» 2012 Fiat 500

From the streets of Italy to the roads of North America, the Fiat 500 adds a unique twist to the subcompact class

More Photos:

Previous Article    |    Back to Articles List    |    Next Article

2012 Fiat 500 By Zack Spencer     August 25, 2011 The Scoop With fuel prices being so high over the last several years, one would assume that small, fuel-sipping subcompact cars would be all the rage as we try to eke out every last penny from our hard earned dollar. Not the case, in fact the opposite has taken place. Big trucks, SUV's and crossovers have ruled the day, even compact car sales like the Civic, Corolla and Mazda3 have started to slip. But there is a new sniff of life in the subcompact segment, not due to fuel prices but great new products that have caught the imagination of drivers. It started last fall with the arrival of the new Ford Fiesta and will continues to gain attention thanks to new entries like the Hyundai Accent, Nissan Versa, Mazda2, Chevy Sonic and most notably this Fiat 500. Each of these cars have a combination of practicality and flair but true to the Fiat's Italian roots, the 500 has flair to spare! The Skin The origins of the Fiat 500 date back to 1957 when Fiat introduced and inexpensive and practical car for the masses; similar to VW's beginnings with the Beetle. The 500 was reintroduced in 2007 as a modern take on the original. It won the European car of the year and the hearts of many across that continent. This 2012 model allows Fiat to bring this cute car to our shores and update it for the European market. Much larger than the original 500 but Fiat has made a very concerted effort to keep the proportions of the car as close to the original as possible. The bumpers and headlights have been modified from the European version to meet our crash standards and there are a few other teaks, but on the whole we get to enjoy the same Italian design. Sold as Pop ($15,995), Sport ($18,500) and Lounge ($19,500) and now as a convertible model. All but the base model come with alloy wheels ranging in sizes from 15-16 inches.  1 | 2 | 3 | Next Page

6 Comments and 0 Reply

Showing 1 to 5 on page # 1

Report Abuse »

moammar
8:12 AM on March 14, 2013
Not happy with 500...small, rough, buzzy, underpowered, expensive and gobbles fuel...the automatic would probably be even worse on the fuel and power issues!

Report Abuse »

Judy Homeniuk
9:51 AM on August 29, 2012
Hi Zack - Don't know if you remember but I worked with you at Z95.3 back in early 90's -

I have a question concerning the new Fiat - what do you think of them in general. I will be buying a new car in spring 2013 and have been eye-balling these since they came onto the market. Am definitely interested in a small compact car with sun roof, automatic, power windows, doors, keyless entry, to name a few of the options I want. Was checking out the Suzuki X4 but they do not come with sun roof - any other options out there I should explore also? Trying to keep it around $20,000 -

Hope all is well with you and say hi to Andrea - if she remembers me - my name was Ehnes back then

Cheers

Judy

Motormouth.ca says: 4:00 PM on September 2, 2012 Hi Judy, Z, what a trip! I do like the Fiat and they are coming out with a turbo version for 2013 which starts at $20000. If you want a really nicely equipped car for this kind of money, the Kia Rio hatch and sedan are hard to beat.

Report Abuse »

Arlene Trimble
7:07 AM on August 20, 2012
I am looking for a new car under $20K and am currently looking at either the Ford Fiesta or Fiat 500. Which one of these 2 should I choose? or should I be considering another brand?

I don't drive a lot and am looking for a hatchback.

Thanks in advance!

Motormouth.ca says: 8:39 PM on August 26, 2012 Two cars you have to try are the Kia Rio hatchback and Hyundai Elantra. Out of the Fiesta and 500, I'd take the Fiesta.

Report Abuse »

Dawn Pryde
12:25 PM on July 7, 2012
I have taken the Fiat 500 for a test drive (my old lady car) the price quoted was 28,000. List price is 19,000. Why the difference in pricing?? Coming from a sedan to this vehicle I quite enjoyed the interior. I did not feel closed in. I was disappointed at this price point for a compact car it did not come with power seats . I think I will have to wait for the next version. Perhaps for this price they could compete with Kia and the options available.
Question: How would this car handle in winter conditions as I travel quite a bit over those mountains?
Any recommendations for high end ''old lady'' cars.

Motormouth.ca says: 12:22 PM on July 18, 2012 If you put good winter tires on this car it would be fine in most winter conditions with the exception of deep snow. I suspect this price was for a fully loaded car including tax?

Report Abuse »

JSALGADO
5:56 AM on February 6, 2012
Still looking for the 500 TWINAIR for Fiat 2 cylinder 0.9-litre with 68.9mpg is what Fiat needs here in the states.

	1  2

Post Your Comment

Submit your comment on 2012 Fiat 500

* required

If you would like to send us your general inquiry or feedback that is not particularly about the above article, please use our Contact Us form instead.

Your Name:
Your Email:	* If you would like a response, please double-check that your email address is correct. We do NOT publish your email on our website.
Subject:
Comments:	*
	Your city/town: Your province/state: Select here Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland Nova Scotia Northwest Territories Nunavut Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon Territory Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Not Applicable
Security Code:		* Please enter here the security code you see on the left in order to send your message to us. What Is It?