General Known 500x faults

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General Known 500x faults

Garree001

Ohhh my, yes.
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Hi all,

It has been a while since my last visit. Former GP Sporting owner, who didn't have the best of times, but it wasn't as bad as my subsequent Vauxhall and Ford dalliances! The Corsa always gave me reason to hold my breath (which is a shame as it's just a GP underneath) and the drama I have had with Ford and their 65-plate Fiesta is beyond belief, resulting in me now having solicitor's letters from them!

Aaaanyway, long story short, I will soon be in the market for a new car and I have decided that I really like driving the 500x that I currently have as a hire car. It's spacious, it's pretty good fun to drive and on the whole, it gives a decent view of the road, it's reasonably comfortable and it's just a nice place to sit. This is with the exception of the headrest which is like a brick digging into my back, which I can deal with! I am tall and fat, so it's half my fault anyway. The only other bother is that the pedals (clutch in particular) seem to be extremely slippery.

I have had a comb through the forum but cannot find anything of note, so I was wondering... are there any common/known issues with the 500x? I am looking at getting a nearly new 1.4 multi-air in either cross-plus trim, or lounge trim.

The hire car I have is a 1.6 multijet and to be honest, on the move it's pleasingly quick. I went on a run down to the west country from London down the A303 and then on various smaller roads and I was stunned at just how quick it was in the 20-50mph range it was. It felt a lot faster than the slightly mediocre figures suggested. That being said, it's painfully slow from a standing start, particularly because it gets breathless instantly.

So my next question is - how does the 1.4 multi-air compare to the 1.6 multijet? Will it be the same laugh on the run? I am cautious about getting a diesel as my journeys are predominantly short, in town hops. I would therefore be worried about the EGR, DPF, etc.

Thanks for any and all replies and it's nice to pop back :)
 
Hi Garree
I got my September 2015 500X Multiair Lounge a few weeks ago, a bit soon for a comprehensive report but here are my initial thoughts/experiences.
Nicely trimmed, with good quality materials. Infotainment system and satnav work well.
Performance is pretty decent, it feels quite quick in "Sport" mode. I haven't driven a diesel so I don't know how it compares. I've been getting mid-30s mpg in mixed driving, 43 on a steady motorway run.
The Lounge trim comes with 18 inch 45 profile tyres, which result in a firmish ride and a bit of road noise, more noticeable as the engine is very quiet.
I had a minor problem with a doorhandle and boot release, now sorted under warranty. In general, very pleased with it. It's obvious advice, but test drive the version you are interested in before buying!
Have fun, good luck.
 
See if Fiat will let you have a 24 hour Test Drive. I had one before buying mine and put about 200 miles on it, long enough for me decide that had to have one.
 
See if Fiat will let you have a 24 hour Test Drive. I had one before buying mine and put about 200 miles on it, long enough for me decide that had to have one.

The Current Ex-Mrs Spike did just that too, even bought the same colour as the one she tested.

Book a test drive here https://www.fiat.co.uk/test-drive they'll call you, they were really good about finding the right spec for the test drive too.

Spike
 
Hi all,

It has been a while since my last visit. Former GP Sporting owner, who didn't have the best of times, but it wasn't as bad as my subsequent Vauxhall and Ford dalliances! The Corsa always gave me reason to hold my breath (which is a shame as it's just a GP underneath) and the drama I have had with Ford and their 65-plate Fiesta is beyond belief, resulting in me now having solicitor's letters from them!

Aaaanyway, long story short, I will soon be in the market for a new car and I have decided that I really like driving the 500x that I currently have as a hire car. It's spacious, it's pretty good fun to drive and on the whole, it gives a decent view of the road, it's reasonably comfortable and it's just a nice place to sit. This is with the exception of the headrest which is like a brick digging into my back, which I can deal with! I am tall and fat, so it's half my fault anyway. The only other bother is that the pedals (clutch in particular) seem to be extremely slippery.

I have had a comb through the forum but cannot find anything of note, so I was wondering... are there any common/known issues with the 500x? I am looking at getting a nearly new 1.4 multi-air in either cross-plus trim, or lounge trim.

The hire car I have is a 1.6 multijet and to be honest, on the move it's pleasingly quick. I went on a run down to the west country from London down the A303 and then on various smaller roads and I was stunned at just how quick it was in the 20-50mph range it was. It felt a lot faster than the slightly mediocre figures suggested. That being said, it's painfully slow from a standing start, particularly because it gets breathless instantly.

So my next question is - how does the 1.4 multi-air compare to the 1.6 multijet? Will it be the same laugh on the run? I am cautious about getting a diesel as my journeys are predominantly short, in town hops. I would therefore be worried about the EGR, DPF, etc.

Thanks for any and all replies and it's nice to pop back :)
I've recently come from an AR Giulietta with the same 1.6jtdm engine as in the 500x. Now in Multiair Cross.
First thing you'll notice is fuel consumption.
The Multiair, thus far, averaging around 32mpg (mix of roads and short/longer journeys) whereas the diesel in the AR averaged around 50; same roads mix, To be fair, my 500x only has 850 miles on it so I'm expecting things to improve over the next few months.
Performance: in my opinion, nite and day. Yes the diesel has lots of low end grunt but the Multiair is far quicker out on the open road; makes a nice noise too!
Not a direct comparison, I know, as 2 different cars. AR had sports suspension, handled really well, and was so pretty! 500x rolls more (as you'd expect) and isn't as pretty.
Just my thoughts having owned cars with both engines.
 
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Thanks all for your thoughts. I will see whether I can lay my hands on a petrol one, so I can compare it to the diesel that I already have. Can also see whether I can gauge the fuel economy.

My Fiesta was/is a 1.0 EcoBoost 125 on 17in alloys, so it has quite a choppy right. I find the 500x to be more tolerable to be honest. It was also averaging just 34mpg in town. These small turbos are quite thirsty when they want to be! So I expect the 1.4 turbo will be thirstier.

Any thoughts on common problems and general reliability, beyond the broken pieces of trim? :)

Thanks again.
 
Just thought of something else to check - luggage space, if that's a concern. The Cross version I saw in the showroom had a deeper boot than the Lounge I bought. This is because my car has a false floor in the boot, which is level with the loading lip, and underneath is the spare wheel (space saver) and some storage space, jack etc. When the seatbacks are folded they are flush with the boot floor.
The versions with the deeper boot have no spare wheel. My handbook shows a boot floor that can be set in two positions, but I don't know which models have this.
No idea if any of this bothers you!
 
Thanks. Coming from a Corsa and then Fiesta, the boot in the 500x (even with the false floor in place) is cavernous!

I have worked out that the hire car is a Cross Plus model. The specification is a little weird in places though - it has xenons and satnav, but no auto lights and wipers. It has a second LCD screen, but no folding mirrors. Guess I have been spoilt by a well equipped Fiesta which also happens to be built by idiots!
 
Yes, the Lounge has the same foibles - I'm disappointed that the mirrors don't fold. The Cross Plus is top of the Off Road Look range, the Lounge top of the City Look range. We went for the Lounge because we liked the light coloured part leather which, along with the body coloured dash, brightens up the interior.
 
Yes, the Lounge has the same foibles - I'm disappointed that the mirrors don't fold. The Cross Plus is top of the Off Road Look range, the Lounge top of the City Look range. We went for the Lounge because we liked the light coloured part leather which, along with the body coloured dash, brightens up the interior.

Folding mirrors were part of an extras pack which included self dimming interior mirror, I have them on my popstar. Only the very basic model does without auto lights and wipers, you need to set them up in the u connect central screen, info will be in the user handbook.
 
Run our Cross Plus for a few thousand miles now, went for 1.6D as mine spends most of its life out of town; it's averaging 54mpg; which I'm happy with, but a million miles (yes I exaggerate :D) from Fiat's figures... all manufacturers just outright lie, I don't know how they get away with it.

Back on topic... no problems with the car and there doesn't seem to be much of any significance out there either (you'll always get the odd case) so seem very reliable.

Spec is mad though, some bits more than you'd expect and other bits less. For instance I'd happily have dropped built in Nav (built in is never better than aftermarket) and had auto lights and heated folding mirrors.

But these are only minor quibbles and overall I'm really enjoying the car. The ride is firm but well damped (not joggly or bouncy) and the cabin noise is excellent, very refined, the only real noise is from the silly 18" alloys which I'm going to swap... it's the Cross version it should have smaller wheels and all terrain tyres imho.

Oh and I can't fathom for the life of me how to get the 'follow me home lights' to work :confused::D.

Hope that helps.
 
Run our Cross Plus for a few thousand miles now, went for 1.6D as mine spends most of its life out of town; it's averaging 54mpg; which I'm happy with, but a million miles (yes I exaggerate :D) from Fiat's figures... all manufacturers just outright lie, I don't know how they get away with it.

Back on topic... no problems with the car and there doesn't seem to be much of any significance out there either (you'll always get the odd case) so seem very reliable.

Spec is mad though, some bits more than you'd expect and other bits less. For instance I'd happily have dropped built in Nav (built in is never better than aftermarket) and had auto lights and heated folding mirrors.

But these are only minor quibbles and overall I'm really enjoying the car. The ride is firm but well damped (not joggly or bouncy) and the cabin noise is excellent, very refined, the only real noise is from the silly 18" alloys which I'm going to swap... it's the Cross version it should have smaller wheels and all terrain tyres imho.

Oh and I can't fathom for the life of me how to get the 'follow me home lights' to work :confused::D.

Hope that helps.


The follow me home lights are set via the Settings menu on uConnect. As far as I can recall the two options are Off and 30 seconds. Tried it once then turned it back to off, more of a gimic than a feature IMO
 
Skbar, I think the spec must have changed since my Lounge was built (registered Sep 15) - there are no windscreen sensors for auto lights or wipers, so it certainly hasn't got them. The latest cars have DAB radios too, which mine hasn't.
Robotdancer, the manufacturers are not lying about fuel consumption. They all have to declare figures produced by the same, laboratory test, found here: http://www.dft.gov.uk/vca/fcb/the-fuel-consumption-testing-scheme.asp
Since we don't drive our cars in laboratories on a rolling road, we are unlikely to ever acheive the quoted figures. In particular, the test gives artificially good results for turbocharged cars, since the driving regime is so gentle that the turbo is not really used. The test is poor, which is why alternatives are being looked at.
Sorry to go off topic.
 
Skbar, I think the spec must have changed since my Lounge was built (registered Sep 15) - there are no windscreen sensors for auto lights or wipers, so it certainly hasn't got them. The latest cars have DAB radios too, which mine hasn't.
Robotdancer, the manufacturers are not lying about fuel consumption. They all have to declare figures produced by the same, laboratory test, found here: http://www.dft.gov.uk/vca/fcb/the-fuel-consumption-testing-scheme.asp
Since we don't drive our cars in laboratories on a rolling road, we are unlikely to ever acheive the quoted figures. In particular, the test gives artificially good results for turbocharged cars, since the driving regime is so gentle that the turbo is not really used. The test is poor, which is why alternatives are being looked at.
Sorry to go off topic.

TrevC I get your point and for clarity I worked for over a decade with the UK import arm of a major German manufacturer; having been to the factories at Ingolstadt, Nekarsulm and in Hungary many times I know how the bench tests work... but in reality there are software maps that have been available for decades now that would give far more accurate real world figures.
Instead manufacturers hide behind the 'oh we follow the industry standard' line... it's nonsense. Having also spent some time at Brackley I can tell you that it's actually very easy to get highly accurate models of performance data on a simulator... fact is no one wants to make the leap and be the first to use that type of data rather than the EU standard data.

I actually expect the US to be the first to start to force a change here under consumer legislation, the class action against VWAG is likely to prompt pressure for data measuring changes, the EU seem a little more reticent.

So no they don't 'lie' technically... but in reality this is a semantic argument, if the manor of measuring is skewed toward delivering the data you want rather than an objective assessment of the true performance of the engine in genuine running conditions then no, your not telling a fib... but the reality is in essence a lie of omission.
 
Oh, and I've read the manual about the Follow You Home Lights and used both Uconnect and the full beam switch and I'm still baffled... so much for all my time in the automotive industry... this has become an obsession now!!!:D:eek:

I don't even need it... but I know it's there :eek:
 
Mine works, I just don't use it. It came on the car as standard but I have yet to find the need for it
 
Let's hope a more representative mandatory test is devised soon. The NEDC test for the range of electric cars is equally unrealistic, although refreshingly Renault quote estimated real life figures as well as the "official" one for their Zoe.
Back (sort of) on topic, I looked at the trip mpg for my 500X today, and over the last 100 miles it has averaged 35.5 mpg, virtually identical to the 35.2 in the Honest John real world list.
 
Back (sort of) on topic, I looked at the trip mpg for my 500X today, and over the last 100 miles it has averaged 35.5 mpg, virtually identical to the 35.2 in the Honest John real world list.

I get really miffed if I average less than 45 mpg on a tankful, best has been 51, but does drop below 40 round town :worship:
 
That's pretty impressive Alan. I assume most of your journeys are fairly long, and at steady speed?
 
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