Fiat 500 buying guide
BUYING GUIDE The Fiat 500 is a stylish city car, but it falls short of rivals in terms of interior space and driving experience
You can get this popular small hatchback from just £2000. Here’s how to do it
In production
THE MODERN FIAT 500 reinvents one of the most iconic cars of the 1960s, in the same way that BMW did with the Mini. Cute styling, bags of personality and lots of kerb appeal make the 500 a sure-fire hit on the used car market.
WHAT’S IT LIKE?
Urban streets are where the 500 excels, with its nimble handling and light steering. On faster roads, its limitations are more apparent due to its unsettled ride, as well as excessive wind and road noise, although things improved with chassis revisions in 2010.
The retro interior is good to look at, with lots of neat design touches. It’s also well built, although some materials are a bit suspect.
There’s reasonable passenger space in the front, but the back is cramped for adults. The boot is bigger than that of its archrival – the Mini – but it’s nowhere near as good as that of the Volkswagen Up. The VW is also more practical, because it is available with five doors.
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
The highest-mileage versions of the entry-level 1.2-litre Pop can be found for about £2000. If you can up your budget to around £4300, you will have your pick of 1.2 Lounge spec cars with 45,000 miles or less. You’ll have to spend a bit more for a 500 with the later 0.9-litre Twinair engine, with £5000 being a good place to start.
The pocket rocket of the range is the Abarth, which features a highly tuned 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine. The only thing that isn’t small
2008-present Price from £2000 Our favourite ‘Cute styling and bags of personality make the 500 a hit on the used car market’ 1.2 Lounge
about this car is the price; you’ll need at least £7500 to secure any example.
Diesel models don’t have noticeably better resale values than petrol ones but will save on fuel costs, with the 1.3 diesel achieving as much as 72.4mpg. Petrol versions range from 58.9mpg for the 1.2 with automatic stop-start system to 43.4mpg for the Abarth.
Road tax for a 500 shouldn’t prove too expensive and insurance is a similar story, with cars in groups 3-6. Only the Abarths reach double digits, in groups 13 and 14. It’s worth noting that all 500s registered after April 2017 will cost you £140 a year to tax.
Servicing costs are in line with other Fiat models and similar to those of rivals.
WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR?
Despite its solid feel, the interiors of some cars have suffered from rattles and items of trim falling off. The paintwork can mark easily; black and bright red models appear especially at risk.
A lot of 500s have been used as driving instructors’ cars. Although this shouldn’t be a problem if the car is well maintained, it could shorten the life of components such as the clutch. Check that there isn’t any slippage or notchiness; if there is, this indicates abuse and the likelihood of big repair bills down the line.
The 1.3 diesel engine was fitted with a diesel particulate filter (DPF). Considering the 500 is designed primarily as a city car, it is unlikely that many drivers will have taken their vehicles on frequent motorway journeys to ensure the DPF can regenerate, because this process is only triggered at high speeds. Check how the previous owner has used the car if you are unsure.
Historically, Fiat hasn’t had the best reputation for reliability, but the 500 hasn’t performed too badly to date. Its score in our latest reliability survey was 76% – better than the Citroën C1 but not quite up there with the VW Up and Hyundai i10.
WHICH ONE SHOULD I BUY?
That is a difficult one to answer, by virtue of the huge number of special editions available.
The ‘standard’ 500 range starts with the Pop, which is quite sparsely equipped. It comes with electric front windows and door mirrors, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, plus USB and Aux-input connections.
Lounge, our preferred version, adds Bluetooth, air conditioning, 15in alloy wheels, a glass roof, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and split-folding rear seats. Additions in Sport models include a rear spoiler, foglights, climate control and some sport trim inside. Since it doesn’t make the car drive any better, it isn’t worth paying extra for one.
Some of the special editions might be worth considering, but only if they have features you like or if they happen to cost a similar amount to a Lounge-spec car and are local to you.
The 0.9 Twinair may look fuel efficient, but it’s hard to get close to its official figures in the real world – and it’s noisy. The same goes for the diesel, while the 1.4 petrol is too thirsty, which makes the 1.2 petrol our pick. Find these cars and more like them at whatcar.com/classi eds/used-cars
SAYS
The 500 isn’t the best car to drive, but its cute looks mean it won’t matter for most buyers