A loving and faithful riff on the classic rear-engine Nuova 500 of postwar Italy, the 500 yanks the same heartstrings of misty nostalgia as the BMW Mini and Volkswagen New Beetle. -- Dan Neil (Dan Neil/ Los Angeles Times)
Europe’s Car of the Year is fun to own and drive -- not least because of its fuel economy.
Available with 1.2- and 1.4-liter gas engines and an excellent 1.3-liter turbodiesel (five- and six-speed manual transmissions), the 500 would represent, for the American driver, something of an adjustment. I drove the turbo- diesel (68 hp, 107 pound-feet of torque) from Milan to Modena a couple of weeks ago, and the car requires a considerable winding of the big key in its back to get it to accelerate. -- Dan Neil (Dan Neil/ Los Angeles Times)
The bubble-like cabin is spacious, with loads of sit-upright room in the front seats and usable room for two in the back (the rear seat back is bolt upright to yield a few precious inches to the luggage compartment). -- Dan Neil (Dan Neil/ Los Angeles Times)
Like the Mini -- except about $5,000 cheaper to start -- the 500 has the kind of design that makes owning it an occasion. It’s fun to look at, fun to drive, fun to point out to the valet. It all goes to the fact that cheap cars need not be bitter pills of self-denial. -- Dan Neil (Dan Neil/ Los Angeles Times)
