General 500x sport

[ema]

Hi looking for some advice looking to sell my abarth and buy a 500x sport but my dad thinks it will not be as good as the abarth with the sport only been a 1ltr engine

 

[varesecrazy]

Hi
A 2 door 500 Abarth?

You would be in a phsically bigger car with less cc and probably less power

Is the space..or Emissions important in your considerations??

 

[ema]

Hi
A 2 door 500 Abarth?

You would be in a phsically bigger car with less cc and probably less power

Is the space..or Emissions important in your considerations??

Hi think it's space as mum and dad struggle to get I'm back of abarth

 

[Ralf S.]

I've got a 1.0ltr Sport and it's not a 1.0ltr car, it's a 120bhp car. The turbo gives peak torque at around 2600rpm so it picks up quickly enough. It has a 6-speed manual box which is pretty good, light with short throws and easy to use. The gate is rather small and feels crowded (after my old Stilo at least) but I dunno how it compares to other 6-speeders. No complaints about the box itself anyway...

When I don't norks things up, it accelerates well, is very comfy (still quite firm.. but I came to it from a Stilo; for you it will feel like a limousine) and it gets to 70mph as quick as you like. I don't think it will feel too dreadful after the Abarth. It's quite refined on the motorway (wind noise more than anything else) and gives about 38mpg if you like the boost, or 43mpg if you drive it for economy. Handling is great. The bodyshell feels very stiff, but it's quite tall, even on the Sport suspension so it will tend to roll a bit before understeer sets in. Having said that, I've never troubled the electronic lifesaver stuff, so the chassis is pretty sound, according to me.

There's no "DNA" doodah for the engine mode and the switchgear is nearly identical to the 500, apart from the lights (dial on the dash) and wipers which still take some getting used to (the front wipers work on a twist knob, not "down-for-faster" and as above, I keep trying to press the stalk down to get more wipers until I remember to twist the end instead.

Electo-handbrake is also interesting but it turns itself off as you move off, which is cool... but takes a half second or so and can't be rushed, which is less cool... but essentially it works well once you get used to it.

It's bigger and heavier obviously and you're perched higher up, but the seat is quite adjustable in every direction, even including a lumber support adjuster, so you'll eventually find a comfy driving position. I've had mine 11 months and 9000 miles with no issues to report. It's used about 750ml of oil since new and I haven't topped it up yet (service due in the next 3-4 weeks). You could do worse.


Ralf S.

 

[RichardH13]

I went from Abarth 500/595 (I had 4!) 145 BHP to a 500x 1.3 Auto, with a Tipo Diesel in the middle!

The 595 was too small, my parents are in their 80's and they do drive, but if its a distance, say to visit one of my sisters for the day, I'm happy to give dad a rest and he gets more out of the day too.

We had the Tipo because it was the best we could afford, it is quite grippy, but a bit soft with little feedback through the steering.

When the PCP was near the end we ordered the 500x, it was risky because I never even drove one! We went for the Sport because of the chassis improvements and FSD dampers which tighten the handling up a bit. I went for the 1.3 because of the better performance and may as well get an auto now, because with electrification the manual gearbox will die out.

We have had the 500x for almost a year and done 7,000 miles, I like it, it does not feel like an SUV, the chassis is pretty taught and I like the way it handles, it does not feel that big.

There is no Sport button (actually there is, but it just holds the gear change longer) but with the small gear change paddles its enjoyable to drive, its no Abarth, its far more comfortable and not hard work on a long run like an Abarth can be (They wonder around on the motorway, so its not always relaxing)

I didn't try the 1.0 litre, I'm told its good around town, but can run out of puff, our 1.3 is a good all rounder, glad I managed to get in before the hybrid (Not that I've seen any on the roads)

All you can do is try it, I find that although I'd quite like another Abarth, its just too tiny

 

[Ralf S.]

I went from Abarth 500/595 (I had 4!) 145 BHP to a 500x 1.3 Auto, with a Tipo Diesel in the middle!

The 595 was too small, my parents are in their 80's and they do drive, but if its a distance, say to visit one of my sisters for the day, I'm happy to give dad a rest and he gets more out of the day too.

We had the Tipo because it was the best we could afford, it is quite grippy, but a bit soft with little feedback through the steering.

When the PCP was near the end we ordered the 500x, it was risky because I never even drove one! We went for the Sport because of the chassis improvements and FSD dampers which tighten the handling up a bit. I went for the 1.3 because of the better performance and may as well get an auto now, because with electrification the manual gearbox will die out.

We have had the 500x for almost a year and done 7,000 miles, I like it, it does not feel like an SUV, the chassis is pretty taught and I like the way it handles, it does not feel that big.

There is no Sport button (actually there is, but it just holds the gear change longer) but with the small gear change paddles its enjoyable to drive, its no Abarth, its far more comfortable and not hard work on a long run like an Abarth can be (They wonder around on the motorway, so its not always relaxing)

I didn't try the 1.0 litre, I'm told its good around town, but can run out of puff, our 1.3 is a good all rounder, glad I managed to get in before the hybrid (Not that I've seen any on the roads)

All you can do is try it, I find that although I'd quite like another Abarth, its just too tiny

I was worried that the 1.0ltr might run out of puff, but I haven't found that to be the case. It's pretty nippy and accelerates smartly, as long as you're not asking the engine to do too much. It can fall "off boost", but I mean e.g. selecting 4th gear when you're doing 15mph... If you drive it in anything near the right gear for the speed, then it's a very flexible engine.

The turbo puts out maximum boost around 2600rpm, which is about 62mph/100kmh in top gear (6th) ... so it's usually ready to shift as soon as you prod the accelerator. The car feels much quicker than my old Stilo JTD which had similar bhp (115 vs 120) and it doesn't suffer from being gutless, as long as you're not badly off boost.

The Firefly engines are long stroke ( 0.81 : 1 ) which is traditionally good for torque, and that peaks at 1750rpm. I only notice that the off-boost is shocking (at least compared to my Stilo) if I change into 4th rather than 2nd gear... but I can't hold that against the car. If you change down (and the gearbox is excellent, even if it's taking me time to get used to the very crowded gate, compared to my old Stilo) then it picks up immediately and strongly.

I've also driven the 1.3 and that's a beast. It's got noticeably more shove than the 1.0ltr but it's auto/DSG box only... and while the DSG gearbox itself is fine, I tend to keep my cars for decades, so I wanted to stick to a manual, for the lack of complexity.

The 1.0ltr is only 3 cylinders @ 333ccs each (the 1.3 has one extra, and they're identical to the 1.0ltr) so the 1.0ltr has a bit of a v6 growl to it, at lower rpm. It smooths out at 1800rpm and you can't really tell it's a triple... but when the exhaust starts blowing, it'll be cool..

Can't fault it so far.


Ralf S.

 

[ema]

I've got a 1.0ltr Sport and it's not a 1.0ltr car, it's a 120bhp car. The turbo gives peak torque at around 2600rpm so it picks up quickly enough. It has a 6-speed manual box which is pretty good, light with short throws and easy to use. The gate is rather small and feels crowded (after my old Stilo at least) but I dunno how it compares to other 6-speeders. No complaints about the box itself anyway...

When I don't norks things up, it accelerates well, is very comfy (still quite firm.. but I came to it from a Stilo; for you it will feel like a limousine) and it gets to 70mph as quick as you like. I don't think it will feel too dreadful after the Abarth. It's quite refined on the motorway (wind noise more than anything else) and gives about 38mpg if you like the boost, or 43mpg if you drive it for economy. Handling is great. The bodyshell feels very stiff, but it's quite tall, even on the Sport suspension so it will tend to roll a bit before understeer sets in. Having said that, I've never troubled the electronic lifesaver stuff, so the chassis is pretty sound, according to me.

There's no "DNA" doodah for the engine mode and the switchgear is nearly identical to the 500, apart from the lights (dial on the dash) and wipers which still take some getting used to (the front wipers work on a twist knob, not "down-for-faster" and as above, I keep trying to press the stalk down to get more wipers until I remember to twist the end instead.

Electo-handbrake is also interesting but it turns itself off as you move off, which is cool... but takes a half second or so and can't be rushed, which is less cool... but essentially it works well once you get used to it.

It's bigger and heavier obviously and you're perched higher up, but the seat is quite adjustable in every direction, even including a lumber support adjuster, so you'll eventually find a comfy driving position. I've had mine 11 months and 9000 miles with no issues to report. It's used about 750ml of oil since new and I haven't topped it up yet (service due in the next 3-4 weeks). You could do worse.


Ralf S.

Hi thanks for the info the car I've seen is a sport city cross is it good or is the firefly better

 

[porta]

Having driven the 500x in tiny and 2l engine size, and the one in butch mode, the Jeep renegade (the wife’s) they do feel like completely different cars.
The X certainly feels more planted and agile, and the aerodynamics are certainly better…

 

[Ralf S.]

Hi thanks for the info the car I've seen is a sport city cross is it good or is the firefly better

The "Firefly" is the name of the engine family. It comes in 1.0ltr three-cylinder and 1.3ltr four-cylinder versions. They're fitted to the last series of 500X's c.2018-2022 (before the new/latest hybrid engined range came in).

The Sport and the City Cross are two different style treatments.. but essentially the same car. The Sport is more "sporty".. mostly c/o big wheels/low profile tyres, and colour-coded bumpers, wheel arch guards and side-skirts. The City Cross looks more "off road" with a bumper that incorporates a "bull bar" feature (it's just plastic though) and black plastic wheel arch guards and side skirts. I *think* the Sport has slightly shorter springs so would be lower but that may be just an optical illusion because it has black unpainted wheel arch guards.


Ralf S.

 

[ema]

The "Firefly" is the name of the engine family. It comes in 1.0ltr three-cylinder and 1.3ltr four-cylinder versions. They're fitted to the last series of 500X's c.2018-2022 (before the new/latest hybrid engined range came in).

The Sport and the City Cross are two different style treatments.. but essentially the same car. The Sport is more "sporty".. mostly c/o big wheels/low profile tyres, and colour-coded bumpers, wheel arch guards and side-skirts. The City Cross looks more "off road" with a bumper that incorporates a "bull bar" feature (it's just plastic though) and black plastic wheel arch guards and side skirts. I *think* the Sport has slightly shorter springs so would be lower but that may be just an optical illusion because it has black unpainted wheel arch guards.


Ralf S.

Hi the 500x firefly or City Cross is there ant thing I should be looking for or faults

 

[Ralf S.]

On older cars (not the 1.0 ltr and 1.3 ltr) the most common problem that I've seen that could still be an issue is the outside temperature reader, in the mirror, which can play up and affect how the car's air-conditioning works, plus it can throw up some strange dashboard problems. They only go wrong after 5 or 6 years by the looks of it.

The Sport and the City Cross (whether they're 1.0 ltr or 1.3 ltr) are all going to be less than 4 years old, so they'll probably have less than 40,000 miles on them and should therefore be more or less perfect.

At the mileage you may be looking at, first make sure everything works.... and just do normal "buying a second-hand car" types of checks - the engine and gearbox should work, sound good, not leak oil and not smoke etc. the suspension shouldn't clonk, the wheels should be round and not scuffed to buggeration, the brakes should be firm and stop the car in a straight line, and the exhaust shouldn't be hanging off.

I'd pay attention to the tyres and brakes most of all, since a 3-4yo car could be on the verge of wearing out the original tyres, brake discs and pads.. so you want "just fitted" new ones, rather than "only needs" new ones.

At that age, the car should also have a full service history, ideally a Fiat dealer, or a specialist. Don't buy a 2-4 yo car that hasn't been dealer/specialist serviced... just because who buys a £22k new car and then doesn't service it?

Also have a look for any scrapes or repaired accident damage, that it hasn't been written off and that no kids or dogs have eaten the rear seats or headlining. The car is reasonably durable... but a hard life will show up on it... so unless it's really cheap and you don't mind the odd scuff, dent or repair etc. then look for another.

The best colour for a Sport is "Sporty Red" (like mine, as it happens... ) but the metallic blue is also quite saucy and is available on the Sport and the City Cross.


Ralf S.

 

[ema]

On older cars (not the 1.0 ltr and 1.3 ltr) the most common problem that I've seen that could still be an issue is the outside temperature reader, in the mirror, which can play up and affect how the car's air-conditioning works, plus it can throw up some strange dashboard problems. They only go wrong after 5 or 6 years by the looks of it.

The Sport and the City Cross (whether they're 1.0 ltr or 1.3 ltr) are all going to be less than 4 years old, so they'll probably have less than 40,000 miles on them and should therefore be more or less perfect.

At the mileage you may be looking at, first make sure everything works.... and just do normal "buying a second-hand car" types of checks - the engine and gearbox should work, sound good, not leak oil and not smoke etc. the suspension shouldn't clonk, the wheels should be round and not scuffed to buggeration, the brakes should be firm and stop the car in a straight line, and the exhaust shouldn't be hanging off.

I'd pay attention to the tyres and brakes most of all, since a 3-4yo car could be on the verge of wearing out the original tyres, brake discs and pads.. so you want "just fitted" new ones, rather than "only needs" new ones.

At that age, the car should also have a full service history, ideally a Fiat dealer, or a specialist. Don't buy a 2-4 yo car that hasn't been dealer/specialist serviced... just because who buys a £22k new car and then doesn't service it?

Also have a look for any scrapes or repaired accident damage, that it hasn't been written off and that no kids or dogs have eaten the rear seats or headlining. The car is reasonably durable... but a hard life will show up on it... so unless it's really cheap and you don't mind the odd scuff, dent or repair etc. then look for another.

The best colour for a Sport is "Sporty Red" (like mine, as it happens... ) but the metallic blue is also quite saucy and is available on the Sport and the City Cross.


Ralf S.

Hi sorry to be asking so many questions the car I'm looking at is blue, when I do a vehicle check it come back as a l ltr sport city cross that's why I was asking if that or a sport firefly 1.3 was better

 

[RichardH13]

The Sport is 13mm lower with Frequency Sensing Dampers (FSD) which tightens things up a bit.

You get 18" or 19" wheels, body colour wheel arches, Matt silver/grey accents and "Sporty" styling

Inside you get part (I think) vegan leather seats, flat bottomed steering wheel with Alcantara in the area where your hands go. There is privacy glass in the rear windows and the back

Mine has 19"s and the ride is pretty good (I think its the FSDs)

You need to get test driving!

 

[Ralf S.]

Hi sorry to be asking so many questions the car I'm looking at is blue, when I do a vehicle check it come back as a l ltr sport city cross that's why I was asking if that or a sport firefly 1.3 was better

That's okay. The odd name of the "Sport City Cross" (which is two different models) comes from the description the car has on the DVLA vehicle register. That information comes from a paper form filled out by the salesperson who originally registered the car when it was new, and they often get it wrong, even though they should know better.

Here's two thumbnails, so you can see the difference. It's only mainly the styling of the bumpers and trim.. although other details and the seat fabric etc. will be different. If you like the car that you're looking at, then it doesn't matter whether it's technically a Sport or a City Cross.

The engine in any car after 2018 is a Firefly engine though... so any Sport and any City Cross will also be a Firefly. The 1.0 ltr engine and the 1.3 are both "Firefly" engines and both have Turbochargers (I often see "Sport Firefly Turbo" in adverts... which is the same as saying "Sport").

The 1.0ltr is only a manual and the 1.3 only comes as a DCT auto (gearchange paddles but with a self-changing option). The 1.3 is abit quicker but uses more petrol... but the decider question is do you want manual or an "auto" box? The rest is near enough the same that you won't really notice.




Ralf S.

 

[Ralf S.]

The Sport is 13mm lower with Frequency Sensing Dampers (FSD) which tightens things up a bit.

You get 18" or 19" wheels, body colour wheel arches, Matt silver/grey accents and "Sporty" styling

Inside you get part (I think) vegan leather seats, flat bottomed steering wheel with Alcantara in the area where your hands go. There is privacy glass in the rear windows and the back

Mine has 19"s and the ride is pretty good (I think its the FSDs)

You need to get test driving!

I dunno if my 1.0ltr has FSD. I don't think it does. Were yours an option or just fitted as an standard option, like my 19" wheels were, at the time you bought it?


Ralf S.

 

[RDC42]

I’ve done 20k kms in the last 6 months in my 2021 blue 1.0 firefly sport. No problems to report so far. I’m not finding the small engine is any issue at all. The car shifts along fairly rapidly, engine sounds good, it’s comfortable, roomy, well equipped and i think it looks good.

Ride can be a bit jiggly on uneven roads but not terribly uncomfortable, I have the 19 inch options which probably doesn’t help, but I can live with it because they look so good. I’ve done some fairly long journeys in mine in all sorts of roads and I’ve enjoyed every trip in it.

 

[RichardH13]

I dunno if my 1.0ltr has FSD. I don't think it does. Were yours an option or just fitted as an standard option, like my 19" wheels were, at the time you bought it?


Ralf S.

All Sport versions have the FSD dampers. Mine had 19"s as standard. The only option we went for was a space-saver spare

I find the ride to be fine, (compared to an Abarth, its like a limo!)

 

[RDC42]

All Sport versions have the FSD dampers. Mine had 19"s as standard. The only option we went for was a space-saver spare

I find the ride to be fine, (compared to an Abarth, it’s like a limo!)

Not sure myself if mine has fsd’s either. The ride isn’t anything to talk about but 1000 times better than my previous 500S. It’s only okay at best but good enough. I must take a look properly because I think they should be Koni Actives if they are. I have a feeling they didn’t fit those to every sport and mine are just standard.

 

[ema]

That's okay. The odd name of the "Sport City Cross" (which is two different models) comes from the description the car has on the DVLA vehicle register. That information comes from a paper form filled out by the salesperson who originally registered the car when it was new, and they often get it wrong, even though they should know better.

Here's two thumbnails, so you can see the difference. It's only mainly the styling of the bumpers and trim.. although other details and the seat fabric etc. will be different. If you like the car that you're looking at, then it doesn't matter whether it's technically a Sport or a City Cross.

The engine in any car after 2018 is a Firefly engine though... so any Sport and any City Cross will also be a Firefly. The 1.0 ltr engine and the 1.3 are both "Firefly" engines and both have Turbochargers (I often see "Sport Firefly Turbo" in adverts... which is the same as saying "Sport").

The 1.0ltr is only a manual and the 1.3 only comes as a DCT auto (gearchange paddles but with a self-changing option). The 1.3 is abit quicker but uses more petrol... but the decider question is do you want manual or an "auto" box? The rest is near enough the same that you won't really notice.

That's okay. The odd name of the "Sport City Cross" (which is two different models) comes from the description the car has on the DVLA vehicle register. That information comes from a paper form filled out by the salesperson who originally registered the car when it was new, and they often get it wrong, even though they should know better.

Here's two thumbnails, so you can see the difference. It's only mainly the styling of the bumpers and trim.. although other details and the seat fabric etc. will be different. If you like the car that you're looking at, then it doesn't matter whether it's technically a Sport or a City Cross.

The engine in any car after 2018 is a Firefly engine though... so any Sport and any City Cross will also be a Firefly. The 1.0 ltr engine and the 1.3 are both "Firefly" engines and both have Turbochargers (I often see "Sport Firefly Turbo" in adverts... which is the same as saying "Sport").

The 1.0ltr is only a manual and the 1.3 only comes as a DCT auto (gearchange paddles but with a self-changing option). The 1.3 is abit quicker but uses more petrol... but the decider question is do you want manual or an "auto" box? The rest is near enough the same that you won't really notice.




Ralf S.

 

[ema]

That's okay. The odd name of the "Sport City Cross" (which is two different models) comes from the description the car has on the DVLA vehicle register. That information comes from a paper form filled out by the salesperson who originally registered the car when it was new, and they often get it wrong, even though they should know better.

Here's two thumbnails, so you can see the difference. It's only mainly the styling of the bumpers and trim.. although other details and the seat fabric etc. will be different. If you like the car that you're looking at, then it doesn't matter whether it's technically a Sport or a City Cross.

The engine in any car after 2018 is a Firefly engine though... so any Sport and any City Cross will also be a Firefly. The 1.0 ltr engine and the 1.3 are both "Firefly" engines and both have Turbochargers (I often see "Sport Firefly Turbo" in adverts... which is the same as saying "Sport").

The 1.0ltr is only a manual and the 1.3 only comes as a DCT auto (gearchange paddles but with a self-changing option). The 1.3 is abit quicker but uses more petrol... but the decider question is do you want manual or an "auto" box? The rest is near enough the same that you won't really notice.




Ralf S.

Hi I enquired about the car to see what model it was it is a Firefly and the pictures you sent the left one is the one I'm actually looking at buying