2019 FIAT 500L Review

The 2019 Fiat 500L is a compact wagon that tries to replicate the charm and playfulness of the diminutive Fiat 500 city car while offering greater utility. We do like the 500L's spacious interior and cargo area, and having four doors is more useful than just the two of the regular 500. The 500's handling is pretty good by class standards, too. But the overall package just doesn't exude the sense of playfulness that makes the 500 such a charming car.

The seats are hard, the ride is rough, and road and wind noise is palpable. These offenses don't manifest until you drive around for a little while, but the cheap interior plastics are immediately apparent upon entering the cabin. The low-rent materials felt underwhelming when the 500L debuted in 2014, and look even worse now as newer rivals raise the bar.

While the 500L offers a lot of utility at a low price, most other small wagons, hatchbacks and crossovers are more enjoyable to drive and easier to live with.

The 2019 Fiat 500L is a four-door compact wagon that competes against a small group of like-minded wagons and hatchbacks as well as some compact crossovers. The base Pop model is fairly inexpensive and comes loaded with creature comforts and tech features. The midlevel Trekking doesn't cost much more and adds a few desirable luxury amenities. The top Lounge model is slightly more expensive than the Trekking, and it's actually a better deal if you want the Trekking's Popular Equipment package.

Every Fiat 500L is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine (160 horsepower, 184 pound-feet of torque) that powers the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.

The base-level Pop comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, daytime running lights, heated mirrors, tinted windows, remote locking and unlocking, a rearview camera, air conditioning, cruise control, height-adjustable front seats, a leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, 60/40-split folding rear seats that slide fore and aft, a 7-inch touchscreen, two USB ports, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a six-speaker sound system.

The Pop's optional Popular Equipment Group package adds rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control, power lumbar adjustment for the driver, and an auto-dimming  rearview mirror. The Pop's Premium Group includes those features plus satellite radio, a navigation system and a seven-speaker BeatsAudio sound system.

Stepping up to the Trekking level adds 17-inch wheels, foglights, unique body panels and trim with a rugged theme, LED ambient interior lighting, leather upholstery, heated front seats, a rear-seat armrest and the BeatsAudio system, navigation and satellite radio from the Premium Group package. It is also available with the Popular Equipment Group, which also includes manual lumbar adjustment for the passenger.

The top-trim Lounge equips the 500L with 17-inch alloy wheels with a painted finish, chrome exterior mirrors and body accents, and the contents of the Popular Equipment Group.

A panoramic sunroof and color combinations that match the roof and exterior mirrors are other available options, depending on trim level. Two cosmetic packages are also available: the Pop's Chrome Appearance package (unique 17-inch wheels and chrome exterior trim) and the Lounge's Graphite Edition package (non-painted wheels, the sunroof, and gray-painted roof and mirror caps).

Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the Fiat 500L Trekking (turbo 1.4L inline-4 | 6-speed automatic | FWD).

NOTE: Since this test was conducted in 2015, the current 500L has received some revisions, including a new infotainment system (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility) for 2018. Our findings remain broadly applicable to this year's 500L, however.