First Gear- 14 Fiat 500

"Dingers Ghost, Champion Jockey" (dingersghost) 02/16/2015 at 20:05 • Filed to: First Gear, Fiat 500

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Wait. We have a Fiat? Why?

This is my first experience with a 500, and I realize that maybe the way I think about them could change. There's seriously a lot of room in the car for me, and I'm 6'. The seats are soooo comfy, although I haven't tried the rear. I liked the way the interior is laid out, easy to read gages, controls within reach, it just seems like a very-driver friendly car. I really thought the body colored piece across the dash was a nice throwback to the days of old. It had a quarter of a tank when I was in it, and it was already saying low fuel. Huh? Trunk? I can not fit. Engine? Well there's one there, it just might be hard to find at times. Surprisingly, as light as this thing is we have yet for it to be stuck in the snow.

Most of my First Gear reviews bash the cars in them. This is one of the few that doesn't. I honestly think I'd love to romp an Abarth down a twisty road.

First Gear is a new column, about a kid, a car lot full of new cars, and a habit of noticing random things. It's written from the view of a Ford dealer's lot attendent who for some reason thinks you care about the cars he spends very little time in. He also thinks you actually care about his random thoughts and will randomly post them to Oppositelock at his leisure. Just don't give him an excuse to break into full reviews. He can't handle that level of greatness.

dogisbadob > Dingers Ghost, Champion Jockey 02/16/2015 at 20:07

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canvas sunroofs are awesome, especially in red

Dingers Ghost, Champion Jockey > dogisbadob 02/16/2015 at 20:10

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I realize my picture doesn't match the car- the one in question was a cream colored hard top with black wheels. Kinda sharp looking honestly.

Ferrero1911 > Dingers Ghost, Champion Jockey 02/16/2015 at 20:14

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Easy to read gauges? Did it have the new digital speed read out? Because I find the dial within a dial speedo with numbers every 20mph completely unreadable in my car.

Dingers Ghost, Champion Jockey > Ferrero1911 02/16/2015 at 20:18

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It might have had digital? But it definitely had the gauge-within-a-gauge. It was big. I like big gauges

Ferrero1911 > Dingers Ghost, Champion Jockey 02/16/2015 at 20:22

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Then it was like mine. Digital in the center but with the speed dial in the outside ring. Try to figure out if you're going 70 or 75 and see if you still like it. I find it horribly dangerous - it's more distracting than texting and driving. Even if you don't have a the steering wheel positioned in the way.

Luckily there's a part of the center part where you can set what it does, so I set mine to give me the speed digitally. So many people complained about the dial design that they changed it with the more recent models.

Dingers Ghost, Champion Jockey > Ferrero1911 02/16/2015 at 20:31

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Ah I see. That would make sense. Honestly, yeah I'd probably prefer the digi readout anyhow. It would just take one glance to see exactly what speed you're doing.

Ferrero1911 > Dingers Ghost, Champion Jockey 02/16/2015 at 20:35

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The digital one is pretty cool. That's what I get for being an early adopter...I still love my Fiat though.

Makoyouidiot > Ferrero1911 02/16/2015 at 22:11

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Uhh, I dd a '12 500 Sport and I have never had trouble reading the gauges...

Ferrero1911 > Makoyouidiot 02/16/2015 at 22:16

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I hate hate hate the speedo on my car. Maybe some people like it, but I think it's a huge design fail. It should at least have the speed marked every 10mph if it's going to be round with equal sized hash marks all around. Seriously, I really really hate it. I have no problem reading the tach however, probably because the numbering makes sense and it's smaller so the steering wheel can never block it.

Makoyouidiot > Ferrero1911 02/16/2015 at 22:41

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Maybe I'm just really good with geometry, I dunno. It's never even occured to me that folks might have trouble reading it.

Ferrero1911 > Makoyouidiot 02/16/2015 at 22:50

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Does the sport have the speed marked every 10mph? I just don't find that having to find the spot 1/4 of the way between 60 and 80 when there are hashmarks every 2mph to be very user friendly (also the needle is about 3mph wide). Especially when the speed I'm supposed to be going is often blocked by the steering wheel. I just used the tiny digital read out instead, once I figured that out I stopped paying attention to the dial.

Makoyouidiot > Ferrero1911 02/16/2015 at 23:03

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Aha, mine is different.
Srry for pic quality, my phone camera sucks balls in the dark, and Nokia Lumias press random buttons of their own accord while you try to do stuff.

Ferrero1911 > Makoyouidiot 02/16/2015 at 23:06

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That is so much better! Just marking the miles every 10 makes it so much easier to find your speed. Why did they have to make the Abarth different!?

Makoyouidiot > Ferrero1911 02/16/2015 at 23:07

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Unknown. Although yours does go to 160, not that either car can go that fast fo realz.

fhrblig > Dingers Ghost, Champion Jockey 02/16/2015 at 23:43

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Make sure it doesn't have a sunroof. It takes a surprisingly big chunk of the headroom away.

Dingers Ghost, Champion Jockey > fhrblig 02/17/2015 at 17:39

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Wow, really? I wouldn't think it would do much difference, although I suppose the mechanism for the sunroof could take up some space

fhrblig > Dingers Ghost, Champion Jockey 02/17/2015 at 18:25

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It's weird. I've been in cars where it hasn't made a huge difference in headroom, but in the Fiat the headliner is a couple inches lower.