Fiat 500C

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2017 Fiat 500c Abarth: fun but flawed subcompact

Six years after Fiat returned to the United States, the Italian carmaker continues to struggle in the subcompact market. It’s a tough go with competition that includes perennial favorites like the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Beetle. For 2017, Fiat has streamlined its efforts. Novelty trims have been ditched; the entry-level Pop, upscale Lounge and performance-oriented Abarth remain. The 500c variants include a coupe, sliding roof cabriolet and fully electric, 500e. Key Takeaways Test car: the Fiat 500c Abarth cabriolet, with a four-cylinder engine and 160 horsepower. $21,490 MSRP and $25,510 as tested. 0-60 mph in 7.5 seconds. 24 mpg city, 32 highway and 27 combined. Safety: seven airbags; lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring and pre-collision detection are not offered. Engine: The

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Best new cars for about $20,000

The average price of a new car in the United States is about $30,000. Doesn’t that still seem like a lot? What if the average car buyer can only afford around $20,000 on a new car? Are there new cars with price tags of $20,000 that are worthy purchases? In a word, yes. Family sedans to entry-level sports cars to manufacturers whose iconic cars are among the best-selling cars in history all have models available for about $20,000. And they’re, without doubt, some worthy automobiles. Here’s a list and a synopsis of two of our favorite cars among the 10 Best New Cars with price tags of about $20,000. To reiterate, that’s about two-thirds of the average cost of a

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2014 FIat 500: Proud little Italian subcompact

Since the FIAT 500 returned to the United States four years ago for the first time in about 30 years, I’ve driven at least a half-dozen of the little cars. They’re fun to drive and they have a refreshing amount of attitude as little engines that can. The FIAT acronym stands for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, with Fiat as the largest automobile manufacturer in Italy and ninth largest globally. The FIAT acronym does not stand for “Fix It Again, Tony,” the infamous, harsh definition. Key Takeaways Test car: the 2014 Fiat 500 Pop hatchback, the entry-level trim, with a 1.4-liter four-cylinder and a five-speed manual. $16,195 MSRP and $18,595 as driven. Fuel economy: 40 mpg highway as stated in the

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2012 Fiat 500C Review: Italian city car returns with convertible cuteness, driving fun

Three years ago in France I noticed the new Fiat 500 for the first time in the driveway of a country inn. Then I noticed Fiat 500s parked perpendicularly in big city parking lots and zipping along through traffic on congested city streets. What was not to like? With a huge supply of unwavering cuteness, the new 500 hopes to rekindle all the good, clean fun driving traits of Fiat from yesteryear. Available in the United States for the first time in nearly three decades as a 2012 model, the new Fiat also seeks to have as little as possible to do with its split personality and the best definition ever among manufacturers with less-than-sterling reputations. Of course, we mean

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Fiat 500 receives low NHTSA crash safety rating

The 2012 Fiat 500, the rekindled iconic Italian sub-compact that reappeared in the U.S. market earlier this year, has been shunned by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) with only a three-star rating for crash safety, a rare low mark. The little two-door Fiat 500 scored four stars in both the frontal and rollover crash tests, but its lowly mark occurred in the side impact crash test. After faring well in the side barrier rating part of the side crash test, scoring five stars, the Fiat 500’s limited rear protection was only two stars out of a possible five for protecting a female rear seat passenger seated behind the driver in a 35-40 mph side-impact crash. The only available

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2012 Fiat 500C Review: Best gas mileage among convertibles

It may not be a car designation that readily comes to mind or has the highest priority for car shoppers. The 2012 Fiat 500 Cabriolet has been designated as the best gas mileage convertible available — or soon to be available. Unveiled at the recent New York International Auto Show, the Fiat “500C”, which will be available early this summer, will average 30 mpg (city), 38 mpg (highway) and 33 mpg (combined) in three-door hatchback model with a five-speed automatic transmission. The Fiat 500C equipped with a six-speed automatic is less impressive, at 27 mpg (city) 34 mpg (highway) and 30 mpg combined, with the convertible model the same rating or one mpg lower. Two 500C convertible versions will be

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