Fiat 500 Creditplus Car Review

The Creditplus car review, where we take a look at one of the most popular cars we’ve been financing here at Creditplus. We bring you our review, what our customers have to say about the car, and some of the best deals we currently have available. This week, we look at the Fiat 500.

“Life’s too short to wear a boring car.”
– Quote from Fiat 500 website.

Overview

The Fiat 500 is one of the most distinctive looking cars ever built, up there with the Mini and the VW Beetle. Its relaunch in 2007 brought a new modern polish to the classic design, instantly becoming one of the most attractively quirky cars on the market. The ideal urban hatchback, its compact size makes it perfect for driving around town before nipping into a tight parking space.

Styling

Based on the classic Fiat 500 shape, the 2007 revamp took the look into the 21st century. Bold and bright, the new 500 streamlines the distinctive shape of its classic heritage, whilst the headlights are bigger and bolder than before. New Fiat 500s are available in a huge number of different colours and are not afraid to be bold and bright on the road.

“I absolutely love this car! I can finally say I love driving. If I could, I would park it in the house so it wouldn’t get cold. The baby blue is my favourite colour of the fiats, so I was so ecstatic to find one. The interior is cream and baby blue and it just suits me. Even my boyfriend said it is a lovely little car and if it wasn’t that girly he would have one.”
-User Review, Creditplus Car Review

Also available in a 500C convertible model, the 500 styling continues to the interior which has been designed to be as bold as the outside. Often painted to match the exterior of the car, large rounded dials are fun to look at and easy to use. The steering wheel is just the right size so that its not too big, but enough to make you feel like you have a responsive handle of the car.

“Looks lovely, and every time I give somebody new a lift they comment on the interior, which is black with an ivory dash panel. Paintwork has lasted well on the exterior and the interior still looks brand new 3 years later.”
-User Review, Creditplus Car Review

How does it drive?

The Fiat 500 is a sprightly little car that is nimble and agile, exactly what you want from an urban hatchback. Turning feels responsive and easy. If you are mainly driving around town then this is ideal, especially with the “City Mode” feature. The drive is also very smooth, an absolute joy to handle.

“Really smooth, steering is fantastic and city mode really helps in tight spaces. Its comfortable to sit in and just generally a really enjoyable drive.”
-User Review, Creditplus Car Review

Comfort

Despite its apparent small size, you can easily fit four adults inside the spacious interior. If you have kids then it is even better, with space to avoid any claustrophobia. One downside is that the steering wheel is not adjustable, so you may struggle to get comfortable at first. Cloth trim seats are nice and comfy, plenty of space for shopping bags or a suitcase or two in the boot, but not much more than that. Outside noise is not too intrusive when driving, making for a pleasant environment inside.

“It’s the most wonderful car I have ever driven, as I already said I love to drive now. In the past my boyfriend drove every where but now I do. I think it’s starting to annoy him but I can live with that as long as he doesn’t start driving my car!”
-User Review, Creditplus Car Review

Economy

The Fiat 500 is available with engine sizes from 0.9 litres to 1.3, each size with various add ons depending on what features you are looking for. The 0.9 litre models all have a miles per gallon of 67.3 or better, with the larger engine sizes not going lower than 58.9 MPG. Start&Stop technology helps improve fuel efficiency. Around town it is especially fuel efficient. When it comes to car tax, it won’t cost you more than £30 for a full 12 months, with the smallest engine size 0.9 litre not costing any car tax at all.

“Compared to my old car, the fuel lasts twice as long and it feels like its got more power even though it’s a smaller engine.”
-User Review, Creditplus Car Review

“Proving to be very economical with the added benefits of zero tax and congestion charge.”
-User Review, Creditplus Car Review

Safety Features

The Euro NCAP gave the Fiat 500 a five star rating for adult safety, the highest possible. Each Fiat 500 comes with 7 airbags, providing a wide span of protection in the event of a collision. For child protection the Fiat 500 did not score so high, with just a three star safety rating, so you may want to bear this in mind if you have a young family.

Other safety features include ABS to help control the car when braking sharply, whilst hydraulic brake assistance gives your brakes more power. The ESP and hill holder technology helps with hill starts and the ASR prevents wheel spin on low-grip surfaces.

Fiat 500 – Great deals on car finance

It’s easy to see why the Fiat 500 is so popular with our customers. Not only is it a beautiful quirky little car, it is also available at some great rates. With new Fiat 500s available from £175 per month, or a vast range of nearly new and used available from £4,500, there are a large number of finance options available.

Apply for car finance with Creditplus and we will provide you with an online decision on your credit circumstances. We will then compare rates from 50+ finance providers to get you the best deal. We can provide you with the finance you need for the car you want, so apply today and start on the road to your new Fiat 500.

Other cars similar to the Fiat 500:

Ford Fiesta – The UK’s most popular car, what it lacks in style it makes up for in quality.

Vauxhall Corsa – The next most popular hatchback in the UK, an ideal car for city driving.

Citroen DS3 – A fantastic hatchback with a distinctive style not too dissimilar to the 500.

All images from Fiat.