mmarshall

A Review of the 2015 Fiat 500L

http://www.fiatusa.com/en/500l/

IN A NUTSHELL: Space-efficient and with some interesting built-in features, but otherwise not terribly impressive.

CLOSEST AMERICAN-MARKET COMPETITORS: Mini Cooper 4-door hardtop, Chevrolet Spark

;


;


;


;


;


;


;


;










OVERVIEW:

Though never a widely popular brand in the U.S. due to vehicle reliability and other problems, Fiat is otherwise a huge automaker, and has long been recognized worldwide in the design of small inexpensive vehicles. As Ford's Model T made an inexpensive vehicle widely available to the American masses, the original Mini Cooper did for the British masses, the VW's air-cooled Beetle did for the German masses, and Citroen's 2CV and Renault's 4CV did for the French masses, so did the original Fiat 500 Topolino in Italy, which is Italian for "Mouse". Following the destruction from World War II and the resulting scarcity and steep price of gasoline, many Italians, for years, either walked, rode bicycles, rode Vespa/Motoguzzi or other small motor-scooters, or, if they were fortunate enough, buzzed around in a Fiat 500 with all of 13 HP. Not to mention, of course, the 500's reputation for poor reliability.....which meant, of course, that they often ended up walking or taking the bicycle anyway.

After several decades of a rocky existence here, Fiat was forced out of the U.S. in the 1980s, but continued to prosper in much of the rest of the world. Indeed, Fiat got to run a highly effective set of TV and magazine commercials showing racing-car magnate Enzo Ferrari's ownership and use of a small Fiat 128 as his own personal car. Two and a half decades later, in 2010/2011, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne decided that a return to the U.S. was feasible (or at least worth a try), and Fiat came back with a modern updated line of 2-door 500s at all-new or refurbished dealerships. I did a review of a new 500 a few years ago, and was quite impressed with the dealer-facilities and the way that had plenty of new 500s in stock in of almost every one of the car's then-14 colors and various body-styles....you could pretty much walk in right of the street and buy almost anything you wanted. Dealership network, as expected, was quite thin at first (the closest one to my house, at that time, was at Gaithersburg, MD, more than 30 miles away), but, since then, has expanded somewhat....and now, in many cases, also handles the Alfa Romeo 4C.

Due to the new 500's initial success here (though, according to Consumer Reports, still worse-than-average in reliability), and the growing demand for small efficient people-movers, Fiat decided to bring the larger, 5-door, wagon-like 500L to the U.S. to sell alongside the small 500. Since then, the 500X, which is a raised-suspension, all-wheel-drive version of the 500L and shares a basic platform with the small Jeep Renegade (Fiat owns Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep) has also been added, and an upcoming twin of the new 4th-generation Mazda Miata roadster (jointly co-developed with Fiat) is on the way as the Fiat 124 Spyder.

But back to the 500L.....the subject of this view. Pope Francis I, in his recent visit to the U.S. drew a lot of attention in the press to the car by choosing one to serve as his private transportation through Washington, D.C., where he presided at several different functions. Former Pontiffs often rode in special armored/reinforced limos to protect them from terrorists (many of us, me included, still remember the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II, in 1981, shortly after the attempt on President Ronald Reagan). Francis, in his characteristic humbleness (he tends to shun pomp, ceremony, and what he considers needless material things), and from the fact that he is a member of the Jesuit (Society of Jesus) Order, which take a vow of poverty, decided that he would give up the traditional Pope-limo for the small 500L...he also likes to get out and mingle in the crowds, shaking hands and signing autographs. Back at the Vatican, of course, a 500L could be easily serviced at any of the many local Fiat dealerships in Rome, and its small size, if necessary, makes it easy to transport around the world, on a cargo plane, wherever Francis goes. So, Fiat, thanks to His Holiness and the media, got some publicity for one of its products (we'll see if that actually affects sales any). But, even so, worldwide demand for that type of vehicle seems to be increasing.

As I write this (early October 2015), Fiat still does not have the 2016 specs for the 500L on its American website, but only minimal changes are expected for 2016. For 2015, the 500L comes in five trim lines....Pop, Easy, Trekking, Urbana, and Lounge. Base prices range between $19,345 for the Pop and $24,695 for the Lounge. A 1.4L MultiAir Turbo engine with 135 HP and 150 ft-lbs. of torque is the only engine offered. A 6-speed manual transmission is standard on all but the Lounge, which gets a 6-speed Aisin automatic standard. The automatic is optional on the Easy, Trekking, and Urbana models, while the Pop gets an optional 6-speed twin-clutch automanual (I'm not quite sure I understand that marketing set-up?). All 500L versions in the American market are, of course, FWD.....with AWD being reserved for the higher-stance 500X done on the same platform, essentially a small subcompact crossover SUV. One body style, of course, is offered....the 5-door lift-back. The built-in Expresso coffee-maker publicized on Euro-market models (as if cars don't have enough gadgets nowadays to keep us distracted) is not offered in the American-market.

The Vatican and Secret Service, perhaps for security reasons, did not release details about the specific 500L model or version the Pope rode in (of course, it probably had at least some modifications for a Head of State). For the static-review, as a good number of different 500L models were in stock at this particular Fiat shop, I looked at and sat in several different interior versions and colors, but did the actual test-drive on a dark gray Trekking model with black cloth interior and automatic transmission.


MODEL REVIEWED: 2015 Fiat 500L Trekking

BASE PRICE: $21,695


OPTIONS:

6-speed Automatic Sport-Shift Transmission: $1350

Trekking Collection 2: $2700


DESTINATION/FREIGHT: $980 (clearly too much, IMO, for a car this size)

LIST PRICE AS REVIEWED: $26,725*

* Price-incentives vary by region.



DRIVETRAIN: FWD, Transversely-mounted 1.4L Turbocharged in-line 4, 160 HP @ 5500 RPM, Torque 184 Ft-lbs. @ 2550-4000 RPM, 6-speed automatic Sport-Shift transmission.


EPA MILEAGE RATING: 25 City, 33 Highway


EXTERIOR COLOR: Grigio Scuro (Gray Metallic)

INTERIOR: Premium Low-back Black Cloth Seats





PLUSSES:

Superb Interior space efficiency.

Excellent outward visibility.

Extremely short turning radius.

Ingeniously simple-folding rear seats.

Good handling for a vehicle of this type.

Handy, cap-less fuel filler pipe.

Gas struts for hood.

Durable-feeling seat fabric.

Relatively simple stereo/dash controls.

Secondary wide-angle interior rear-view mirror.

Clear, legible gauges.

Decent cargo area in back.

Reasonable price on most versions.



MINUSES:

Noisy, unrefined four-cylinder engine.

Tight engine fit underhood.

Transmission manual-shift function opposite that of many other vehicles.

Paint-color choice not as wide as on smaller 500.

So-so paint job by today's standards.

Cheap-looking exterior trim on some versions.

Body-side moldings mounted too low for parking protection.

Brake pedal poorly located for large feet.

Standard Fix-a-Flat bottle instead of full or temporary spare tire.

Temporary spare tire (if equipped) located under rear bumper.

Flat, hard-padded seats lack support.

Cheap, unimpressive interior trim materials.

Mostly flimsy-feeling interior hardware.

Still relatively sparse dealer-network in the U.S. compared to most other brands
(but, of course, that is not the car's fault)



EXTERIOR:

The squarish exterior of the 5-door 500L (and 500X) is noticeably larger than that of the tiny-tot, 3-door 500 (which still isn't saying much as far as physical size is concerned). However, like the Kia Soul, the soon-to-be-discontinued discontinued Scion xB, and Jeep Renegade, the 500L and X use their small outside dimensions with excellent space efficiency.....that's what happens when stylists don't carried away, and form follows function instead of the other way around. On some versions of the 500L, a thin but continuous strip of fairly hard-plastic (it doesn't feel like vinyl or the usual cladding) encircles the entire lower rim of the vehicle, helping to protect it from road debris. Nice thick, wide body-side moldings run the length of the doors, but are mounted too low for parking-lot protection from dings (this is not the only vehicle to make that mistake, BTW...it is getting fairly common). The exterior sheet metal does not feel particularly thin compared to that on some other new vehicles today, but the doors still shut with a somewhat tiny sound/feel. I wasn't impressed with the look and feel of the exterior trim and hardware on some versions, which feels somewhat light and loosely-attached. Some versions have fairly nice looking chrome trim and door handles, while others use an (IMO) cheap-looking semi-gloss painted-silver-aluminum finish. The twin side-mirror housings did not have a very solid feel or snap/swivel/lock motion to them. The 500L, overall, lacks the nice, wide paint-color choice that the smaller 500 is known for. Choices are even more limited in the lower-line 500Ls, and the brighter and/or more interesting colors are reserved for the higher-line models. Since all of the different 500Ls come off the same assembly line in the same plant, I see little or no reason why all of the 500L's colors can't be offered across he board, on all of their different trim-levels. The quality of the paint job itself could also be improved a little...though not bad per se, I found it so-so by today's high standards. One thing I liked on the exterior was a fuel filler-pipe that has a self-sealing mechanism that does not require a traditional screw-off or pull-off cap, although the filler-door itself does not lock. Ford invented that capless filler-pipe system several years ago, and I haven't seen it on any other automakers until now. Perhaps the patent-rights to it have now expired, and other automakers can now copy it.



UNDERHOOD:

Raise the small, extremely lightweight hood (it is so small and lightweight that you can easily raise it up with your little finger), and two nice small gas struts hold it up despite the fact that most people probably wouldn't need them. Still, it's nice not to have to fumble with a manual prop-rod. I don't remember seeing an insulation pad under the hood...and this engine needs one (more on that later). The transversely-mounted 1.4L in-line four and its turbo components fit inside the rather small underhood space quite snugly, with very little room to reach components down the front side of the block, and virtually none at all down the sides. A large plastic engine cover blocks assess to virtually everything on top. Over on the right, and towards the back, the battery is partly covered up, and access to the terminals is not particularly convenient. All of the dipsticks, filler-caps, and fluid reservoirs are easy to reach....the coolant-reserve tank, to the right of the engine on top, especially so.



INTERIOR:

As aforementioned above, the 500L's space-efficent interior really benefits from the high roofline and boxy styling. Some NBA guys can sit under the roof without banging their heads. With the front seat adjusted to where I usually have it when I'm driving, there was also good legroom in the rear seat....if His Holiness was going to give up the legroom of a limo for something a lot smaller, I can see one reason why he chose this car. The black seat fabric felt durable. The air-vent mechanisms felt quite solid and worked easily. The basic control/button/**** layout, including those for the stereo, was generally simple and easy to use. The steering wheel was well-shaped and felt nice to hold. There are a couple of nice and unusual features inside. One is the smaller secondary pull-out wide-angle rear-view mirror, mounted in a flip-open, sunglass-type compartment in the ceiling, just above and behind the regular mirror....useful for keeping an eye on some blind spots or on Junior and his sister squabbling in the rear seat (though, due to the body/window design, outward visibility is excellent, and there are few blind spots as it is). Another is the thick, built-in hand brake-release, placed low and part of the fairing of the console, that is not only a nice feel in your hand, but out of the way as well. Another is the ingeniously easy to fold/tumble split 40/60 rear rear seats that not only flip forward but also tumble over at the light flip of one finger.....then unfold/un-tumble right back up again with a finger. In ease and simplicity, it ranks with the Mazda Miata's simple flip-convertible top.

But, the rest of the interior was clearly designed by bean-counters. The cloth seats were hard-padded, relatively flat-cushioned, and lacking comfort and support. Though the several interiors on the different trim-levels varied somewhat in dash-trim and seat/color-combos, most of the interior trim materials looked and felt cheap. Most of the interior hardware and switches also had a thin, cheap feel to them. The three big fan/climate ***** in the lower-center of the dash looked nice with bright-rings around them, but felt loose and awkward to operate. Some versions, like on the exterior, also used the aforementioned cheap-looking painted-silver/aluminum on interior trim and door handles. The headliner and sun-visors had a fabric covering on them, but the covering felt cheap and insubstantial. The stereo sound, while not the worst I've sampled recently, was ways from what one would call premium (though premium stereos are listed as options in packages). Both the primary and secondary gauges, though clear and legible, had cheap-looking housings done in textured-painted silver....though one nice feature, if desired, was that both digital and analog speedometer-readings could be programed/dialed-in.

So, all in all, a cavernous and space-efficient box-interior, with some nice built-in features, hurt by excessive cheapness in much of the tram and materials.



CARGO COMPARTMENT/TRUNK:

Lift the generally solid-feeling hatch lid, and one is greeted to a generally nice and roomy cargo compartment for a vehicle of this size....the high, rather conservative roof line, of course, helps. My particular vehicle had a nice black fabric-covered cargo-lid that swung up and down with the hatch-lid as it opened and closed, shielding the trunk's content from prying eyes. The floor-panel was covered by a very thin but fairly nice black carpet, but, unlike many vehicles, did not lift to reveal an under-floor compartment. A Fix-a-Flat bottle of compressed-air is standard, and (if equipped) the optional temporary spare tire is outside the vehicle, under the rear bumper, released by a lever inside on the trunk floor.



ON THE ROAD:

Start up the small turbo 1.4L four with a conventional ignition key and switch (a push-button is available on some versions/packages) and, by today's standards, the engine buzzes to life with a noticeable dose of NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness). We're not necessarily talking tractor-grade here in engine buzziness, but it clearly lacks the smooth refinement of, say, Honda and Toyota in-line fours (here's where that lack of an underhood insulation pad may also be contributing). I also wasn't terribly impressed with its general power level, though power is probably adequate for most normal driving if the vehicle is not heavily loaded. Some auto-reviewers have praised this engine's refinement and power. I disagree......and I have also sampled it in the Dodge Dart, where it is one of several available powerplants in that vehicle.

The 6-speed Aisin-designed automatic transmission generally shifted smoothly, but the manual Sport-Shift function on the shift lever (no paddles) bumps forward/back in a manner opposite to the +/- direction on most levers. On this car, you bump the lever forward to downshift, pull it back to upshift. (yes, I found out the hard way, but at a slow enough speed to not over-rev the engine and harm it). Some engine-computers, off course, will not let you over-rev the engine. I thought that only Mazdas and BMWs were like that (-/+ on the bump-shift instead of +/-)...but apparently newer Fiats are, too. The transmission, at times, felt like it was starting out in 2nd-gear from a full-stop rather than 1st (which can be a help on slick surfaces)...but I found if I had the lever firmly in the auto-D (drive) mode, it started out conventionally in first. One thing on the transmission (though it was actually on the dash) that I especially liked was a gear indicator that lit up and showed you what specific gear the transmission was in, even while shifting in the full-automatic mode (D1, D2, D3, etc...)....very few vehicles have that. That can save some surprised when you manually downshift out of auto-mode, wondering what gear you will end up in.

In typical Italian (and European) tradition, the 500L comes with a generally well-designed chassis/steering and good road manners.....particularly for this type of vehicle. Steering response was reasonably quick, and body lean was present but well-controlled, considering the high center of gravity. Ride comfort was OK but a little on the firm side for my tastes....turns out my specific car had the dealer-added nitrogen-inflation package for the tires, and the PSIs, according to my tire gauge, were a couple of pounds higher than factory-spec with regular air. Noise on the road was evident, though, not only in the buzzy engine but also in significant wind and road noise from lack of insulation, though all were tolerable. I still wouldn't want to ride coast-to-coast like that, though. The brakes were reasonably effective, though the pedal was poorly-placed in relation to the gas pedal for my big Mens-Size-15 shoe, which could rather easily get hung up on the underside of the pedal going from gas to brake. (And, in manual-transmission versions, that could also make heel-and-toe downshifts difficult).



THE VERDICT:

As a practicing Catholic in good standing (and involved in several different ministries), I should probably take the attitude that whatever is good enough for the Holy Father is good enough for me.......which, of course, I do with some things. But, despite the (admitted) posting of my own opinions, I am also an objective auto reviewer (or, at least, most of the time, I try and be fair and objective). And, to be honest, while this car does have a few nice features that I respect (which I've already covered), I don't think that I myself could live with it as a daily driver. Like with its corporate-brothers Jeep Renegade and 500X (which are built on a raised-version of the same basic platform/chassis, I've got some issues with this car. To me, it looks and feels like it was designed and built with (mostly) cheap materials, to a strict budget, though, of course, that's reflected in the reasonable price even for top-line versions. To those who are looking for merely base transpiration, a space-efficient interior, and aren't much concerned with refinement/quietness or potential reliability, yes, here's something worth seriously looking at. But the relatively noisy and gutless engine, ho-hum ride, and lack of sound insulation does not make this a very good cruiser for all-day runs on the Interstate. On a winding two-lane road, though, its reasonably agile chassis and steerage system keeps it from being a total dud.

But, overall, though, outside of space efficiency and a few handy features, I can't find a whole lot of objective reasons to recommend this vehicle or buy it. Other, similar vehicles offer what is IMO as good or better design and quality at the same price. Fiat Dealerships, though more widespread in the U.S. now than several years ago when the company first came back to American shores, are still somewhat on the sparse side in many states (fortunately, not in mine). And, though today's Fiats are undoubtedly more reliable than the F.I.A.T. (Fix-it-Again-Tony) repair-shop Queens of 30 years ago, Consumer Reports, at least with the amount of current owner-information available, rates most of them worse than average in reliability, and they also rank quite low on the J.D. Power reliability lists. The upcoming Fiat 124 Spyder roadster, which is mostly Mazda-designed except for a Fiat engine, could change the reliability picture some, but that remains to be seen....and is the subject for another review.

And, as always......Happy Car-Shopping.

MM

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

a car so ugly only the pope is not embarrassed to be in it.

mmarshall

I've seen worse on the ugly-scale (Juke, Aztek, Mitsubishi MiEV, etc...), but I agree.........it won't win any beauty contests.

Toys4RJill

Good review, I enjoyed it. In Canada there is the MB B-class that competes with this. We tried one out, its not a bad car and the interior is kinda cool.

As for the cap less fuel filler, Cadillac XTS, Jeep GC, Chrylser 300 and Charger have them I think.

mmarshall

Thanks. I'm fortunate enough to live in an high-sales area, were Fiat shops are in reasonable distance. But there are places where, like with Mitsubishi, they are very sparse.

Yes, except for the diminutive Smart-for-Two (a Mercedes design), M-B won't bring anything under a C-Class or CLA into the U.S..

Yes, in the auto industry, new ideas and technology are protected only a certain amount of time before competitors can start using them. Given the number of forgotten gas caps (or caps with broken tethers) that I see lying on or around gas pumps after their owners drive off, I think that the capless system was probably a good idea.

blacksc400

iTrader: (4)

Think the 500L was names the worst car of the year somewhere, the new 500X is another story, heard Fiat really improve a lot on the new model.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

yup, my GC has it - love it!

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

Hope not to start another Club Lexus Consumer Reports argument but CR gives the '15 Fiats a black dot for reliability.

mmarshall

I mentioned that in the review (a worse-than-average reliability rating from CR). Still, I'm sure one cannot compare today's 500 series to the Fix-it-Again-Tony models of decades ago, when the brand got its bad reputation.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

I missed your posting the CR input because I usually just do a quick read of your Pluses and Minuses on vehicles I would never buy.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

which means 3 of 50 CR reader / owners reported an issue vs. 3 of 10,000,000 camry owners.

Toys4RJill

Have I mentioned it, they are a bunch of Clowns at CR.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

Here we go.
No surprise you replied.....

Toys4RJill

What is so bad about 500l?

LexBob2

Yes you have. You're repeating yourself.

CR is not alone in their assessment of the Fiat.