Hi everyone :wave:

Just after some advice really.

I'm looking at getting a Fiat 500 as I have loved them for years now, and as my 1998 1.6 Golf is coming towards the end of its life, I've decided to bite the bullet and treat myself to a 500

I went to the dealership and they immediately put me in the new 0.9 Twin Air which of course I fell in love with! However, after reading some owner reviews I am slightly concerned about the mpg I can expect.

At the moment I get about 33 mpg out of the Golf doing 36 miles a day (nearly all motorway) and so I would like the 500 to top that really. I know I can't expect the 70 mpg that Fiat claim, but if I could at least get 40-45mpg out of it I would be happy.

Do any of you lovely people have any advice for me at all? My brain is a scrambled from all of the mixed reviews at the moment!

Thanks a lot

If you drive reasonably sensibly, 40-50 isn't out of the question, I get that quite easily with my 2011 TA Lounge. What you will find is that the economy is pretty terrible when it's brand new, and it takes a couple of thousand miles to really start improving, as the engine on mine was very tight when new.

Now I find that it's as perky and peppy to drive in 'eco' mode as it was in normal mode when new, and I've done just over 2600 miles in it.

If you drive it hard, it does drink a bit more, but it is a riotous laugh when you're doing so - it sounds good

My advice is, if you want the ultimate economy, buy a diesel, or a 1.2. If you want a balance of good economy when driven carefully, but a car that's fun and zippy to drive as well, get a TA. It's not perfect, but I think the engine suits the car's character well.

Welcome.

If you are not an "enthusiastic" driver (eg, do you like the sound of exhausts? do you feel the need to race cars from the traffic lights?) and if you do not regularly go into the congestion charge zone, then you should save money and go for a 1.2.

The 1.2 is cheaper to buy, cheaper to insure, less likely to go wrong (if only because someone may put the wrong sort of oil in to a TwinAir) and for many people just as economical to run - especially if you do not want to have to work hard to drive economically.

I'm also a 2011 TA Lounge owner, and agree 100% with bgunn's summary above. I'll just add the figures I typically get: Motorway cruise at 70-ish give 46-48mpg. Gentle cross-country commute down country lanes gives 50-52mpg. Enthusiastic driving or lots of town stuff gives around 40. Incidentally, I've not bothered with the ECO mode for ages - it makes it a bit smoother at low revs, but the economy is dependant on how you drive. Yesterdays run to work was over potentially icy roads, and I got 57mpg.

I get 45-50mpg out of my twinair, you can make it better or worse depending on your driving style. I've never had it below 40 since brand new. I like eco mode for town driving and I'm not heavy on the accelorator. I could get better than 50mpg if I wasn't doing mainly stop start driving lately. I'd say for motorway driving you could be looking at 50-55 (which I get on the A1), but that really does depend on driving style, as I said You come from a 1.6, you'll probably find 1.2 sluggish to drive, but do make sure you test drive one as part of your decision making process

All very good points above. Unless you drive like a complete lunatic then I think you will have no trouble whatsoever getting near the 50mpg mark in the TwinAir.

I would not ask you to publicly declare what speed you tend to do on the motorway () but if you are more inclined to do "higher" speeds than "lower" speeds then the TwinAir probably is the one for you as it will offer greater performance.

That said, it is worth noting that the 1.2 is surprisingly gutsy if given sufficient beans. It doesn't much like hills in fifth gear, but to be honest with you there are very few situations that you will get caught out if you anticipate what's ahead.

Good luck with your choice!

all said above...

on a 2000 mile euro trip we got 47mpg, milage 100+ mph on motorway runs.
wife gets late 30s when she is driving around town.
with some recent easy driving i got 60, but speeds were 50-60
Eco is great if under the weather and for start stop as power comes early
TA is very nice sounding (bonus)

BUT

if only for short runs get the 1.2, its tried and tested.

Post your model & options but be open minded with replies.. spend time choosing wheels etc as looks will matter as well the cloth and feeling inside.

Suffice to say, they'll *all* get pretty decent economy if you want that; but the important thing is to choose the car *you* like.

If you're keeping it for a good few years, you can slightly disregard the whole thought about residuals, as they'll all level out at a similar (negligible) value after a number of years of age, but you won't want to put up with a car that isn't ideal for you, and you'll forever wish you chose the 'other' car. Options won't 'add' value to the car, but they will add to your daily experience with the car, so spec the things you like and feel are useful..

All in my opinion, of course.

bgunn said:

Suffice to say, they'll *all* get pretty decent economy if you want that; but the important thing is to choose the car *you* like.

If you're keeping it for a good few years, you can slightly disregard the whole thought about residuals, as they'll all level out at a similar (negligible) value after a number of years of age, but you won't want to put up with a car that isn't ideal for you, and you'll forever wish you chose the 'other' car. Options won't 'add' value to the car, but they will add to your daily experience with the car, so spec the things you like and feel are useful..

All in my opinion, of course.

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Well said, we often overlook this factor.

test test test!
i spent months making my decision and i went from having a white one to a grey one and a manual to an auto and leather seats!
i took the 1.4 because i wanted sporty feel, i think the TA would be fine for you i tested it and you will get better than low 30s.
If you only want economy, 1.2, but the TA is definately more fun!

My little 2 pence to take on board, the 1.2 is by far the quietest engine under general use.

Thank you all so much for your replies, you're all very helpful!

I think going back to the dealer this weekend and trying a 1.2 might be a wise idea. Is there a big difference between the mpg's of the TA and the 1.2?

I'm not a petrol head by any means, so I'm not bothered by the sound of the TA engine or the turbo or any of that. I do like the black alloys and black interior that come standard with the model I have to say. And I really love the Rock and Roll blue paint

I just know that if I got the TA and was getting the same mpg's out of it as my Golf, I would regret not getting something more "sensible" (I hate that word ) At the moment I'm putting about £120 petrol a month in the Golf, so would like to get that down a bit in all honesty. Is that do-able?

So...heart or head?! :tempt:

I know the Twinairisti will shout at me but if you just "drive" rather than think about how you drive, I suspect you will get similar mpg in either a 1.2 or a Twinair.

Basically if you drive a 1.2 mostly out of town you cannot help but get 40+ mpg. If you drive a Twinair out of town then if you are careful you will get 40+ mpg.

Oh, and I think you can have your RnR blue with a 1.2 Lounge, but not the black wheels.

hayleyj500 said:

Thank you all so much for your replies, you're all very helpful!

I think going back to the dealer this weekend and trying a 1.2 might be a wise idea. Is there a big difference between the mpg's of the TA and the 1.2?

I'm not a petrol head by any means, so I'm not bothered by the sound of the TA engine or the turbo or any of that. I do like the black alloys and black interior that come standard with the model I have to say. And I really love the Rock and Roll blue paint

I just know that if I got the TA and was getting the same mpg's out of it as my Golf, I would regret not getting something more "sensible" (I hate that word ) At the moment I'm putting about £120 petrol a month in the Golf, so would like to get that down a bit in all honesty. Is that do-able?

So...heart or head?! :tempt:

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Yep, it's gonna be a tough decision for sure!

If you are going to be using your 500 for mostly motorway journeys then I am not sure you will see an awful lot of difference between the 1.2 and the TwinAir (assuming you drive at 70mph). When driven at that speed you can reasonably expect to achieve 45-50mpg as a rule in the 1.2 without too much trouble.

Having said all of that it really is down to what you think on the day, there's not much else we can add on here!

You'll get better mpg from the TA than the Golf, as well as the free (at present) road tax. But as others have said, the 1.2 is probably a cheaper overall package as it costs less to buy, and gives similar economy to the TA. I test drove one and found it smooth, with perfectly acceptable performance. It's just that after my Mini Cooper, the TA was a more appealing choice. As others have said, try them both. Good luck!

Super Uwe said:

Yep, it's gonna be a tough decision for sure!

If you are going to be using your 500 for mostly motorway journeys then I am not sure you will see an awful lot of difference between the 1.2 and the TwinAir (assuming you drive at 70mph). When driven at that speed you can reasonably expect to achieve 45-50mpg as a rule in the 1.2 without too much trouble.

Having said all of that it really is down to what you think on the day, there's not much else we can add on here!

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Mega Ram is right.

Speak to your dealer and arrange back to back test drives of both models so you step out of one and into the other.

And although it will not be wholly accurate at all, get the salesman to reset the on board computer in each car and set it to show you your average fuel consumption, and then drive the same test route. Then you can at least have some idea, although the TA does seem to be particularly rubbish in terms of economy when very new.

And be sure to spec up two cars before hand too so you knwo how much more the TA will cost you to buy....

Give both engines a good test drive (on town and national speed limit roads) and try to include some hill(s) and roundabouts. . It's all subjective and you'll make your own mind up. I took 3 months and lots of seperate test drives before I was sure! My OH was relieved that I made a decision in the end

Hi there, If you look at my Fuelly sig you can see the outcome. If you do motorway miles you will do much better and use the ECO mode. My first tank I got 56mpg and a day out driving but for day to day its more down to 45-50mpg.

But its a awesome car and I will get another one if I could

RaR

Thanks everyone!

And to answer a couple of you - Yes I do 70mph on the motorway
In fact I try to do the speed limit at all times - it took me 3 times to pass my driving test and get my license so there's no way in hell I'm losing that just from being too heavy footed

You've all made me feel much better I have to say. I feel like I've got it all straight in my head now. If the general consensus is that I can get 45-50mpg out of the TA if I'm - dare I say it - sensible (bleurgh), then that makes me very happy. I will definitely try the 1.2 as well to be sure though

Cheers all!!

One thing I didn't manage to convey in my original messages is how fun the TA is, at legal speeds. I had an Alfa 156 V6 before this car, and in terms of licence busting potential, it was quite dangerous!

I, naturally, go a lot slower in the 500, but it keeps a smile on my face.