The big deal with these cars are the value for the money. It's a very capable car when you maintain it and drive it responsibly. I drive my 15 pop with manual transmission 120 miles a day. At 19k miles I have had no problems. The car handles incredibly well on curvy roads, and it has adequate acceleration. I love flying by more expensive cars on winding roads because they are over priced 2 ton behemoths! As a car guy who just came from a 300hp car, it takes some getting used to, but once you realize how much better the mpgs are (36-40highway) and the handling improvement, it's actually more fun to drive than my '12 challenger. It has torque so going up bridges and hills is actually easier than other cars. The interior style is a great way to be received everyday. My car has a red and white interior and the wife loves it and anyone who rides in it loves it. Much better than the bland silver and black also rans from Toyota or Mazda. You will be surprised how much you can do with this little car. It's a hatchback so you can carry quite a bit when you fold down the seats. So in my opinion give these cars a chance.

This was more or less a novelty item as a car. Once the stigma was gone of having the actual vehicle, the true ownership started and I was not impressed. I guess I am more comfortable just having so much more space. The gas mileage during a time when it was really needed was not enough to overshadow short comings. it felt like I was just boxed in and could be hurt by anything on the road. It gets kind of terrifying when you feel strong winds seem to control your vehicle. The extras that are included in the ride were great. The sound system was thundering my most favorite sounds. There were a lot of technologies that were in the car that were shocking because honestly you might think it would not be thought of. But its all falls short... me being a taller guy, I just was really going for the fad mixed with the aww of having the car. It turns heads and is the center of many conversations. Women loved this car. It shows them responsibility and my dating life soared but in the end I had to let this vehicle go.

The 500L is my 2nd Fiat. I traded my 500 Sport in because I needed a larger size to be able to fit a baby seat in the rear. I've owned my 500L for about 19 mos and at 28k, I'm being told by Fiat, the brakes are going bad and to replace all 4 brake pads & rotors. The rear brake pads are designed thinner and these are the ones that are worn. I've owned 9 brand new cars in my lifetime and NEVER, EVER did I have to replace brakes & rotors with this low mileage. The dealership is offering 10% discount, whoopee! I do all highway driving. Again, I've driven the same path and operated the vehicle the same as all my other cars and this has never been an issue. Fiat, I may have to go back to Honda! It's so disappointing because I love the 500L Trekking, but I'm not going to be replacing brakes & rotors every 30k miles!