Anyone cross shop the Fiat 500?

There is a pretty huge fuel economy difference between the two if you drive in the city a lot.

We rented a Fiat for a couple of weeks and it was kinda cool but the cargo room was dismal and I hated how the window switches were in the middle of the dash and required two hands to roll down both windows. They were not one touch buttons either but I don't know if the c offers that like the GenIII does.

 

If you like technology then the c is a much better choice. To me, the Fiat felt like an old car but new if that make sense. The dash readout and stereo just seemed antiquated and insufficient after owning Prii for so long.

 

Correctamundo.

 

the only thing I cross shopped the c with was the honda insight and when i found out the c did much better MPG i got the c instead.

 

A better comparison for the Fiat would be the Scion IQ. As one mentioned above the Honda Insight lines up better with the C. I test drove the Honda - did not like it at all. The switch from EV to ICE was far less seamless with the Honda. Almost to the point of not considering any hybrid. Glad I tried the Toyotas.

 

We have one of each in our house. The Fiat is a lot peppier and you definitely get noticed around town. It is fun to drive and surprising roomy and comfy on the inside. That being said....if you ever have more than two people in the car, the fiat is not fun. Also, there is not a lot of room for purchases we take the Prius c for grocery shopping trips. It is also very weird that you can't lock the fiat without the key fob. I really think it is personal preference....I am in love with the C and he is in love with the 500

 

I rented 500 Sport for couple days.
I didn't like it at all. It is peppier then PC ( but you can say same thing about any other car on a road).
It is stylish, but in a cheap way. So F500 style was a trade off simplicity and functionality.
I didn't like how F500 handles as well.

Over time PC delivers more then you would expect and Fiat 500 delivers styling which you appreciate when you check it on a dealer's lot , but most likely will hate it in a day or two.
Look at f500 speedometer/combo control. You can find right away what's radio station on , but couldn't clearly see your speed.

PC is simple, boring but yet very practical ,reliable and saved me $900+ on gas ( compare to 30MPG ) within 6 month and 12.5K miles. And I like my PC a lot.
But that's just me. I know a lot of people who will hate PC for it's under powered ride and/or cheap interior, .... or small size.

 

Your answer should lie in which company you believe is more reliable in the long run!

 

No, but I'd be buying the Prius liftback, not the c.

That said, besides the considerably lower FE of the 500, it is way smaller on the inside. See the specs tab of Compare Side-by-Side.

I will agree that the styling of the 500 is better and many would consider it to be a cute car.

 

I drove the 500 Sport when it came out a while ago and kinda liked it. It was slightly fun but the engine, handling, and those awful seats were a buzzkill, not to mention I can't stand how tall the car is. Fast forward a few weeks ago, I finally got my hands on both the 500T and the Abarth. The Abarth is seriously FUN, handles well, and rides great too. The 500T uses a de-tuned Abarth engine with the interior and suspension from the 500 Sport, and IMO it's a letdown. It doesn't sound as good, is slower, gets the same FE as the Abarth, handles worse and rides worse.

If you want a 500, get an Abarth and run away laughing with a huge grin on your face. The others are forgettable, IMO. If I could've actually got an Abarth when I bought my Prius C, I may have one in my garage instead. The 19 MPG difference is significant however, and the couple grand more sticker price may have a real impact. The Prius C is certainly the more pragmatic and financial choice, but the Abarth is the carefree fun choice.

 

Although I'm not a fan of JDPA and don't find their IQS study that indicative of long term reliability, Fiat was 2nd to last at J.D. Power Initial Quality Study highlights infotainment woes, puts Lexus on top .

 

FWIW, I saw a 500 Abarth convertible prototype camouflaged in-town not too long ago. It's logical they'd come out with one.

 

anybody else test drive the Scion IQ? I *loved* that car... it handled great and was a surprisingly agile performer even on the highway... if it had better mileage I probably would have talked my partner into letting me get it

But the lack of real back seats and the astonishing lack of any storage for even loose change or an iPod was a bit too spartan... and the dash felt super cheap... even "cheaper" feeling than the PC if you can imagine

But aside from the IQ, I love the C and love seeing an average of over 50MPG when I drive to work most of all!