Fiat 500 Test Drive

Now some of us that are a little longer in the tooth or have a penchant for all things motorized and Italian might remember the original 1957 Fiat 500 as tiny, tinny micro-car that derived its name from the 500cc (rounded up from the actual 479cc displacement) 13hp powerplant. The 500 put most of Italy back on the road after WWII, but just. The original 500 was all about utility, economy and ease of construction. Not much consideration was given to passenger comfort, safety or speed. The modern 500 considers all of these factors and more. Thanks to the merger of Chrysler and Fiat the modern 500 lands in US showrooms after racking up over 500,000 sales in the past couple of years in Europe. It’s based on a proven platform, the Fiat Panda, and cashes in on the retro styling movement that has taken hold recently. In fact the same person that designed the new/retro Mini Cooper gave the 500 its styling cues that harken back to its original incarnation.

While the looks remind one of the original 500 a quick peek under the hood ends any resemblance. The 500 now sports a 1.4 liter inline 4 with Fiat’s “Multi Air” valve technology, an offshoot of Formula 1’s hydraulically actuated valves. What it does is allow for variable intake valve timing that results in approximately 10% better power output and mileage. While 101 hp doesn’t sound like many horses under the hood, when coupled to the slick 6 speed manual the 500 really moves once its off the line. Rowing through the gears to keep it on boil bring about an involuntary grin pulling away from every stop light. Once its up and running at speed the 500’s small size makes it handle like a go-kart with electric windows. The ride in our “Sport” model with its stiffer shocks, springs and steering was less than cushy on the highway, but felt right when the going got twisty and sporty. There is a softer, more expensive “Lounge” version available, but that would take some of the fun out of this pocket rocket.

While it is a small car, larger occupants fit nicely in the front. The rear seats are best suited for smaller passengers that have not yet reached their teen years, but do fold down to allow more storage space from the cargo area. The rest of the cabin is well laid out and attractive for a car in this price range. All of the modern features one would expect, Bose MP3 stereo, Air Conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity, seat position memories, power windows and locks, tire pressure monitoring, anti-lock disc brakes and even a Hill Start Assist are present as part of the base price of $17,500. Combine that with fuel mileage that approaches 40mpg and the 500 makes for an economical, “zippy” little package of fun.

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