Edmunds Inside Line has just posted a full Road Test on the 2012 Fiat 500 Sport. Below are the highlights of the test:
Vehicle Tested:
2012 Fiat 500 Sport
Base Price:
$18,000
Price as Tested:
$19,000
Engine:
1.4-liter inline four-cylinder
Gearbox:
Five-speed manual
Power:
101 hp @ 6,500 rpm; 98 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm
0-60 mph:
10.8 seconds
Fuel Mileage:
30 city/38 highway/33 combined mpg (EPA rated); 30.3 mpg (observed)
What Works (pros):
Unique Italian styling, class-leading handling, excellent fuel economy.
What Needs Work (cons):
Wimpy acceleration, limited rear three-quarter vision, minimal headroom with sunroof.
Bottom Line:
It's small, it's cute and it's slow. But it handles like an Italian machine should, and it's an interesting alternative in the burgeoning North American small-car market.
Check out the full Road Test here.
9 comments:
The base price for the sport model is $17,500 not $18,000 as stated in the review by Edmonds. I don't know what it is with the people in the USA, but I sure wish that they would at least get their facts correct before they start making negative comments about things. So far it seems like Fiat is not being given a fair shake by the US media and that is a real shame.
10.8 Sec's? Uh, not so fast Edmonds, someone else got 9.7 or so sec's with the same car, same setup and it was obvious you didn't know how to do it right.
The thing about small motors is you have to rev the piss out of them to get any fun out of them and this car is FUN!
Sorry Chris, onto the next review... :-)
I agree ciddyguy, the car is meant to be revved. When I read someone talking about acceleration, blah, blah, blah, they are not driving the car with the correct technique. It's like driving a sport bike and shifting halfway through the rev range, you're just not doing it right.
The car is off by a second, they do a rolling start, so that may have something to do with it, who knows.
You can get this car to move, just ask the Fiat engineer who followed me onto the highway. I lifted when I hit 90 and blew by everyone.
Hi George,
They added the destination into the price ($495), so I assume that's why the price is more.
You have got to be prepared for the negetive... the mafia, Sopranos and fat Italian chef stuff. It's a tradition here. So far the majority of opinions seem honest and straight forward, other than some folks not revving the engine like they should.
Am I missing something, or should gas mileage be better. 33mpg combined is kinda of low for such a small car.
Mike
Mike,
I am suspect of this review as a whole and the real world mileage seems to be a bit higher, the EPA is quite conservative in their estimates and people, without hypermiling are getting low 30's city, around 40 to low 40's on average highway which makes the combined cycle around 35, and that's as good or better than many of its competitors such as the Fiesta (lower), Mazda 2 (lower) by a gallon or so to begin with, according to the EPA.
So it's looking like it's getting more than the EPA is estimating, providing you don't get too carried away with the throttle and the mileage WILL drop. Some one over on the forum raced the little car and the mileage dropped to 16.5mpg, which was STILL better than his previous car that did around 9mpg.
The only non-hybrid gasoline car with better than 33 mpg combined fuel economy is the 70 hp Smart Fortwo.
WDR, slippery slope there on reporting pricing by Fiat.
Edmunds guy got it right...they should be reporting it's an $18K car because all other manufacturers post MSRP including freight cost. Mini does on their Website, so Fiat needs to as well. That could turn some people off? Fiat Please note, change that. Every Monroney window sticker shipped with a car has freight included.
That's the first thing I noticed when pricing the cars on the 500 Website.?..."OK, now wait a minute, the Pop is not really $15,5 it's $16K??
I'm a fan, either way, my dealer has like 50 of them on the lot now, two cuetomers just traded in their Mini's for new 500s.
All the articles/reports I read on the new Fiat by US reviewers give it high praise? Don't read all the negative web Blogger posts, those folks wouldn't buy the car anyway.
Edmunds got it right, $18K for the sport. Check Mini's website, they include freight, most do.
If Fiat is going to compare themsleves with Mini, it should be Apples to Apples. Most of the reviews I have read by US have been positives, now, the folks posting on the Blogger sites, not so much, but they wouldn't buy the 500 anyway, so....
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