Used Fiat 500 2008-present review

Since it arrived in 2008, the reborn Fiat 500 has been a huge hit. Its cute design, Italian style and compelling affordability have resonated with both new and used car buyers.

Over its long life, the standard 500 has been tweaked and updated many times, and numerous variants of it introduced. The present car in standard form is now known as the 500 Hybrid. There's a soft-top cabriolet version for fresh-air fiends, known as the 500 Cabrio, and an all-electric version too, the 500 Electric.

Is it a dated mess, then? Well, not entirely. Its retro looks (which hark back to the original 500 of the late 1950s and 1960s) give it a certain timelessness, plus the aforementioned tweaks have been somewhat significant. There was also a noticeable facelift (in 2016) that brought with it a sharper nose and a new infotainment system, among other changes.

Engines: In 2020, the standard range was reduced to one variant, the aforementioned mild hybrid model called the Fiat 500 Hybrid. It uses a 69bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine, aided by a tiny electric motor and battery. You can’t plug it in, and it can’t travel on electric power alone. It's nippy and economical enough around town but is lacklustre when it comes to motorway driving.

For most of its life, 1.2-litre and 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engines were available, as well as a 0.9-litre two-cylinder Twinair that's officially very frugal – less so in reality. Alternatively, for the economy-conscious, there was a 1.3-litre diesel, but that's a bit noisy and unrefined in urban driving. A tweak in 2011 and the 2016 facelift dispensed with both the 1.4 petrol and 1.3 diesel. The sporty Abarth versions all come with the same 1.4-litre T-Jet engine, but each produces a different output, from 135bhp to 187bhp.

Trims and equipment: In essence, there are three trim levels to choose from: Pop, Popstar and Lounge. In later models, Sport replaced Popstar. The entry-level Pop models come with LED daytime running lights, a height-adjustable steering wheel and Fiat's Uconnect infotainment system with USB connectivity, while upgrading to Pop Star gets you air conditioning and split-folding rear seatbacks (otherwise it's a single bench). The range-topping Lounge models come with luxuries such as a fixed glass roof, rear parking sensors, foglights, a DAB radio and Bluetooth.

Later, all-electric and Hybrid models gained a huge variety of special trims, including Action, Connect, Dolce Vita, Dolce Vita Plus, Hey Google, Icon, La Prima, Launch, Passion and Red.

The Abarth models are a slightly different breed and, as you might expect, come with all the sporting pretensions expected from a hot hatch.

Ride and handling: The Twinair engine is a bit of a mixed bag, providing character but needing to be revved and therefore becoming rather thirsty and noisy. The 1.2 is our favourite mix of punch and economy, while the diesel unit feels a little heavy in the pert 500.

Urban streets are where the 500 excels, thanks to its compact size and reasonably nimble handling. On faster roads, its limitations become more apparent, because of its unsettled ride. Improvements were made with the chassis revisions of 2010, giving it a similar set-up to the Ford Ka, which used the same underpinnings. The 500's refinement also suffers when the speed builds, with wind and road noise becoming increasingly intrusive.

Interior and practicality: The retro interior is almost as good to look at as the exterior, with plenty of neat design touches. Material quality won't challenge that of a Mini Hatch, but it's far from the worst in this regard, and there are enough chrome finishes to lift the overall ambience.

The modern 500 is larger than the original, but it's still very compact by today's standards. There's good passenger space in the front, but the back is cramped for adults.

The boot isn't great, either; it's nowhere near as capacious as the Volkswagen Up's. That car is also more practical in other ways, too, because it's also produced in five-door form.

If you'd like to buy a used Fiat 500, or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our Used Cars For Sale pages.

Prices for the 500 start at around £1500 for the highest mileage and slightly ratty examples from 2008 and 2009. If you can spend around £2500 to £3000, you'll have your pick of 1.2 cars that have done an average or even below-average mileage for the year.

The 1.4-litre engine was only on sale until 2011, when it was replaced by the turbocharged 0.9-litre Twinair. It's therefore quite rare on the used market and prices vary, so expect to have to pay between £2500 and £5000 for a 1.4 that hasn't driven to the Moon and back.

Diesels are also scarce, but an example that has been looked after will set you back around £2500. You’ll have to spend a bit more for a 500 with the Twinair engine, with around £3000 being a good place to start.

Later examples from 2015-2016 will set you back between £4000 and £6000, while a good 2017 car will be £6500 or more and 2019-2020 cars start at £8000. Spend upwards of £10,000 on the later post-2020 Hybrids, and around £10,000 to £15,000 on 2022 and 2023 cars. Spend upwards of £15,000 on nearly new 2024 cars.

The pocket rocket of the range is the Abarth 500 (replaced by the 595 and 695 from 2012), which features a highly tuned version of the 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine. You’ll need at least £5000 to secure an example.

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MPG

Diesel models are rated for 67.3mpg (72.4mpg with automatic stop/start) as recorded under the older NEDC tests. The 1.2 has an official average of 55.4mpg (58.9mpg with stop/start), or 51.4mpg under the WLTP tests, and the 1.4-litre 46.3mpg (48.7mpg with stop/start), while the Abarths manage 43.4mpg, all under the NEDC.

The 0.9-litre Twinair is the economy star, promising 70.6mpg or 67.3mpg, depending on power output, although this drops to 52.3mpg under the later, more realistic WLTP test. Meanwhile, the later 1.0 Hybrid version has an official WLTP figure of 53.3mpg.

CO2 emissions

The 1.2-litre petrol emits just 119g/km (99g/km with stop/start) of CO2, while the 1.4 emits just 140g/km (135g/km with stop/start) and the diesel 110g/km (104g/km with stop/start).

Road tax (VED)

Tax for the pre-April 2017 500s shouldn't prove expensive, because the tax system was based on CO2 output, and for most models, that was quite low. Those cars registered after the tax changes of April 2017 came into force will pay VED at the flat annual rate. This is currently £190 per year.

Servicing and insurance

Insurance shouldn't be expensive, with all 500s (bar the Abarths) being in very low insurance groups. Servicing costs are in line with other models in the Fiat range and rival city cars.

Reliability

According to real-world owner reviews in our annual What Car? Reliability Survey, the Fiat 500 enjoys somewhat mixed reliability. Some owners praise its dependability, while others report recurring issues with electrics, air conditioning, and gearbox faults, leading to expensive repairs. Feedback on dealership service is similarly varied, with some reporting slow responses and high repair costs, while others were happy with quick fixes and good service for minor issues.

Learn more about the used Fiat 500 reliability on our dedicated page.

Specification

There have been a huge number of special editions released over the years to entice buyers, but we'll stick with the standard range. Presuming you're looking at buying one of the older cars, Pop is sparsely equipped, so we'd suggest finding a Lounge model for the additional goodies this version provides.

Engine

While the 1.2-litre engine is quite slow compared with the other units in the range, it offers excellent fuel economy and is cheap to tax. Owners of 0.9-litre Twinair cars have found it difficult to get anywhere near the claimed fuel economy figures and end up using a similar amount of fuel to the 1.2 anyway.

The 1.3-litre diesel is great for those who regularly drive on the motorway, but its refinement deficit over the 1.2-litre petrol makes it hard to justify.

Our favourite Fiat 500: 1.2 Lounge

The Ford Ka uses the same underpinnings as the 500, but most won't consider it to be as desirable or stylish. This will be reflected in the price, however.

The Volkswagen Up and its siblings, the Seat Mii and Skoda Citigo, provide the best blend of practicality and style for the money, aided by the fact that you can get them with five doors. They don’t offer as many engines as the 500, though, which might put you off, unless you're prepared to spend more for newer versions of the Up.

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If you'd like to buy a used Fiat 500, or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our Used Cars For Sale pages.