2012 FIAT 500 Consumer Reviews

2012 FIAT 500

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2012 FIAT 500

Starting MSRP $15,500–$22,000

Average Rating

4.4 out of 5
Review This Car
Comfort:4.3 out of 5
Performance:4.2 out of 5
Exterior Styling:4.6 out of 5
Interior Design:4.4 out of 5
Value for the Money:4.6 out of 5
Reliability:4.2 out of 5

28 out of 33 people would recommended this car to a friend

Consumer Reviews

Page 1 of 4 Next Page

Much More Than a City Car

by singforsupper
from Upstate, NY | April 1, 2013

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 3 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 4 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"I have had my Fiat 500 POP for seven months. This can a great car for a single person or a couple. Here are the positives: Performance- Positives: Great gas mileage. Very smooth and comfortable on the highway. responsive steering. Handles well for the most part. Negative: Not good on sharp curves at higher speeds. Too top heave to hug a curve like a sports car. Driving experience is very engaging. Driving even at lower speeds is exciting. Plenty of power if you get the manual transmission. I recommend learning to drive manual if you need rather that purchasing an automatic transmission on this car. It's that important to the experience. The car was designed for european markets where most people drive manual transmissions. The north American manual gear ratios are well designed for 35mph. 45 mph. and highway speeds. The north American engine (made in Michigan) is also well paired for North American roads. You can wring a lot of power out of the engine at 4000 rpm upshifts without worries because the engine redlines at 6700 rpm. Drives surprisingly well in the snow. Exterior: It's gorgeous! Incredible style. Harkens back to the old 500L wonderfully. Low wind noise. Easy to wash. Interior- Positives: Again, incredible style. Front seat area is very roomy even for ver tall people. Steering wheel is luxurious. Visibility is wonderful. Negatives: Large door openings mean seatbelt retracts too far behind you causing discomfort to reach it. Given the size of the car, it's no surprise that the back seats are not confortable for long rides. Leg room and hard seating surface are issues even for shorter people. Overall- Amazing combination of fun, function and style."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Just getting around


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1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Radio issues

by 500fan
from UK | March 25, 2013

Rating from

(1)
Comfort: 2 out of 5
Performance: 2 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 3 out of 5
Interior Design: 2 out of 5
Value for the Money: 2 out of 5
Reliability: 2 out of 5

"Radio packed up after 2 years, just outside warranty. Fiat not interested in discussing - very unhappy."

I would recommend this car to a friend: No

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Having fun


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1 out of 1 found this review helpful

back in the fold

by rick
from western vermont | March 9, 2013

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 4 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 5 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 4 out of 5

"i'm a long time Italian car and motorcycle owner and so familiar with the range of the experience. Fiat has needed to bring a good car to this market and they have succeeded. i bought a 15K 2012 pop, a plain jane'er to the car trade. it's fabulous. tight, responsive, and quicker than i expected. its comfortable for everyday driving, economical to run, and has that Italian "snap". In my opinion it has an an amazing amount of content for its price. time will tell if it is durable. fiat knows how. we will see if they have had the will to do so. they can't afford as a company for this car to miss in the usa market."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Just getting around


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2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Zippy

by Stephen
from Los Angeles CA | January 10, 2013

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 5 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 5 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"I have this car for about 3 weeks and I love everything about it. The styling is very different than everything out there. I love the interior and the seats are very comfortable. I use my car for work, and haul a lot of stuff around. I was worrired I wouldn't be able to get stuff in there, but I have had no trouble. The convertible is great, even though it isn't a true convertible. The BOSE system works great. It took me a week to find the volume knobs on the back of the stearing wheel Makes it so much easier. MPG is around 40 so far combined. It is a breeze to park in small places. A truley fun car"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Work


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1 out of 1 found this review helpful

A very fun car

by LindaLou
from Cape Coral, FL | October 20, 2012

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 5 out of 5
Performance: 4 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 5 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"The vehicle interior is smartly layed out with easy to use features. Nothing is too complex to use while driving and its not over ladened with non driving items. Although only a 4 cyclinder it has good pick up and maneuverability through city streets or on the highways. An average trip doing errands can actually be fun."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Having fun


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2 out of 3 found this review helpful

Poor Quality 2009 model

by Disappointed Fiat 500 owner
from Derbyshire | October 13, 2012

Rating from

(2)
Comfort: 4 out of 5
Performance: 3 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 5 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 1 out of 5

"Fiat 500 Quality leaves a lot to be desired. My wife has a convertiable and it looks great drives well when it works. We have had it since new, less than 3 years ago and already on its 2nd electrical fault. The dealership have been little help though they did say might of been more help if we had it serviced with them. Nice bit of bribery. The fault is down to poor manufacturing. According to the dealership when the boot has opened and shut it has chaffed the wires and now they have broken. So now it needs a £600 worth of wiring loom, not bad on a car that has done less than 30,000 miles. Fiat won't except its their fault though have offered £150 according to the dealer, nowhere near exceptable because it is a manufacturing fault. Overall don't buy a new fiat the quality and service leaves a heck of a lot to be desired"

I would recommend this car to a friend: No

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Transporting family


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4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Design not as good as I initially thought

by Kris
from Maryland | October 2, 2012

Rating from

(3)
Comfort: 4 out of 5
Performance: 4 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 3 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 4 out of 5

"Overall, a good economical car. The few things I don't like about it are the locking system and the iPod/iPhone connectivity. There are no interior locking bottoms, so you can't lock it without the key. Also, every time you lock it, it beeps. I HATE this. If I want to get into the car but first put things like groceries in the trunk, I unlock the car, then have to press a separate button to unlock the trunk, then when I put the groceries in the trunk and shut the trunk door, that locks the car doors too! The ads boast of iPod/iPhone connectivity, but it is really just USB connectivity. There is no capability of playing a playlist or an artist, or even displaying their names. Only the song titles can be displayed."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting


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5 out of 7 found this review helpful

Literally perfect for it's mission

by drdivo
from Houston, Texas | September 24, 2012

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 4 out of 5
Performance: 4 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 4 out of 5
Interior Design: 5 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"For its mission, this car is nearly ideal. It drives very, very well. Rides well. Very comfortable in front. Rear cargo area can swallow unbelievable amounts of stuff. Interior is very pleasing. For a single person running around, this car is magnificent. You can park it in a bike rack. It has every feature you may need. You can haul people, or stuff. It gets GREAT mileage. Things I don't understand about those who dislike this car - *the back seat is too small. Uh, it's a city car. What were you expecting? Captain's chairs? Get real. *it's not very fast. Hm. Why, yes, that's true. It's spunky but it's not a Mustang GT. If you want fast - buy something that's fast. *the interior plastics are kind of cheap and they scratch easily. Why, yes. In a car that costs about $18,000, who could have guessed that the interior plastics would be cheap? If they scratch easily, why are you scratching them? Perhaps you could be more careful. If you want something that's impervious to human activity, you should be shopping for something else anyway. *the Bose stereo isn't loud enough. (*cough*) I'm not that old, and your music really does suck. Sorry. It sounds terrific for an EIGHTEEN THOUSAND DOLLAR CAR. People's expectations are unreasonable. This is a terrific car at a terrific price. It seems to be quite well built and it's rewarding to drive. It comes in a rainbow of colors and it's cheap to customize and make just your own. You should buy one."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Just getting around


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7 out of 9 found this review helpful

Reliable, Sporty and Economic... Without Gimmicks

by moparornocarr
from Wadena, MN | September 18, 2012

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 4 out of 5
Performance: 4 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 5 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"I never pictured myself as a Fiat guy. We got it as a rental when we were on vacation, and after that my mind was made up. It's sporty looking on the outside and the inside (Sport model), it has a great sound system, and it has been extremely reliable. Of course it also gets excellent fuel economy without gimmicky buttons or hybrid technology, which I'm not sold on. I average around 40 mpg hwy on my daily commute to work, which is well above the 34 EPA on my automatic. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a car that's fun to drive, turns heads, rides smooth and gets great fuel economy, look no further."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting


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2 out of 3 found this review helpful

Don't deny yourself this "luxury"

by FIAT Driver of old
from Medina, NY | August 21, 2012

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 5 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 5 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"My 4X4 truck will be phased out this coming fall as I continue getting around at over 41 mpg (consistent readings from my EVIC - If you don't know what that stands for, it'll cost ya to find out BUY ONE.) You just THINK you need a big vehicle, you don't. You just THINK you have to waste gas, you don't. You just THINK full throttle acceleration is mandantory at every stop sign & stop light, it's not - though doing it with the base FIAT model WILL leave most SUV's straining to catch you! ... and the twisting curves? heh-heh ... SUV's sure do have a lot of lean. If you don't at least go to your local dealer, sit in the driver's seat, let your right hand comfortable find the gear shift knob .... then drive it. You've nothing to add to this site; not even your archaic opinion to real driving. That's what brough me back to the FIAT - driving is back in my hands. I command the vehicle what to do, not vice versa and again if you don't agree, you should be reviewing your next ultra-megatronc dealer's website; the best SUV ever. NOT"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Just getting around


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3 out of 4 found this review helpful

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