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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  Dangerous - 2012 Fiat 500
  By Maria - August 27 - 12:26 pm

  This car has left me standed in the middle of intersections and is super dangerous. Fiat finally agreed to pay me but for the past 4 months has not returned my calls. I also noticed that all negative posts have vanished.

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  Trading in - 2012 Fiat 500
  By winthrop53@gmail.com - August 24 - 11:36 am

  I got a letter for a blow out sale so I drove my Fiat to the dealership and I was fortunately able to get a new loan for a 500L. I got a great deal on the new car but the trade in on my 2012 Fiat Pop was really low due to issues pertaining to the clutch and the engine noise. After reading some other reviews I am apparently not the only one with these issues. Someone else had to get a new clutch under 40,000 and mine has only 34,000. Also another review complained about changing spark plugs and their costs at an early mileage. I just had to replace mine. The engine noise just got so loud in the last few months - out of nowhere. Service kept telling me it is a Fiat.? Again in another review the engine noise gave them a headache. Then there is the electrical. Tire monitor light went on after 15,000, some sort of electrical problem. I had the same problem mentioned in a review. I was constantly checking my air pressure. Service couldnt help. They just would check the air pressure and say it is fine. I had to replace both headlights at 34,000, also mentioned in another review and of course replacing the hub caps two or three times a year at $55.00 a piece. Hope I have better luck with the 500L. Risky getting another Fiat but financially I was stuck due to low trade in value.

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  Should have known better than to buy a Fiat - 2012 Fiat 500
  By Maureen M - August 11 - 10:24 am

  I bought my 2012 Fiat 500 Pop used. This was 2 years ago and it had 36,000 miles on it. (Found out it had been a former rental car...in Las Vegas). The only reason I chose this one was it was the only used automatic they had (I can drive a manual but in L.A. I choose not to). Electrical problems from the start. Warning lights always coming on (Check engine). Half the time they couldnt say what was wrong. For a couple months the car went to service every other week. Finally got that to stop then one day I turn on the car and the mileage was blinking. Again to the shop for resetting. I took my car in for an oil change a couple weeks ago and was told it had a leak (somewhere where they needed to drop out the engine). $89 for parts. Over $1k for labor. (Not had it done). This past Friday I pushed the button to lower my drivers window and heard a thunk. Window dropped an inch and has stayed there. Getting it fixed today. Thankfully (without being consulted when I bought the car) I somehow ended up with the extended warranty - Maximum Care. So the window will be just $100 (deductible). Going to find out if the oil leak is covered as well. I wanted to trade in the car for a new 500L since they contacted me looking for 2012 Pops. Too much negative equity. Well no kidding. This thing had negative equity when I bought it. Kicking myself for not buying the brand new Toyota Prius C that I test drove at another dealership. As soon as I can this car is gone!

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  Cant Wait To Get Rid Of It! - 2012 Fiat 500
  By CG13 - August 4 - 4:08 pm

  Ive had this car for three years and have put 20,000 miles on it. Bought it because it was adorable, inexpensive, and great for my city-street/low-speed commute (which is now a freeway commute). Here is my take on the car: The GOOD: Cute as heck. Verde Chiaro color still turns heads. Good little car for putting around town (grocery-getter) on city streets. Brakes are responsive. Storage space in the car is about what you expect - not a lot of room but with a little bit of tetris skills you can fit a lot. Decent gas mileage (I expected better for a car so small). The BAD: I fear for my life on the freeway - no joke - and I am a very good driver who has never had an accident. Blind spots galore! Acceleration is extremely unreliable - sometimes you give it gas and it reluctantly goes slowly, other times the engine revs but it sits there... So if you need to make an evasive maneuver that requires accelerating, hit the gas and hope for the best. Engine noise gives me a headache. Interior shows scratches easily. My tire pressure monitor sensor stopped working at 15k (I havent the time during the week to have it taken care of since the dealer wont do anything other than oil changes on Saturdays). My boyfriend said its like a beer can on wheels and worries about my safety every day. Must use 91 octane or better gas for best performance. Doesnt always start on the first turn (Fiat said this is normal for this engine - ???). I foolishly accepted a lease term longer than I wanted and am almost done but am seriously considering eating the penalties for turning it in early. Especially since it looks like it is prone to having more mechanical issues that I would be responsible for.

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  Terrific Car - 2013 Fiat 500
  By Scott W - August 4 - 3:21 pm

  I have held off on writing my review for a couple of years (so my car is actually a 13) in order to see how it fared over time. I dont think they have made many changes since them to the Abarth. I did not give it a poor rating on things like ride quality and storage simply because the car is great for what it is. The ride quality is very stiff due to the sport suspension, as is the steering. Its what I wanted and what I expected, so it has not disappointed me in these regards. It is also noisy due to the awesome exhaust (which one dealer told me is made by Ferrari). My only "poor" rating is on the visibility. Even looking out the front you have to be vigilant. There just isnt a lot of clarity no matter how you slice it. Two other things I do not like: no Bluetooth connect from phone to audio (unless calling someone) so if you want to listen to Pandora, you have to have cords. This is probably not the case if you get the navigation package. The other thing I do not like: terrible turning radius! Crazy. Feels like driving a boat when trying for a tight turn. These things being said, I thought that when I bought this car I would get tired of it after two months. Its loud, fun, stiff, small, fast, manual. I got it on lease for three years, so it was a gamble. Well, I have not tired of it at all. It has been great. You will get close to 40 mpg on the highway, and I average about 30 in mixed city driving. Also, I fit a Laz-y-Boy in the back! (Only because you can separate the seat from the back with a Laz-y-Boy.) This is not a super fast car, but it FEELS super fast and it is a blast to rocket around. I will say that the turbo lag is a bit much. I hear that it is not so obvious in the automatic transmission. Also, Fiat often offers some great deals. I got this as a lease so had to pay the list price. The same car was on sale for about $4,000 less when purchasing. So leasing may not be the most economical choice. I have noticed that a lot of American reviewers are pretty hard on Fiat. I dont know why. Consumer Reports rates them with awful reliability yet I have not had a single issue. I test drove the VW GTI, and that is a great car, but a whole different animal. The GTI is faster, way more refined in terms of ride quality, but the Abarth feels like it is made for rallycross and wants to chew something up. It is just bursting to go when you put it in sport mode. You can only get a sense of the Abarth by driving it and really pushing the pedal. Again, Im not sure why it doesnt get amazing reviews, but I am not a car expert. One person described the driving experience as "driving an angry hornet." That is right on. On the highway, it holds very firm. I have driven it fair distances and been very comfortable, but again, it is quite loud. I would seriously consider getting another Abarth when my lease is up in 2016, but the girlfriend is not in favor. She says it makes her dizzy and it is too loud for us to talk on a road trip. Also, the racing seats are not conducive to her reclining to take a snooze while I drive. So....a word to the wise. In a nutshell, if you test drive this car and finish by getting out and telling yourself you feel like you just got out of a cocktail shaker, this may not be the car for you. If, on the other hand, you get out and you find yourself eager for more, then you know you have found your next car. It will not disappoint.

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  Still happy, just missing hubcaps. - 2012 Fiat 500
  By Anna - August 3 - 9:25 pm

  I love my yellow FIAT. It is the perfect city car for a single person. I have probably taken 30 weekend trips of approximately 900-miles roundtrip and have never had a problem. At 65,000 miles I needed to replace the tires and battery, but I am told that is as expected for a new car. My only complaint to date has been the hubcaps... They keep falling off. I got 5 replacements (at different times) from the dealership when I was under warrantee, but since that has ended I have been driving two hubcaps short for over 15,000 miles. I hope to find some replacements soon, but since 2 of my 5 replaced FIAT hubcaps have fallen off a second time I plan to buy another brand to make it worth the money. Other than the hubcaps I am very happy with my FIAT and it has been keeping up with my long weekends very well. Besides the replacement for my tires and battery, plus regular oil and filter changes, I have not sunk any additional money into the car in almost 4 year.

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  I love my FIat! - 2013 Fiat 500
  By SNewman - July 28 - 2:56 pm

  I have had my little yellow Fiat since October 2013 and have 37,000 miles on her, having driven across country twice. Everyone is amazed at the amount of stuff the little car can carry! The only problem I have had, head lights sprung a leak and CDs get stuck in the player. I have wanted one since seeing one in Italy 15 years ago. When my Toyota 4 Runner with 200,000 miles decided to die, I bought my Fiat. A very happy Fiat owner.

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  great little car - 2015 Fiat 500
  By Cameron - July 28 - 2:21 am

  Ive had this for around 8-10 months, so I cant really say much on long term reliability, but its a fun little car. No parking aids on my, but then again whats the point. just aiming it in the general direction is good enough. Its small enough where i can just go "Eh, good enough" and it is. Its a quick car, and still has decent acceleration at 60+ mph. It handles and grips well, is a lot of fun as a daily driver, well at least when there isnt too much traffic. The driving position is quite high, coming from my 98 BMW, but it somehow just adds to the fun. Ive seen people complain about the lack of space, and granted, the rear seats kinda suck, but theres more than enough room if you only need to drive yourself or one other person around, not to mention it just is a physically smaller car which I like. If Im careful, I can get 36-37 mpg between city and highway with traffic, could probably get 38-39 if there wasnt any traffic, but I generally dont bother with it. More fun not worrying about mileage, and even when being rather liberal with the gas it still gets decent mileage. Gets about the same range as my BMW did, I use a higher grade gas, and it still costs ~15$ less to fill up the tank. I think the ride is quite good, though my dad said the BMW felt like a rock (never really noticed myself). It makes a nice sound making it somewhat ridiculous, but not over the top. Its not super loud or anything, but its enough to put a smile on my face. I couldnt be happier with it,

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  Getting Costly to Own. - 2012 Fiat 500
  By Michael Willsey - July 25 - 1:58 pm

  3 Vent knobs came off under warranty. Driver arm rest came apart under warranty but the first repair disabled the seats ability to move forward by pulling on seat back release handle and it took them several months and 4 returns for repair until they figured it out. The original battery suddenly went dead with no warning just past warranty leaving us stranded and in need of a road side service call and new battery. Most costly was main computer malfunction at 62,000 miles out of warranty at a cost of over $700.00 and still making payments on original car loan and this major problem, the problems was the headlights would not turn off, not even with switched to off nor by shutting off car, had to unplug headlights. The new computer is warrantied for just one year. At the same time as the computer going out the service department stated the steering was in need of repair at a cost of nearly $300, at this time I have yet to repair the steering and am driving it as is since the service person said it wouldnt keep me from safe driving.

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  snow flake sensor / air conditoner... - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By Enelida Cortez - July 12 - 2:33 pm

  ... not working properly. my brand new 500L fiat , has been in the repair shop ( call studio by fiat customer service ) , it has been the same problem several times. when driving appears the snow flake ( sensor) indicating that ICE ON THE ROAD and then shut down the air conditioning , the system starting blowing hot air. it is impossible to drive a car on hot temperatures like in South florida , (temperatures almost 100 Degrees ). FIAT is very disapoint .