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2012 Green Car Buyer’s Guide, Fiat
2012 model year highlight from Fiat: the Fiat 500.
GUIDE TO GREEN CARS, Summer 2012
Compiled by Megan E. Phelps, John Rockhold,
Hannah Kincaid, Emily Glover,
Bradley Berman and Zach McDonald
See “What the Numbers Mean” in The Ultimate Green Car Buyer’s Guide, 2012 for a full description of the metrics we collected for each model.
Fiat 500 (Manual Transmission)
Gasoline, Subcompact Hatchback
Price Range: $16,200 – $24,200
City/Hwy/Combined MPG: 30/38/33
Annual Fuel Cost: $2,000 (premium)
Air Pollution Score: N/A
Greenhouse Gas Score: N/A
ACEEE Green Score and Class Ranking: N/A
Safety Ratings: IIHS Top Safety Pick; 3-star NHTSA rating
Space: N/A/seats 4
Drive Score: 4
Similar Used: New for 2012
Good to Know:
- With the petite 500 model, the Italian carmaker Fiat returns to the American market for the first time in 27 years.
- The manual transmission version of the 500 can deliver a 10 percent improvement in fuel economy compared with its automatic sibling.
- The 500 is marketed as a stylish, fully customizable city car. It comes in 14 different colors with many accessory options. There’s even a Gucci model, as well as a Pink Ribbon edition for breast cancer awareness.
What the Press Says:
- “The retro-styled 500 has agile handling, a willing engine and a crisp-shifting manual transmission, which all combine to make the Fiat 500 fun to drive.” — Consumer Reports
- “Though this tiny car is 6 inches shorter in length and 2 inches narrower than its chief rival, the Mini Cooper, the Fiat 500 is substantially taller (by 4 inches). That translates into better outward visibility and respectable leg- and headroom, especially for rear seat passengers.” — Edmunds.com
What Drivers Say:
- “It’s small, nimble, quick, fun and gets great gas mileage,” says Richard Golen of South Dartmouth, Mass. He especially likes the “eco-drive” program, which allows you to download data from your car’s computer to track your mpg and emissions.
- Jo Miller of New York, N.Y., could not be happier with her Fiat 500. “I bought it for the mileage and the low sticker price. Little did I know what a dream it would be to drive — peppy, responsive and quiet. I can’t even remember the last time I had to fill the tank.”
More 2012 green cars: Find details about many more green cars from other automakers in The Ultimate Green Car Buyer’s Guide, 2012.
Photo from Fiat