General 2010 fiat 500 question
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General 2010 fiat 500 question
Piccolo Nero e Bella
Prominent member
To be honest, I don't think the 500's any better or worse than any other car though I do think the 500C's soft top tends to absorb more heat than a tin-top, especially if it's black like mine. I previously drove a smaller car for 13 years without A/C and the only time the heat was noticable was when you got in after it'd sat in the sun for a while (I'd open the car and stand back for a bit while the heat dissipated - it was that bad) - once moving with the windows down it was a non-issue, and that's in Aust. In your milder clime I'd be happy to give it a miss and save the money and petrol.
One good thing; it's great for dehumidifying and demisting. One bad thing; it can make the car mist up more quickly initially.
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We have the lounge with glass roof. In the summer on a very sunny day the heat becomes overwhelming, I could not imagine driving it without the air con on. The glass roof really does add to the greenhouse effect. Don't think it would be such a problem on cars without the glass roof.
Piccolo Nero e Bella
Prominent member
I was wondering about the glass roof. Is there an internal screen?
Yes there is an internal screen. About as much use as a chocolate fireguard. Don't get me wrong, I do like the glass roof, just would not fancy it without the air con. I am not a great user of air con generally, prefer an open window. But on the occasional roasting hot day we get the air con is a necessity.
I suppose the 500 has a smaller overall glass area than larger cars, so the solar heat effect will be less. But I spent a long time with my 500 with non working a/c and found it could be unpleasantly hot on the rare sunny UK days in mid summer.
With the fan full on, and windows open where possible (ie not on the motorway at speed) the temperature was bearable in the same way as a room fan moving warm air around is a bit more bearable than still air.
Once I fixed my a/c, I was delighted to once again be able to source air with a degree of chill when temperatures rose. And yes, keeping the windows demisted in wet weather is an added bonus.
Having said that, I always used to have cars without a/c (never used to be an option) and if Bella in Oz can survive without it, I guess so can you.
With our climate, there won't be an awful lot of days when you'll be muttering "Wish I had a/c" So, enjoy your car!
With the fan full on, and windows open where possible (ie not on the motorway at speed) the temperature was bearable in the same way as a room fan moving warm air around is a bit more bearable than still air.
Once I fixed my a/c, I was delighted to once again be able to source air with a degree of chill when temperatures rose. And yes, keeping the windows demisted in wet weather is an added bonus.
Having said that, I always used to have cars without a/c (never used to be an option) and if Bella in Oz can survive without it, I guess so can you.
With our climate, there won't be an awful lot of days when you'll be muttering "Wish I had a/c" So, enjoy your car!
I'm not sure if it's the soft top or just the black paint, but my black 500C becomes unbearably hot above 27 degrees C or so. I'm so glad that I have effective air con.
Hi Light9327,
Welcome to the forum by the way
It's a difficult one to say really, only you will know whether you are happy driving in hot and humid conditions or not. I can't honestly say I felt our old 500 was any worse than other cars in terms of it being uncomfortable when hot.
Also, if you are mainly in the car for short journeys then I guess it won't matter too much.
That said, I am not sure I would have wanted a 500 without a/c as it also comes into its own in autumn/winter when the windows steam up. But the standard fan is pretty good on its own at heating up etc, so you shouldn't have too many issues.
If you have a 1.2 though, not having a/c will be a slight blessing in disguise in terms of performance as having it switched on does affect acceleration/power a bit (most noticeable when going up hill etc). I'm particularly aware of this now having moved to a 62 plate 1.4 Punto. The a/c system is pretty much silent and doesn't seem to make any difference whatsoever to acceleration.
