Review: Fiat 500
Posted by Anura Samara, 3 November 2014
A quick review of the Fiat 500 we hired for our weekend trip to Basel.
We hired the Fiat 500 for our short weekend trip to Basel. As with other cars we’ve hired, this was my first opportunity to drive a Fiat.
Driving
I think this is a car best suited to driving in the city. It’s small size makes it perfect for manouevering and park in tight spots, including underground car parks. Visibility is great to the front and sides which makes it great when watching out for pedestrians, although visibility to the rear felt like it was affected by the shortened body which brings the rear pillars much closer to you.
Of course, for long distance driving these advantages become disadvantage. To start off with, the small engine (1.2l) is seriously underpowered for cruising – any incline meant you had to start thinking about gears. But the lack of cruise control was a major disadvantage and made in a pretty tiring journey.
Interior and Controls
The good thing about the small size is that everything is close at hand. Having the gear shift mounted in the centre of the dash, rather than by your side, is surprisingly effective and gearchanges are light and smooth.
The lack of a transmission tunnel gives the cabin a more open feel.
Again, the downside of the small size is the limited storrage space – not much more room than for a small suitcase in the rear, and few storage options inside the cabin for drink bottles etc.
Comfort
Despite the small size, this car has the more upright design where you sit fairly tall. I find it’s pretty relaxing for longer journeys, as it’s more support for your body.
But unfortunately the negatives mean I will try to avoid hiring another Fiat 500 for anything except the shortest journeys.
Categories: Reviews
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