 9:07 pmWarranty stops at 50k miles and thats when everything thing fails! You buy the car with a maintenance package.... They will change oil every 8,000 miles (factory recommended)... 500 miles out of warranty and engine light comes on... Now the story changes... Change oil every 5,000 miles!
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Urban Vehicle - 2012 Fiat 500
By Dave Condon - September 6 - 11:48 amI live in the Seattle area which means tight parking spaces and little maneuvering room. The Fiat 500 is an urban vehicle by definition. It is half the size and weight of a Ford F 150. The Fiat 500 works good for its design purpose. The five speed transmission (manual) is as smooth shifting as they come. I have had a speaker blow out in one of the doors. The Blue and Me full functions are a joke as the program only works for Microsoft phones. Visibility is excellent. The doors are very wide making getting in and out easy. And finally, the car always has a smile on the grill. I notice time and again people smiling back at the car and children turning around for a second look. The Fiat 500 is fun to drive.
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2012 Fiat 500 pop - 2012 Fiat 500
By Kellster07 - September 2 - 6:08 pmI love my fiat its adorable inside and out and gets me where I want to go. Due to the wide trunk we are actually able to fit a lot in the back of my fiat with the back seats down including our lawn mower. I have had to replace my windshield several times due to rocks hitting the windshield while driving in highways due to fiat being so low to ground. I also think the windshield glass is not strong as the rocks were not too big and I was far from the trucks. Another issue I had was my hubcabs continuously fall off, I paid for two and then decided to stop paying for them and have had one missing for 9 months now as I refuse to pay for another. The clock in my car is always wrong, small detail yes but annoying, as I have fixed it to the correct time a dozen times and it weirdly keeps going back to 7 minutes behind schedule. The inside of the car is very hard to clean including the steering wheel and dashboard due to the texture and different finishes. It either doesnt clean it at all or leaves streaks, I have tried a bunch of different cleaning products at this point. The ride is beyond bumpy, my friends who have ridden in the car have stated that it feels like they are on a carnival ride. The back seats are not comfortable at all and not full side seats, so if you want that dont get a fiat. The front seat surprisingly has a lot of leg room per my husband. The car is easy to drive and park and gets great gas mileage. I have people asking me about my car and peering in the window all the time. Its an adorable car and fun to drive but definitely has it drawbacks.
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Our Italian Car - - 2015 Fiat 500L
By Nguyen - August 31 - 4:35 pmRead a lot of reviews - Bad and good. Decided to visit OCFIAT, took a test drive (500L Urbana Trekking with BEATS sound) bought the car one week later. Love the car ever since. Bought mine at Orange County Fiat (Costa Mesa, CA.)
