General Sadly no Fiat for me

[bazves]

After looking around for months I finally got around to test driving a 500. Had a run out in a 1.2 and a TwinAir and surprised myself in being really disappointed in both. I found the 1.2 slow and the TwinAir noisy. I couldn’t get comfortable either, right leg was uncomfortable and left leg kept banging into the ‘protrusion’ which the gear stick was mounted on. I also found the instrument cluster a bit too fussy for my liking and couldn’t really see what was being displayed on the digital portion due to the sun shining on it.


I had set my heart on a 500, since I think its one of the prettiest cars on the road, but unfortunately the drive didn’t do it for me


Spent this weekend looking at the Up/Citigo/Mii, and ended up ordering a Seat Mii Vibora Negra, that hopefully should be here some time in September.


Thanks for all the help I got from everyone during my research, it’s a great community you have here

 

[RobinPJ]

I found the 500 a bit uncomfortable to begin with but got used to it, or just adjusted myself to suit, but you are definitely not the first person to struggle with its seating position.

The 1.2 is no fire-breather, but it doesn't claim to be. And as for the TA being noisy - sure, but what a great noise!

Hope your Seat works for you.

 

[Super Uwe]

Yeah, good luck with the Seat - everyone has their own likes and dislikes with cars so you're well within your right to reject a Fiat, haha!

For me personally I have never found the 1.2 to be too slow. If you follow the shift indicators then I quite agree that it feels terrible; when it's pulling less than 1500rpm and you try planting your foot to the floor in fourth or fifth, not much happens!

But it is very eager to rev and so if you do need to overtake when doing say 40-50mph, dropping down to third will see the revs climb up to around 4000rpm and you can easily get past any car in front. OK, the noise levels do creep up quite bit, but for me that makes it a lot of fun!

 

[306maxi]

I've never had a problem with the fact that the dashboard is against your leg, in fact I always rest my leg against it and when driving hard you can brace yourself against it.

You get used to the instruments after a short while anyway

Best of luck with your new purchase though.

 

[loveshandbags]

After looking around for months I finally got around to test driving a 500. Had a run out in a 1.2 and a TwinAir and surprised myself in being really disappointed in both. I found the 1.2 slow and the TwinAir noisy. I couldn’t get comfortable either, right leg was uncomfortable and left leg kept banging into the ‘protrusion’ which the gear stick was mounted on. I also found the instrument cluster a bit too fussy for my liking and couldn’t really see what was being displayed on the digital portion due to the sun shining on it.


I had set my heart on a 500, since I think its one of the prettiest cars on the road, but unfortunately the drive didn’t do it for me

Spent this weekend looking at the Up/Citigo/Mii, and ended up ordering a Seat Mii Vibora Negra, that hopefully should be here some time in September.

Thanks for all the help I got from everyone during my research, it’s a great community you have here

Thank you for the feedback Bazves.

On my first 'real' drive in a 500 Sport 1.4 from a country dealer I was totally smitten with the 'blast' and loved the 'smallness' of the car. Would accept that the intrusion of the cowling for the gearbox is a problem for some and it took a bit of getting used to. Somehow feel that in LHD the 500 is possibly better allowing for a foot rest position.

It is also a lesson for some newbies on the FF to test drive a 500 before you start designing your ideal 500 on paper. I would still rate a 500 as a better driver's car than one with a bigger chassis but it may not be as capable.

Wish you the best of luck with the Seat Mii Vibora Negra.

 

[Yobbo]

I just thought I would pop over from the Doblo section, as I just had a four day extended test on a 1.2 500 as my Doblo was having some accident damage fixed. This was great as I had wanted to try one for a while. I drove it for about 500 miles.

Like Bazves I really wanted to like this car. I typically drive 40-50 different cars a year and you get a feel for what you like after a while, but sadly just like Bazves I found that once I got past the cute looks it really wasn't as good as I hoped. The 1.2 was surprisingly gutless for a 70hp engine in a 900kg car, paradoxically torque when you pulled away seemed fine. :chin: I found the car slightly noisey, and I just could not live with the jiggly even slightly crashy ride. I hate to think what the Arbarth ones must be like. That bloody gear lever casing did nothing but stab me in the leg continually and I now have a mark on my calf caused by the little opening cubby hole built into the side of it. I also struggled with the instruments. The glass roof was a novelty, but the blind couldn't quite block out enough sun.

Its not all bad though economy was great, it cornered far better than some road test reports suggest and I did like door mirrors. Gearbox was good and apart from the poor power the engine was quite nice. Interior size was not a problem as I knew exactly what to expect.

Overall its a nearly car. I get to drive the related Ford Ka in a few weeks so it will be interesting to compare them. Generally I got the impression that its a good car for an 18 year old girl to buy, not a 40 year old bloke.

 

[panda panda]

Generally I got the impression that its a good car for an 18 year old girl to buy, not a 40 year old bloke.

I'm a 44 (and three quarters), 6'1(and a half) and male(ish) yet I bought a 500!

couldn't see myself driving something called dogbowl though!

Viva la difference etc etc

 

[jonlah]

I'm near on 6' and the only thing I find is that in the 500 I feel like I am leaning to the left. I don't have this sensation in the OH's Panda though so I'm guessing it is the sloped sides on the 500 making me feel this way more than anything.

 

[loveshandbags]

... The 1.2 was surprisingly gutless for a 70hp engine in a 900kg car, paradoxically torque when you pulled away seemed fine. :chin: I found the car slightly noisey, and I just could not live with the jiggly even slightly crashy ride. I hate to think what the Arbarth ones must be like....

Overall its a nearly car. I get to drive the related Ford Ka in a few weeks so it will be interesting to compare them. Generally I got the impression that its a good car for an 18 year old girl to buy, not a 40 year old bloke.

Firstly, the 500 is 'out of the reach' for most 18 year olds. For some who remembered the original 500 as a 18 year old liked the idea of the 'nearest thing' in a modern day version and those individuals are (sadly) in their 50s.

You might have missed this thread (Click here) but did notice that some of the '500s are for girls' comments changed as the thread progressed. Now that I'm in a MiTo (nearest I could get with an 'Abarth' engine for sensible money) I often find myself chasing some 500s if curosity gets the better of me.

 

[306maxi]

Like Bazves I really wanted to like this car. I typically drive 40-50 different cars a year and you get a feel for what you like after a while, but sadly just like Bazves I found that once I got past the cute looks it really wasn't as good as I hoped. The 1.2 was surprisingly gutless for a 70hp engine in a 900kg car, paradoxically torque when you pulled away seemed fine. :chin:

That's what the engine is set up to be like. It'll pull really well out of corners at low revs for such a small engine. After all it is a city car. want top end power? The 1.4, 1.3 mj or Abarth are there for you.

 

[Ulpian]

Unfortunately once you've had a Doblo everything seems cramped and uncomfortable. The lack of tumblehome in the very large windows and the deliciously low belt line makes for the most commanding and spacious driving experience ever. And as for the storage options, which are totally non-existent in the 500... well

I actually like the 500 a lot, and especially in the bright sunny colours that are just not available in the modern land of motoring greige out there. And when I drove the Up I also found it to be very comfortable, very quiet, and also totally lacking in anything remotely like torque, so I can't quite see how the Up family can feel better in this department. And the Up driving seat didn't offer the same under thigh support that the 500 does either. But the Up is definitley more airy and spacious, and there is no crampedness in the driving position. However, it rides very low, unlike narly all Fiats, and this isn't good if like me you demand ease of access and a decent riding height.

On the other hand, one of the worst things about the 500 is the very high belt line, which leaves the driver buried in the car and unable to rest an arm on the window sill, but then many newer cars have this styling 'feature', and the Kia Sportage feels like sitting in a deep bath and peering over the rim at the otherwise hidden world: horrible in fact. Audis major on this dark buried feeling too.

The 500 is very small by today's standards and isn't intended to be a universal car, but for a local car, or a second commuter car it has to be near perfect I'd have thought.

Oh, and being six feet tall myself, with relatively long legs, practically no Fiat is truly comfortable so, as with all cars, a compromise must be reached.

 

[panda panda]

I've test driven both the Seat Mii and the Up!

True they are more spacious than the 500 but by crikey I'll take my curvy 500 over the slab sided squareness of the Up! (not to mention its peculiar mouthy face) anyday of the week
It's not the germanicness of it - I'm a big fan of VW design and love the 3 door Polo - just that I think the Up! is a little too earnest and dull compared to the 500 IMHO

No offence meant to anyone!

 

[deeyup]

I'm near on 6' and the only thing I find is that in the 500 I feel like I am leaning to the left. I don't have this sensation in the OH's Panda though so I'm guessing it is the sloped sides on the 500 making me feel this way more than anything.

The steering wheel is offset to the right from the drivers seat, quite a bit actually.
I too get the sensation of leaning to the left.

My Vw caravelle steering wheel is also off to the right (not as much though) and I don't get the leaning feeling driving this.

 

[alexGS]

Unfortunately once you've had a Doblo everything seems cramped and uncomfortable. The lack of tumblehome in the very large windows and the deliciously low belt line makes for the most commanding and spacious driving experience ever. And as for the storage options, which are totally non-existent in the 500... well

Is it sad that a) I know what tumblehome is, and b) I enjoyed the same sensations when driving a Multipla...

-Alex