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General Q’s for a potential new owner.

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General Q’s for a potential new owner.

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a900ss

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Hi,

I’m considering buying a 500x and would like some real world feedback from owners.

We run 2 main cars, a big one and a little one. I normally run the big one as I do about 25k a year and my wife the smaller car. However, as 20k of my mileage is just me in the car, I’m considering getting a smaller car for me and my wife taking the family car.

Although I do 25k a year, it’s virtually all single A and B roads at 60 (ish) MPH. If I was mostly motorways, I’d stick with a bigger car. The roads I drive are VERY rural and I want to get AWD for this and the fact I do a winter Alps trip every year. I also want an Auto box and the 140 AWD Auto Cross Plus is so much cheaper than anything else with auto/4WD and the size is exactly what I’m looking for.

So, that’s my set-up.

I’d be looking at buying a nearly new (circa 1 year/10k car) and running it for 4 or 5 years so it would have circa 110/130k in the clock. (I know it’ll be worth pennies but that’s the nature of high miles). As I said, I’m looking at the Cross Plus 2.0 4WDAutomatic spec.

I’m really interested to hear peoples views on the following:
Comfort - seats and suspension
Heater performance - how quick to warm up on a cold winters day (I also do a 2.5k road trip to the Alps in winter every year!!). I ‘think’ this car has a PTC heater for quick warm up and that would be excellent.
Reliability - I hear loads of comments on Italian car reliability but I’m of the view that all modern cars are fundamentally reliable - correct or not.
Real World MPG - what does the 140 diesel 4WD Auto deliver in the real world?

Also, looking at spec, 2016 cross plus cars have xenons but the 2017’s don’t. Weird. When was this change (and is there anyway to easily spot them) and was there any on there spec changes as I only have a 2017 brochure.

Finally, do we have any high mile cars out there? How do they stand up to the test it time; baggy interiors, creaks and rattles, saggy seats, that kind of thing.


Thanks in advance.
 
a900ss said:
Hi,



I’m considering buying a 500x and would like some real world feedback from owners.



We run 2 main cars, a big one and a little one. I normally run the big one as I do about 25k a year and my wife the smaller car. However, as 20k of my mileage is just me in the car, I’m considering getting a smaller car for me and my wife taking the family car.



Although I do 25k a year, it’s virtually all single A and B roads at 60 (ish) MPH. If I was mostly motorways, I’d stick with a bigger car. The roads I drive are VERY rural and I want to get AWD for this and the fact I do a winter Alps trip every year. I also want an Auto box and the 140 AWD Auto Cross Plus is so much cheaper than anything else with auto/4WD and the size is exactly what I’m looking for.



So, that’s my set-up.



I’d be looking at buying a nearly new (circa 1 year/10k car) and running it for 4 or 5 years so it would have circa 110/130k in the clock. (I know it’ll be worth pennies but that’s the nature of high miles). As I said, I’m looking at the Cross Plus 2.0 4WDAutomatic spec.



I’m really interested to hear peoples views on the following:

Comfort - seats and suspension

Heater performance - how quick to warm up on a cold winters day (I also do a 2.5k road trip to the Alps in winter every year!!). I ‘think’ this car has a PTC heater for quick warm up and that would be excellent.

Reliability - I hear loads of comments on Italian car reliability but I’m of the view that all modern cars are fundamentally reliable - correct or not.

Real World MPG - what does the 140 diesel 4WD Auto deliver in the real world?



Also, looking at spec, 2016 cross plus cars have xenons but the 2017’s don’t. Weird. When was this change (and is there anyway to easily spot them) and was there any on there spec changes as I only have a 2017 brochure.



Finally, do we have any high mile cars out there? How do they stand up to the test it time; baggy interiors, creaks and rattles, saggy seats, that kind of thing.





Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...



I have a 2015 Cross Plus Multijet 4x4 9 Speed Auto. What would you like to know?

Real world consumption I can achieve 45-50 mpg EASILY, with an all time best of 52 mpg.

I'm quite large but I find the 500X v comfortable, but the suspension is a bit harsh on the 18" rims.

It's no secret I have had some horrendous teething problems but Fiat have spent literally thousands under the warranty and I LOVE IT.

26,500 miles and it's turned into one of my favourite cars ever.

Anything specific you'd like to know just ask.

Good luck
 
Welcome to the forum. I can only give you limited feedback as I am a 2WD 1.4 petrol owner, but there are regulars who own the versions you are after who are sure to chip in. To address your queries as best I can in order:
1. I find the seats comfortable, certainly no problem for a couple of hours at a time. The suspension is firm but well damped. My (Lounge) version has 18" 45 section tyres - going for a variant with 17" wheels would improve things.
2. The PTC heater does provide warm air incredibly quickly, the best I have ever known.
3. I would agree that most modern cars are very reliable. No problems in the year that I've had my 2 year old 500X, and my previous car was a 500 hatch, which only suffered a trivial coolant leak in 6 years and 45,000 miles of ownership. However, if you want the best possible peace of mind, best to go for a Kia or something else with a long warranty.
4. I can't give feedback on diesel economy. Real world feedback can be found here: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/realmpg/fiat/500x-2015
You are bound to get further feedback from this forum.
Finally, I'm not sure how you spot externally whether it's got HID lamps. Mine has, but I haven't studied headlamp assemblies on others. However, if you can look under the bonnet the HID lamp assemblies have a high voltage hazard warning on them.
Mine has only done 20,000 miles, but still feels solid with no rattles or creaks.
Good luck with making your choice.
 
Another 1.4 Lounge owner.

I concur with people's views on the seats. I find them pretty comfortable and I'm how we say - rotund!

Xenons are pretty good although they do lack a bit of oomph in town and get drowned out by street lights I find. On country lanes they are great. Could do with a little more range, but the price for more powerful bulbs is self levelling and washers. They were, as you noted, omitted in late 66 plate cars - instead FIAT thought you'd like lane assist instead. I disagree with this change but then again the equipment levels across trims is weird to say the least.

It's a great motorway cruiser. I can do the 140 miles to my parents' place pretty easily in it and usually non-stop. Also good on more winding roads - actually pretty composed. I sometimes go down the A303 and various country roads to Somerset from SW London. Only starts getting hairy when in the hedgerow type roads. The 3.5 hour journey this way is pleasant in the 500x.

The suspension in town is a little bang and crash like on the 18in wheels but it's certainly acceptable. I came from a Fiesta which is legendarily smooth over potholes. It's not as good as that but it's much much better than my Corsa D which was a bone shaker.

There appears to be some build quality issues creeping in as the cars age. So be prepared for this. I have a list coming together and will post more when I get it looked at. I don't think the seats will sag and the 'ecoleather' aka plastic feels pretty robust.

The heater is effective and heats up very fast. Much faster than any previous car I have had - including a 1.0 EcoBoost Fiesta which is notorious for running hot. I doubt that a larger diesel will be anywhere near as quick to heat up because they run cooler by nature and the blocks take a lot longer to heat up. That said, the keyless entry lets you start the car, get out and lock it again. So you can vanish for a few minutes whilst it warms up if you must.
 
I actually have pretty much exactly the same use as you: rural North Yorkshire and Alps 3 times a year. I also moved down a size from a large permanent 4x4 to the 500x. In fairness my wife used to run a FIAT Sedici 2.0 jtd 4x4 which we did 98k in, so I had a good idea of what ownership might be like. I actually went one step further and bought the 1.6 multijet in 2 wheel drive, I put Vredestien winter tyres on it and haven't got stuck once. I've had the battery replaced under warranty after some random electrical faults and it's been fine since. Mines a 2015 cross Plus, just under 30k now and I'm very happy with it. It's fine on the run out to France and I find the 1.6 2wd a bit quieter than than the 4x4. It averages a genuine 54 mpg (total for 23k since I last reset the trip). Very pleased with it. I think you have to be a little wary of forums as a lot of posts are queries about problems... some perceived... some real... on the whole it's been no better or worse than my Audi or BMW products and I have a great local dealer so I guess that helps.
 
Last edited:
Your bang on with the cost. A comparable car to the 500x really is a lot more expensive, they have fallen through the cracks but that makes them great value.

I'm still sub 1,000 miles in my 2l AT9 4*4 cross, and while im not at the mpg quoted by Alanw47 I can see it as being possible in time. My previous 500 diesel started a bit low but improved mpg wise over time as it loosened up.

I too had the battery issue, a pain but replaced under warranty and fine now.

It's unfortunate that you've turned up now and not a month/ 6 weeks earlier. Motorpoint got a big delivery of about 20 of my 2l at9 cross versions in late August, all registered late 2016, and all with less than 50 miles on the clock. They were on at £13k, but as time went on they reduced them to £12,699, and finally I saw a couple at £12k. About half of the 20 were specced up about £1,500 with comfort packs and dynamic safety packs, motorpoint didn't even know, it wasn't in the description.

I love mine, I don't think for the money there's anything that comes close. A similar spec Jeep Renegade would be circa £20k.

....however I did just have a look on motorpoint (I got so used to looking that even after buying I still check!)....if your willing to modify your requirements a tad to 1.6 diesel and manual, they have a good jeep renegade on there for £13k. 17 reg with 21 miles on the clock.

Some people like rowing their own gears, makes them feel like their real drivers, I'm the exact opposite, its superfluous.
 
Thanks all, this is great feedback, especially the chap who has similar driving to mine (rural and alps).

I know I don’t need 4WD, my current car is a C Class and the car before was a 5 Series. Both RWD and as I put winter tyres on, I’ve never been stuck. However I have a had a few moments so just fancy 4WD even though I know I will pay for it at the pumps.

It’s good to know it can still be reasonably comfortable on long journeys. In a typical working day, I’m 3 to 4 hours in the car, driving down to Switzerland (although only annually) is a 12/14 hour drive with just food and comfort stops. I’ve done this trip in big German cars down to a 1.2 TDI Polo bluemotion so I was hoping that comfort would be fine.

I would prefer Xenons, so would actively seek the older car. Apart from Lane Assist, so you know of any other changes?

Can you also let me know likely service costs and what’s it like in tyres? I’m surprised at the weight of the 2.0 4WD. I know it has a largish engine and more transmission parts but it’s over 1.5 tons which isn’t too far off my Mercedes.

95% of my driving is 1 up, the other 5% is a mix of with my 2 children (11 and 8) and taking the dog for a dog walk. My current car is a saloon so I ‘steal’ my wife’s car currently as that has a hatch for the dog.

I know the renegade is a similar car underneath but I really don’t like it’s looks.

Another car I’m considering is a Yeti 4WD but it would be manual only at what I want to pay and have very few toys. Has anybody driven both?

Thanks again.
 
Last edited:
a900ss said:
Thanks all, this is great feedback, especially the chap who has similar driving to mine (rural and alps).



I know I don’t need 4WD, my current car is a C Class and the car before was a 5 Series. Both RWD and as I put winter tyres on, I’ve never been stuck. However I have a had a few moments so just fancy 4WD even though I know I will pay for it at the pumps.



It’s good to know it can still be reasonably comfortable on long journeys. In a typical working day, I’m 3 to 4 hours in the car, driving down to Switzerland (although only annually) is a 12/14 hour drive with just food and comfort stops. I’ve done this trip in big German cars down to a 1.2 TDI Polo bluemotion so I was hoping that comfort would be fine.



I would prefer Xenons, so would actively seek the older car. Apart from Lane Assist, so you know of any other changes?



Can you also let me know likely service costs and what’s it like in tyres? I’m surprised at the weight of the 2.0 4WD. I know it has a largish engine and more transmission parts but it’s over 1.5 tons which isn’t too far off my Mercedes.



95% of my driving is 1 up, the other 5% is a mix of with my 2 children (11 and 8) and taking the dog for a dog walk. My current car is a saloon so I ‘steal’ my wife’s car currently as that has a hatch for the dog.



I know the renegade is a similar car underneath but I really don’t like it’s looks.



Another car I’m considering is a Yeti 4WD but it would be manual only at what I want to pay and have very few toys. Has anybody driven both?



Thanks again.
Click to expand...



I find my front tyres are only good for 15-17,000 whilst at 26,500 miles I've still got more tread on the original rears than the second lot of fronts. Our dog goes in the boot with a dog guard (can't let wet muddy dog on leathers).

I've said it to folk before, prior to buying mine Fiat let me have a 24 hour test drive. No harm in asking, you don't commit to anything.

Once I get on the motorway I don't normally hang around but with mixed motoring I can get 47 real world mpg but that does get a little harder to achieve in the winter.

Drove down to the South of France in it this summer and it was effortless, and even at 130kph the economy was reasonable, slightly better than the manual alternative I think.

As I said before, feel free to ask questions if you're still interested but definitely consider asking Fiat for an extended Test Drive whatever. I covered about 200 miles in mine.
 
a900ss said:
Thanks all, this is great feedback, especially the chap who has similar driving to mine (rural and alps).

I know I don’t need 4WD, my current car is a C Class and the car before was a 5 Series. Both RWD and as I put winter tyres on, I’ve never been stuck. However I have a had a few moments so just fancy 4WD even though I know I will pay for it at the pumps.

It’s good to know it can still be reasonably comfortable on long journeys. In a typical working day, I’m 3 to 4 hours in the car, driving down to Switzerland (although only annually) is a 12/14 hour drive with just food and comfort stops. I’ve done this trip in big German cars down to a 1.2 TDI Polo bluemotion so I was hoping that comfort would be fine.

I would prefer Xenons, so would actively seek the older car. Apart from Lane Assist, so you know of any other changes?

Can you also let me know likely service costs and what’s it like in tyres? I’m surprised at the weight of the 2.0 4WD. I know it has a largish engine and more transmission parts but it’s over 1.5 tons which isn’t too far off my Mercedes.

95% of my driving is 1 up, the other 5% is a mix of with my 2 children (11 and 8) and taking the dog for a dog walk. My current car is a saloon so I ‘steal’ my wife’s car currently as that has a hatch for the dog.

I know the renegade is a similar car underneath but I really don’t like it’s looks.

Another car I’m considering is a Yeti 4WD but it would be manual only at what I want to pay and have very few toys. Has anybody driven both?

Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Yes totally get the 4x4 peace of mind thing, i just went the opposite way this time. I also seriously looked at the Yeti but looks and price put me off in the end... though the interior load space is more flexible.
One point about the boot space, it's wierd... if you have a space saver it's not massive, if you take it out and don't mind a pump and gel it's considerably better, plus the cill (sill?) for the boot is quite high so if your dog is older it might struggle.
Overall I'm very happy, the trim is holding up well and there are far less squeaks and cabin rattles than the wife's X3.
 
Yeah, thats certainly the 5-incher, like I've got (!). Strange that it's the Tom Tom system and the bigger one isn't.
 
TrevC said:
Yeah, thats certainly the 5-incher, like I've got (!). Strange that it's the Tom Tom system and the bigger one isn't.
Click to expand...



I'd rather have the TomTom. The 6.5" uses HERE (NAVTEQ) maps and only gets updates every other year or so, and you can't update anything yourself, all back to the workshop who don't know how to do it
 
I don't think I can easily update the Tom Tom maps myself, and it certainly won't be free. Although having a built-in system is convenient, I think the writing is on the wall for dedicated satnavs. Smartphone apps such as Google Maps are free and updated, and will take live traffic into account.
 
TrevC said:
I don't think I can easily update the Tom Tom maps myself, and it certainly won't be free. Although having a built-in system is convenient, I think the writing is on the wall for dedicated satnavs. Smartphone apps such as Google Maps are free and updated, and will take live traffic into account.
Click to expand...
Updating is easy, set up TomTom account, download to a USB and plug in to the car. You are correct though, the updates cost about £40.
 
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