Used 2016 FIAT 500 Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2016 500, so we've included reviews for other years of the 500 since its last redesign.
My angry little car
Brian Ach, 04/04/2017
2016 FIAT 500 Abarth 2dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
34 of 34 people found this review helpful
Here's the thing--there are a lot of cars with more room, better build quality, more cache, better reliability, and more room. There are cars that have way more updated electronics, navigation, etc. and are more functional in terms of rear seat space, ergonomics and the like. None of them will be more fun than this car. None of them will make you smile, laugh, look forward to driving them, talk to people about them, or write a review. The Abarth (mine is a 2016 automatic in yellow) puts fun first and functionality second, but don't take that to mean it's a toy or not a good everyday car. The automatic is a hoot (I own three other stick shift cars including a Porsche 911 in NYC) and blips the throttle with a roarty exhaust backfire when you get on the brakes. It pulls hard in point-and-squirt traffic when in "Sport" mode (the only mode you should be in) and hugs off-ramps like velcro to wool. It's fun. No one looks twice at your Mini Cooper S or your GTI. I catch people looking at this yellow bee all the time. The amazing thing is how good the ride is. Short wheelbase and stiff springs don't add up to comfort, but on the highway and terrible pavement, those dual-mode shocks work their magic and it is amazing. Seriously. Front seat space is good, visibility is great (a by-product of the high seating position) and when you fold the rear seats down (or delete them) it's like the world's smallest SUV. It's as much car as you want, but no more car than you need 94% of the time. Can humans fit in the back? Better than you think...but it's tight. Can I park anywhere? Yes. Do what I did--find a used one with less than 5K miles on it, with a full factory warranty, let someone else take the depreciation hit, and drive off into the sunset. Does the exhaust sound better than a Ferrari? Yes. Is it fast? Not really, no. Does it know it? No. It's like the chihuahua who thinks it's a Pit Bull, but it's tongue-in-cheek. It's fun. It's probably just what you need.
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great little car
Cameron, 07/28/2015
updated 08/01/2016
2015 FIAT 500 Abarth 2dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
50 of 51 people found this review helpful
I've had this for around 8-10 months, so I can't really say much on long term reliability, but its a fun little car. No parking aids on my, but then again whats the point. just aiming it in the general direction is good enough. It's small enough where i can just go "Eh, good enough" and it is. It's a quick car, and still has decent acceleration at 60+ mph. It handles and grips well, is a lot of fun as a daily driver, well at least when there isn't too much traffic. The driving position is quite high, coming from my 98' BMW, but it somehow just adds to the fun. I've seen people complain about the lack of space, and granted, the rear seats kinda suck, but there's more than enough room if you only need to drive yourself or one other person around, not to mention it just is a physically smaller car which I like. If I'm careful, I can get 36-37 mpg between city and highway with traffic, could probably get 38-39 if there wasn't any traffic, but I generally don't bother with it. More fun not worrying about mileage, and even when being rather liberal with the gas it still gets decent mileage. Get's about the same range as my BMW did, I use a higher grade gas, and it still costs ~15$ less to fill up the tank. I think the ride is quite good, though my dad said the BMW felt like a rock (never really noticed myself). It makes a nice sound making it somewhat ridiculous, but not over the top. It's not super loud or anything, but it's enough to put a smile on my face. I couldn't be happier with it, Edit ~2 years later, been reliable enough, it can go through a bit of oil, not a leak, just keep an eye on it. Also fairly easy to modus probably hit the gas more than I should, and I'm almost always in sport mode I get a combined of about 30-31mpg.
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Awesome little commuter/city car
b-Row, 08/01/2016
2015 FIAT 500 C Abarth 2dr Convertible (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
28 of 28 people found this review helpful
I got mine used. Fiat's rather undeserving reputation for poor quality works out for those of us buying used. Car was probably 33000 with every single option available new and I picked it up for 14000 with 15k miles and 2 years old. So, not the car you want to absorb initial price on. Even if the price stayed strong like a honda, 33k would be a bit much for a car this size and power. A great MX-5 could be had for less than that. PRACTICALITY- It can seat 4 as long as they're all middling size. I'm 6'3" and can fit my teen children and wife in there. Not for long, but it can be done. Not much cargo space on the cabriolet, but enough to do a grocery run without putting the seats down. Gets good fuel mileage without giving up power. INTERIOR AMENITIES- Beats Audio is pretty great. I've owned a lot of cars and this has the best stereo ever. I thought the HK in the Mini S was nice. No where near. Controls are simple. Not many options. Has an easy to access menu in the gauge cluster to adjust beeps and DRL etc. Instant and trip MPG. Normal car computer stuff. Bluetooth is lacking. Technically you can use it to connect phone calls. But NO BT STREAMING AUDIO to the stereo. Unforgivable. Does have the requisite USB and 1/8" jack though. Seats (leather) are comfortable. Height adjustable (a la VW). Passengers complain about the rear headrests. The rear seats are almost perpendicular to the ground and the headrests stick out in front of them. You pretty much have to lean forward. BUT... technically its for safety. Safe isn't always comfortable. The arm rest is only on the drivers seat and is perfect for me. My wife considers it to be too high (she's short). It can be stowed if it bothers you. Seats are bolstered but not straight jacket. You sit high for a sports car.... but its not a sports car. Its a hot hatch. Good visibility. you never notice how small the car is till you park it or squeeze by into the turn lane that's almost blocked. DRIVABILITY- I came out of a mk6 GTI most recently. The GTI was almost too perfect. It lacked fun. You had to bring it to a track to get "on the edge" safely. The abarth isn't an "est" car. Its not the fastest, not the best in corners, its not the most powerful. What it lacks in power and skid pad and rapid weight transfer, it makes up for in spades with FUN. It must be driven on the edge. You don't sit back and marvel at your speed through the turn. You earn it. It handles better than most things on the road and anything in its class, but it doesn't beat your brains out on rough roads. It has a very sophisticated shock absorber that lets it soak up bumps and still perform. The shifter is spot on. Some call it sloppy. It doesn't offer a lot of feed back, but I've NEVER missed a shift. Only thing weird about it is that it will let you try to put it in reverse if you forget its only a 5 speed and try to grab 6th. When you come to a stop in a 3 point turn, if you quickly shift from forward to reverse you might hear it grind as the transmission spins very freely. The ASC is VERY intrusive when "all the way on". Starting from a green light can find you bogging down if you try to start quickly at all. The tiny firm tires try to spin on intersection rubble and the ASC/TSC kicks in and cuts the throttle all but completely. I generally drive it on "1 push". That is. Tapping the ASC controls put it in a "sport" mode. It allows a bit of wheel spin and will let you performa an "L" turn with the hand brake before it stops you. It still assists if you start sliding around a corner, or stab the brakes too hard out of a dip. Push and hold the ASC button for 5 seconds and you're in track mode. Full off as far as I can tell. Smoke the tires, pull J turns, drift through chicanes, spin backwards into the gravel or trees. Not a great idea for the road, but kicks butt on the auto cross circuit. The ASC has saved me a couple times. It has my trust. The noise... OH the noise. Pops and crackles. Pull away from the drive up window and you hear the turbo spin up. Build full boost at anything below maximum torque curve and let off to a satisfying after fire. The car has NO MUFFLER! Catalytic converter into down pipe, into a small flex converter---- 6 feet of straight pipe, T to the 2 outlets. Its obnoxious in confined spaces. On the road its not even noticeable. No drone, just a very european crackle. Blip the throttle between shifts. Sounds race car. The pedal box is perfect. My wife automatically learned to heel toe. She had never even heard the term before. It just comes naturally in the 500. "I can brake and rev match without taking my foot off the brake". Its amazing. The steering is responsive but not heavy. The steering wheel could be better. I can't find a perfect place for my hands. It wants you to be at 10&2 but I prefer a 9&3. The car has a bit of body flex and body lean, but nothing dramatic.
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Give this car a chance, you won't be dissapointed
Shawn, 03/28/2016
2015 FIAT 500 Pop 2dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl 5M)
19 of 19 people found this review helpful
The big deal with these cars are the value for the money. It's a very capable car when you maintain it and drive it responsibly. I drive my 15 pop with manual transmission 120 miles a day. At 19k miles I have had no problems. The car handles incredibly well on curvy roads, and it has adequate acceleration. I love flying buy more expensive cars on winding roads because they are over priced 2 ton behemoths! As a car guy who just came from a 300hp car, it takes some getting use to, but, once you realize how much better the mpgs are (36-40highway) and the handling improvement, it's actually more fun to drive than my 12 challenger. It has torque so going up bridges and hills is actually easier than other cars. The interior style is a great way to be received everyday. My car has a red and white interior and the wife loves it and anyone who rides in it loves it. Much better than the bland silver and black also rans from toyota or mazda. You will be surprised how much you can do with this little car. it's a hatchback so you can carry quite a bit when you fold down the seats. So in my opinion give these cars a chance.
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Surprisingly adequate and just a little fun too
libero1@earthlink.net, 12/23/2016
2016 FIAT 500 Easy 2dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl 5M)
22 of 23 people found this review helpful
Spouse and I found ourselves in a rush and needing a rental car. The only car immediately available was a Fiat 500 with automatic. We took it. On a 100 mile road trip to the event venue, the car proved to be more than adequate to the task. While acceleration was slow, once at speed the car maintained interstate speeds without trouble. We drove 80 and even 85mph, passing many more powerful cars. If you know how to drive a small engine, this thing will do the job. It was comfortable for two and luggage space was adequate for a long weekend trip.
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