How does the 500 stack up to the competition?

[306maxi]

I've noticed that as well. This is the only forum I'm on purely and simply because I own a Fiat, and I like Fiats! I get a lot of abuse on here from certain people because I dare to say how I'm extremely happy with my Fiat, and have no desire to own anything else. I get people on here saying just how inferior Fiats are to everything else on the road, and it does annoy me tbh. There's people on here who don't own a Fiat anymore, and don't even like Fiats, so like yourself, I do wish they'd remove themselves from this forum, and allow us to share our enthusiasm in peace.

I also don't quite understand how your opinion is more valid when you've never owned a 500 whereas these other people have.

Happy goat day,

Reg

 

[puntofan01]

I also don't quite understand how your opinion is more valid when you've never owned a 500 whereas these other people have.

Happy goat day,

Reg

Mr rkett hasn't owned 1 either, but you don't have a go at him. However, I like the 500, and wholeheartedly understand why so many people buy them.

My reply to johnxtype was because of the insults I get for liking my own car, and thus I understand how he feels.

 

[AndyRKett]

Mr rkett hasn't owned 1 either, but you don't have a go at him. However, I like the 500, and wholeheartedly understand why so many people buy them.

My reply to johnxtype was because of the insults I get for liking my own car, and thus I understand how he feels.

I've driven many 500s and I like them I just wouldn't buy one and not because they are a bad car but because they don't suit my needs.

I have also owned a cinquecento, mk1 punto mk2b punto and a grande punto, oh and not to mention all the fiats I've driven over the years for work.
I'm definitely approaching these discussions from a view point of experiance rather than idiotic, blind commitment and faith to the fiat brand.... Like yourself.

 

[johnxtype]

To be fair there are ways in which the 500 is cheap, nasty and poorly built and or designed.... To ignore this and pretend that the 500 is the best car in the world is just a daft idea. This forum has always been about discussion, if you don't like that then make your own facebook group up and only let certain people in

In that case EVERY CAR is cheap, nasty, poorly built and designed. Look on ANY car forum and see owners complaining of failures of parts, hard to do servicing and part replacement and creaking trim or rattling suspension.

What gets my back up is those who buy expensive cars and then slate those who buy cheaper brands, news flash not all of us have flash big paying jobs, therefore what we buy we are proud of because we've bought it through hard work. This is why I left Jaguar, because there was certain members on there that were really nasty to X Type owners, and they had "proper cars" because they were S Type R's, XKR's and XJR's and they were all proper "engined " Jaguar's. Even petrol engined X Type owners would harass the diesel owners.

All that sort of attitude does is put off new members and makes existing members leave, this does mean some really knowledgeable members are lost for good. I've seen it happen on Jaguarforum where I used to be a member of. I actually asked for my account to be closed as I no longer wanted to be there, even though I could still help existing members with problems.

We all know there is things that could have been done better, I would have liked reach adjustment on the steering wheel not just rake but hey ho I can do without, I'm certainly not going to say the 500 is crap for not having it when maybe a mini, C1 or i10 does.
All cars have some fault or something that the owner will say " they cheaped out on that" about, but there again all manufacturers work to a budget.
What I would rather see is members helping each other work through faults and problems without the slagging off, it would make a much better forum and a friendlier place. Maybe that way members would be more inclined to go to meets or arrange more local ones.
Also has anybody actually thought about how much of Fiats budget gets sidelined to go to Ferrari seems as though Fiat owns Ferrari ??? F1 isn't cheap ;-).

 

[MarginWalker]

The 500 and mini are both hugely successful retro-inspired small cars. That's about all they have in common. I have a very positive opinion of the 500 based on my enjoyable ownership experience but I've never pretended that it can compete with any variant of the BMW mini for handling, speed or build quality.

Actually, another thing they have in common is the fact that they are both ridiculously common, victims of their own success in a way.

 

[AndyRKett]

What gets my back up is those who buy expensive cars and then slate those who buy cheaper brands, news flash not all of us have flash big paying jobs, therefore what we buy we are proud of because we've bought it through hard work.

Lots of people on here of late seem to want to take their fiat 500 and attack the much bigger more expensive brands, and the bulk of this thread is to attack mini (a common theme) however even the cheapest mini is £5k more than your average 500 and filled with a lot more technology and luxury. Mini have a huge R&D budget and can dip into rolls Royce and BMWs parts bins that fiat just cannot match.

Again this isn't making a comparison between the 500 and the mini it's more to point out its not fair to make that comparison.

Ferrari has essentially now become a separate entity as fiat recently sold a huge chunk of it off to prop up the rest of the company rather than it being the other way round.

 

[yostumpy]

well my 2p worth!
I like our little TA. I definitely wouldn't pitch it against a BMW Mini, as its not an equivalent in my eyes. When we were looking at new cars a few months ago, we looked at i10's, picantos, suzukis, aygos,ups and citigos and Val also wanted to look at a mito. I had dismissed the 500's, deisel being no good for our type of driving, 1.2 for being a bit gutless, and the TA for being a grand marketing trap, with reports of woefully innaccurate mpg figures. So we went to look at a Mito, but never made it, as we saw the 500 Vintage 57, and the look on her face when she sat in it was priceless. I was still sceptical, so a test drive of a TA followed. I was very impressed, and instantly I could understand the reason for the low mpg figures. Its all to do with the loud pedal . I also thought the build quality was good, finish was good. I've yet to see a tatty one even early ones, the all look like new. I/ we never intended getting a mini, or even looking at one, as it was more than our needs.Bigger than we wanted, and another step up in size etc. I would pitch the mini against a golf,Astra type thing. So you might as well compare an aygo to beetle really, they aren't the same thing at all.

 

[Alk15]

I like the Mini, but I prefer the 500 by far. Unless we are going on to the original Mini, then yes it wipes the floor with the 500. But having test drove the Mini and my 500 the Mini didn't impress me at all, plus the 500 looks better and is just more fun in my opinion.


As far as dealer experiences go, I got my 500 from Rockingham cars and it is by far the best dealer experience I have ever had.

 

[306maxi]

I prefer the 500 to the Mini, doesn't meant that objectively it's a better car.

 

[zanes]

Objectively the 500 is pretty rubbish for various reasons.

Subjectively, they're lovely little cars.

Hence why they sell so well.

 

[MarginWalker]

I would pitch the mini against a golf,Astra type thing

I wouldn't. The BMW mini has certainly got bigger during its evolution but Golfs, Astras, Foci, etc. are family hatchbacks with larger boots and rear seats that can accommodate three adults comfortably; minis have considerable less carrying capacity.

I agree with you that pitching the 500 against the mini isn't a logical comparison.

 

[ahmett]

I wonder what's going to happen now because my hunch is Fiat won't upgrade the 500 within the next 3 years. Let's see what happens to the car market within the next 3 years. This latest update face lift may have changed the interior and exterior design, but fundamentally and mechanically it's pretty much the same car.

 

[RussH]

Although I've talked about Mini's I'd never suggest that the 500 and Mini are competitors.

The reason I've mentioned the Mini is BMW's ability to market something that isn't actually high quality as something that is persevered as if it is. I seriously dislike the styling and the very uncool image.

Same for the pretty much the rest of BMW's range. I think the one I had is my record for the shortest time I've ever had a car. 3 weeks.
But that's my choice.

I'm certainly not comparing my purchase decision to anything BMW.

The 500's competition is the UP and it's clones. They are better cars, dynamically, better economy. Maybe better quality but let's not go there again��

Kia piccanto. Same probably plus the other Korean brands. Who knows which ones there's all so forgettable.

And that's the thing, the 500 has that certain something. I never thought I'd end up buying something that puts style (or what ever it is) over substance. I've done it twice now, Alfa Giullitta and now the 500

Oh and this forum and to a far lesser extent the Alfa forum (one individual in particular made a prat of himself) are the only ones I frequent where you consistently see "my car is cr*p" pretty boring and yes why don't they go elsewhere? Especially when they haven't the faintest idea what they are on about.
Note. I'm not referring to people who have a problem and come heee for help and who rightly get frustrated and maybe angry.

 

[jrkitching]

IMO what the 500 and the Mini have in common is that their popularity in the marketplace allows both to command a premium price over and beyond that which could reasonably be justified by an objective assessment of their merits relative to the competition, and this premium is sustained in the secondhand market - both cars have excellent residual values.

They are also both what I would term 'classless' cars, in that you cannot reasonably infer anything about the kind of person who is likely to choose to drive one -IMO a plus point for both of them.

That said, the Mini is clearly in a different class to the 500, and priced accordingly, rendering a direct comparison relatively pointless.

A more realistic comparison might be with the Panda, which is in many ways a very similar car, but without the desirability or fashion premium of the 500; even a cursory look at real-world Panda prices, both new and used, makes the 500 look very expensive indeed.

Fiat sell the 500 for what the market will pay - and you can't really blame them for that.

 

[306maxi]

is the 500 expensive though? Residuals considered I would say that it holds its own with the Panda easily on price.

 

[jrkitching]

is the 500 expensive though? Residuals considered I would say that it holds its own with the Panda easily on price.

It's more expensive, but you might get some or all (or even more) of the difference back if you sell it before end of life, so to be strictly accurate we should say that, for the typical new car buyer, it compares more equally than the up-front price might suggest.

Keep it for life, and as you'd reasonably expect both cars to last an equal length of time and have similar running costs, then it's more expensive, period. But the difference as a percentage of the total cost of ownership isn't enough to stop a rational person from buying whichever car they'd most like to have, especially as they'll be keeping it a long time.

For a more typical user buying new and keeping for 3yrs, then a comparison of the monthly pcp cost of the two would perhaps be a better way of looking at it.

But the bottom line is that with the Panda you get essentially the same parts, built in the same way, with the same reliability and dealer experience, for less money. To me, that makes the 500 a more expensive car. The reality is that most, if not all, of the extra cost of a 500 is more likely to be paid by the second and subsequent owners than the initial purchaser.

Secondhand, it's a different story and then the Panda is, objectively, way better value than the 500.

But most folks buy with their heart, as well as their head.

 

[ahmett]

It's more expensive, but you might get some or all (or even more) of the difference back if you sell it before end of life, so to be strictly accurate we should say that, for the typical new car buyer, it compares more equally than the up-front price might suggest.

Keep it for life, and as you'd reasonably expect both cars to last an equal length of time and have similar running costs, then it's more expensive, period. But the difference as a percentage of the total cost of ownership isn't enough to stop a rational person from buying whichever car they'd most like to have, especially as they'll be keeping it a long time.

For a more typical user buying new and keeping for 3yrs, then a comparison of the monthly pcp cost of the two would perhaps be a better way of looking at it.

But the bottom line is that with the Panda you get essentially the same parts, built in the same way, with the same reliability and dealer experience, for less money. To me, that makes the 500 a more expensive car. The reality is that most, if not all, of the extra cost of a 500 is more likely to be paid by the second and subsequent owners than the initial purchaser.

Secondhand, it's a different story and then the Panda is, objectively, way better value than the 500.

But most folks buy with their heart, as well as their head.

If I sell my car now, I would sell it for 12,000 Euros less than what i bought it for cash about 5 years ago. The car being worth about 6,000 Euros now. The way I see it, I might as well run it completely to the ground or keep it as a second car if I buy another as I simply do not see a point selling it.

 

[Mick F]

........... The way I see it, I might as well run it completely to the ground or keep it as a second car if I buy another as I simply do not see a point selling it.

I really wish the majority of car buyers/owners would do this.

We thought about selling our 14 year old Clio when we bought the 500TA, but it wasn't worth it. We've kept it as a second car. If we don't need a second car in the future, we'll still keep it on the drive ready for when we do need a second car.

I know people who buy a car, keep it two years, then sell it and buy another ............... ad infinitum.
Why?
I don't see the point at all.
You wouldn't do that with a freezer or washing machine.

TTFN
Mick.

 

[AGH1965]

I know people who buy a car, keep it two years, then sell it and buy another ............... ad infinitum.
Why?
I don't see the point at all.
You wouldn't do that with a freezer or washing machine.

But you might do it with something that bores you after a while. For example a mistress...

 

[jrkitching]

But you might do it with something that bores you after a while. For example a mistress...

Or a boat, or an airplane.

The moral of this tale:

If it flies, floats, or *****, rent it.