As a tourist from Hong Kong, I rent a 500L in Calgary, Alberta Canada last month. I and my family spent 2 weeks with this awesome Fiat and found it amazing. Nothing that this creepy reviewer said I found. The handling was excellent when I was doing 150km in the mountain parkway in Bann/ Jasper. Just like the BMW 5 and 7 series I have at home. Braking was a bit tight in low speed but was essential particularly in highway speed. The design of the turning wheel was nothing but an Italian feel. I never felt the turbo jumped in under any speed. One thing I must stress. I am an audiophile and crazy about hifi sound quality. The stereo of this 500L was not up to my crazy standard but still it ranked among one of the best of my 30 years rental car listening. Only the Dynaudio equipped stereo in Volkswagen Passat can outperform it. The interior space was one of the great idea. All of my family are 1.8M tall. Not easy to fit in such a small car. None of them complain. The full moon roof was a must during out Jasper icefield Parkway touring. The best way to see unlimited mountain tips and icebergs on the run. My wife even showed interests to get a 500L if they supply in our home town.
FIAT did an (EXCELLENT JOB) with safety breaking. Anyone that has driven rally cars knows how breaking power is crucial when driving down winding roads and slopes.
This is actually a pretty good value. What big-hatchback / mini-CUV with a decent interior can you get for $22-23k these days? The Kia Soul is cheaper but smaller. The Scion xB, while more space-efficient than the 500L, feels and drives like the penalty box that it is.
ugh.. the countryman is supposed to be competitive to the 500x not 500L, the 500L is more... mmm. italian minivan, functional, small, sporty, stylish but peppy when needed. i love my 500L and ladies find it cute and its great for road trips. I like the A frames in the front and my friends who drive trucks love driving it because they can see far better. I (sadly) did a late lane change (poor directions from my navigator) that alarmed him because he's used to so poor visibility but it clicked for him that i have almost 360 degrees of visibility. i find that the ride height is nice to better your visibility. as for steering performance it seems to really hug the road, i had a deer jump out in front of me at about 90kph (me travelling not the deer.) I actually swerved aggressively under and around it, it cast a shadow from its head into the cars moon roof but at no point did i feel like i was in a situation where i was buggered. My family was behind me in a rental and completely thought I had hit it seeing how it happened so quick. all in all i think it's a great car, good on my wallet, no maintenance issues yet mind you I've only put 20,000km on it. Currently my only real beef is the on dash vents are visibly being reflected in the summer time on the interior of the windshield which can be distracting at times. The only thing i wished it had was awd but I'd rather have a front wheel drive in the winter vs rear.
Poor visibility? With all the windows? I don't think so! But the mirror combined with the bigger column does make a blind spot like when turning. But look thru the corner window.
I've quickly become a fan of AutoGuide...and every time I start a review I'm giddy when I hear Craig Coles voice. He's absolutely the best reviewer in the industry. I can't get enough of his reviews.
This dude is hilarious and entertaining to watch. By far the best AutoGuide reviewer. Now about the car, how in the hell can such a tiny engine get so bad fuel economy? I know it's not exactly super aerodynamic, and maybe a little heavy, but Mazda has engines of 2 liters or bigger that get better fuel economy. Plus, since it offers only five seats, what are the advantages of this thing over any C-segment car?
Buddy, this thing gets amazing MPG for the power it produces and the size/shape of car it is. If you don't believe me, just go look at how much LESS power and LESS MPG you get from a Kia Soul (another slightly boxy people carrier}.
AdrianC12345 So, it's the shape them? Because there are more powerful midsize sedans which get better fuel economy. So I'm guessing that because of the aerodynamically compromised shape it's a little less efficient?
AdrianC12345 I had this car for a month as a rental and I did 50 50 city highway and only averaged 25mpg, which is quite horrendous for being such a little car.
Protector of the Republic Yes, just the fact that they're tall and boxy little things. Mid-sized sedans with higher outputs are much lower and more wedge-like than these things. But, that's what you get for the extra loading space and seating positions.
The Thing is for me im pretty much a kid but i watch those because im planning my future cars i might want to have this ine is the best so far I love the design and what im hearing right now is good so it might be a car I plan for but the thing is in 2020 this car wont be popular anymore and there will probobly be better cars so im looking forward to having a better model of this car. -Overland
Needs Premium Fuel to get the advertised performance and MPG numbers. The SAT transmission will roll backwards on a incline just like a manual. Creeping (letting the engine idle pull you forward) is pretty much non-existent. The flip up 2nd row is just odd. You better have long arms to reach those AC controls. 27MPG is laughable for such a small car.
This guy is AWESOME! Great review on the car. When I test drove it during my car shopping, I did find the transmission to be an issue. Quirks aside, the interior is user friendly imo, and the cargo space is really what this car is about. They should get rid of the DDCT and replace it with the 9 speed auto at least. Another thing about the engine is why the hell are we not getting the more powerful versions available in Europe?! The Punto Abarth Supersport has a 185hp/200lb-ft torque version of this engine and I bet those extra ponies and torque would help this jellybean lug itself around better.
I wonder if the 500L will follow the 500 with poor reliability. At least the 500 is cute which MIGHT forgive it's poor reliability record, but the 500L is fugly and there are other cars that could do what it does and probably better not to mention remove the desire to drive it wearing a paper bag over your head
