Anyone who views a car rationally should stay away from a used Fiat 500. More emotional natures can take a look - but should know about the risks.
For almost 15 years now, the Fiat 500 has not only turned the heads of big city women. Even the annoying and notorious quality problems cannot permanently tarnish the Mediterranean charm of the little Italian. If you want to get a used copy, you should keep money for the workshop in hand.
Body and interior
The smallest Fiat wants to be beautiful rather than practical. Unlike the technically closely related but more spacious Fiat Panda, it is only available as a two-door model. But that doesn't matter, because the rear seats can only be expected of adults in an emergency anyway. Overall, the space available is quite limited to 3,55 meters in length, on the other hand parking is not a problem even in narrow city centers, although the turning circle of the small car is surprisingly large and the clarity of the body leaves a lot to be desired. In addition to the closed version offered as a “coupé”, the 500 is also available as a convertible. Although this name is a little exaggerated, the 500C offers an enlarged fabric roll-up roof. Roof pillars and pillars remain in place even when the vehicle is open. Nevertheless, the convertible is more fun and also goes particularly well with the lifestyle character of the small Fiat.
Engine and chassis
The retro Fiat is a car for the boulevards. Long tours or even fast journeys are not the territory of the small car. Most engines are correspondingly narrow-chested: those who do not leave the city at all are well served by the 51 kW / 69 PS 1,2-liter basic petrol engine. Since it is a four-cylinder, the noise level in the convertible is also acceptable. If you have higher performance requirements, you will find it in the 1,4-liter petrol engine with 74 kW / 100 PS. Since 2010, a 0,9-liter two-cylinder turbo with an innovative electrohydraulic valve train has been in the range, which is available with 63 kW / 85 PS and 77 kW / 105 PS as well as a natural gas engine. However, the mini motors lack elasticity and smoothness, while the potential savings at the pump are small. There are also the performance-enhanced Abarth variants with up to 140 kW / 190 PS for the rapid start of the traffic light, but they are more cute collector's items than real sports cars. In addition, there are 1,3-liter diesels with up to 70 kW / 95 PS, which are hardly financially viable in view of the rather low mileage. More interesting for bargain hunters is the electric Fiat 500e, which was never officially offered in Germany, but is very popular among e-car fans as an imported used car.
Equipment and safety
The Fiat 500 was always positioned as a chic lifestyle car, never as an economy model for low demands. The customers accepted this and often also ordered a lot of special equipment. Most used vehicles are accordingly well stocked. In addition to the radio and window lifters, there are always seven airbags on board in German models - rather unusual in this class. However, the ESP anti-skid protection is not available in all versions. In the EuroNCAP crash test in 2007, however, it still achieved a full five stars, making the Fiat the first small car with this rating. In addition to the different equipment versions, there has also been a confusing flood of special models over the years, which usually come with special paintwork or trim. The delivery program also includes extras that are more familiar from large classes, such as a glass roof or xenon light.
Quality
Good looks don't always suggest inner beauty. The Fiat 500 is a prime example of this, as a look at the TÜV statistics shows, which has numerous problems even for younger models. The chassis is too weak for city use, the brakes and exhaust system suffer from short-haul traffic and the engine loses too much oil. After six to seven years, every fifth car fails the test, and two years later it is every fourth. After all, the steering is relatively problem-free. And, contrary to common prejudices, there is hardly any rust on load-bearing parts; for this, however, the muffler and door edges are bogging far ahead of their time. Overall, the Italian suffers greatly from the stressful short-haul operation in the city. Against this background, the first choice for buyers are garage cars, which were more likely to be used for leisure activities at the weekend - a combination that is not all that rare for convertibles.
Conclusion
The Fiat 500 is a car to love. And one for lovers, because in order to overlook the numerous weaknesses and mistakes, you actually need rose-colored glasses. In addition to the at least 3.000 euros for a used copy, interested parties should have a lush repair budget.
