Fiat 500 Hatchback 1.2 Sport Review

Overall Rating

A beautifully executed interpretation of what must be the friendliest little car ever made, brimming with character and a quite astonishing side helping of technological features.

I'm most impressed by the depth FIAT went to during the design and manufacture of the 'Nuovo 500'

Lets be realistic about the manufacturer: this once great company has had a pretty chequered past, and although this doesn't appear to manifest itself on this particular model, one questions it's long term reliability and longevity.
That aside, the ride is a little over firm (countered by brilliant handling though!) some interior plastics are a little low-rent, and they could have spent a few more Euro's on some rear sound deadening.
It's not a car with any glaring faults though, and very very hard to dislike!

I promised myself one of these a year before launch, and have left it a few months to make sure it was well received in the Motoring press before writing any cheques. My local FIAT dealer in St Albans offered me a fuss free test drive in a 1.3 Diesel Lounge, and 1.2 Sport, as the rather thirstier 1.4 is of no interest to me as I have larger more powerful vehicles already. THE MECHANICAL STUFF..... I found the Diesel pleasant enough to drive, but was unimpressed with the demo cars economy (Trip computer showed long term average of 37mpg, despite road testers claims of 50-60mpg) and not keen on the usual turbo-lag-followed-by-a-short-lived-burst-of-power type performance either, which, in fairness is typical of small Turbo-Diesels. Also, and rather sadly, because I frankly preferred either the Pop or Lounge versions interiors, I found the two non-sporting models seats a bit flat and unsupportive, leaving me the 1.2 Sport as the only remaining choice, as the seats are very much better in terms of comfort and support. This was the second 500 I drove, and far sweeter than the Diesel in quite a few ways: For starters, the relatively humble 8 valve petrol engine offers good old fashioned power delivery, lacking the hateful peachiness of multi-valve (16 Valve to you) units, and as mated to a fuss free 5 Speed gearboxes, a joy to use both in town and the open road. It's lighter than the Diesel too, so endowing the little machine with fantastic front end responsiveness and Lotus-like turn-in. It so reminds me of a modern version of the lovely little FIAT 127 Sport of the early '80's in a few respects, despite being related in name alone, and proves you don't need brute power to make good headway, and have a laugh too. The chassis is based on a stretched and tweaked FIAT Panda, so whilst not the most memorable thing in the world to drive, it's good by any standards, and the underpinnings have been tried and trusted for a few years with no common issues. Brakes are utterly superb, with great feel and effectiveness, the Power steering is equally good, with a 'City' button to make it very much lighter in town, whereas it is usually set up for keen drivers to offer a decent 'feel' Noise levels are very low, and up to 80mph, all you really hear is the tyre noise from the rear, which is better when the boot has some cargo inside! Other than the relatively limited performance from the 1.2 engine (99mph max, and 12.9 seconds 0-60, surely enough nowadays though?) and slightly bouncy ride, this is a very good little machine to drive in every way. Servicing is at 12 month/ 18,000 mile intervals, lacking the Mini ' s superb £150-for-5-years deal, but competing with the remainder in this sector pretty well. Warranty is 3 years/ 60,000 miles, with 12 months RAC, and forget corrosion, it's galvanized. FIAT banished rust a couple of decades ago incidentally... THE TOPSIDES... Belissimo! This easily the prettiest Supermini in the world at the moment. While not as tiny as the original (Thankfully!) it's a faithful recreation both inside and out, and will make everybody smile fondly at the little car wherever you go. But beauty is not enough, and the little FIAT also offers excellent paintwork, shutlines, trim quality and an attention to detail that frankly surprises me as a long term FIAT fan, quite aware of the horrors which Turin have foisted upon us in recent decades. This is a little jewel; make no mistake, and a breathtaking reminder of why Italians are considered the Worlds best designers in terms of sheer beauty. Everything, including badges, door handles, light clusters, every curve and angle is 'just right' Once inside, the authentic theme continues, each model offering a slightly differing flavour of the FIAT 500 experience, from the simplicity of the 'Pop' the enhanced luxury of the 'Lounge' and the warmed up attitude of the moody little 'Sport' Each offers a colour coded dashboard, all the usual goodies (No Aircon or Bluetooth in the Pop though) and a few more interesting features. 'Blue & Me' for example, enables you to hook up a phone wirelessly, and plug in an iPod or MP3 player with voice control and dashboard display! This is funky stuff indeed, and it works too... We have airbags everywhere, and a Euro NCap rating of 5/5, ABS brakes, quite simply the safest supermini whichever model you choose. The Sport has a black interior, macho Alloys (Stick to the 15 inches unless you want your fillings rattled out) a little lip spoiler, rear privacy glass, sports seats, and tiny front spotlights. It's the same to drive as the others, but looks best in Red, Black or Yellow. Leave the Pastels to non-sports 500's, this needs to look sharp! The boot is predictably small, but fits a modest shopping trolley full of stuff, while the seats fold for large stuff. Rear seats too, are 'big enough' and apparently better than a MINI, which isn't exactly a selling point, but clever when you consider the diminutive length of this car! If you want a no frills workhorse, look elsewhere. This is a car which deserves affection, but doesn't require pampering. It will always enthrall you with its charm, style, gusto and depth, but doesn't need to cost the earth either. It will (In 1.2 form) cruise effortlessly and in near silence (Other than a little road-roar) at 80mph, and still return 46mpg, or if you slow down to 60-70mph, nudge 54mpg, while being as chuckable as a frisbee at any bend or roundabout, while being able to stop in an eyeball-popping fashion. Try a few before you buy, and ask yourself if the extra cost is worth going for the larger engines, otherwise it's just down to budget and taste, the base vehicles are all the same. Despite my previous list of relatively expensive recent cars, this one has instantly given me more pleasure-per-pound, and on a side note, it's good to see FIAT bounce back at quite such a velocity. A few friends already have, and enjoy their 500s, so add another to the list!

Members' Comments onJohn Thompson's Review

• Mysterysong on 11th Mar 2009

  Hi, could you give me an update on the car with regards to running costs, build and the all important reliability?
  
  Have you done many longer journeys and how is the 1.2 on the motorway and also around town with the potholes, speedhumps etc? I'm debating whether to go for a 500 or Panda
  
  Thanks

• Mysterysong on 11th Mar 2009

  I found this review helpful because it is informative and also takes all aspects, good and bad, into consideration

• John Thompson on 12th Mar 2009

  So far, faultless, and in my hands 50mpg average, my Wifes 46mpg.
  
  Build quality good. A couple of minor creak on the dash on cold weather, but my Mercedes and Lexus LS did that.
  
  A bit blustery on Motorways, it's not a car I would buy for regular high speed use, as it's a little extended at 80mph, and could be more stable, but again, the yardstick is a Mercedes!
  
  I have utterly no regrets about buying this car, and am contemplating a second!
  
  

• John Thompson on 12th Mar 2009

  Sorry, missed a question:
  
  Potholes...Well, when I first took her off the forecourt, it was a hard ride, but after a thousand miles or so, it softened up.
  
  I would describe the ride quality as 'firm' but it's never offensive. Better than my initial impressions.
  
  The Panda is the same floorpan, so likely to drive similarly, just lacking the style, although a few colour schemes look great!

• Mysterysong on 13th Mar 2009

  Thanks for that - as mentioned, I'm also looking at the Panda as eventually need to downsize and reduce my motoring costs but need a car that will undertake both town and occasional motorway/longer journeys. I'm looking at other makes too but the Fiat seems to offer character but also has reliability and build quality in hand whilst most other makes seem to me, a rather bland. Once again, thanks for your view and comment - any problems, please keep update your review so I can follow progress