2011 Fiat 500 Buying Advice

2011 fiat 500
The 2011 Fiat 500 was designed by Frank Stephenson, who also designed the Mini Cooper. The 2008 Fiat 500--which is currently only available in Europe--is shown here.

The 500 has received wide press praise for its solid structural feel, premium-grade materials, and exemplary fit-and-finish--a far cry from Fiats of old. We expect the U.S. 500 will be just as good in those respects, if only because Fiat knows Americans won’t settle for less and because workers on this side of the pond already deliver top-quality vehicles for domestic and import brands alike. We still have our doubts about long-term reliability--reputations die hard--but final U.S. specifications and on-road experience may ease our minds.

Though Fiat has yet to announce sales targets or marketing plans, the 500 will almost certainly be pitched as a fairly low-volume, premium small car like its closest rival, the BMW Mini. Recent reports say that sales and service will be handled by existing Chrysler dealers. The small-car ranks are growing faster than ever, so shoppers everywhere will have plenty of good choices. Consumer Guide already ranks the Nissan Versa and Suzuki SX4 as Best Buys and gives its Recommended endorsement to the Mazda 3. Other possible worthies include the redesigned 2009 Honda Fit, Ford’s upcoming 2010 Fiesta, and the new-for-2011 Chevrolet Cruze. Yup. Like the song says, it’s a small world after all these days--in more ways than one.

2011 Fiat 500 Release Date: Even existing plants take time to retool for a brand-new product. That’s why we expect the U.S.-built 500 will be debuting during the first half of 2011.

2011 Fiat 500 First Test Drive: If our timing above is right, U.S. media previews should be staged in early 2011.

2011 Fiat 500 Prices: The 500 starts at around $16,000 in Italy, about $6,000 below the cheapest European BMW Mini. The U.S. version could be in that same attractive ballpark, with the weak dollar offsetting the higher cost of the expected top-line engine and standard equipment. But a lot will depend on where the car is built and what wages Fiat negotiates, and there’s probably no getting around the soaring costs for steel and other materials that are pushing up car prices all over the world.