As my wife has a "watchdog 500" I would like to get rid and we could do with 2 more doors.We have looked at a Mini 5 door and an A1 but dont want to pay that much for a second car.A 500L would be cheaper and I would be wanting a good deal from dealer in view of the 500 issue.So is the 500L worth buying?
General 500L Are they any good?
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General 500L Are they any good?
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The easy and quick answer is 'yes'!
The L is much more practical the smaller 500 and this is the reason we swapped 15 months ago. Don't however expect the L to be 'just a bigger version of the 500' it isn't. Although branded as a 500 it is a completely different vehicle with a different less 'go kart' like driving experience, it might as well be given a different name/designation to me as it is nothing like the 500 at all. Annoyingly it doesn't have that great little gear stick the 500 has.
I also feel the L is not quite as well put together as the 500, nothing specific really just a sense that they are.
Boot space is brilliant and obviously much better than the 500 as is the way you can fold and tilt the rear seats.
Ours was what was the base model ie the Pop Star but came with just about everything one could need in a car, though carefully check the specs. as they have changed this year and they dropped things like the 12V socket in the boot for example on some models. I also love the higher up driving position.
The biggest gripe people seem to have is the view of the dials and gauges particularly the speedo, it can be quite problematic getting a good view of the speedo depending on the drivers height and seating position. Have a test drive and you will see what I mean.
Would I have another??? Almost certainly though I would try and push the boat out for a Trekking version as it looks better IMHO than the other versions. I'd also be tempted by a diesel due to the number of miles we do, that said ours is the 1.4 petrol and is pretty economical, so I could be swayed either way TBH. One owner on here has reported pretty poor economy with the Twin Air but that could have been an issue with his particular car rather than an inherent problem.
You also might want to have a think about and a look at the X version which is due imminently. It is more 'cross over' than 'mini MPV' but looks to be a bit of a winner if the early reports are to be believed.
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I have been thoroughly impressed with my 500L. I have the 1.3 Diesel version, and economy is as you would expect, pretty good (around £50 for over 450 miles, sometimes more depending on how you drive), and it's certainly not bad in terms of acceleration and speed .
I picked mine up at the beginning of October and being the Pop Star trim, the standard kit is good (mine has the 12V socket in the boot), but because of the offer I received, I managed to get the Beats Audio system, front fog lights, electric rear windows and 17" alloys added. This deal worked out pretty decently for me at the time because of the offer, so make sure you push the dealer for a decent amount of kit, because it can happen
The diesel engine isn't too noisy either, but I tend to have the music up loud anyway as the system is fantastic, certainly recommended if you can get it!
Like MJG says, it's look and feel is nothing really like the original 500, but I really like the individuality of it, as the other makes in this sector tend to be oh so practical, but oh so boring too...the 500L is anything but boring! It's a car which stands out for it's individuality.
I'm of average height and ensuring that the steering wheel is in the right position (not only does it adjust vertically, it also moves forward or backwards too) ensures that only certain aspects of the control panel are less visible, and the cruise control lever is practically hidden. That said, once you know where this lever is, you don't need to see it to know that it's there This for me is an absolute godsend. I have already done 3 or 4 long motorway journeys, and it certainly makes driving those distances less of a chore and much more enjoyable.
With the advent of the 500X, I would say that you may want to wait to see what kind of deals there are coming for that, as that looks a lot like a traditional crossover (Juke etc), but that will inevitably bring the offers in for the 500L too as Fiat will want to ensure that they get the most sales they can before the new version hits the forecourts.
It just depends realistically on if you can cope with the styling really, as inside the car is great, spacious, practical and everything you would expect from a new car these days. I know I love the car and even though it's not for some, those who I have shown have all commented in a positive way as it is surprisingly bigger than they expected.
OK it's not going to set land speed records etc. but if you want a practical car with plenty of space and a style of its own, then it should fit your bill....time to take off the rose tinted glasses
I picked mine up at the beginning of October and being the Pop Star trim, the standard kit is good (mine has the 12V socket in the boot), but because of the offer I received, I managed to get the Beats Audio system, front fog lights, electric rear windows and 17" alloys added. This deal worked out pretty decently for me at the time because of the offer, so make sure you push the dealer for a decent amount of kit, because it can happen
The diesel engine isn't too noisy either, but I tend to have the music up loud anyway as the system is fantastic, certainly recommended if you can get it!
Like MJG says, it's look and feel is nothing really like the original 500, but I really like the individuality of it, as the other makes in this sector tend to be oh so practical, but oh so boring too...the 500L is anything but boring! It's a car which stands out for it's individuality.
I'm of average height and ensuring that the steering wheel is in the right position (not only does it adjust vertically, it also moves forward or backwards too) ensures that only certain aspects of the control panel are less visible, and the cruise control lever is practically hidden. That said, once you know where this lever is, you don't need to see it to know that it's there
This for me is an absolute godsend. I have already done 3 or 4 long motorway journeys, and it certainly makes driving those distances less of a chore and much more enjoyable. With the advent of the 500X, I would say that you may want to wait to see what kind of deals there are coming for that, as that looks a lot like a traditional crossover (Juke etc), but that will inevitably bring the offers in for the 500L too as Fiat will want to ensure that they get the most sales they can before the new version hits the forecourts.
It just depends realistically on if you can cope with the styling really, as inside the car is great, spacious, practical and everything you would expect from a new car these days. I know I love the car and even though it's not for some, those who I have shown have all commented in a positive way as it is surprisingly bigger than they expected.
OK it's not going to set land speed records etc. but if you want a practical car with plenty of space and a style of its own, then it should fit your bill....time to take off the rose tinted glasses
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Agree with many of the points above. I test drove a 1.4 500L Pop Star in the summer and I did really like it.
However we ended up getting a 62 plate Punto 1.4 Easy as the gearstick position in the 500L was just too awkward for my wife (she has hypermobile joints and it kept making her left shoulder sore trying to get it into first and second - daft really seeing as the 500L is based on Punto platform).
If you want to stay with Fiat, then the Punto is still a decent option too. Yes, it's no longer cutting edge by any means, but they still look great and are well equipped above Pop trim and I'm sure you can haggle away to get a good deal. If you don't mind a nearly new one, 12-18 month old Puntos are ridiculously cheap.
A left-field choice - what about the new Renault Twingo? I think it looks absolutely brilliant and has also got five doors. Not test driven one, and maybe some initial question marks over the rear engine design, but certainly a big threat to the 500 IMO.
However we ended up getting a 62 plate Punto 1.4 Easy as the gearstick position in the 500L was just too awkward for my wife (she has hypermobile joints and it kept making her left shoulder sore trying to get it into first and second - daft really seeing as the 500L is based on Punto platform
).If you want to stay with Fiat, then the Punto is still a decent option too. Yes, it's no longer cutting edge by any means, but they still look great and are well equipped above Pop trim and I'm sure you can haggle away to get a good deal. If you don't mind a nearly new one, 12-18 month old Puntos are ridiculously cheap.
A left-field choice - what about the new Renault Twingo? I think it looks absolutely brilliant and has also got five doors. Not test driven one, and maybe some initial question marks over the rear engine design, but certainly a big threat to the 500 IMO.
There are currently some very good 500L deals about at the moment on the forecourt up the road from me fiat main dealer has a couple of 1 year old top of the range 1.6 multijet diesel lounge for around the £10k mark, remembering that only a year ago fiat were selling that car new for well over £20k
