Agree totally re the A/C. But the frame of the opening roof on the 500 robs head space. It really is intrusive for some people - me! 
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General Can air-con be fitted afterwards?
- Thread starter Juwlz
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General Can air-con be fitted afterwards?
trphil
I agree its a mystery why the opening sunroof on the Lounge is that price – I thought it must be a mistake!?
My other half's car has a/c and we've used it about twice in four years which is why I'm so reluctant to get it.
Ulpian - how much does the opening one rob the head space? Would someone 6ft 2" be inconvenienced?
I agree its a mystery why the opening sunroof on the Lounge is that price – I thought it must be a mistake!?
My other half's car has a/c and we've used it about twice in four years which is why I'm so reluctant to get it.
Ulpian - how much does the opening one rob the head space? Would someone 6ft 2" be inconvenienced?
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You have to remember that the opening sunroof on a lounge is cheaper than on a pop or sport as it already has the skydome fixed glass roof. If you want the opening roof on the pop or sport you have to first pay the additional £300 (in my case) for the skydome before you can option the opening roof which made a total of £550 IIRC when I specced mine.
I think i've used my aircon less than 10 times in the year that i've had my 500. It definitely makes the car more sluggish when its on and I found it reduces the mpg from about 38 to 35 (1.4). I could easily do without it for the extra expense. Given the choice between a sunroof which I would probably use every other day, or aircon I use 10 times a year, i'd go for the sunroof anyday... although I don't like the look of the roof the way it sits on top of the 500 when its open.
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I'd say go for the air con. I wouldn't dream of buying a used car without it. I had it on tonight for a bit when leaving work as it was warm outside but very warm inside the car and it's lovely on a hot day. I use my air con alot during the summer months, and sometimes in the winter too to clear the condensation on the screen. I sometimes wish i had the sun roof but then i think on the whole I wouldn't use it as often as I would use the air con.
Well I 'm only 6ft, and I found my head literallytouching it, and slightly bent over. I hate sitting low in a car and when they said, lower the seat, I found all my comfort was compromised, and the frame was still lurking. Anyway, I'm long in the leg, and when my body was comfortable my head wasn't.
I'm not the only one to find this, but I guess you need to take a look and check for yourself to be certain.
:yeahthat:
Have you considered the start stop? Different free wheels and still has the things you want as 'standard'....
In Denmark the price for the A/C for the Pop is about GBP 1275 so if I had ordered a new car I wouldn't have selected A/C.
But I found a used Pop with A/C at a good price.
And even though it hasn't been that hot this summer I've used my A/C a lot!
I don't think that standard cooling system can cool down the car enough and you have to have your windows down which gives a lot of noise.
So my advice is go for the A/C.
I don't have Blue&Me and wouldn't have selected it.
I had Bluetooth in my Seat Altea and I could hear people perfectly through 6 speakers but because of the noise in the car I had to lean forward and shout towards the microphone placed in the lights in the roof while driving 130 km/h :yuck:
I have a wire for my Iphone connected to the standard radio that works for me :slayer:
/ Thomas
But I found a used Pop with A/C at a good price.
And even though it hasn't been that hot this summer I've used my A/C a lot!
I don't think that standard cooling system can cool down the car enough and you have to have your windows down which gives a lot of noise.
So my advice is go for the A/C.
I don't have Blue&Me and wouldn't have selected it.
I had Bluetooth in my Seat Altea and I could hear people perfectly through 6 speakers but because of the noise in the car I had to lean forward and shout towards the microphone placed in the lights in the roof while driving 130 km/h :yuck:
I have a wire for my Iphone connected to the standard radio that works for me :slayer:
/ Thomas
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Air con keeps the windows mist-free when you've got a wet tent in the back, as I found out yesterday unfortunately :-(
Ditto, our first drive in the 500 was in pouring rain and it was misting up like a youknowwhat. If not for the air con it would have been a case of pulling over and having to dry the inside of the screen.
grimwau
If you look at the spec on the fiat website and you option the electric sunroof on the lounge its an extra 550, ie as if the skydome wasn't there in the first place!
Anyway, the electric sunroof is probably not an option for me if its no good for tall people. Presumably its worse if your passenger is tall, because the passenger seat is not height adjustable.
If you look at the spec on the fiat website and you option the electric sunroof on the lounge its an extra 550, ie as if the skydome wasn't there in the first place!
Anyway, the electric sunroof is probably not an option for me if its no good for tall people. Presumably its worse if your passenger is tall, because the passenger seat is not height adjustable.
For me the passenger seat just feels higher full stop.
Aaargh! That's all I need – another option! Though actually I think the solid roof might not be as nice as the skydome so it's out anyway... and am I missing something but what's the point of split seats?
Split seats mean you could have someone sitting in the back while you carry something bulky/long in the back which needs the back seat down but not the whole of the back seat.
If I were you I'd have a long think about your order because there are many things to consider which will result in you getting a car you really like.
Here's how my ordering experience went
Original order
1.2 Sport + Climate + Side rubbing strips + Split fold rear seats - £10200
Then I saw the 16" multispokes on this forum
1.2 Sport + Climate + 16" Multispokes + Side rubbing stips - £10370
Then the wife thought "ooh I'd really like a sunroof
1.2 Sport + Climate + 16" Multispokes + Side rubbing strips + Fixed glass roof - £10670
Then Nuova500 points out that I could go for a Lounge and it would offset the cost of the sunroof and I realised I could ditch the climate control and get red leather for an extra £50 so my final order was
1.2 Lounge + 16" Multispokes + Side rubbing strips + Red leather with black ambience - £10720
This is an excellent example of why you need to have a look at lots of pictures of the cars other owners have and see what you like and what you don't like and play around with the configurator. I don't like the standard lounge wheels or seats myself which is why I never considered the Lounge in the first place but in the end it's worked out as the best buy for me. Sure I ended up spending £520 than I meant to initially but I got a car which I like soooo much more than I would have liked my initial order.
Personally the must haves on the 500 for me are the following
Some nice wheels which just means basically not the lounge ones....
Air con because such a small car with such big windows will always fog up badly
Blue&Me because although a radio is all you need, it's nice to have the ability to play MP3's and have bluetooth
Nice seats would be good which for me means the sport or leather ones but it's not as important as the above features for me IMHO.
This all reminds me of what i'm currently going through. Like you I started with a 1.2 Sport and am now onto the 1.2 lounge!! All through reviewing these forums and especially looking at the pictures of members cars in real life environment rather than fiat marketing shots.
See here for details!
See here for details!
And I have the completely opposite opinion - the glass roof is a nightmare. It turns the car into a greenhouse and the blind is next to useless - being semi-transparent. I now wish I'd bought the Sport - or Pop+aircon.
I've got til the weekend to change my spec apparently! I did want a sunroof but my husband is 6 ft 2 - his head might scrape on the ceiling. Mind you he's 34" inside leg so maybe its all in the legs!
I'm going to get aircon for definite now, but I don't want to be using it alot.
The fixed glass roof is nice but not if I've got to have the aircon on all the time to keep it cool.
I'm so undecided now I'm going to have to go down to the Marylebone showroom and see if they've got all the versions there.
I'm going to get aircon for definite now, but I don't want to be using it alot.
The fixed glass roof is nice but not if I've got to have the aircon on all the time to keep it cool.
I'm so undecided now I'm going to have to go down to the Marylebone showroom and see if they've got all the versions there.
Tbh I'm 5'10" and in the passenger seat I'm just brushing the blind with my hair. Someone who is 6'2" is going to be uncomfortable any way you look at it. When I was driving to work yesterday it was very sunny and it didn't feel like a greenhouse at all.
In your situation I'd go for the sport, it doesn't have the lounge wheels, no sunroof, it's got air con and it's got some nice options and it doesn't have the glass roof which is going to rob you of headroom.
306maxi, I would go for the sport but it doesn't have the brown leather with ivory ambiance – one of my most important criteria! Sad I know...
