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Fiat500 (2008-)

Available new
City
Petrol/Diesel/Mild hybrid

£16,104Typical price

Test score

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Looking to the past in the same way that BMW does with the Mini, Fiat has produced a modern reimagination of the brand’s dinky 1960s city car, the 500. And it's proved very popular indeed. But with a raft of talented competition, does the Fiat 500 – launched back in 2008 and given a facelift in 2015 – have more than just nostalgia to offer? Read our full road test review to find out.

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cons

What's included?

What is it?
What’s it great at?
What’s it like to drive?
How reliable is the Fiat 500 (2008-present)?
How comfortable and spacious is it?
How economical is it to run?
How safe is it?
Is there anything I should look out for?
Should I buy it?

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KEY TEST RESULTS
Comfort and practicality
Model reliability 0-4 years
Brand reliability 0-4 years

Jan 2023Last checked by Which?
Apr 2016First reviewed by Which?
Jan 2008Released

The overall Which? test score is made up of the following star ratings, all determined by our rigorous lab tests.

How we test cars

19 Oct 2023

Ease of driving

Overall
Visibility
Smoothness of power delivery
Driving stability
Cabin layout

How we test ease of driving

To find out how easy a car is to drive, we assess cars across a number of areas from visibility and handling to the layout of the cabin and how smoothly the engine delivers its power.

Performance

Overall
In-gear acceleration
Brakes

How we test performance

We test braking distances and whether the effectivess of the brakes fade with repeat use. Performanc is based on in-gear acceleration.

Comfort and practicality

Overall
Entry and exit
Seat comfort
Ride quality
Quietness
Seat space
Boot space (small and sports cars)

How we test comfort and practicality

Comfort and practicality includes how easy it is, or not, to get in and out of the car and the maximum height of occupants. We also measure road, wind and engine noise and assess how well the car deals with bumps from large potholes to jittery surfaces like cobble stones.

Euro NCAP

How we test euro ncap

Any car that receives a rating of three stars or less from Euro NCAP is made a Don't Buy. If a car has been available for more than four years and has not been tested by Euro NCAP, it cannot be a Best Buy.

Which? safety

Model reliability 0-4 years

How we test model reliability 0-4 years

How reliable this car is, based on the real life feedback of current owners as collected in our annual Which? car survey. We divide all reliability feedback into three age groups: cars aged up to four years, five to nine years, and 10 to 15 years.

Model reliability 5-9 years

How we test model reliability 5-9 years

Car reliability 10-15 years

How we test car reliability 10-15 years

Brand reliability 0-4 years

Overall
Petrol reliability

How we test brand reliability 0-4 years

Our reliability ratings are based on the feedback from tens of thousands of UK motorists, as collected in our annual Which? car survey. We divide all reliability feedback into three age groups: cars aged up to four years, five to nine years, and 10 to 15 years.

Brand reliability 5-9 years

Overall
Diesel reliability

Brand reliability 10-15 years

Overall
Petrol reliability

General
Class	City
Luxury	No
Convertible	No
Availability	Available new
New price	£16,104 - £17,538
Fuel type	Petrol/Diesel/Mild hybrid
Tested fuel efficiency	41.6 to 64.2mpg
Length	3,546 to 3,571mm
Width (excluding wing mirrors)	1,627mm
Width (including wing mirrors)	1,863 to 1,880mm
Height	1,488mm
Driver max height
Second row passenger max height
Boot space with seats up
Boot space with seats down
Number of seats	4
Folding rear seats	Yes
Isofix attachments	Yes
Turning circle	10.25 m
On sale date	01 January 2008
Lowest pence per mile cost	£11.93

Latest tested engine
Engine name	1.0 mild hybrid GSE Launch edition
Fuel type	Mild-Petrol-Hybrid
Capacity and power	1-litre (70hp)
Transmission	6-speed manual
Driven wheels	Front-wheel-drive (FWD)
Fuel tank capacity	35 litres
Tested fuel economy: City / Out of town / Motorway (mpg)
Tested fuel economy: Combined (mpg)
Cost per mile	12.28p per mile
Cost of filling tank	£50
Monthly fuel cost
Annual fuel cost
NOx level	Extremely Low (trace)
CO level	Low
CO2 at tailpipe/tank-to-wheel (TTW) (g/km)	126
Well-to-wheel (WTW) CO2 (g/km)	148
Official fuel economy: WLTP	53.3
Official Euro emission level	Euro 6d
Engine test date	01 June 2020
Test programme	2017

Engine two
Engine name	0.9 8V Twinair Turbo s/s S
Fuel	Petrol
Capacity and power	0.9-litre (105hp)
Transmission	6-speed manual
Driven wheels	Front-wheel-drive (FWD)
Fuel tank capacity	35 litres
Tested fuel economy: City / Out of town / Motorway
Tested fuel economy: combined mpg
Cost per mile	14.61p per mile
Cost of filling tank	£50
Monthly fuel cost
Annual fuel cost
NOx level	Very low
CO level	Extremely High
CO2 at tailpipe/tank-to-wheel (TTW) (g/km)	141
Well-to-wheel (WTW) CO2 (g/km)	168
Official fuel economy: NEDC	67.3
Official Euro emission level	Euro 6b
Braked tow load (KG)	800kg
Unbraked tow load (KG)	400kg
Engine test date	20 February 2018
Car test programme	2017

Engine three
Engine name	0.9 8V Twinair Turbo s/s Lounge
Fuel type	Petrol
Capacity and power	0.9-litre (105hp)
Transmission	6-speed manual
Driven wheels	Front-wheel-drive (FWD)
Fuel tank capacity	35 litres
Tested fuel economy: City / Out of town / Motorway
Tested fuel economy: combined mpg
Cost per mile	12.74p per mile
Cost of filling tank	£50
Monthly fuel cost
Annual fuel cost
NOx level	Very low
CO level	Medium
CO2 at tailpipe/tank-to-wheel (TTW) (g/km)	127
Well-to-wheel (WTW) CO2 (g/km)	152
Official Euro emission level	Euro 6b
Braked tow load (KG)	800kg
Unbraked tow load (KG)	400kg
Engine test date	21 April 2016
Car test programme	2012-2016

Engine four
Fuel type	Petrol
Capacity and power	0.9-litre (86hp)
Transmission	5-speed manual
Driven wheels	Front-wheel-drive (FWD)
Fuel tank capacity	35 litres
Tested fuel economy: combined mpg
Cost per mile	12.06p per mile
Monthly fuel cost
Annual fuel cost
Well-to-wheel (WTW) CO2 (g/km)	112
Braked tow load (KG)	800kg
Unbraked tow load (KG)	400kg
Engine test date	27 February 2012
Car test programme	2001-2012

Engine five
Engine name	0.9 TwinAir Start&Stop Lounge
Fuel type	Petrol
Capacity and power	0.9-litre (86hp)
Transmission	5-speed manual
Driven wheels	Front-wheel-drive (FWD)
Fuel tank capacity	35 litres
Tested fuel economy: combined mpg
Cost per mile	11.93p per mile
Cost of filling tank	£70
Monthly fuel cost
Annual fuel cost
Well-to-wheel (WTW) CO2 (g/km)	127
Braked tow load (KG)	800kg
Unbraked tow load (KG)	400kg
Engine test date	10 January 2011
Car test programme	2001-2012

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Fiat500 (2008-)

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