Fiat 500 Hatchback (08 on) - Review

Review by Simon Harris on
Last Updated: 21 February 2011
Since 2004 Fiat has been doing what it does best - producing small cars whose appeal is in their character and value. Following the success of the Panda and Grande Punto, the 500 is another small car. However, this one unashamedly appeals to the emotions and is a modern interpretation of a classic small Fiat from the past. The 500 echoes the design of the rear-engined original, although is built to modern standards, and is very safe. Easy to drive and available with a host of customisation options, the little Fiat is a stylish small car with plenty of characterful.
4 out of 5

Other Fiat reviews

4 out of 5

Running costs

With part-exchange values expected to range from £4500-£5500 after three years, depending on the model, the 500 depreciates extremely slowly for a small car. Equipment levels are good, so there's no need to spend much cash on options, although there is a long list of accessories for customers to personalise their cars and spend any spare cash. Both the 1.2-litre petrol engine and the 1.3-litre diesel are economical to run and offer low annual road tax. Insurance should also be low.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£877 - £1,395 *

Diesel

£890 - £957 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

Two years/18,000 miles.

Warranty

Three years/60,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£0.00 - £135.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

4 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
    92
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
    149
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

The 500 delivers an excellent environmental performance overall with two engines producing carbon dioxide at less than 120g/km. The 1.4-litre model is a little higher at 149g/km but isn't bad for a 100bhp car.

Find the exact engine and CO2