This is exactly what I wanted for driving to/from gym, grocery store, etc. Fun to drive & good on gas. It is NOT good for driving up & down steep hills. Or accelerating onto a freeway. The power just isn’t there. But if you’re mostly doing flat city driving, it’s great. I love it.

Purchased preowned, Pop model, 5 speed manual, non-turbo 1.4 multiair engine. Loved this car, distinctive from ho-hum daily driver crackerbox cars with Italian Euro style. Excellent 40 mpg highway, 30 city. Great interior for 2, economical way to enjoy zipping around exploring. Can hold a surprising amount of items, too. Decent stock radio. Maintenance experience, routine, but had to replace a rear wheel bearing and occasionally experienced stuck rear disc brake caliper. Highway ride compliant enough, absorbs bumps okay and car handled well in tight turns, but take care not to push too hard with short wheelbase. Handled snow surprisingly well with winter tires. Caution, could use a backup camera, poor rearward visibility. Be alert in lane changing. Great shifting 5 speed gearbox. Engine and exhaust note cool. Sounds different! Acceleration okay off the line, needs room for passing and has little power for the long hills, but, hey, for the price (and character) allow for it! Let the Pickup and SUV guys have it their way, if you like small cars you may just plain enjoy driving what the critics dislike and save some $$ in the process, especially with gas prices climbing. Understand the bad experience of some folks but for me it worked out okay. Looking forward to trying another one.

The Fiat 500 Lounge is a great value and fun to drive. The 1.4L zips the car around cities with authority thanks to the 5 speed.. For a sub compact it's quite luxurious and quiet. Not all of the interior elements are of high quality; however, the overall package is definitely greater than the sum of its parts. It's also very economical. Totally recommend!