Performance
Comfort
Fuel Economy
Fun To Drive
Interior Design
Exterior Design
Build Quality
Reliability
Review
I have owned several Fiats through the years and i can honestly say, they are misunderstood. I have had a 1974 124 Sport, which was fun as could be to drive. I owned a 1980 Fiat 2000 Spider convertible ( also known as a 124). That was a blast to drive. I went through a midlife crisis and got another 1981 Fiat Spider convertible, this will always put a smile on your face, something about the top down and the wind in your hair and face. Forward to the 2012 Fiat 500C Pop, what a great design to put a cloth retractable top inside the roof pillars, much safer and way cooler. The car rides and feels like a big car, it is very solid and sure footed. I am 6 foot 1 and have plenty of room and I find the front seating extremely roomy and comfortable. I always sit in the back whenever i purchase a vehicle to see how much headroom and legroom my less fortunate passengers will have. While i am an empty nester, i tend to flop the rear seats down and create a nice little cargo hauling area that is very practical for hauling my two dogs around or for groceries. I bought my car used with 20,000 miles on it in 2014, i have since put 60,000 miles with regular oil changes and tire rotations. i have changed my own spark plugs twice, which is fairly simple, as is changing the air filter and cabin filter. I purchased an aftermarket warranty, but I have never needed to use it. There was a recall on a manual clutch spring replacement, where they also have to replace the brake sensor, but that was covered under the recall. I am sad that the cars do not hold their resale value, but I believe that the 500 C model was done correctly. I know there have been alot of complaints with the 500 L 4 door, but that is a different engine and model altogether. I love my 500C Pop convertible manual transmission. If you dont know about manual transmissions, they are the best kept secret. They are a lot more fun to drive. You are more involved with the driving experience and that is what you are doing driving! therefore one tends to pay more attention. I spoke with a used car salesman recently and he stated that he specifically bought a manual transmission vehicle for his daughter.... Because she would not be able to text and drive! She was initially upset.. but she thanked him later for this. Something to think about. I have had my Fiat up to 101 MPH and it rides the same at all speeds, 50-70 is the perfect speed for this vehicle, I cant stress enough , the big car feel. This is something American cars are getting better at, but I honestly do not know if I will ever buy American. I have owned several German cars and brands and there is nothing quite like their feel for the road, however reliablity and parts and pricing is a different story. I have owned Japanese and Korean and found them to be the most reliable. To make a long story short, on a beautiful day with the top down and a nice day trip planned with you and that special someone, I highly reccomend that you take the route less traveled in the vehicle (Fiat 500C Pop, Manual) less driven. You will not be disappointed. Just do your homework and check the car fax maintenance records. Good solid car, great gas mileage, unlimited smiles and Italian sexy.