Mick F said:

Ours is six years old next month and I'm not aware of it ever hitting the bump stops in the three years we've had it. I would say, it never has at all.

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Mick, remember that Maxi has one of the early cars with the original rear beam; your car has a different rear beam and suspension setup and is less likely to hit the stops.

The original (pre-2010 model year) cars are significantly worse in this regard. I remember test driving one of the early cars in 2008 and the suspension was so harsh compared to the Mk1 Ka I was driving at the time as to be a dealbreaker.

I seem to remember when Ford brought the 500-based-Ka out it made Fiat realise how bad the suspension on the previous 2010 500s was. They re-engineered it and it was much improved. Although the MK2 Ka is still better in that respect.

jrkitching said:

Mick, remember that Maxi has one of the early cars with the original rear beam; your car has a different rear beam and suspension setup and is less likely to hit the stops.

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That must be the difference then.

Maxi suggested that the suspension is bad at (only) three or four years old. Ours is six years old.

Mick.

Mick F said:

That must be the difference then.

Maxi suggested that the suspension is bad at (only) three or four years old. Ours is six years old.

Mick.

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A cheap damper like that fitted to the 500 will have lost a good deal of its damping after 3 or 4 years, you probably just don't notice it.

Mick F said:

Maxi suggested that the suspension is bad at (only) three or four years old.

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On the early cars, the suspension was bad at three or four days old .

Some of the more enthusiastic drivers found they stopped hitting the bump stops after a bit of time in service, but that was only because the bump stops had fallen out .

306maxi said:

A cheap damper like that fitted to the 500 will have lost a good deal of its damping after 3 or 4 years, you probably just don't notice it.

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Dampers wear gradually and most folks don't properly appreciate this until they fit new ones; the difference is often then quite noticeable. It'll likely still pass an MOT even if the dampers have lost most of their effectiveness, providing they're not leaking, so folks shouldn't assume theirs are OK just because their car's got a ticket.

I've noticed that the Ka MK2 appears in the warranty direct top 10 - the Fiat 500 isn't close to that even though it's essentially the same car underneath. Makes you wonder if the different suspension components are a reason for that?

There's undoubtedly a myriad of reasons why the Ford KA is more robust than a 500. Even though they share a lot mechanically, if you take into account everything else outside of the mechanical aspect, I suspect it is far more reliable. I suspect the door handles don't just break off for one.....

frupi said:

There's undoubtedly a myriad of reasons why the Ford KA is more robust than a 500. Even though they share a lot mechanically, if you take into account everything else outside of the mechanical aspect, I suspect it is far more reliable. I suspect the door handles don't just break off for one.....

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It's Ford's most reliable car! Fiat's too if the engines and gearbox count!

I remember when I got my 500 new 3 years ago been generally quite impressed with the ride quality, now it seems harsher and one of the rear shocks is rattling, top mount most likely. A lot could be down to tyres I guess and originals will probably need replacing at the end of the year. As much as I would like to fit B16's I think I would prefer to opt for a more compliant ride and fit something a little softer but certainly not oem.

Mercky said:

I remember when I got my 500 new 3 years ago been generally quite impressed with the ride quality, now it seems harsher and one of the rear shocks is rattling, top mount most likely. A lot could be down to tyres I guess and originals will probably need replacing at the end of the year. As much as I would like to fit B16's I think I would prefer to opt for a more compliant ride and fit something a little softer but certainly not oem.

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They're not that harsh though!

I don't get where people get it into their head that the B14s provide a bad ride. I'll say it for the umpteenth time, because it manages to control the body far better it's actually more comfortable in a B14 equipped car. On 15" wheels I'd say it's perfectly comfortable.

The problem with the standard suspension is that due to the poor damping it takes 2 or 3 oscillations of the damper to bring the body under control. That's not comfortable, especially if you're a passenger.

306maxi said:

They're not that harsh though!



I don't get where people get it into their head that the B14s provide a bad ride. I'll say it for the umpteenth time, because it manages to control the body far better it's actually more comfortable in a B14 equipped car. On 15" wheels I'd say it's perfectly comfortable.



The problem with the standard suspension is that due to the poor damping it takes 2 or 3 oscillations of the damper to bring the body under control. That's not comfortable, especially if you're a passenger.

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Yeh sorry, 14's not 16's. I get all that and without actually driving a car with them fitted it's hard tell for sure. What I don't like in an every day car though is a crashy ride, you do read about owners tiring of their abarths for this reason, I'm not saying 14's are crashy as I never driven on them but it would be a concern

306maxi said:

They're not that harsh though!

I don't get where people get it into their head that the B14s provide a bad ride. I'll say it for the umpteenth time, because it manages to control the body far better it's actually more comfortable in a B14 equipped car. On 15" wheels I'd say it's perfectly comfortable.

The problem with the standard suspension is that due to the poor damping it takes 2 or 3 oscillations of the damper to bring the body under control. That's not comfortable, especially if you're a passenger.

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Sadly this wasn't my experience with the B14 kit. The body was certainly well controlled and handling better, especially on smoother roads. But the ride was certainly harsher and noisier. Not 'somethings wrong' noise, just louder over bumps. I was disappointed - previous suspension lowering kits have worked really well for me over the years - Cinquecento, Seicento Sporting, Aygo - although all these were springs only, standard dampers. I removed the B14s after a couple of months. 500S 105TA, 16" wheels, one year old when fitted.

TinyTurbo said:

Sadly this wasn't my experience with the B14 kit. The body was certainly well controlled and handling better, especially on smoother roads. But the ride was certainly harsher and noisier. Not 'somethings wrong' noise, just louder over bumps. I was disappointed - previous suspension lowering kits have worked really well for me over the years - Cinquecento, Seicento Sporting, Aygo - although all these were springs only, standard dampers. I removed the B14s after a couple of months. 500S 105TA, 16" wheels, one year old when fitted.

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What did you fit instead?

TinyTurbo said:

Sadly this wasn't my experience with the B14 kit. The body was certainly well controlled and handling better, especially on smoother roads. But the ride was certainly harsher and noisier. Not 'somethings wrong' noise, just louder over bumps. I was disappointed - previous suspension lowering kits have worked really well for me over the years - Cinquecento, Seicento Sporting, Aygo - although all these were springs only, standard dampers. I removed the B14s after a couple of months. 500S 105TA, 16" wheels, one year old when fitted.

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On 16" wheels, the 500 is pretty much always uncomfortable. On 15" wheels it's much better.

I can't remember much about the ride in my old 500, but on Punto Abarth (with standard 17" wheels) sometimes I found the ride crashy and since getting a 14" wheeled wee Renault Twingo realising that it was actually quite harsh compared to Twingo. I admit I was a bit ignorant of ride quality, I just though it was sporty :doh:

Mercky said:

What did you fit instead?

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I went back to standard suspension - so nothing else to report on.

Switched to a Panda 4x4 TA since them. I loved the 500S, but needed more space and a hatch capable of transporting a dog.

306maxi said:

On 16" wheels, the 500 is pretty much always uncomfortable. On 15" wheels it's much better.

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I was perfectly happy with the ride on the 16" wheels before the B14 kit, and after the standard suspension was refitted.

The B14 has had good reviews from others like yourself - I checked this out before I bought it, but it wasn't for me.

Mercky said:

I got my 500 new 3 years ago

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I would seriously consider replacing the car rather than parts!

John202020 said:

I would seriously consider replacing the car rather than parts!

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And why's that?

Because history shows you're in for replacing parts in the nect few years that most other cars wouldn't need replacing for a long time if ever?

John202020 said:

Because history shows you're in for replacing parts in the nect few years that most other cars wouldn't need replacing for a long time if ever?

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Yeh well I have a 5 year warranty and the TA is only run-in so I'll be hanging on to it for a bit longer!