Quick Car Review: Fiat 500 Convertible

I love driving a fun compact car.

I was surprised then to actually enjoy driving a convertible for the first time in my life. It came in the small pistachio-colored form of a Fiat 500C.

This 2016 model is what I'd call "pistachio" green, and it's available now at Tim and Jerri's Auto Sales in Garden City, KS. 

I wanted to test drive this car, first to see if I fit, and second to see if it was as fun to drive as it was to look at. All six-foot-two-inches of me fits behind the wheel reasonably comfortably and I appreciate the splash of matching green on the dash.

As it's a convertible, the cloth top on this 500C folds back, somewhat like the original Fiat 500 from the 1960s. With the top folded all the way back and the windows rolled down, the little car becomes quite airy and the fun factor increases. 

The Sport button on the dash helps the car come alive. It's nimble in its normal everyday mode, but when Sport is selected, the whole car tenses up like a cat ready to pounce. The pouncing, or acceleration, isn't unmanageable with the 1.4-liter, 101-horsepower four-cylinder engine. I'd recommend using Sport mode just for daily errands; there's a certain amount of fun we should allow ourselves to have during our day-to-day slogs around town.

The Fiat 500 is already an excellent city car, with nearly turn-on-a-dime steering and a standard 30 miles per gallon in town. It also earns points for being cute, with plenty of design cues inspired by the original tiny runabout. An absorbent ride, even on antique brick streets, and a quality stereo system are welcome creature comforts to the car's personality.

For the person who's happy with an efficient, cute coupe, this Fiat 500C is the perfect little pistachio to bop around in. 

This 2016 Fiat 500C is available now at Tim and Jerri's Auto Sales. Visit this link for more details.