2012 Flat 500 Sport - Foreign Exchange Student (Part 2)

Gripes about the interior focused on the lack of a telescoping steering column and a raised seating position that places the driver on top of the pedals. Ultra-comfy front seats sacrificed lateral support for additional padding, and the hip, concentric gauge pod can be hard to decipher. The confounding media interface and small center display were additional quirks that started out as novelties and wound up as annoyances. Technical editor K.C. Colwell summed it up well: "I wish this car had more redeeming qualities."

2012 Flat 500 Sport

To accrue more miles, we dispatched the Fiat to our West Coast base of operations for a few months, with the plush seats saving our backsides on the long to-and-fro drives. Pirelli Snow control Serie II winter tires went on the OE wheels to get the little bugger over the Rockies and back in the winter months.

Fortunately, and to our surprise, we never got to know our dealership's service tech on a first-name basis. All problems were covered by the standard warranty and were limited to the tightening of a loose handbrake and the replacement of an LEI) license-plate light assembly and a blown fuse for the 12-volt power outlet. Fiat even recalled and replaced the spare-tire lug wrench.

In August 2011, when the 500 entered our fleet, it was available as a three-door only and came in Pop, Sport, Lounge, and designer Gucci trims.

Service costs were minimal, too, largely because Fiat included free scheduled maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles as a promotional offer on 500s sold before January 1, 2012. This coverage saved early buyers nearly $500 in scheduled service visits, including three basic oil changes/inspections and two more detailed jobs at 15,000 and 32,000 miles. Our final, 40,000-mile service for a standard oil change was outside of the promotion and cost us $51. With Fiat's fledgling dealer network still ramping up, actually getting to our closest service center (about So miles away) was the biggest hassle until a new out let opened closer to home.

We initially joked that our wee paisano might fall victim to an inattentive driver in a big truck, but the chuckles ended when a Dodge Dakota pickup actually did try to back over it in traffic, impaling the 500's bumper cover, passenger-side fog light, and washer-fluid reservoir with its frame- mounted hitch. When confronted, the truck's passenger noted that they'd have seen us if we "weren't driving that little shit- box." That cultural exchange cost us a trip to the body shop and $1088 in repairs.

Flat 500 Sport - inside

Our stint with the 500 confirmed many of our first assumptions: This Fiat is not for everyone, especially not those who need to get anywhere quickly or far away, or with full-size adults in back. And that there are better ways to scoot around town. The small-car market is deep with talent these days, and our sensible selves still favor the Honda Fit, which does nearly everything better than the Fiat for similar money.

But the 500 turns heads in a way that only an Italian machine can, and our example was largely trouble-free, defying our other first assumption. Despite being a tad pricey and less efficient than we had envisioned, the 500 works as the city runabout it was designed to be.

Fiat has introduced several other Cinquecento variants in the short time the car has been on sale here, too, including the 500C targa,135hp Turbo, 160-hp Abarth, and electric 500e. All are charming and approachable, with personalities that delight in small doses. Our driving styles were a little too demanding for our 500, but this country's stylish, urban markets are starting to clutch the diminutive car to their breast. America is a big place, after all.

2012 Flat 500 Abarth engine

Model-year changes 2013: manual-transmission cars receive a taller (3.44:1 versus 3.73:1) final-drive ratio; fuel economy rises to 31/40 mpg. Lounge model offered with a manual transmission. Optional Beats by Dr. Dre audio system with six speakers, an 8-inch subwoofer. and a 368-watt amplifier debuts. Flat 500 Turbo with 135-hp turbocharged inline-4 introduced. Scheduled maintenance is no longer included.