So, after one week...

Its the end of my first week with my 500 1.4 Sport and I thought i'd just pass on a few observations. I just filled the tank up tonight for the 2nd time. The first tank got me 232 miles with average consumption of 38mpg on mixture of dual carriageway/motorway/urban

1. Sport Button

Does it actually do anything? I have to say I didn't really notice any difference in the performance when I pressed it... After my 1.4 Grande Punto Sporting, I have to say I have been pleasantly surprised with the performance though even with the sport button off.

2. Fuel gauge

I hate it! Much prefer the conventional needle you can see going down bit by bit. At least you know where you are rather than the "one minute I had quarter of a tank and the next it was nearly on E".

3. Fuel tank capacity

I ran it down until the last tiny segment was showing on the gauge and I had already had 2 "low fuel" warnings. When I filled it up, I only managed to get 26 litres in it though! I thought it was a 35 litre tank?

4. Seat height adjustment lever

It's too near to the handbrake and gets in the way when I try to put the handbrake on

5. Bonnet release lever in the footwell

Possibly the worst part of the car. Considering its so visible, its shoddy old school fiat and looks like a total afterthought. I can see wires in the panel behind it. Is everybody's like this?

6. Parking lights

Am i missing something here? The light stalk only seems to go from headlights off to headlights on. Where is the parking/sidelights switch?

7. Rear View Mirror

Already discussed this before, but WHY is it white on black interiors?

8. Accelerator pedal

I find it to be too far off the floor... does anytbody else find this or just me?

9. Indicators

INFURIATING!!! When you approach a roundabout, if you indicate right, they cancel if you turn the wheel left slightly on entering the roundabout! Can this be adjusted or do I have to spend the whole time with this car with people thinking I'm just a ****** who doesnt indicate when turning right at roundabouts?

10. Fog lights

Am I right in saying that you cant have the rear fog lights on without having the front ones on as well? If so, how silly! I never use front fogs and I hate the things.

11. Noise

1.4 is much noisier than my mates 1.2. Is that normal?

All in all....

All in all though, I have been pleasantly surprised after my Grande Punto (thank god!). The 500 really is a step up. I love the styling and the chrome, and the Blue and ME and the great stereo. The ride is not as good as the GP but then again the car is smaller.

The one thing that I would say to all the guys thinkiing of buying one, the girls won't be able to leave you alone... judging by the reactions of my work colleagues!

Sports button adjusts the throttle responsiveness, and possibly the steering I think, but not 100% sure.

Parking light are normally activated by a button by the key when you remove the key, you push it and they come and stay on till you put the key back in, unless Fiat have dropped this great idea.

Can't help with any of the others sorry.

Jon.

Koksy

To try to answer some of your questions -

The sport button reduces the amount of power assistance to the steering, and invokes an alternative map in the ECU which gives better throttle response in the first part of the pedal travel.

My fuel gauge seems to be quite accurate - when it says half-full you get about 17 litres in. The fuel tank is 35 litres.

Yes, they are all like this, and yes, it is pretty poor.

When the car is parked, and the engine is stopped, the headlight switch activates the parking lights.

Yes, I found the pedal uncomfortable to use, but there is no adjustment for height.

The indicators are amusing, you get used to it. If you have front fog lights fitted, you can only use the rear one with the front fogs on, as you say.

The 1.4 is a much more rorty beast than the 1.2. It does become a bit more refined as it gets some miles on it, though. Some of us rather like the howl of a Fiat twin-cam as it approaches max rpm, that's why we bought it.

As the miles go by I am sure you will get to love the 500, and its little foibles will be less bothersome.

Cordiali saluti

John

I love the noise of the 1.4, the 1.2 is just a little too quiet I saw the bonnet pull and thought the same but its not exactly something to annoy me.
There is one thing on the 1.4 though that is really pants compared to the other 500s... the dreadful oil tanker like turning circle... wow its bad!

Bonnet release the worst part of the car? Eh, it works doesn't it, and I can't see that it is glaringly obvious when sitting in the car - not as much as the poor rear headroom anyway

The indicators are very annoying though, and typically Fiat. Non self-cancelling with a loud click like Citroen used to have would be far better, but people complained about the effort of having to cancel those, so...

As for the front fog lights??? If you need the rears on why would you not want the fronts on too

The accelerator pedal is fine for someone used to Fiats: once the muscles in your legs have got used to the different position you won't notice.

Me too about the fuel gauge - give me a needle any day.

And I agree that the increased turning circle in the 1.4 is an annoyance. Small cars should have good locks. That's the cost of a six speed box.

But really, small niggles, except for those indicators - I still swear at my Doblo - and a great little car.

Isnt this all the built - in character that makes the cheaky chappie so appealing? Moan moan moan... buy a Toyota Yaris.... bored bored bored....

Yes I forgot to mention the dreadful turning circle (if i'm allowed to remove the rose coloured spectacles and dare to have an opinion without being considered to be moaning). Why is the turning circle different on the 1.4?

Bonnet release... is glaringly obvious in mine cos the panel next to it is out of line and doesnt fit properly so theres a larger than normal gap.

Front fogs.... never felt the need to use them in 17 years of driving and personally I find it annoying to be sat in a line of traffic with somebody right behind with them on glaring in my rear view mirror. In the same way, I turn off my rear fogs if theres traffic in a queue right behind me so that I dont dazzle the person behind. The 500 doesnt allow you the choice.

Accelarator pedal... just owned a GP for 2 years so I think i'm used to Fiats. Never noticed this problem with the GP though.

The turning circle is larger on the 1.4 because it has the 6-speed box. I don't find the 10.5m t/c too much of an issue, but I see no harm at all in making these comments. Not everything on the 500 is wonderful, although much of it is very good indeed.

John

Are you sure you can't turn them off? Front fogs are very use-specific: I have had a long and tedious exchange on the forum with people who think front fogs are unnecessary, but don't actually drive in the countryside at night and so have never experienced the need for better vision - but I won't got there again

The Doblo pedals take a bit of getting used to and I had cramps for a few weeks. Have you ever tried driving an MG convertible? Tinny little thing, and the pedals are designed by the devil himself: never, and I mean this, have I driven such an uncomfortable car...the pain

The foglamp switch only operates with dipped beam on, then -

First push switches on front foglamps. Second push switches on rear foglamp as well. Third push switches them both off.

John

the bonnet release could have been hidden away, the side lights if you activate them via the dashboard settings are on whenever the key is turned. as for parking lights it doesn't have them it does have the "follow me home" function, when you turn off the ignition, flash the lights and they will now stay on for 30 secs flash2 times for 1 minuite etc. shutting the windows autmatically when locking the car would have been a nice adition,

Correct me if i'm wrong, but if you park on the "wrong" side of the road (ie facing the traffic) I always understood it was a legal requirement to leave your side lights (parking lights is what they really are) on if you arent in a line of parked cars... the reason being the front has no reflectors... so I can't believe that the 500 wouldnt have them.

So are you saying its cos the 6 speed gearbox takes up more space and doesnt allow so much movement of the steering?

Hi koksy .. also, how did you get on with PDH in the end ?

PDH were OK in the end- it only seems to be their service department that lets them down. The chap who dealt with my sale was very friendly and they were quick to ring me to tell me the car had arrived a week early.