- When the G.Punto came out everyone said avoid the 1.2 as it did the job but was maybe alittle to small for a car that size. Whats the 1.2 like in the 500 is it more nippy than it would seem, with it being a smaller car? It's not the move from 1.8 - 1.2 thats bothers me, just the view of weather its woth investing in one & is capable of being a day-to-day car.
- What is the main differences in features between the Pop, Lounge & Sport? Is the sport the prefered model, or is the lounge just as good?
- I'm going to be in the market for a used 08-09 which all seem to have around 10k-20k on the clock, with this in mind what does a potential 500 owner look for in the common faults deparment when viewing?
Any help at all is greatly received & much appreciated.
- I think the 1.2 engine in the Grande Punto was 65bhp, whereas in the 500 it's 69bhp. Also it's pulling alot less weight in the 500 & seems like a gem of an engine in the 500, achieving very good mpg - low 50's seems widely achievable. The 1.4 16v is obviously quicker & benefits from 6th gear, which probably makes it abit less revvy at motorway speeds, but mpg will be around 39-45 typically. It's also over £100 to tax (i think £110), is in a higher ins. group and has a larger turning circle.
The 1.2 engine is by far the most common one for people to pick, with the 1.3 diesels (75bhp & laterly 95bhp) & 1.4 16v appearing more or less joint second.
- Coming from a HGT you may find the Pop trim a little basic, as it does without a/c (as already said) but also does without alloys. Fine for basic A-B on a budget though. Lounge is kinda the luxury model, with the glass roof, aircon, split folding rear seats & multispoke alloys. Sport has different alloys (look abit like a star design), a spoiler and part leather seats, still has aircon but loses the glass roof & possibly the split seats too.
All colours are available across the 3 trim levels but Pop & Lounge are available with ivory or black interior (steering wheel, heater controls etc) whereas Sport can only be chosen with black interior plastics. Different coloured leather seats & alloy designs were available throughout the range so some cars may not have the alloys or seats i describe. The easiest way of telling is to see if the car has aircon & alloys. If it does then it's probably not a Pop. Then see if it has a glass roof. If yes, then it's probably a Lounge, if not it's a Sport.
- 500s are very different from the Punto & Grande Punto in that they don't have many areas to check when buying. Only things that spring to mind are checking for smell of fumes in the car when engine running & stationary, as breather pipes can split. Theyre either changed under warranty or for about £20, so no great issue. Other thing is the washer gets can come loose - many people have glued or blu-tacked them in place which seems to solve the problem.
Diesels can suffer from excessive vibration from the clutch/gearbox, which is cured by the fitting of a clutch damper. It seems to happen to a handful of cars at random for some reason, but the dealers/Fiat seem to have a well-rehearsed 'fix' for it, again under warranty.
That's about it. Check for stone chips, especially on red & black paint, but it's not really a problem, just a general rule when buying used. Everything else seems pretty good.
I wonder if there will ever be a 1.2 16v engine in next years 500's. My old punto was a 1.2 8v and a friend had the 1.2 16v it just felt a bit more responsive on mid-high revs.
Looks like Fiat dropped the 1.2 16v when the Mk2 Punto ended production. Now they seem to do a 1.2 8v 69bhp (Euro 5 Panda, 500 & Evo), plus a 1.4 8v (77 ish bhp) in the Punto Evo & Qubo. The next one is the 1.4 16v (95bhp) as used in the Bravo, New Doblo, 500 & Alfa MiTo. After that it's a mixture of the T-Jet 120 & the Multiair engines. Plus ofcourse the TwinAir in the 500.
I'd imagine they'll focus on further TwinAir/MultiAir engines for the 500 in future, once theyve tested the water with the current TwinAir.