Fiat 500 - pick of the range and long term views?

[Turn7]

Recentky had one as a rental in Jersey and actually liked it quite a lot, so now considering it as a daily.
Not sure what version we had, but Im guessing new as only 12k miles, also pretty sure it was a four pot.

So, for around 12k annual mileage over 5 ish years, are they a good bet? If not, alternatives ?

Would maybe consider a lease or possibly buy an older model......

[ZX10R NIN]

What's your budget?

[craigjm]

There is allegedly a new model coming next year. The current car was revised in late 2015 with the rear lights being the biggest give away. They are a fun car to drive although I prefer the 1.2 to the twin airs although you have to rev the nuts off it. Friend of mine bought one late 15 facelift and it’s just coming to the end of its lease 1.2 Lounge with digital speedo and sat nav options. Makes the car interior look and feel more modern IMO

[kieranblenk]

Avoid basic Pop spec and go for either for an S or a Lounge. Aim for the post 2015 facelift as it really brightened the cabin, but beware the 1.2 is very sluggish which you probably never noticed in Jersey due to the speed limit. The 1.2 is the most common and probably the best engine, but if you need something for regular motorway journeys try and hunt down a 1.3 diesel.

[Earthdweller]

We’ve just got rid of ours a 1.2 Lounge, purely because of a change of circumstances and the need for something bigger

Once you get over the fact that is slow .. it is actually a great little car .. yes it bounces and bobbles a bit and has a long arm short legs driving position .. but I really liked ours

In four years nothing went wrong or fell off

I’d recommend.. ours was pistachio green .. as a town car it’s great

[craigjm]

kieranblenk said:

if you need something for regular motorway journeys try and hunt down a 1.3 diesel

Buy a different car should be the answer here.

[HTP99]

The wife has had an 11 plate Twinair Lounge for the past 2 years now, it was a low miles 1 owner car.

It's been fantastic, she loves it, the only issues are a broken boot opening switch, this was broken when we bought it and I've never got round to fixing it, the boot can be opened by the remote so it isn't an issue and 2 days ago the drivers external door handle broke; the door still opens but where the handle is joined to the door where it pivots, it has broken and come away, she told me that the kids that she looks after, always run up to the door and constantly pull the handle until she unlocks the car, I think I can safely assume that this has weakened the handle and ultimately caused it to break.

My eldest has an 09 1.2, this has generally been fine apart from needing a drive shaft and lower arm; the ball joint on the lower arm broke (fairly common apparently), causing the hub to shift, thus pulling the driveshaft out.

[Turn7]

ZX10R NIN said:

What's your budget?

Not really set one tbh, I could happily lease a new/er version or buy an older version.

Just trying to get a feel for the thing. Altho I quite liked the look from day one, its not something that would normally be on my radar, but having now driven one, and also made plans to get back into a 7 next year,things have changed.

[Barga]

My daughter has had a Twinair since new for just over 6 years and has done 50k miles.
It is a fantastic engine and has only cost has been servicing, as has been previously said door handles are a week point and lower suspension arms have been changed but on the whole it has been first class and very economical to run with cheap insurance and zero cost road tax!

[sawman]

we have a 2017 500s with the 1.2 petrol. its a decent little car, cheap to run, comfortable and in S spec well appointed, with air con and cruise. as ours is the facelift version it has a 7 inch infotainment screen - which looks snazzy but isn't that great - only late 2017 and onwards has the carplay option, the software for which cant be retrofitted even though the hardware appears to be identical, Also the radio reception on ours is terrible.