General Commuting in a 500??

[lingus]

Hello all

At the moment i only drive about 20miles a day for my commute, which i use my Porsche for, but i may be in line for a new job which would mean i need to do a 140 mile round trip.
I would need something very economical so i was thinking about the diesel 500 for that.
After doing a little research it seems the 95ps version is the one to go for and that the pre 2010 models are not good in the suspension department, but i can't find anything on what changes actually happened from 2010 onwards... anyone have any links to the list of changes?
So which comes back to the title, does anyone commute in one? or do a fair few miles? it would be 80% motorway miles.
Also does anyone know if dealers do extended test drive periods to see if i could actually do the drive everyday in one? if not the Porsche would have to go and i'd get a something else..

Cheers
J

 

[SiliconS]

I think you'll have the same problem that I had when we bought our 500c. I'm used to my Audi A6 which is refined, quiet, smooth, sophisticated etc. and adept at consuming miles in comfort. It's a lovely place to sit. The 500 is a much more raw experience, with roller-skate handling and relatively firm suspension, a noisier ride, hard, badly-fitting interior plastics, and a less integrated/intuitive media system. At first the 500 felt unacceptably cheap in comparison: I could see where Fiat has cut corners to cut costs.

But before too long the Fiat's character and economy won me over and now I don't care about its comparative 'cheapness' because I've changed my expectations of what it should be like. I love it to bits.

If you think you'd struggle to enjoy a raw, back-to-basics driving experience after the quality of your Porsche then a 'premium' supermini might be easier to live with for the daily grind. Something like a MINI, an Audi A1 or a Citroen DS3 would give you some of the refinement that the 500 lacks.

(And before any 500 fans jump on me for saying these things, please understand that I'm just trying to be honest about the 500's strengths and weaknesses in comparison to the sort of car the OP is used to driving. The 500's interior is lovely to look at, it's practical, solid, rattle-free and ergonomic, but it certainly doesn't feel expensive. The media player works, yes, but its menus are clunky. The suspension gives a fun ride but is far from perfect around corners. The parking sensors work, but they're not as accurate as others. Etc.)

 

[lingus]

Thanks for the honest feedback, i guess i got the nagging feeling that however nice a little car it is, if i'm going up the M1 in the wintertime it might not cut the mustard with me, and i wish i was in a more comfy car..

 

[ahmett]

To be honest, if you spec the fiat 500 with luxury things such as leather seats it is fine. The front seats are very spacious and really who cares about the plastic around? I think the interior of the Fiat 500 is fine, and obviously you cant compare it to a Range Rover or a Porsche in your case! But in comparison to other superminis i really dont see a difference. The mini cooper S full extra with leather(which i have been in) if anything is less comfortable because it is so low! Big deal if it has a 1000+ pound sat nav MEDIA computer etc, which to be honest has nothing to do with driving! The Audi A1 doesnt really look like anything special either.

As you are using this as a commuter car and not a luxury car i cant see anything better in terms of economy and style unless you want more space for family etc, in which case i would recommend a VW Golf Diesel.

 

[jrkitching]

...i guess i got the nagging feeling that however nice a little car it is, if i'm going up the M1 in the wintertime it might not cut the mustard with me, and i wish i was in a more comfy car..

I think you're right about that. Much as I love my 500, I wouldn't want to do that kind of commute in it on a regular basis.

I'd want something like an oil-burning Ford Focus as a minimum, Boring, but comfortable & practical.

 

[jrkitching]

Another thought - 140 miles / day equates to about 30K miles/year. You'd only have a 2yr warranty on a FIAT covering that mileage - IIRC the 3rd yr warranty is limited to 60K.