Fiat 500

The Fiat 500 is the long-awaited and well-received revival of an Italian icon. What it lacks in terms of interior packaging it more than makes up with sheer style and driver involvement. What we’re all waiting for is the hot little Abarth version, due later this year.

The Fiat 500 is powered by a 101 horsepower 1.4 liter engine. Acceleration is zippy, thanks in large part to the 500's 2400 lb. curb weight (around 400 lbs. lighter than a MINI Cooper). The stick-shift is good fun, despite the fact that it highlights the engine's lack of muscle at low RPMs. The automatic does a better job of distributing the power, though it does a lot of shifting, up and down, to keep pace on the highway. Fuel economy estimates are 30 MPG city/38 MPG highway for the manual, but just 27/34 for the automatic, surprising, as nowadays many small cars get better fuel economy with an automatic transmission. That said, it averaged 32.1 in an automatic 500 in a mix of city and freeway driving.


The most surprising thing is that the Fiat 500 doesn't drive like a small car. It feels big, solid and secure, tracking straight down the highway and cruising happily at 75 MPH.

It's more of a lifestyle vehicle than a driver's car. But that's a personal preference, and the 500 has almost everything else going for it: Small size, low price, cheap running costs, and more character than a parking lot full of Toyotas. If the quality proves to be halfway decent

The Specification:
Turbocharged Abarth is the new bad-boy version of the Fiat 500
Price range: $22,700 - $26,380
Powertrain: 1.4 liter turbocharged inline-4/160 hp, 5-speed manual, front-wheel-drive
EPA fuel economy estimates: 28 MPG city/34 MPG highway
Best rivals: MINI Cooper S, Honda Civic Si, Volkswagen GTI