In a world full of big power and massive vehicles it’s nice to see there are still some cars that carry on the tradition of having a beautifully crafted build that comes in a small size and price for you to enjoy. The Fiat 500 lineup is such a vehicle group. This car is smaller than the Mini Cooper and Ford Fiesta to be a fantastic little city car that fits perfectly wherever you need to drive. On the inside you find amazing Italian design and quality features to give you a car that allows you to feel you have a truly European luxury vehicle in a small size.
Sometimes starting out in life doesn’t have to come with compromises. The Fiat 500 is one that allows you to enjoy the drive and the agility of a small car with great materials and features at the price you want to pay. While this little car still has to compete with those that lead the pack in this category such as the Honda Fit and Mini Cooper, this is a car that offers you the look and feel your friends and family will admire and compliment you on.
For 2016 the 500 adds a new Easy trim along with more features on the base Pop trim while keeping the price low. The Uconnect 5.0 system with the five-inch touch screen is now offered and Bluetooth is integrated with voice commands. The 500e was previously offered only in California but for 2016 this model will be offered in Oregon as well.
The Fiat 500 is what you expect on the road, it’s light and quick even though it doesn’t have a ton of power coming from under the hood. While this is a car you won’t take out on the interstate very often this is one that works perfectly in the city, maneuvering in and out of the city traffic with ease. While you might describe the driving of this car to be somewhat similar to riding in a go-kart, the 500 offers you excellent fun and some great features in order to offer you the performance you want to enjoy. The steering and suspension are perfect for a little car that can find its way around much larger vehicles with ease giving you the ride you want to be able to fit where you need to and enjoy the ride.
Looking for the power of this little car you find a base engine of a 1.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine that makes 101 horsepower and 98 lb.-ft. of torque. All versions of the Fiat 500 can be had with either a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. For this setup the fuel mileage comes out at 31 city/40 hwy mpg for the manual and 27 city/34 hwy mpg for the automatic.
Moving up to a little more power the Turbo uses the same engine but adds a turbocharger to give you 135 horsepower and 150 lb.-ft. of torque. This powertrain offers 28 city/34 how mpg for the manual and 24 city/32 hwy mpg for the automatic transmission. Going to the Abarth model, which is the sportiest model you find the same engine tuned up to a full 160 horsepower and 170 lb.-ft. of torque while bringing in 28 city/34 hwy mpg on the manual and 24 city/32 hwy mpg for the automatic transmission.
The 500 even has an electric model which is the 500e which is powered by a permanent magnet electric motor which offers 111 horsepower and 147 lb.-ft. of torque. This version offers you a full range of 87 miles on a single charge and uses a single speed automatic transmission for the drive. This comes out to a 122 city/108 hwy mpge.
On the inside of the Fiat 500 you find that the space is plentiful up front with an interesting and quirky styling that makes for an excellent place to enjoy the ride. Moving up to the Abarth you enjoy a sporty style and a flat-bottom steering wheel. ON the outside the 500 is tiny and attractive with the look that we have come to enjoy which certainly bring the Italian look to the lower price ranges for us to have an affordable car to enjoy the ride.
For the 500 and 500c Pop the standard features offered include a leather wrapped steering wheel, fifteen inch covered steel wheels, the manual transmission, air conditioning, cruise control, power windows/locks/mirrors, Bluetooth connectivity, a six-speaker audio system and a USB port. The Abarth has some upgrades such as a 276-watt Alpine audio system, sixteen inch alloy wheels, a sport tuned suspension and a leather wrapped dashboard. The safety of this car includes seven airbags, a hill-start assist and some driver assistance advancements.
Looking to the optional features you can have the automatic transmission, leather upholstery, heated front seats, rear parking sensors, Beats by Dr. Dre audio system and automatic climate controls. With the 500 Sport you add a sport tuned suspension, sixteen-inch wheels, red brake calipers and a small rear spoiler. The Turbo gives you larger front brakes and an upgraded suspension over the base model. With the Abarth you get the 17-inch wheels, two-toned leather seats and white or red body stripes. With any one of these models you will be able to have a Fiat 500 that is more exciting and stylish than the base model for you to have a lot of fun driving.
As for the price of the 500 you will find the Pop starts out around $18,000 to make it an extremely affordable model. At the top end the price comes out around $32,800 for the 500e electric model that is being sold only in Oregon and California currently. While the 500e will come with a reduction in price with the federal tax incentives, this is a car that at any model can be a lot of fun to drive especially when you want to enjoy the ride in the city.
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