My wife just got one about a month ago. And I have to say its a pretty cool little car. Great interior space.. my daughter loves it and we are expecting another and still plenty of room with a booster seat and car seat..
I saw Fiat 500 L parked yesterday beside my older Fiat...and I just cant stop watching to it. Excellence in design, colors are so nice. With diesel engine is a must have for me.
I'm calling my dads a Spicy Meatball from now on. The review is right on the mark. Odd looks, phenomenal power plant and transmission, and practicality out the wazoo. So much so that my dad bought one and loves it. It's a trekking, so its a tad more aggressive looking.
I like the exterior design. It's an adventurous design like the Fiat Multipla's but this one is much more tasteful and better looking in my opinion. Also the interior looks really nice and built with what looks like high quality materials. I think it also has that really good Uconnect system from Chrysler. Great review!
It is actually a car which appearance improves when you see it for real, on the street instead in videos/pictures. It is a really clever and useful car, Nathan focused more in the driving, which I understand, but in my opinion, it is in a city where it gains points, it is the natural environment of this car, more than the big open spaces of the beautiful Colorado.
There's a small 500L mod community out there. I've got a manual transmission and 221 HP, and she kicks a stock Abarth's butt. Any other car with an automatic transmission is toast. Eat. My. Dust.
My Focus SEL has the select shift dual clutch transmission and I love it. I read of so many complaints over the transmission I thought it could be junk till I test drove the car and Loved how the focus drove so much I bought it. I am glad the focus comes with a DCT and not a CVT because it makes my daily driver a little fun without having to be stuck with a manual everyday. I love a manual trans but some days just don't want to have to shift.
Very honest and amusing review. Personally, I love the car. However, the Trekking has a more rugged and less "plainer" look. All in all, FIAT did come up with a great car for the USA.
Nathan, found this channel a couple of months ago, and having seen Roman's review of this car at the press event, and now yours, you note some of the things I noted in the DCCT variant of the Easy I drove a few weeks back, and yes, that tip in with the throttle is a bit slow from a dead stop. Get something like a Go pedal to tighten the throttle response a bit, and it'd be much better I think. Wished they'd kept the sport mode from the smaller 500 for that purpose. Oh well.
I just bought one two weeks ago, and I had to return it back because of problems with the reverse shift. The dealer promise me a new one but I'm still waiting. I thinking on cancel the deal.
sounds good from the inside when that little Italian starts screaming....Nathan, always, always, enjoy your reviews, sorry Roman, your reviews are good too, I just find Nathan entertaining and knowledgeable :-)
Nice engine note, almost like the Abarth. Nathan, is the driver's seat height/position the same as the smaller Fiat 500 or do you sit a littler higher in the 500L?
Is that engine the same as the 1.4l General Motors builds. They have that engine in the chevy trax and cruze and its an awesome engine. I read online that GM supplies those engines to them but i dont know.
I had a Suzuki Aerio AWD and when I bought it I named it "Suzy the mini-minivan" ... I loved it a lot (except for the MPG) ... I found it funny that you called this horrible lookin' thing a mini-minivan 'cause it look a lil' bit less ugly than my ex-Suzy ! But soooo useful ... So lucky you're seeing the Manilow "show" ... You're going to love the lasers and when the mechanical dragon comes tru the wall of fire ... WOWWWWW ! :o)
I like your overall summation and yes, the looks are a bit odd in places, but I happen to like it, and I love the smaller 500 too. The manual at least in the 500 is way more fun, even with 101HP on tap. I fond the DCCT in the L a little slow for my taste when I go to shift manually. I have an '03 Mazda P5 with the conventional 4spd sport shift auto with lock up torque converter, and it's much more direct in its response to my input, 4spd not withstanding, and thus the mileage suffers.
Thought I would buy a Jetta Sportwagen, since I need the storage but still need to keep the vehicle fairly small to fit into some tight spaces here in Chicago. Considered the Mini Countryman, but that car is somewhat too expensive for me for what it provides. This car might really work for me--enough storage yet small enough, unlike the Sportwagen, to fit into tight spaces.
The Panda is a good bit smaller than the 500L. Most noticeably it is a lot narrower than the 500L. Having said that, GM is managing to sell a decent number of Sparks and that makes you wonder if Fiat isn't missing out by not offering the Panda. How could anyone not like the Panda - the Italian version of the swiss army knife of cars.
I saw a trekking loaded with a bunch of extras today I my local Mazda dealer with 10,000 mileage for $16,000. might be worth taking a look over the mazda3 I went look.
This is not a 0-60mph car..! it's a family car with a lot of comfort and space. In Italy is first in the segment for sales...!! Fiat release another 2 versions of 500L, 500L Trekking and 500L Living.
They took so much abuse from Consumer Reports and others over the dual clutch in the Dart being "harsh" that I am sure they went way overboard softening up the shifts in the 500L. Unfortunately the average US consumer just doesn't grasp the fun of a dual clutch. Some companies have even dropped plans for them here, opting instead for the snooze inducing CVTs.
just got one, traded in my Camaro SS ls3 cause gas prices and having to do lots of driving used.. Spun the wheels in 1st gear.. If you know how to race, this car is a sneak creep.. Not sure what issues you were having.. I was at 60 in 3rd gear... The Trekking must be different. But The Mini Mean Green has made a Fiat fan out of me..
The displacement may be similar but GM uses it in their cruze and it has less power than this. I honestly think this one was developed by Fiat and thrown into the dart.
I would rather buy a Fiat Panda which is basically the same car except it looks better in my opinion but unfortunately it is not available in north america.
A little pricy... You could get a VW Jetta Wagon TDI for that kind of money. Not with sunroof and Nav, but personally I'd be willing to dash out the extra 2 grand that I'd need for sunroof and Nav if I really wanted it. Oh...and it would be a little quicker and I'd get better gas mileage.
I get that you like the interior but maybe not the exterior. Reminds me of the AMC Pacer, huge inside-ugly as sin outside. The Fiat is too little car for too much money. Too much ugly for any amount of money.
Please go back to italy!!! :) I just really don't understand how anybody can like the design?? Like people are saying you can buy a for fusion or pretty much anything in the mid-size car segment for $25K, and those are the size cars Americans like and will look at this even if they like it and be like, I CAN BUY A MID-SIZE CAR FOR THIS PRICE??? I really do not think Fiat will make in the United States.
Bought it. Love it.
Reminds me a little like the old Mazda MPV, in a good way. My brother just bought one and is impressed on how it handles on the highway.
My wife just got one about a month ago. And I have to say its a pretty cool little car. Great interior space.. my daughter loves it and we are expecting another and still plenty of room with a booster seat and car seat..
I saw Fiat 500 L parked yesterday beside my older Fiat...and I just cant stop watching to it. Excellence in design, colors are so nice. With diesel engine is a must have for me.
Nathan is correct. It is a dual clutch transmission. A regular automatic (with torque converter) will not be available until 2014
Im glad Nathan is back!!!
bought the mocha latte color yesterday! love it! what a good birthday present for myself!
The looks are what make it unique!
I'm calling my dads a Spicy Meatball from now on.
The review is right on the mark. Odd looks, phenomenal power plant and transmission, and practicality out the wazoo. So much so that my dad bought one and loves it. It's a trekking, so its a tad more aggressive looking.
I like the exterior design. It's an adventurous design like the Fiat Multipla's but this one is much more tasteful and better looking in my opinion. Also the interior looks really nice and built with what looks like high quality materials. I think it also has that really good Uconnect system from Chrysler. Great review!
I love the way you do those review... awesome Italian background music too in the beginning !
It is our daily driver (bought in July 2013) and we absolutely love it! We also get questions and stares everywhere we go!
Hi , you still have 500L? I just bought last week and will drive daily.... you have bad experiance?
My brother you have an awesome sense of humor. I definitely respect your opinions. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
so happy ur back
It is actually a car which appearance improves when you see it for real, on the street instead in videos/pictures. It is a really clever and useful car, Nathan focused more in the driving, which I understand, but in my opinion, it is in a city where it gains points, it is the natural environment of this car, more than the big open spaces of the beautiful Colorado.
Own this for already 3000 miles! - Fun to drive and specially if you live in the city like San Francisco Manual shift are awesome with Uphill Mode:-)
bigusiak did you notice a significant lag getting off the line? My 1st and 2nd gear just are SLOW AF. 3 picks up good
Very Good Review.. Love Bloopers At The End !!!
There's a small 500L mod community out there. I've got a manual transmission and 221 HP, and she kicks a stock Abarth's butt. Any other car with an automatic transmission is toast.
Eat. My. Dust.
Lord Helmet I struggle in first and second on the manual trans getting it off the line. What am I doing wrong with revs? Gears 3-6 the thing pops.
My Focus SEL has the select shift dual clutch transmission and I love it. I read of so many complaints over the transmission I thought it could be junk till I test drove the car and Loved how the focus drove so much I bought it. I am glad the focus comes with a DCT and not a CVT because it makes my daily driver a little fun without having to be stuck with a manual everyday. I love a manual trans but some days just don't want to have to shift.
Nathan, are you thinking of trying an 18 Urbana Trekking version? Bigger wheels and tires. Worth a second look.
I just got the 500L easy, I wanted the trekking but all they had was manual and my wife doesn't like driving manual. But this car is awesome.
i had a lot of fun with this review really nice
The 500L has a much more substantial ride than the Soul and the Note, and has more interior room. It's priced accordingly.
I like Nathan's reviews their great.
Very honest and amusing review. Personally, I love the car. However, the Trekking has a more rugged and less "plainer" look. All in all, FIAT did come up with a great car for the USA.
Didn't mention the fold and tumble rear seats. Awesome feature.
Nathan, found this channel a couple of months ago, and having seen Roman's review of this car at the press event, and now yours, you note some of the things I noted in the DCCT variant of the Easy I drove a few weeks back, and yes, that tip in with the throttle is a bit slow from a dead stop. Get something like a Go pedal to tighten the throttle response a bit, and it'd be much better I think. Wished they'd kept the sport mode from the smaller 500 for that purpose. Oh well.
I just bought one two weeks ago, and I had to return it back because of problems with the reverse shift. The dealer promise me a new one but I'm still waiting. I thinking on cancel the deal.
sounds good from the inside when that little Italian starts screaming....Nathan, always, always, enjoy your reviews, sorry Roman, your reviews are good too, I just find Nathan entertaining and knowledgeable :-)
Saw the vid and wanted a Countryman s! Good video
Nice review:) thanks! I'm getting one next week 🤘😎
Nate, great review as always. However, I'll stickum
Nice engine note, almost like the Abarth.
Nathan, is the driver's seat height/position the same as the smaller Fiat 500 or do you sit a littler higher in the 500L?
Love the car! Good review.
I own one of these, and they are perfect, I have a white one lounge , get one they are brill :):) great review by the way xxx
Is this a good car to buy for a first time buyer
I don't think anyone was claiming it was a "0-60mph car." It's just data for people to do with as they please, he did cover other aspects of the car.
Thanks for the clarification.
Try the Trekking sir, I have one and i Love it! Bigger 17" wheels, driving and fog lights!
Where was this review done? Nice roads.
The 500L seems like one of those cars where if you owned it you would really grow to like it, but it would be really hard to take that plunge.
It looks like it has a hump on the floor in the back seat (strange for front-wheel drive.) How is the back seat for 3 adults?
i missed seeing nathan!
Love the review, but it has six speed automatic transmission, not a dual clutch one.
I'm a big fan of you guys.
Best regards from Brazil ;-)
Is that engine the same as the 1.4l General Motors builds. They have that engine in the chevy trax and cruze and its an awesome engine. I read online that GM supplies those engines to them but i dont know.
I had a Suzuki Aerio AWD and when I bought it I named it "Suzy the mini-minivan" ... I loved it a lot (except for the MPG) ... I found it funny that you called this horrible lookin' thing a mini-minivan 'cause it look a lil' bit less ugly than my ex-Suzy ! But soooo useful ...
So lucky you're seeing the Manilow "show" ... You're going to love the lasers and when the mechanical dragon comes tru the wall of fire ... WOWWWWW ! :o)
I like your overall summation and yes, the looks are a bit odd in places, but I happen to like it, and I love the smaller 500 too. The manual at least in the 500 is way more fun, even with 101HP on tap. I fond the DCCT in the L a little slow for my taste when I go to shift manually. I have an '03 Mazda P5 with the conventional 4spd sport shift auto with lock up torque converter, and it's much more direct in its response to my input, 4spd not withstanding, and thus the mileage suffers.
Looks like it would make a good Uber car
Thought I would buy a Jetta Sportwagen, since I need the storage but still need to keep the vehicle fairly small to fit into some tight spaces here in Chicago. Considered the Mini Countryman, but that car is somewhat too expensive for me for what it provides. This car might really work for me--enough storage yet small enough, unlike the Sportwagen, to fit into tight spaces.
The Panda is a good bit smaller than the 500L. Most noticeably it is a lot narrower than the 500L. Having said that, GM is managing to sell a decent number of Sparks and that makes you wonder if Fiat isn't missing out by not offering the Panda. How could anyone not like the Panda - the Italian version of the swiss army knife of cars.
I think it looks pretty good...
Cool video!
But I don't like camera moves. It shows to much Nathan, when I want to see a car.
Luigi it is!
Nathan>Roman
I saw a trekking loaded with a bunch of extras today I my local Mazda dealer with 10,000 mileage for $16,000. might be worth taking a look over the mazda3 I went look.
You are welcome
This is not a 0-60mph car..! it's a family car with a lot of comfort and space. In Italy is first in the segment for sales...!! Fiat release another 2 versions of 500L, 500L Trekking and 500L Living.
Lol love the shirt nathan
They took so much abuse from Consumer Reports and others over the dual clutch in the Dart being "harsh" that I am sure they went way overboard softening up the shifts in the 500L. Unfortunately the average US consumer just doesn't grasp the fun of a dual clutch. Some companies have even dropped plans for them here, opting instead for the snooze inducing CVTs.
Make an AWD option and I would consider it!
just got one, traded in my Camaro SS ls3 cause gas prices and having to do lots of driving used.. Spun the wheels in 1st gear.. If you know how to race, this car is a sneak creep.. Not sure what issues you were having.. I was at 60 in 3rd gear... The Trekking must be different. But The Mini Mean Green has made a Fiat fan out of me..
If by 1.6l turbo, you mean 1.4l turbo, yes it does indeed have a 1.6l turbo...
Yep. I noticed that too. I guess Fiat calibrated the transmission more towards comfort and trying to mimic a conventional auto
The displacement may be similar but GM uses it in their cruze and it has less power than this. I honestly think this one was developed by Fiat and thrown into the dart.
I'd love this if it were AWD like some of the Pandas.
Fix It Again Tony....
+luigieme ...Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, but close enough.
The smaller wheels is an Italian style, bigger tires would look odd on the car
nice car~
I think that car looks really nice, except in that color. If you were to have tested the higher trims the rims and wheel get bigger and nicer.
It's probably that... it sucks though =/
I love Fiats.. they're very reliable here in Brazil.
the roof is the same thing that MINI has had for a long time. and I know Range Rover has it too
I would rather buy a Fiat Panda which is basically the same car except it looks better in my opinion but unfortunately it is not available in north america.
does the exhaust sound like a truck? or is it just me
I wonder if he is driving in high altitude....
why always you say you at a mile above sea level..ya at 556ft..5ft less then an eighth of a mile
nice car but needs bigger tires
I'll stick with the Coopers.
This is an awesome review lol. But for $25k i rather get a camry... and i dont even like camry.
no fiat panda is different
Yeah make a AWD and ill consider it.
No, I think the word, "turtle" is very fitting :P
automatics = fail, autos + turbo = epic fail -- imho.
A little pricy... You could get a VW Jetta Wagon TDI for that kind of money. Not with sunroof and Nav, but personally I'd be willing to dash out the extra 2 grand that I'd need for sunroof and Nav if I really wanted it. Oh...and it would be a little quicker and I'd get better gas mileage.
Or the 500XL ;)
can you say anemic
Really? The gears took a year to change.... not normal in a dual clutch transmission.
Ok then, my bad.
Sorry =)
Abarth is pronounced A bart? H is is silent?...I've always heard it called A barth, hear the h.
For the same price you get a Honda Civic...
For $25K I can get Ford Fusion!
Love the car, not the cornball host. Trying so hard to be funny takes away from the video. "Luigi" We get it. Har-dee-har-har...
The manuel is way faster
It is a FIAt but this one is made in Serbia xD why u abuse da italianz!
thats why I bought last week, cause is proudly made in my beautiful country Serbia
its not a 500, its a fiat panda
If we all ignore it, will it just go away? like all the other crap that used to be sold here.
I get that you like the interior but maybe not the exterior. Reminds me of the AMC Pacer, huge inside-ugly as sin outside. The Fiat is too little car for too much money. Too much ugly for any amount of money.
It's so ugly, they totally ruined it.
I am sorry this car just looks like shit. The 500 is ok but the L is just plain crap.
Please go back to italy!!! :) I just really don't understand how anybody can like the design?? Like people are saying you can buy a for fusion or pretty much anything in the mid-size car segment for $25K, and those are the size cars Americans like and will look at this even if they like it and be like, I CAN BUY A MID-SIZE CAR FOR THIS PRICE??? I really do not think Fiat will make in the United States.
it's hard to look at........I'll take the creamed food please
horrible looking car
so are ALL Suvs