2008 FIAT 500 Review
8 Apr, 2008
54 Comments 
2008 FIAT 500 Review & Road Test
“It gets more looks than a Ferrari F430 and costs but a fraction of the price. The Fiat 500, may just be the coolest car on the planet right now”
Model driven: Sport Hatchback 3dr Manual six-speed 1.4 Litre petrol
Recommended Retail Price: $26,990
CarAdvice Rating: 
By: Anthony Crawford
You all know Luigi right? He’s the cute little yellow car, which just happens to be a 1957 Fiat Nouva 500 in the 2006 hit movie, CARS.
If you’ve got the DVD in your home collection, you’ll also know that Luigi runs “Casa Della Tyres” and loves Ferrari more than Luca di Montezemolo.
Back in 1957, the “500” were marketed as the perfect car to deal with Italy’s congestion and tight parking spaces, common in their overcrowded cites. Powered by a tiny 479cc air-cooled (13 bhp), two-cylinder engine, it was also a world champion when it came to fuel consumption.
The new retro-style car is just as infectious but with way more cachet than the original model. Never before, have we at Car Advice, been so keen to get behind the wheel of a 1.4-litre naturally aspirated shoebox.
Most buyers won’t even need to test drive the 500, as that may push them back a place or two, in the dealers order book. This car is the automotive definition of cute, and that’s probably why you’ll put down $26,990 (recommended retail) for the “Sport” model.
Location: Home / Fiat, Behind the Wheel / ...
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(10 votes, average: 4.3 out of 5)
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April 8th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
That ODO speedo combo is mind boggling lol
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April 8th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Finally, a small car with style! Love it!
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April 8th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
$26,000 for that?
did someone hit our friendly caradvice journalists really hard in the head or something? come on, thats a joke of a price for such a tiny car. i dont care how cute it might be (personally doesnt float my boat).
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April 8th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
What we have here is the beginning of a revolution or more, the returning of an old one. Like Mazda did with the MX5 Fiat are giving drivers what they want. Get ready for every manufacturer to bring out their own cute and stylish car.
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April 8th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
worth every cent of that 26,000 Sanjay, looks brilliant and is very cool. If you want class, you have to pay for it, Id rather have this than any other small car.
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April 8th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
I’d much rather pay 26K for one of these than pay 31K for a base model mini. It may be smaller, but much better looking.
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April 8th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Now lets wait for the Abarth version.
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April 8th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
Sanjay: Would you rather spend $3,000 on that piece of crap that Tata is selling? I’m not even going to call it a car.
The 500 scores 5 stars in Euro NCAP testing, I doubt the Tata would even beat a Hold-chev-woo Bar-ave-los…
The Bar-ave-los sells for $15K, all you need is an extra $7K to get a 500. Sounds like a decent price to me.
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April 9th, 2008 at 12:01 am
Chill Cujo - He’s only expressing an opinion mate. Not a big problem if he’s saving a few dollars.
Its a lovely little motor. Great for town and short trips and longer ones for that matter. Not for the famuily man/woman
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April 9th, 2008 at 2:18 am
I know that there is alot of hipe about this car and I really love it. I would happily pay for one. I personally would prefer a Mini though. I just like them more. However one thing that I would REALLY REALLY REALLY love to see is a review of the very base 1.2 POP version with absolutely NO options. No alloys, no mettalic paint - NOTHING! I bet it would still do great but I want to know if the base one makes you feel as special as the highest model. PLEASE Car Advice - give me the review I want!
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April 9th, 2008 at 9:26 am
I love it, I will own one, although I will have to wait a few years as I have only just purchased a 207 Touring.
I can understand why people can see the price as being too high, however I agree with BurtROS. You get what you pay for. I haven’t driven one yet, but I have had a look up close and the quality is more than class leading. Even better than the Mini I think.
There are two types of people on the road. People who love cars. And people who just want to get around. This car was made for people who love cars…………and perhaps yuppies if I’m honest.
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April 9th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Many seem to think this car is tiny.
It’s not - it’s far bigger than the original.
Fiat is charging a reasonable price for the best small car available (in looks, safety, and coolness).
Can you buy transport for less - bloody hell yes, you can get a Proton Savvy, so Sanjay can be happy in one of those.
Considering the worldwide demand for these beauties, it’s a surprise that the price isn’t higher to match the Mini.
Well done Fiat, an absolute winner.
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April 9th, 2008 at 9:57 am
I guess in the value for money equation Sanjay has a point given the size of this car versus the Focus etc crowd which cost $20k. They offer much more metal for the money.
Of course if you don’t need the extra room and are looking for something with character, then I can’t think of anything for any price that will match it.
Great to see some imagination for a change.
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April 9th, 2008 at 9:57 am
much better price than the mini, although its still just a fashion accessory until the Abarth version hits the streets.
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April 9th, 2008 at 11:03 am
The only piss off is the 3 months wait…
Cheers
F-0
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April 9th, 2008 at 11:09 am
Not bad for a “city” car. There are many cheaper options that will do the job, but this does it with a bit of style & pasion. However this may be too expensive in this price sensitive segment.
But not suitable to my needs, thanks but I’ll pass.
Where are all the comparisons to the Koreans and (shhh) toyotas?
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April 9th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Bret,
Comparisons to Koreans and Toyotas???
A car (for its size) built for the maximum quality, style, drivability, handling and safety for your dollar. A drivers car. How can you compare it to cheaply made basic transports? Although the Toyota is very safe.
And considering the comfort levels and some of the fuel economy figures this “city” car would do well in the country.
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April 9th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Jimbo,
I’m not really interested in this class of vehicle as it doesn’t suit me, but the comment re the comparisons, was refering to Dingo and co hijacking this blog as another toyotathon. You know the “yaris is sales leader blah blah blah”, when as you pointed out the two are similar in size only.
And yep “city” cars do OK on multi-lane highways but are just plain scary on most 2 lane main roads. Imagine one of these, an oncoming B-double, closing speed of 200 km/h and less than two feet separation - no thanks.
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April 9th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
cute, but how much will it cost to keep it on the road compared to other small cars.
timing belts, brake rotors, servicing etc etc.
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April 9th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Jimbo, the Toyota lacks safety - you an’t even get ESP as an option. So please don’t compare an enthusiast’s car with a Corolla. Corolla buyers just wouldn’t understand the satisfaction gained by a Fiat owner every time the car is driven. Corolla drivers only get satisfaction from knowing how much their spare part is going to cost, as alluded to by Johnno.
Johnno, not one of the many, many people worldwide who are buying this give a rat’s about how much the timing belt will be.
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April 9th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
it is a funky little car but it is a pitty about the rats on a wheel in the engine bay
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April 9th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
FIAT - Fix It Again Tony
Italians sure do make em pretty though don’t they
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April 9th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Bret,
Fair enough, what is with these Toyota fans and their cardigans hijacking non Toyota posts.
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April 9th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
i think i just found my next car, well when you can used ones anyway
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April 9th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
I like the interior, but not the exterior. I like cars but at the same time I am also pragmatic, and $26k on a \”eco\” car is not worth it to me. Like a lot of things, you pay for the name. My money is still on a Mazda 2 Genki and i30 for my next car atm. Still the Fiat 500 sounds like a good car though.
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April 9th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
yep, id go a fully optioned mazda2, midrange mazda3, focus, lancer VR over this vehicle. i wonder how many of you saying its worth $27000 are actually putting your money where your mouths are. If you wanted a prestigious car you could of course get a peugeot 207, renault clio for much less.
personally if i had that much to spend on a car id be going for a BF XR6 Turbo, for now i’ll have to stick with my AU XR6 VCT. I can certainly see the appeal in new small cars (LOVE the new mazda2) but once youre paying more than $20k for one…
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April 9th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
My uncle just bought one. He got the 1.4 with ALL the options. On the road he payed a bit under 32 thousand. So there Sanjay.
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April 10th, 2008 at 9:59 am
HAHHA, my spam word was Ferrari!
Hmm, the review ended abruptly. I sort of had to read the last paragraph again to make sure it was actually the end or did it keep going.
Anyway, I have a Punto, great car. I’m in love with it. It has replaced my 405 mi16 as my daily drive. The pug still handles better. But the Punto is just pleasure.
The 500 is just too small for my needs. But saying that. I’d put my money down for one if I could afford it. My next car is going to probably be an Alfa anyway, but I reckon a 500 might be on the missus wishlist….. here’s hoping, so I can test drive it.
For people that complain about the price, look at what you get. If you want something under $20K, stick to your Protons and KIA. I know I’d rather rock up to a party in a 500 than a Svvy or whatever the freaking hell they’re called.
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April 10th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
its a good looking little car, too small for my needs
I need the liberty wagon for the family/kids but i think this type of car will get more and more popular in oz as fuel prices get higher and higher and the roads get more congested, so i think its a worthy new contender on our market and the fact its safe is a bonus too compared to crappy/dangerous barina..
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April 10th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Get the diesel Jonno it has a timing chain LOL, great looking car.
kris
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April 10th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Nice Interior!
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April 10th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
there is a soft top plus it with be the new under pinning for the new ford kia.
from another web sight
The hi-tech engine is said to be 20 per cent more economical than the average 1.2-litre city car, so drivers can expect to see more than 60mpg on the combined cycle. And with around 120Nm of torque, its performance should be good, too. The new Ford Ka, which uses the 500’s platform, is also likely to share the two-cylinder unit.
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April 10th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
My uncle is straight Joe and hes not having a midlife crisis. Who says its a girls car? People were the same about the Mini when it came out and now I see more men driving them than women! Its not new beetle girly anyway. I suppose you Australians are like that with small cars. Most people in major cities have small cars. I now live in London and I have a Range Rover but most people have minis, kas, puntos, fiestas, 206s, clios, polos, smarts…
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April 10th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Joe, are were u born this stupid or did u lose ur brain along the way?
Your a di*khead….so every1 that drives a 500 or Mini is gay huh? thats like saying every Monaro driver is a white male, or that every Range Rover driver supports Melbourne FC
500 isnt a car foe me (bit underpowered and overpriced) but hey, it is a pretty cool little car - very Euro and that’s a massive attraction for many
it’s people like you Joe that hold the world back
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April 10th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Joe, please go and visit drive with those stupid comments and don’t bother coming back here unless you can comment on the car.
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April 11th, 2008 at 12:36 am
Joe - my uncle is married with 4 children. Hes not gay. People who talk about other people being gay are often harbouring feelings themselves. Hmm…
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April 11th, 2008 at 12:39 am
I think you are 100% correct Alex. Joe is trying hard to come out! Good on you Joe. Nothing wrong with gay people - most of them love cars!
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April 11th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Joe, I think you need to come to Europe and find that most 500 drivers are straight. Your just one of those people who thinks that if you dont have a Ford Falcon or Holden Commodore you must be gay. What are you driving?
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April 11th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
There’s an old rule: you hate in others what you hate about yourself.
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April 11th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Writing from 5oo’s birthplace, Italy, I can give you my point of view as a 5oo owner and as living in a country where you start to see 5oo quite everywhere and everytime.
First of all, this “funny” gay-equation does’t really fit. A part from being hetero myself, I can tell you from what I see and hear that the car is not only buyed and drived from far more men than women, but also is often seen as girls attracting.
I’ve a 1.2 POP (with some options on it, sorry Alex), with red and chrome detailed exterior and a really gorgeous red&white interior.
The engine is not sporty, but it becomes really funny and responsive, when you ask it to be. And, most important, I had a global average of 17.8 km/l, reaching 20-21 km/l when driving out of town.
The driving can be easily described as FUN: its short body, large track and almost non-rolling behaviour makes you “look for turns and bends”. My favourite use of the car is on mountain, climbin, all-bends, no-people-around roads: fun, real fun.
But I’m beeing too long. Any question about the car, I’m here.
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April 11th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Thanks Regazzoni. By the way, I have nothing wrong with 1.2 pops with options, I just want to know if its as special buying the very base model as buying the Lounge model.
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April 11th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
From what I live and see, I can tell you it is.
Exterior look is’t much affected by Pop raw configuration: non-alloy retro-look 14″ wheels make the only real difference and a not trained eye does’t evcn recognise it. I see many white, naked Pop on the road and thay look as stilish and as gorgeous as mine.
Interior look of the Pop version… is the absolutely better one. The deliscious bi-colour seats (red, blue or grey, coupled with white or black) are so attractive and perfecly fitted with the look of the car that urged me to buy a Pop and give it all the Lounge options.
Driving experience is almost identical: lighlty narrower wheels does not affect the reactive and flat behaviour.
Owning and living one Pop gives just the same felling as luxurty and sporty versons; just some gadget and trick less (glass roof, hi-fi switches on steering wheel, USB port, bluetooth).
Spirit, look and driving sensations of the car are the same.
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April 19th, 2008 at 12:22 am
if there ever was a car I would consider replacing My Nissan Tiida with this would be it except for one thing Fiat does not have a regular automatic transmission.Ideal for my work needs and running around.My family are ex FIAT OWNERS going back a long time ago now.I don’t think there is anyway in hell I will be going back to Japanese cars once I see one of these in the flesh.A little expensive for what it is but worth it and safety that even puts next class up cars to shame(My Nissan only scores 4 stars next to the Bambinos 5).
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May 3rd, 2008 at 8:09 pm
i took the wife to test drive the 500 today the build quility is supurb with a fantastic design with all of the options you can make the car very personall you know that you are in a qulity motor car. as for not having a auto drive the manual its a great box you just want to change gear all day. i wanted to drive the 1.4 however only drove the 1.2 and diesel the 1.2 is fine and i could not see the point of paying $3000 more for the diesel. the 0 - 100 times as usual are meaningless the mid range is good all i can say is i want one also the resale is going to be good
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May 7th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Here in the UK, I have owned for a month a very similar specced car to the one in the review. Mine has the 1.3 diesel engine and 15″ wheels which helps with the ride quality.
The Diesel engine is an absolute beauty with an astonishing amount of oomph for its minute 1248cc capacity, and the gear change is swift and light and delightful.
I commute to work on a very twisty road and find it a joy to drive. Road holding is fantastic.
Fuel economy? I am getting 88km per 4.5l (55mpg).
The car seems to be well screwed together too with only the odd minor irritation (handbrake lever).
Have a wander over to the site nf500.com where you’ll find myself (tonywalk) and others with 500’s active in the forums.
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May 16th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
I’ve ordered the 1.4 pop in blue with the ivory interior, chrome pack, 15″ sports alloys and a white side stripe.
$28 and couldn’t care less what a noisy little Mazda two costs. Unlike other small cars,the safety this things got means I’m not paranoid about being T-boned by some bogan P plater in a fully sic commode. Also when I go the car park I wont be wondering which red genke/corrolla/etc is mine as with the optioning available i don’t expect to see too many like mine.
And to the tool that would rather buy a XR6T, that sounds like the perfect car for one person to drive to and from work in peak hour traffic. That turbo will get you to the next set of lights in double quick time and only at 16-20 litres per 100K’s.
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June 15th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Hey guys! I realy want a retro car and had my heart set on the new mini cooper 1.6 . However I can buy a 500 lounge for a cheaper price. Just seeing how the Fiat 500’s 1.4 engine will go on the Highways? i drive 45mins to work on a freeway daily. How is the Fiat 500 on the freeway? does it cut the musturd compared to the mini 1.6?
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July 20th, 2008 at 3:59 am
this is a very cute car, hammann should tune it.
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August 22nd, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Such a stylish little car.. My parents owned an orgininal 500 back in Italy as their family car! And my Auntie and Uncle still have one (even though they drive an Avensis sedan now) which they use to cart around 3 kids in the back of.
I like the new 500. It’s cute and quirky. I wouldn’t be ashamed to drive one and i’m male. The interior is modern and retro. Not sure if i’d choose it over a Polo though.. as the price is a bit staggering for such a small car. But I guess that’s what makes it exclusive.
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September 2nd, 2008 at 4:52 am
I just bought a 500 Lounge (1.4 Petrol) with all that cool voice-activated Blue and Me phone and music controlling stuff, sterring wheel controls and blah…it’s all in the brochure. It really is a cracker of a litle car and in “Sport Mode” it is a great and sure little drive.
The interior options with leather and a choice of a squillion other things pushes the price to close to AUS$33K. There is no sense in simply weighing it or measuring it, then comparing it with things that share its dimensions. The build quality is superior to all other cars its size and the safety options and active/dynamic safety and driver assist technology are well beyond cars of similar size. The thing has seven airbags; heaven only knows what happens in a crash. Presumably you’re extruded out the sunroof! Add to that the cool (and safe) voice activated phone and MP3 features in the Lounge (your eyes don’t have to leave the road) and the fabulous-looking interior, and I think you’ve hit around the 33K mark. Sure there’s a premium for buying Italian, but there has always been. No it’s not s simple comparison, and in the end you just have to decide if you like it enough to know you’re paying extra. I did and I’m enjoying it every day.
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September 11th, 2008 at 7:27 am
does anybody know what is the name of the glossy material in the dash?
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September 21st, 2008 at 2:32 pm
I have put about 7000km on a blue 1.4 auto with black panorama roof. People keep stopping me and giving thumbs up for cool. Got the lounge and glad i did. Blue and Me is tops. Love the sport button. Am getting 5.2 litres/100km doing 110km/hour on the M1 between brisbane and the gold coast. Bought this instead of the mini. Any gold coast or Brisbane fiat clubs for the new fiat? call me on 0410695812. I am starting a club if no one else will.
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September 21st, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Nice effort and report S/P.
Keep up the good work!
Cheers
F-0
PS If they where priced more *normal* i would have already purchased one, ATECO is making far to much margain for mine.
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September 21st, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Hi stinky pete. Im thinking of buying a new Fiat 500 2moro. Just very unsure on the power and how it will handle daily. I have to travel from brisbane to movieworld on the M1 daily and im affraid i wont be able to go 110km/hour on a 1.4 litre engine on a daily basis without overheating the small enine. This is my only dilema im having with this car!!
Please let me know if this car is powerfull enough to not hit the high revs and hurt the car.
Ian ian_starr@email.com
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