[4merCoachRick]

Howdy, all! I'm not an owner...yet! Seems our second FIAT 500L is fine with DW; but she sure misses the power of some of our previous vehicles AND she really has a hard time with "getting the key out",as we call it. We've had a half-dozen vehicles with keyless entry and start...and this bugs My Darling more than you could know.(First world problems, I know!).

From all accounts I've read and viewed, the quickness and drive-ability of the CX-30 really set it apart from nearly all of the cute utes(sub-$30K utes, that is...the XC40 is ten grand too much...even after our nine Volvos). The upgrades in infotainment of the Mazda vs FIAT are considerable(although the FIAT's Beats Audio is pretty good). The "nanny" features are a wash for me; but DW might take advantage(we had adaptive cruise 15 years ago; but seldom go on long trips).
We would be losing a fair bit of capacity(DW still stages homes for our realtor and enjoys the cargo capacity) and visibility(wow, the FIAT seems like it is ALL glass!!). Ride height could be adjusted to be pretty close...what an advantage to be sitting "up" when most of the other vehicles are larger SUVs and trucks! I'll miss the moonroof and leather interior; but those are minor. Will sacrifice some MPG as the FIAT gets over 30 avg and 36-ish hwy.

So, here's the de-lemon...do I get rid of the '17 FIAT L...2/3 paid for but could use $600 worth of tires @ 31k miles) and take advantage of about six grand off MSRP and zero interest...during this pandemic??? OR just leave well enough alone? I wasn't seeing any sort of "deals" on the CX-30 around Austin; but the internet has opened my eyes to some relative bargains out there. I can get a Preferred pkg 30 for around $21K...not too shabby. What to do?????

Thanks for reading my story!
Cheers,
4merCoachRick

 

[conwelpic]

the 500L is an extremely rare vehicle, they only sold 772 units in the whole of 2019 in the US, for comparison something like the Kia Soul sold 98,033 one of it's most direct competitors.

From Consumer Reports:
April 2020 - Brands of who makes the best vehicles from Consumer Reports

Overall scores is based on four key factors:

• road test
• reliability
• owner satisfaction
• safety

Porsche - 86
Genesis - 84
Subaru - 81

Mazda - 79
Lexus - 77
Audi - 77
Hyundai - 75
BMW - 75
Kia - 74
Mini - 74
Tesla - 73
Toyota - 73
Lincoln - 73
Infiniti - 73
Honda - 72
Volkswagen - 70
Nissan - 70
Chrysler - 69
Buick - 69
Mercedes-Benz - 68
Dodge - 68
Volvo - 67
Ford - 66
Acura - 66
Chevrolet - 61

GMC - 59
Alfa Romeo - 59
Jaguar - 57
Cadillac - 57
Land Rover - 50
Jeep - 49
Matsubishi - 46
Fiat - 43

 

[4merCoachRick]

the 500L is an extremely rare vehicle, they only sold 772 units in the whole of 2019 in the US, for comparison something like the Kia Soul sold 98,033 one of it's most direct competitors.

From Consumer Reports:
April 2020 - Brands of who makes the best vehicles from Consumer Reports

Overall scores is based on four key factors:

• road test
• reliability
• owner satisfaction
• safety

Porsche - 86
Genesis - 84
Subaru - 81

Mazda - 79
Lexus - 77
Audi - 77
Hyundai - 75
BMW - 75
Kia - 74
Mini - 74
Tesla - 73
Toyota - 73
Lincoln - 73
Infiniti - 73
Honda - 72
Volkswagen - 70
Nissan - 70
Chrysler - 69
Buick - 69
Mercedes-Benz - 68
Dodge - 68
Volvo - 67
Ford - 66
Acura - 66
Chevrolet - 61

GMC - 59
Alfa Romeo - 59
Jaguar - 57
Cadillac - 57
Land Rover - 50
Jeep - 49
Matsubishi - 46
Fiat - 43

On the other hand, we very much enjoyed our '15L and have enjoyed the '17 for 2.5 years. The warranty is 48/50, one reason I'm hesitant to trade now. The room and visibility in the L are excellent. We drove about 2500 miles in two weeks in the dead of summer and were just fine(it's no Volvo XC60; but our XC60 was fifty thousand bucks). I've had fewer problems with our two Ls than we had with our Acura RDX
IF this current crisis had not come along, I doubt I would even consider this deal. I'm always looking at new vehicles and helped a friend buy a Soul S earlier this year. I was specifically looking for a "cute ute" that had a bit more umph and was disappointed in the Soul Turbo; so I had tabled my search for a bit...until now. I don't think I'll see 6 grand off sticker and 0% interest until this time next year(if then). I will imagine I'll get a call from the dealer at first light tomorrow. We shall see.

 

[asdowntown]

I owned a Fiat 500 Sport 2013 model. It was by far the worst car in terms of quality I have ever owned or even seen. Had the car for only 16000 miles... Went through 3 steering racks, Problems with right power window. The car would randomly not go over 3000 rpm. Would have to slow down get off the highway and restart the car. Electrical gremlins everywhere. And an unbelievable amount of squeaks and rattles. So happy I leased that car!! The fiat 500L model is literally rated the least reliable car sold in all of North America. So I think the questions answer should be pretty simple.