General Fiat 500 safety

[PZ500]

Hi all. I had a fiat 500 before and we loved it. Sold it as kids needed baby prams, bulky baby seats and me being 6f 2 didn't help.

The girls are now 4 and 7 and need less space back there.

But, how safe is 500 I rear crashes? Also, does it come with side airbags for the rear passangers? I read that it doesn't, but then photos of the crash tests shows the side airbag extending to the rear windows as well.

 

[varesecrazy]

Hi
What age 500 would you be looking at?

Its obviously a city car.. so the seats are only inches from the outside world

Member typecastboy might be a great point of reference re. Airbags

Charlie

 

[PZ500]

2013 or 2014 model. The crash tests don't look too bad for such a small car.

 

[typecastboy]

The pre facelift cutain airbags come to about the end of the rear side windows. The facelift ones are a bit longer and stretch into the rear quarter panel a bit. Very safe cars in a crash. With 7 airbags they don't come much safer.

 

[percymon]

The curtain airbag may give some head protection in a side impact for taller rear passengers (10 years upwards). There is no lower side airbag in the rear (the front one is the side bolster of the front seat). As a lot of 500s are town cars or have younger drivers most crashes seem to be front and or side, any rear accidents are generally low speed shunts at junctions. At higher speeds I’d imagine the 500 would bounce forward as much as absorb energy; how it would fare in a multiple car pile up on the motorway is another matter. Is it any worse than other small cars? There’s not a lot more boot floor crash structure in a Fiesta or Corsa.


https://youtu.be/Z2USzK1Lk2c

 

[jrkitching]

Is it any worse than other small cars?

No A-segment car is going to fare well in a side impact (or any other kind of impact) with an SUV. The 500 is probably as good as most, and better than some.

 

[percymon]

No A-segment car is going to fare well in a side impact (or any other kind of impact) with an SUV. The 500 is probably as good as most, and better than some.

If you look at the position of the rear seat head restraints on any if these small cars they are pretty much on a vertical line to the rear wheel axle centre, some have a bit more metal behind the axle but there’s not a lot to choose between them . Perhaps a VW polo , better than the VW Up, but you then lose the tiny town car benefits.

 

[RichardH13]

The 500 is as good as any small car.

We T-Boned a Toyota Auris that pulled out on us in a 500 Twin-Air when we were doing 40 MPH.

The Toyota ended up on its side and the airbags deployed and we walked away.

As far as side impacts go, the strong points are the B-Pillar and the sills and they will protect the rear passengers.

The problem with the star ratings system is that they keep changing the criteria for scoring. A lot is put on pedestrian protection now, so a car that has been out for some time gets a low rating because the criteria has changed.

The 500 was either 4 or 5 star rated when it came out.