Overview & Reviews

The 2014 Fiat 500L is an all-new model.

• Big-car passenger and cargo space
• Lots of European personality inside and out.
• Good outward visibility

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 49.00

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  Shes a keeper! - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By Ron Lakes - January 12 - 10:49 am

  Weve had our 500L for 2 years now, though have only put on 14K miles so far, and its my wifes daily driver. Ours is the Trekking trim with the 6 speed Dual-Dry-Clutch Transmission. In response to an earlier recent review where the reviewer gave the car just 1 star, my experience couldnt be more different. To start off, I love the transmission, but Ive adapted my driving habits to ensure its longevity. It is, after all, an automatically shifted manual- not a slush box. What Im talking about is, for example, to select the gear you want using the manual mode when in stop and go traffic, in particular when youre creeping along, and I always put it in neutral if Im going to be stopped for any length of time. The reasons for driving the DDCT in this way are a bit technical, and maybe thats why dual clutch transmissions havent caught on so well stateside. In any case, for 2015 all but the Pop trim come with the Aisin slush box if you opt for an auto transmission. Ive had no problem with the car rolling backwards on a slight incline when pulling away from a stop, and hill hold assist works well when on any incline greater than "slight". The engine has proven to be plenty quick enough for merging with traffic etc. and frugal if youre easy on the gas. Ive gotten upwards of 39 mpg when on back roads with no traffic, 34 or so on interstates, 25 to 27 in town (lots of cold starts routinely, so the economy suffers a bit for that). Some criticize the 500L for having too firm of a ride, but to me it is sublime, giving a very nice balance between ride and handling. The steering weights up nicely as you turn in, though I wish the turn-in response were a little sharper. It is very stable once into a corner, and its fun to hustle it if youre in the mood, though the car is really excellent at just cruising on a sunny day, esp. if youve opted for the panoramic roof. The 500L is reasonably quiet at highway speeds, and for our small family its a great road trip car. The upright seating position gives us long term comfort, and the expansive window area provides for an excellent view in all directions. Weve found the front seats to be very comfortable with excellent adjustable lumbar support, though folks of longer inseam are more likely to have an issue with proper thigh support. For 2015 the front seat bottom cushions have been lengthened to address this issue. How I have the drivers seat adjusted allows me full view of the instrument binnacle, though I can see where some might have issues with that- perhaps running a lower seat height and a bit more recline would do the trick for them. The parking brake handle works OK, though ergonomically it could be better. Infotainment is intuitive, simple, and has been trouble free for us. It synchs up with my 160gb ipod classic pretty quickly too. Ive had Hondas, Acuras, VWs etc. and this has become my favorite. We decided to buy a MOPAR extended warranty just for peace of mind. Ours has been stone reliable save for the recalls for an airbag and a transmission re-flash.

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  Excited to Frustrated/Alarmed - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By William Pilcher - December 28 - 1:23 pm

  Excited to buy, loved having a fiat but should have done more homework but when we bought last year there was not this much about the cars. Purchased it as a commuter/local use. Love the room inside, lots of head room, wide so you are not rubbing you elbows and the back seat is very roomy as mentioned in other reviews. Cons:1. on a slight incline when you take your foot off of the brake the clutch takes about 2 seconds to engage, so you roll back and there is a slight pause before power goes to the wheels. Nearly got T Boned the first time, 2. going uphill the power steering looses power so you have to exert more muscle to turn the wheel, then in the middle of the curve the power returns and if you are not ready you end up in the oncoming lane, 3. As mentioned in earlier reviews the brake are not consistent, one time quick and grabby the next there is pedal drop before a smooth application, 4. The low beam headlights do not illuminate nearly far enough, I asked the dealer to dial them higher and he told me they were as high as they would mechanically go. I jus keep them on high beam all of the time and almost nobody notices, If you live in the city you would never notice but if you are driving around back roads or not spending all of your time on interstates then you will feel blind, 5. As mentioned earlier there are few dealers in the Dodge/Chrysler organization that have a trained Fiat mechanics so you have to go to the Fist dealer for anything beyond oil change despite the dealers claim that you can get service at any Dodge/Chrysler service shop, 6. The front seats are not comfortable for a drive longer than 20 minutes, there do not go back far enough for me to have my legs (510"), 7. The steering wheel tilts but only slightly so that if you tilt it up it stops and blocks part of the display, They give you plenty of head room but the car does not accommodate persons over 5 5" or so, we tested with friends, 9. we have had the car for just over a year and I was thinking about trading it in for another Dodge/Chrysler product and the dealer appraised the car at $8,000 and the salesman informed me that it was one of the worst depreciating cars in the USA and he had about 15 used Fiats. I am not 18 and understand car depreciate. I am also old enough over 45 to have driven many cars and know the difference between not liking the feel of handling of a car and not feeling safe driving a car. At first I thought I just needed to get used to it but over time it just gets worst and having to adjust my driving to keep from getting into a dangerous situation is not healthy. I made a big mistake purchasing this car for a number of reasons. I plan to trade it in as soon as I can research and purchase a replacement.

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  Undervalued, poorly reviewed car = great deal1 - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By Scoutyspice - December 18 - 7:34 pm

  CAR--2014 FIAT TREKKING MANUAL trans BEATS Audio fully LOADED (no sunroof, heated seats or visor-built-in garage door opener) PAID: $14,595 + tax/fees. (Last 2014 left on lot June2015, $9k discount.) NOTE: CAPS are used for easy reference of points in article. REPLACED--2003 VW PASSAT wagon 1.8lT ABOUT US—This is our SO CA family car. We’ve owned mostly German cars (BMW & MB), my European husband was reluctant to buy it. This car cost half of the Subaru Outback wagon we intended on purchasing. We both have lived in Europe, so the look, size, & power of the car are not strange to us. We installed a THULE roof rack, a FIAT garage installed trailer-hitch for our Thule hitch-mounted bike rack. We are 58" & 63". SHORT REVIEW—We are impressed & got a great deal. I can’t stress enough: FIND A GOOD FIAT STUDIO/DEALER/GARAGE, as this will directly affect your satisfaction. INITIAL REVIEW-- The GOOD--Great bang for the buck. Fun to drive. A comfortable ride with DECENT SUSPENSION. PASSENGER SPACE comparable to our Passat with better headroom (friends 6’5” sat in the back, & another 6’6” in the front comfortably). Both front & rear seats are adjustable to customize needs and comfort. Intuitive layout & usage of COCKPIT & CONTROLS. We are enjoying the technology: SAT NAV, tech ports, 110v plug, dash trip computer, etc. Good use of SPACE (for a car this size). THE WEIRD-- Strange PARKING BRAKE. Stalled 1-2xs daily for first few weeks getting out of FIRST GEAR (different than other cars weve owned). Optical illusion of SIZE & SHAPE--Car is much roomier inside than appears. 6 MO REVIEW-- OVERALL—Still enjoying the ride & options. Car is now broken-in (& so are we), so we aren’t stalling out of first gear beyond normal occurrences. We’ve gotten used to the PARKING BRAKE. The GAS MILEAGE is decent (22-23/city & +26/hwy, with nearly 30mpg on long hwy trips. Seems to be improving.) The Trekking’s FABRIC SEATS (leather not available on this model) are more self-regulating than I would have assumed. After our hot SO CA summer and now our ‘cold’ weather, all is well. (I don’t miss having heated seats.) A 500L’s sunroof’s screen is perforated, so it will not fully shut out the sun even when closed, and roof racks are not compatible, so I am doubly glad we don’t have one. CRITICAL—NO DEAL-BREAKERS. But…The DOORS lack a ‘stop’ mechanism, they don’t ‘fly’ open, but don’t open in a controlled manner when exiting your vehicle. The BLUETOOTH: good as an mp3 player, bad for talking on the phone. The MIC picks up too much sound from the dash vent & such. We had the ‘DEAD BATTERY issue’ (as noted by other owners) because of a SOFTWARE UPDATE that didn’t take (our FIAT studio’s garage checked-off as ‘done’), which was remedied by another FIAT garage. This other garage is a combo FIAT/JEEP, so they had the knowledge & know-how to install our TRAILER HITCH. So,—FIND A GOOD FIAT STUDIO/DEALER. Many negative reviews stem from issues with a dealership rather than the brand. Hopefully FIAT can remedy this somehow, as they put out a decent product. We have heard about some transmission problems, but we since we have manual, we are hoping to avoid that.

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  Bought a 2014 "New" Treeking for $14K - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By Jason Moore - December 14 - 10:57 pm

  Review 2014 FIAT 500L Trekking w/ 6 Spd manual white - no options besides 6.5" Navigation Pros:  1.  Paid $14k for a new car with 100 miles, full warranty (4 yrs/50 mi).  10/10) 2.  Navigation, bluetooth, mp3 (via USB and/or SD card), andUconnect all work well. (9/10) 3.  Comfort - very roomy.  Took my wife, daughter (5yr. w/ car seat), and in-laws to and their luggage to the airport - 10/10. 4.  Manuverability/drivability - 1) the lighest clutch Ive ever experienced.  2) short turning radius - makes parking and U-turns very easy.  3) Sturdy - feels like you are driving a Town & Country minivan (about the same ride height)  4) 1st gear is weird, but 3rd gear is when the torque shows up.  5)  drives well in the snow.  Was able to get up/over ice/snow covered hills that I used to get stuck on with old car.  6) at 700 miles, I get 24.5 MPG city, 34.5 highway.  The highest highway MPG was 37.0 (5 peo people plus luggage - going to the airport).  I paid $15 to fill my tank (regular, even though premium is recommended) a few days ago.  Small tank, decent range. 7) Power steering is like theold luxury cars from the 70s & 80s - light & easy. 5.  Easter eggs - 1)  the first day I got it, the arm rest was in the way of my shifting.  You can lower it by pulling on the feont latch and pushing it down (at an angle) perfect for resting your arm and shifting.  2)  You can keep your headlights switched to "on" all the time - basicall like auto headlights.  3)  When you turn your wheel (right or left) the fog lights come on to light the path.  4)  the fog lights are very bright.  5)  You can set a max spedd limit to get a reminder of when you go over a certain speed (I set mine to 75).  You can also set the Navigation to aler t you when you are druving over the posted speed limit. 5.  In reverse, the rear windshield wiper automatically truns on. 6.  If you make a panic stop - hit the brake hard, the hazard lights will automatically flach - alerting drivers behind you. Cons 1)  There are some rattles when driving over rough roads.  The conversation mirror makes noise if you forget to stow it. 2) I was on the highway, and the fasten seatbelt buzzer went off.  I un-fastened and re-fastened my bektm but it cintinued to chime.  It only stopped when I buckled the (empty) frint passenger seat.  It hasnt happened since.   3)  one morning, I noticed that the exterior lights were on (overnight?), car was slow to start/crank over, but still started.  Will turn the lights one/off manually. Regrets:  None - At first I wanted Beats and the moonroof, and the black roof (with the rest of the car white), but it was beyond the scope of my budget, and would ultimately just make the car colder/hotter/louder. Looked at the 2015 Urbanna - but didnt want to pay more.  I could see black wheels getting old/boring after a few years. I like tge styling and floating roof design w/ Trekking body cladding. Overall 9/10 - My parents alwats drover cars different than everyone else, and now so do I.

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  Too Much Too Soon - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By annette markert - November 3 - 12:40 pm

  Service has been terrible. Had it in 6 times for the check engine light. Bluetooth is terrible. I can hear who Ive called, but when the car is moving, they can barely understand what I am saying.

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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 .

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  im on my second one - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By francesco3 - July 5 - 12:48 am

  50,000 miles in less than two years not one single problem on top of that I chipped and I abuse it every time I drive I even tow 4 x 8 trailer I pool little over 2000 b.l with no problem and yes my its automatic its funny The transmission doesnt belong in USA market my opinion for European is fine but since Im European myself I like it but you just have to get usted it its not that bad I know some people still saying fix it again Tony they need to change Tony is long gone its not any different In liability of a Honda Toyota Subaru etc.

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  Never trust a Chrysler dealer - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By unhappyfiat63 - June 6 - 12:50 pm

  We like our Fiat, what we dont like is the customer service. We have 8832 kilometers on our car and a rattle/knock has started in the front end when going over small or large bumps. When we bought the car Chrysler said we could use any Chrysler dealer to service/warranty work on our car and when we called City Chrysler Corner Brook NL they said no we do not service Fiat. Called Fiat Canada and they told us we have to drive to the nearest Fiat dealer, 10 hours away in St. Johns NL. Do your homework if you are planning on buying a Fiat, ensure you have a dealer close by and get everything in writing. We will be selling our Fiat and will make sure no one in Western NL buys a Fiat.

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  Another Fiat - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By Mark Rivera - April 30 - 8:56 pm

  Just upgraded my 500(Manual) after 53000 miles with only two issues - one was one headlight stopped working and Fiat replaced both, also, a problem caused by my cigarette lighter phone charger(blowing fuses). I needed more space, so, decided to upgrade to 500L(Manual) - Rosso Perla with White Roof. I am mid age person with plenty of experience as a car enthusiast. I do not buy European cars with automatic trannys, PERIOD!(bad experiences). Going to 200 miles so far and I am very happy at the least on how this puppy feels. Still have to get used to first gear(it sure is weird). MPG so far is around 29. Will post again in a few months again with more evaluation after break in period.

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  BEST CAR I HAVE EVER DRIVEN - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By angelito1 - April 10 - 2:23 am

  I have had this car for a couple of months And totally love it. Let me start by saying that it is true the first gear in the manual transmission takes a little getting use to. And no it doesnt takes off Or drive like a rocket..... But I love the styling because there is nothing like it. It is reliable, super confortable And awesome on gas. You want a testament to this.... With barely 2500 miles on it I took it on a loong road trip from WA state to Fairbanks Alaska. It drove up and down the mountain roads like it is what it was made to do. By the way I was fully loaded with suitcases, duffle bags with clothes and theblike... Average 34 MPG. Again best car ever.