Fiat 500 Review

Inspired by the 1957 classic, the Fiat 500 delivers modern city car motoring with an Italian twist. However, like an ice cream left in the Italian sun, the 500 wavers when you compare it to the best in class from Volkswagen, Kia and Suzuki.

But let's be honest, if you’re here it’s probably because you’ve already fallen in love with the retro looks of the Fiat 500. And we agree - the Fiat 500 is one of the best-looking city cars you can buy. Its compact and cute styling gives a heavy nod to past. However, while the 500 is undeniably one of the most attractive small cars on sale, it also has the tendency to be one of the most frustrating. 

Most of the Fiat 500's problems are caused by the fact it's very small. The cabin is cramped, the seats narrow and the boot is barely large enough to cope with a weekly food shop. Technically the 500 is a four-seater, but only children will be able to make use of the rear seats. 

Mid-spec versions of the 500 are advertised with a height adjustable driver’s seat, but the lever at the side only changes the angle of the seat rather than the height. The steering doesn’t have any reach adjustment either, which means short and tall people will find the 500 equally frustrating when trying to find a decent driving position. 

The 500 isn't particularly good to drive, either. The steering is light and accurate, but there isn’t a great feel of feedback via the wheel or pedals. This isn’t really a problem below 30mph, but take this small Fiat onto a twisty A road at 50mph and the overpowered steering makes it difficult to find any bond with the handling. The 500 is a safe and predictable car to drive (there's plenty of grip) but there is very little fun to be had from this pint-sized Fiat. 

The handling is further diminished by the soft suspension, which results in a bouncy and uncomfortable ride quality at low-speeds. Things do settle down when you venture past 50mph, but there’s lots of sideways travel in the suspension and this means even a moderate turn will cause the body of the 500 to roll heavily. 

General equipment levels are fine. The entry-level Pop model gets a basic DAB radio and USB socket that lets you play music via a mobile device. We’d recommend spending extra on a Fiat 500 in Lounge spec, which adds a smart 7-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. 

Most versions measure just 3.6 metres in length, which makes the 500 an easy thing to to live with in a town or city where space is limited. What’s more, at 1.7 metres wide, the 500 has little trouble cutting its way through heavy traffic or squeezing into a narrow parking space. 

Read our first drive of the all-new Fiat 500 Electric. 

The Fiat 500 is not a practical car.  You get just 185 litres of boot space, which is significantly less than the 250-260 litres you get in the Volkswagen Up, Hyundai i10 and Suzuki Ignis. 

The Fiat 500 doesn’t really get much in the way of in-car storage, either. You get a pair of cup holders in the centre console and a compact cubby box for loose change. But both of the door pockets are small and narrow, which makes them good for carrying bits of paper or a slimline mobile phone and very little else. 

The cabin is covered in thick layers of cheap plastic that will be hardwearing and easy to clean. Small children will (just about) fit into the rear seats. However, if you want to squish two adults into the back of the 500, you'll need to slide the front seats forward to such a degree that the driver and front passenger will find themselves pinned against the dashboard. The Fiat 500 has three-doors (there's no four-door model) which means your passengers will have to climb over the front seats (which fold forward) to get in and out. 

A smart seven-inch colour screen is fitted to most models and is easy to use and mounted quite high, which makes it straightforward to use on-the-move. It also has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, which lets you plug your phone in via the USB to mirror its display via the touchscreen. 

The Fiat 500 is offered with a 69PS 1.2-litre petrol or a 70PS 1.0-litre mild hybrid petrol. Older versions of the 500 are available with Fiat’s turbocharged 0.9-litre TwinAir, a 1.2-litre petrol or a 1.4-litre petrol. A 1.3-litre diesel engine is also available on the older versions. 

The 1.0-litre mild hybrid doesn’t have any leads or plugs - the powertrain combines a three-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery to recharge itself by recovering energy from the brakes and deceleration. This recovered energy is used to boost acceleration and save fuel. The powertrain works quite well at low-speeds, but can be a bit noisy on the motorway. The 1.0-litre mild hybrid is linked to a six-speed manual gearbox, which is smooth and easy to use. There's no automatic option. 

The 1.2-litre petrol develops 69PS and is only available with an automatic gearbox that feels like a poor match for the four-cylinder engine. The transmission is noisy and occasionally causes the engine to emit a loud shriek of protest as the revs jump around as the gearbox struggles to find the correct gear. 

The petrol versions of the Fiat 500 are affordable when it comes to fuel - advertised economy ranges from 47-53mpg. Older models are offered with Fiat's 1.3-litre diesel, which officially returns 72–83mpg. The 0.9-litre TwinAir petrol has official figures of 67mpg. Road tax VED is £150 per year, while the first year ‘showroom’ rate for new cars is £175 for the 1.0-litre and £215 for the 1.2-litre. 

If you want a decent spec for your Fiat 500 then aim for Lounge trim or better.  It adds 15-inch alloy wheels, touchscreen infotainment, sunroof and rear parking sensors. The seven-inch infotainment system is bright and colourful. It’s mounted quite close to the windscreen and this makes it easy to read when driving. It also has full Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. 

Star trim adds 16-inch alloy wheels and a seven-inch TFT display to the instrument cluster, while the more expensive Sport trim removes the sunroof and adds an aerodynamic bodykit and a small spoiler to the rear of the car. A leather steering wheel is also included. 

The Rockstar model is the range-topping version of the Fiat 500. It gets dark tinted rear windows, climate control, leather steering wheel and also reinstates the sunroof.