Hi All,

Very glad to be here! I think I am on the verge of buying a 500 and would very much appreciate your advice.

Due to a variety of reasons I have to sell my current car and get something much more sensible. I have always had fast, sporty cars but it looks like 'sensible' means a car with about a fifth of the power which makes sense as I only really ever use my car for commuting (some days I could walk quicker than drive). That, combined with the running costs, building work at home and child care it does seem stupid to have such a crazy car to crawl into London each day.

However, rather than buy a boring VW, Audi etc I decided I would replace hot with cool and so the 500 is the obvious choice. I am leaning toward a 500 convertible sport with the 95BHP multijet diesel, probably in Pasodoble red with black roof and leather. My girls will love it!

I am looking for a lowish milage car and have a few questions please to help me find the right car:


How do I identify the 95bhp over the 75?

The current sport model is different from earlier versions (EG different bumpers, interior trim, split rear seat etc). When was the spec updated?

I would like a decent sound system. Are the factory upgrades and good or should I look into fitting an aftermarket system?

Who are the best value insurance companies for these cars?

Many thanks,
B

I personally would go for a twin air petrol (85BHP). Performance is better than the multijet although economy is worse. But you won't have the dreaded DPF failure with resultant costs. If you've come from a sporty car then the twin air will put the grin on your face at the slower speeds. I have never regretted get my twin air convertable after the V6 I owned before. Inner city commuting speeds are where the twin air becomes economical (in eco mode) but there's enough grunt to be able to use it on the motorway at 'normal' motorway speeds without feeling you have to hug the hard shoulder.
Just my opinion but whichever you choose enjoy.

Also of your going into London a lot then the twin air would be better, no congestion charge and also no road tax.

Insurance wise, ring the one you have now and get a quote, use the comparison sites, then try the forum insurance companies and mention the forum.

Don't forget to donate

Mooresey said:

Also of your going into London a lot then the twin air would be better, no congestion charge and also no road tax.

Insurance wise, ring the one you have now and get a quote, use the comparison sites, then try the forum insurance companies and mention the forum.

Don't forget to donate

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unfortunately this no longer applies.

Really don't own one but that's a bummer.

I faced a similar dilemma. Sold my Porsche 944 to buy a "commuter car". One drive of the twinair and I was hooked. I test drove an 85hp version and can honestly say I couldn't stop grinning. Apparently that is not uncommon! So, after an 8 week wait my 105hp 500S convertible is due to be delivered this week.
I have two daughters and they love 500s - as does my wife so everybody's happy!
I have gone for Pasadoble Red and the uprated stereo. Aftermarket is all well and good but spoil the look of the dash.
Nothing against diesel - the family car is a diesel - but if you are of the same mind set as me there is more to life than mpg and more fun to be had in a twinair. And petrol is cheaper than diesel.
Test drive one and then tell me I am wrong!

babyferrari said:

I faced a similar dilemma. Sold my Porsche 944 to buy a "commuter car". One drive of the twinair and I was hooked. I test drove an 85hp version and can honestly say I couldn't stop grinning. Apparently that is not uncommon! So, after an 8 week wait my 105hp 500S convertible is due to be delivered this week.
I have two daughters and they love 500s - as does my wife so everybody's happy!
I have gone for Pasadoble Red and the uprated stereo. Aftermarket is all well and good but spoil the look of the dash.
Nothing against diesel - the family car is a diesel - but if you are of the same mind set as me there is more to life than mpg and more fun to be had in a twinair. And petrol is cheaper than diesel.
Test drive one and then tell me I am wrong!

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Very encouraging to hear that and a good choice. I am thinking Pasadoble Sport with the soft top and leather (and now the sound system upgrade, thanks to your advice). I'm selling a 911 Turbo S with 565BHP so the Twin Air power is kind of irrelevant by comparison but did you notice a big difference between the 85 and 105? Celtic tuning do a 125bhp remap for the twin air 105 and on paper that gets power/weight very close to the 205GTi 1.9 I used to own and that was a hoot!

Out of intereste; what 'real-world' MPG do you achieve? Not sure I believe the Fiat hype...

Cheers all.

That is a bigger jump than me!!!
I haven't even driven the 105hp yet. Mine will be one of the first in the country (when it arrives - still hoping this week in time for Auto Italia at Brooklands on Saturday) so there wasn't one available to tear drive. I just figured that if the 85hp was such a giggle the 105hp has to be even better.
Who knows why the real story is with mpg but I'm betting on it being better than a Porsche!
I have found that you can have a lot of fun with not many bhp. I rally a 1951 Sunbeam Talbot with about 70hp in a car weighing a tad more than a 500 and have a lot of fun with that. I used to rally a Porsche 924 Turbo with about 170hp. Great fun.
And my vw camper has less than 50hp. There are lots of ways to have fun with few hps!!!!!!
Comparing a 500 to a 911 is almost as irrelevant as comparing a 500 to the Sunbeam Talbot. They are just different!!!!
I didn't originally order the leather and changed my mind too late to add it. However there is a Fiat approved upholsterer that will retro fit it for the same price as a factory order.
As I said, test drive one and tell me I am wrong!
The dealers should start getting 105hp TAs soon. I believe my dealer has ordered one for himself which should be available as a demo.

In real world driving (thats town crawl, motorway blat, A road cruise and B road fun) I am getting mid 40's (Must remember to update Fuelly log ) in my 85BHP TA. If you go everywhere with your foot flat down expect mid 30's and if you can maintain 50-60mph, in top, on a long run you'll get the advertised 70ish.(only did this once and it was hard work and dreadfully boring, but doable). The car is quite predictable so you can make good progress on the back roads with a big grin on your face.

The best advice I can give is get in one and take it for a test drive, you will know very quickly if its the car for you (took me 5 mins to decide I wanted one ).

THank guys,

mid 30s is not great, I get 20+ in my current car. Perhaps I should revert to plan A: Diesel 95. As long as I let my wife loose in it each week for her 200 mile round trip to Cambridge and I use it for the monthly 300 mile run to my Dad's then the DPF should not be a problem.

Babyface: I know exactly what you mean! I have a camper too, a crossover Bay with T4 1700, a 1966 S2a Landy both are fun but in a different way. The Caterham should satisfy the need for speed (only when it is not raining of course….).

Boggie said:

THank guys,

mid 30s is not great, I get 20+ in my current car. Perhaps I should revert to plan A: Diesel 95. As long as I let my wife loose in it each week for her 200 mile round trip to Cambridge and I use it for the monthly 300 mile run to my Dad's then the DPF should not be a problem.

Babyface: I know exactly what you mean! I have a camper too, a crossover Bay with T4 1700, a 1966 S2a Landy both are fun but in a different way. The Caterham should satisfy the need for speed (only when it is not raining of course….).

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To get the mid 30's it would mean hard acceleration ALL the time (Red line every gear) and FLAT FOOT between gears. Even most boy racers can't manage that. So the mid to high fourtys is more realistic.

With my 85BHP TA I'm doing the same miles as when I had the V6 and spending half as much in fuel which in my mind is a result especially as I get more smiles per mile aswell

Sounds like we are like minded. All I will say is go for a test drive before you decide anything. There are plenty of people getting decent mpg - but in any case there is a trade off - Mpg or gpm (grins per mile)? For me it was a no brainer.

Thanks! Test drive in the 85bhp Twin Air booked for Saturday! I guess I should then test the Multijet to compare but on paper the 95bhp diesel has 40lbs/ft more torque spread over a bigger range and 10bhp more so is faster and should be more flexible than the twin air. Why is the TA more grinable?

For me it was just the way it drove. The noise is great as well. Not everyone likes the sound but I think the whole package adds up to real character. There are lots of other cars I could have chosen but none deliver the character of a 500 TWinair. But I just had to go for the 105hp. From what I have read it is a better drive than the 85. Can't wait! Will let you know.

Boggie said:

Thanks! Test drive in the 85bhp Twin Air booked for Saturday! I guess I should then test the Multijet to compare but on paper the 95bhp diesel has 40lbs/ft more torque spread over a bigger range and 10bhp more so is faster and should be more flexible than the twin air. Why is the TA more grinable?

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I have had my TA for just over a year and I can't stop grinning. As babyfarrari says it’s something about the TA that puts a grin on your face. Maybe it's this mysterious X factor that everyone talks about. Normally about this time I'd be looking about for the next car but the thought hasn't even crossed my mind (Although I did ponder about getting a 105 when my wife finally persuades me to let her have this one )

I am interested in your consumption figures. If we are to believe published numbers the twin air 85 should return an average a little under 70mpg, with town driving at 57 and 76 on a long run. Now, I appreciate all manufactures figures are not real world, in my experience they are usually around 10-15% out. However your figures are not much over half Fiat's claimed numbers.

My driving will mainly be commuting, with a couple of long runs each week. If I am only going to achieve 40mpg then maybe I should go diesel...

I have noticed that the TA engine returns its best MPG at a steady 50/60 MPH. Commuting (slow) speeds are also good but get the car over 60 and the MPG starts to fall (hence the average of 40/45mpg). This may be solved by the 105 as I believe it has a 6 speed box (it does in the 500L).

So Boggie, how did the test drive go?

babyferrari said:

So Boggie, how did the test drive go?

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What a surprising little car! I really enjoyed driving it, very nippy and responsive with a good deal of low down torque for such a small engine. Loved the Vespa soundtrack too... The only issue I had was that the driving position made my ankle a little uncomfortable after 10 minutes (felt like my foot was raised / pulled up to high) but Steph the saleswoman was seriously hot so it took my mind off it and I suspect my ankle would get used to the new position in time

I have concerns over the 'real' mpg of this engine. We all know that manufacturers measure this in abnormally perfect conditions on a test track with trained drivers operating the throttle pedal with a feather duster in a following wind but the claims Fiat make for the 500TA appear wildly exaggerated, getting on for twice what most people achieve.

So whilst the twin air put a smile on my face and may get Hammond's vote for the cleanest engine since hot air ballooning, I think maybe the diesel is the way to go. Looking at the real world mpg of the multijet it looks like the fuel savings over those of my 911 will nearly cover the monthly repayments alone. Then there is the £1200 per year tyre cost, £600 - £900 servicing and the 500c insurance is only £108/year compared to £650 means I can take the girls on holiday and still have a few quid left for a beer or two!

Test driving the multijet tomorrow @ 1pm

Cheers,
B

Hi B
Picked up my 105hp 500S C yesterday. All I can say is that if you thought the 85hp was fun try a 105hp! Only the dealer thinks mine is the first in the country so you may have difficulty finding one to test drive. I took a leap of faith not having driven one and I am so glad I did. Too early to say about mpgs but check out my post on "delivery times" for my experience of mpgs in a 85hp dualogjc. I am sure the 6 speed box in the 105 will improve it.
I have said it before but for me gpm won over mpg. And besides my experience suggests that the poor mpg stories are as "exaggerated" as the factory claims. It comes down to driving style and conditions. I would rather have the fun on tap for the times when I want it rather than "compromise" for the sake of a few mpgs. And remember diesel costs more at the pumps.
Good luck.
I will post up a pic of mine when I work out how to. It is stunning in the metal!