Fiat 500. What to look for ?

[anonymous-user]

So my pensioner father , after his Nissan note getting written of (by a Lothian buses double decker taking the front off ! )has decided he would possibly like a fiat 500.

What are the pros and cons of these ? I know nothing about them ( haven’t even been in one).

He is a very low mileage driver , mostly popping to the local Marks & Spencer , short drives etc. What model would best ? Twin air ? seems good for free tax and good mpg ? I see some of them tend to have paint chips or rust at the base of the front wings / sills from I assume gravel etc ?

His budget is about £3000 ish.

Thanks in advance.

[A500leroy]

ok you need the 1.2 for that mileage, only two things to check. Rear spring cups have a tendency to rust. Easily solved with a wire brush and some underseal every year and exterior door handles snap on the hing, theres a kit and instructions online how to replace for about £9, other than that make sure the water pump cambelt and tensioner have been changed every 4 years. If your dads not bothered about 'toys' go for base spec pop model.

Also check the panda out too ( all the above applys)

[InitialDave]

I agree, 1.2 8v engine is likely best, it's a simple, dependable lump that's been around for decades, cheap to service etc too.

My opinion is the Panda is the better option, it's more practical a layout as it doesn't pander to the retro styling thing that I feel makes the back end of the 500 artificially short on space, and you can get a 4x4 one, which may be of benefit up there?

[robsco]

At your price point you need to look at the following - clutch hydraulic pipes known to crack, strut top bearings, handbrake cables have a tendency to stretch, input shaft bearings (audible in first and second), door handles are weak and known to break, timing belt kit to change every 5 years. The 1.2 is a stronger and better engine, the Twin Air is coarse and not particularly economical for what it is.

[OllieJolly]

I agree with the 1.2 suggestion.
No need for TwinAir with that mileage, the 1.2 is perfectly capable for that usage (and more).

Rear axle, otherwise just make sure it's in good condition and has been well looked after, there are plenty of decent examples out there.

[stevemcs]

Exhaust - rear box rots, front flexi splits
Rear Shock absorbers fail
Front lower arms (pain as you need to move the front bumper out of the way to get the bolts out)
They eat DRL bulbs too

As above, try a Panda or I10

[ZX10R NIN]

Everything everyone else is listed but as you can see they're a robust car I'd say look for a 1.2 Lounge preferably with the Pano Roof or the very rare Sunroof.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007171...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008152...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202009254...

[ZX10R NIN]

Other options:

Citroen DS3 DStyle

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011126...

DStyle Plus

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011206...

Vauxhall Adam

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010084...

Renault Twingo

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007231...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010145...

Alfa Mito

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011186...

Toyota IQ

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/201912105...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010114...

[MrGTI6]

Has anyone mentioned door handles yet?

[ZX10R NIN]

Yep lol

[Rozzers]

Sumps go porous too if left to rot.

Treating/ painting that and the rear axle end spring cups covers a lot off.

[anonymous-user]

Iwantafusca said:

So my pensioner father ,

The ride is quite crashy and bouncy. If he has back trouble bear that in mind.

Otherwise they are pretty good for city cars.

[anonymous-user]

Ok that’s fantastic advice.

When you see what common problems cars can have its a bit off putting buying anything! As mentioned there is loads of them about so just find the best condition one.

Good point re comfort as my dad hasn’t driven or been in one either !

He likes the shape and style of the 500 so isn’t looking at anything else , except possibly a Yaris.

[stevemcs]

Normally i dislike anything VAG, however the UP, Citygo or Mii also make an excellent small car, just avoid autos in both Fiat and VAG.

[ninepoint2]

In addition to what's been already mentioned, gearboxes are not the best, had to have ours fixed at a very low mileage, kept jumping out of 3rd, not that expensive, electrics in rear tailgate are prone to breaking and driving position is the worst in any car I have ever driven..

[OllieJolly]

stevemcs said:

Normally i dislike anything VAG, however the UP, Citygo or Mii also make an excellent small car, just avoid autos in both Fiat and VAG.

Anecdotal I know, but we've had a 54 plate Punto 1.2 8v Dualogic in the family for at least 10 years, it only does 3-4k miles a year and doesn't get serviced anywhere near as often as it should, but the engine, gearbox, and clutch have been almost faultless all that time.
The only time the gearbox has ever played up is when the battery was getting tired.

I wouldn't say I particularly recommend one, but the horror stories aren't always true.

[anonymous-user]

stevemcs said:

Normally i dislike anything VAG, however the UP, Citygo or Mii also make an excellent small car, just avoid autos in both Fiat and VAG.

After having a polo 6n for 17 fault free years i was disappointed in my 3 yr old move up! that i had purchased as a replacement. Ended up with a electrical fault that meant it would randomly not start , or go into a limp mode of sorts. Build quality and general feel were worse also.

[gman88667733]

I wouldn't worry too much about the rear axle, new ones can be had for £100 or so now, and it is very easy to change, so isn't a terminal issue. Obviously avoiding that would be nice, but not the end of the world!

[anonymous-user]

So that’s is for all the advice on a fiat 500 for my father.


He bought a Honda Jazz lol !

I couldn’t seem to find a good condition fiat that didn’t have issues/rust on sills , or was white ( didn’t want that colour) , so had broadened the search to include a Jazz or Yaris.

Car is a wee bit older than wanted 2007 , but it’s one owner 52k on the clock , fsh etc etc.

Haven’t saw it in the flesh but my dad says it looks like new lol.

Thanks for the advice all , even though we went for something else.

[stevemcs]

You won’t go wrong with a jazz, not as desirable as the 500 but much more robust. Rear disc rust but they are cheap enough to replace.