2011 Fiat 500 Review

Today I decided to test drive a car I had been thinking about for a long time now. Ever since Fiat purchased Chrysler last year, the Fiat 500 was the one car I knew would tempt me back to the Chrysler brand name.  And so I decided to visit an unnamed dealership on the Bedford Highway in Halifax. At first I wasn't sure if the dealership was even open at all. I could not spot a single customer or sales person on the lot. Getting into the store confirmed this was a new dealership and that yes, they were open until 6PM today. I met a nice salesman who immediately agreed to let me test drive the popular Fiat 500. 

I had to first decide on the 5-speed automatic or 6-speed automatic version. I decided on the Sport 6-speed because I wanted the ability to shift gears at will. The salesman handed me the car keys after photocopying my drivers license. It would be an unaccompanied test drive - very surprising actually. The Fiat 500 starts at $15995 Canadian. With that you get a tiny 4-cylinder engine that puts out 101 bhp and around 80-ft pounds of torque. The engine is only 1.4 liters and consumes only 5.1L per 100km/hour (55MPG equivalent).

Included with the base model is a 5 speed manual transmission. The dealership did not have any manual transmission cars available. All base models come with power windows, door locks, and mirrors. It has an AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo with 6 speakers, electronic stability control, 4-wheel ABS, tire pressure monitoring system, 7-airbags, projector headlamps, color-keyed body moldings, and 15-inch wheels with wheel covers. 

Up the price to $18500 and you get the sport model - the one I drove. With that you get 16-inch aluminum wheels, red brake calipers, sport suspension, 6-speed automatic with manual shift option, fog lamps, rear spoiler, A/C, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, sport cloth seats, cruise control, side sill ground effects, chrome shift knob, blue&me hands free, over-head passenger assist handle, and aspheric driver exterior mirror.

Up the price to $19500 and you get all of the above and also leather-faced seating, 15-inch cast aluminum wheels (??) auto climate control, glass panoramic roof, chrome shift knob, bright belt moldings, SIRIUS satellite radio, security alarm, 6-speaker BOSE audio system with subwoofer, and auto-dimming rear view mirror.

With that out of the way I'll describe how it was to drive. While not a speed demon, the car is exceptionally fun to drive. When left in sport mode, I found the car sped up the steering wheel feedback and held on to the gears longer and resulted in a much more whiny engine sound. The car is tiny, the smallest car I have driven except for the SMART car. How does this compare to the SMART car? This car is actually a car, while I could call the SMART car an overly-designed golf cart. While the SMART car struggles up hills and has an anemic engine and tractor-like gear change. The Fiat 500 has excellent power and crisp gear changes. I felt like I was in control of this vehicle at all times. While 1st gear is ridiculously low, you could easily spin the wheels on this car without much effort. (Albeit, it is slow compared to my 2005 Nissan Altima which does have 175 bhp compared to the Fiat's 101 bhp).

The driving position and seating was excellent. Although the seats were manual to control, they were very comfortable and provided lumbar (!!) support which was adjustable. Lumbar adjustable seating in an micro-compact car. My only complaint was the speedometer. If you look you'll see the rising tachometer alongside the same track as the speedometer. Not a great design. The information panel tells you everything you need to know about the car.

The steering was very tight and moved the car quickly with little effort. I never used the steering wheel audio controls, which I found a bit too small for my fingers. The stereo controls on the dashboard are not the greatest. Using push buttons to control the volume and sound and tuning is inefficient. I would have preferred knobs. the HVAC controls are good. The window switches are located on the center stack right next to the shift lever.

Although I believe you can fit four people in this car, I did not attempt to get into the back seat. Like any micro car, you have to be a midget or a small person to enjoy the rear seating arrangement. The glossy interior of the dashboard is a throwback to the 1950's style. It's carbon-fiber inspired look looks remarkably well done. The dust that this interior will collect over the years will readily be apparent to any owner.

What's even more interesting is that you can use a blank USB thumb drive to keep track of your driving history and CO2 emissions. Fiat has a program that you can download and track and compete online with other people around the world to see who is using the least amount of CO2. I found that interesting. The engine is so tiny that when you compare it to the size of the battery only then will you understand how small it is.

With the two windows down and starting the car up, there is a touch of boomyness to the exhaust. I stopped into the gas station and paid for $2 of regular unleaded as the gasoline gauge light went on when I left the dealership. Although the salesman told me there would be more than enough gasoline in the car, I remember running out of gas in the past and don't trust idiot lights. You won't be a speed light warrior in this car. It moves you from point a to b pretty efficiently.

The rear seats fold down flat and you have an enormous amount of moving potential in this micro car. Outside and in, this is a cute car. Women who used to drive things like the Mini Cooper will be flocking to these cars. Is it better than say a Hyundai Accent or Kia RIO? In a way, yes. Although both Accent and Rio have more horsepower (I can't believe I am writing this), the Fiat 500 seems to have a higher feeling of refinement than either the Rio or Accent.

Hard braking tests proved this car can handle emergency stops without much fuss. Most drivers should consider purchasing the manual transmission model or wait until next year when the Fiat 500 Abarth becomes available with a 160 bhp turbo-charged engine. And unlike the SMART car, this little thing can move quick enough to get up to highway speeds without necessitating the need to create a living will.

The ricey-like red brakes will appeal to the younger crowd. I find cars like these will capture a mixed market of buyers: The young, middle-aged, and senior citizens who want to be 'hip' with the crowd. You'll certainly seem hip driving the car, and although it could be called a "girls car", there is no shame in driving this car when it only consumes a little over 5.1 liters per 100 kilometers. 

Who's laughing now?