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Fiat 500L

Fiat 500L review

As you might have gathered from the name and its appearance, Fiat’s 500L is a Fiat 500, but larger.
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RRP £18,555 - £21,855 Avg. carwow saving £1,122 off RRP
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Rated 4.7/5 from 28,196 reviews
wowscore
4/10
This score is awarded by our team of
expert reviewers
This score is awarded by our team of expert reviewers
after extensive testing of the car

What's good

  • Practical
  • Economical engines
  • Customisable

What's not so good

  • Expensive
  • Interior not that stylish
  • Looks don't fit porportions
Most popular: Fiat 500L Pop 1.4
5 doors
Petrol
Manual
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Find out more about the Fiat 500L

Is the Fiat 500L a good car?

The 500L is Fiat’s attempt at injecting a little style and character into the small multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) market, and it would certainly stand out parked between the equivalent Ford or Vauxhall.

The 500L itself is actually based on the Fiat Punto, and is aimed at customers who find the idea of a 500 appealing, but need more space.

The 500L looks like a Fiat 500 with a pie addiction

Mat Watson
Mat Watson
carwow expert

It’s certainly a practical choice, but reviews are mixed when it comes to deciding whether it’s worth the money or not.

What's it like to drive?

Testers have mixed opinions on how the 500L rides and drives. As a fairly tall vehicle the suspension has been set up a little on the firm side, most testers found it hard to feel uncomfortable in one, although the driver’s seat does not offer much support.

TwinAir engines are fun, but claimed full economy is impossible to achieve

Mat Watson
Mat Watson
carwow expert

There are six engines available for the 500L, as two more joined the range in 2014, and Fiat have kept most of them small.

The turbocharged 0.9-litre is the tiniest, and until recently, one of the more powerful options with 105hp. There is a more conventional 1.4-litre petrol available that has 95hp, although this struggles when it meets the motorway and becomes strained under pressure.

If you need a petrol engine it’s probably better to opt for the new 1.4-litre T-Jet, which is turbocharged and produces a healthy 118hp.

 

The 1.6-litre Multijet II diesel available from 2014 is probably the soundest all-round choice, producing 118hp and achieving over 61mpg.

The 500L’s gearboxes do not get such good reviews, and critics note that both the six-speed and the five-speed manual are notchy and are not as good as the gearboxes in rivals.

Some critics state that the 500L feels more controlled than the regular 500 and others comment that it the body rolls a lot in the bends, so it is likely to fall to individual preference as to whether either of these things are good news or not.

One things testers have generally agreed on disliking is the steering. The 500L is certainly easy to navigate in most situations, but there have been reports of artificially weighted steering that generally feels too light, which snaps back to centre rather aggressively.

Saying that, the regular 500 isn’t perfect here either, so perhaps customers trading up won’t notice too much.

What's it like inside?

Combining style with practicality was obviously an aim for the 500L’s designers and they’ve done a good job of giving buyers a decent chunk of both.

Fiat 500L colours

 Pastel - Red passion
Free
 Pastel Bicolour - Red passion with gloss black roof and mirrors
From £350
 Pastel Bicolour - Red passion with white roof and mirrors
From £350
 Special pastel - Blue denim
From £350
 Special pastel - Cinema black
From £350
 Special pastel - Ice white
From £350
 Special pastel - Sicilia orange
From £350
 Metallic - Fashion grey
From £550
 Metallic - Grey Maestro
From £550
 Metallic - Tuscancy green
From £550
 Metallic - Venezia blue
From £550
 Special Pastel Bicolour - Blue denim with gloss black roof and mirrors
From £700
 Special Pastel Bicolour - Blue denim with white roof and mirrors
From £700
 Special Pastel Bicolour - Cinema black with white roof and mirrors
From £700
 Special Pastel Bicolour - Ice white with gloss black roof and mirrors
From £700
 Special Pastel Bicolour - Sicilia orange with gloss black roof and mirrors
From £700
 Special Pastel Bicolour - Sicilia orange with white roof and mirrors
From £700
 Metallic Bicolour - Fashion grey with gloss black roof and mirrors
From £900
 Metallic Bicolour - Fashion grey with white roof and mirrors
From £900
 Metallic Bicolour - Grey maestro with gloss black roof and mirrors
From £900
 Metallic Bicolour - Matt fashion grey with gloss black roof and mirrors
From £900
 Metallic Bicolour - Tuscany Green with gloss black roof and mirrors
From £900
 Metallic Bicolour - Tuscany Green with white roof and mirrors
From £900
 Metallic Bicolour - Venezia blue with gloss black roof and mirrors
From £900
 Metallic Bicolour - Venezia blue with white roof and mirrors
From £900
Next Read full interior review
Buy or lease the Fiat 500L at a price you’ll love
We take the hassle and haggle out of car buying by finding you great deals from local and national dealers
RRP £18,555 - £21,855 Avg. carwow saving £1,122 off RRP
carwow price from
Cash
£17,523
Monthly
£299*
Used
£13,590
Ready to see prices tailored to you?
Compare new offers Compare used deals
Rated 4.7/5 from 28,196 reviews
Fiat 500L
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*Please contact the dealer for a personalised quote, including terms and conditions. Quote is subject to dealer requirements, including status and availability. Illustrations are based on personal contract hire, 9 month upfront fee, 48 month term and 8000 miles annually, VAT included.