• Affordable running costs
• Low CO2 = cheap road tax
• Mixed reliability reports

What are the running costs?

Fiat says the 500’s 1.0-litre mild-hybrid petrol engine only emits between 106 and 118g/km of CO2. It also claims the unit can return over 60mpg on the WLTP combined cycle, which is impressive. In the real world, however, the kind of fuel economy you get will depend on you drive the car.

While dawdling around town, we’ve seen figures as high as 80mpg on the trip computer. But during a spirted thrash down a country lane, you’ll easy get it down to the 30s.

View detailed mpg and CO2 figures on our Fiat 500 specs pages

Servicing and warranty

Fiat recommends you service the 500 every year or 9,000 miles, whichever comes first. To make this easier, the firm offers a service plan called Easy Care. It’s priced at £349 and covers the cost of parts, lubricants and labour required for scheduled servicing.

As standard, the 500 comes with a three-year vehicle warranty, a three-year paint warranty and an eight-year anti-perforation warranty. However, you can pay an additional fee to extend that warranty on the car’s main electric and mechanical components for another three years. Rivals can do better – the Kia Picanto has a seven-year warranty as standard, while the Aygo X features Toyota’s industry-leading 10-year warranty.

Reliability

• Hit-and-miss reliability record
• Some recall problems in the past
• Common mechanical components

Fiat doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to reliability – and the 500 has been a bit of a mixed bag. The comments in our owner’s section paint a mixed picture of utter dependability and poor reliability, with several mentioning major gearbox failures costing thousands of pounds.

The 500 has had plenty of recalls throughout its life, many of which are shared with the mechanically similar Fiat Panda. Over the past 15 years, there have been problems with the 500’s driveshafts, brakes, power steering system, instrument cluster, wiring harness, seats, seat belts and fuel system.

Fiat hasn’t yet managed to massage out all the kinks, either. In late 2022, there were two more recalls issued relating to incorrect torque specs for fasteners on the steering system and positive battery terminal. So, if you’re buying a nearly new car, make sure these faults have been rectified.

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And remember – if you’re buying used, always press the seller for a complete service history to accompany your purchase, including proof of any warranty and recall repairs.

Thankfully, because the Fiat 500 is quite an old car, it’s relatively easy to work on. If you own a used one, there are opportunities for you to save money by tackling some of the simpler maintenance jobs yourself. If you’re competent with a socket set, you could service it at home. Or, if you want an easier job to cut your teeth on, check out our guide on how to change a Fiat 500’s wiper blades.