Faults:

Broken door handles.

Interior excessively worn.

Radio/climate issues.

Engine misfire. Also hesitates on acceleration.

Suspension still rattly even after replacing many parts.

Oil leak.

Too much more to list!

General Comments:

Bought for my daughter as she thought it was "cool". Looked OK upon purchase.

Well it looks modern and funky, but that's about it. It's the common white color with red striping. Probably the coolest thing in the world when new. But not now.

OK to drive when running correctly. Can be economical, but there is no performance whatsoever.

Comfort/space is nonexistent.

Had too many irritating faults. Not a great car. Typical poor quality Fiat.

Not a car I would buy again. Typical modern car that puts style and gimmicks before quality. Only get in one if your other options are walking or taking the bus!

Faults:

Clutch diaphragm spring failed at about 120,000km without warning. Apparently there was a bad batch and this can happen. This could have been an extreme inconvenience and perhaps dangerous, but fortunately was on a quiet road not far from home and a garage. Cost $A1000, or $US670 at a country town garage, some of that cost was freight, took a while for parts to get there. Out of curiosity I asked for a quote from a Fiat workshop in Melbourne, they wanted more than double.

Rear shock absorbers failed after hours of driving on severely corrugated dirt roads in Northern Territory, roads were signed as 4WD only. Rear end became very bouncy. New parts were cheap and easy to replace. Became bogged in desert sand several times, jack worked. One plastic wheel cover fell off, I painted the black steel wheel to be grey/silver, it looks OK, barely noticeable, they're not bad looking wheels.

Hit a kangaroo and damaged front bumper. Wheel brace was effective for clubbing severely injured animal to death.

Twice it failed to start, suspect as a result of bad fuel bought in remote locations. Roll started down a long hill and it fired up. Problem went away.

Rear licence plate bulb blew, dashboard notification worked, new bulb was about $2.

General Comments:

I've mostly used this for country driving and have no problem using less than 5 litres per 100km. I mostly buy 98RON fuel but I don't notice much difference with 91. I think it's supposed to use 95 at least.

This is a 1.2 litre, non-turbo 8 valve engine, I don't think this engine was sold in North America. I deliberately looked for this one as it seems to have a long history and I have assumed they have sorted out any design issues. I have not topped up my oil since I changed it 9,000km ago.

This has steel 14 inch wheels. I didn't want low profile tyres or alloy wheels, they are prone to cracking on bad roads.

This car was made in Poland in August 2014 but not registered until 2015.

The five speed gear shift has a good feel.

The driver's window rattles slightly. I'm impressed the whole car doesn't rattle after the abuse it has received.

I have not travelled as a rear seat passenger in this car, but I have sat in the back and would not be afraid to be stuck in there for an hour or two. I am 5'9" or 176cm.

I removed the rear seat so I can put all kinds of things in the back, including a 26" wheeled mountain bike. The interior noise is noticeably louder from the rear after the seat has been removed. I've thought about some heavy matting or sound deadening material but it's not really such a big deal.

Overall I think it's a well thought out little car. It's worth looking at a few YouTube videos to understand some of the little tricks, choosing headlights to remain on for a minute or two after the car is locked.

Where it could be better:

a) No light inside the hatch door seems miserable. If they're clever enough to provide a warning that one of the two the licence plate lights has blown, it wouldn't take much to have a light to see in the back. I'm sure a light in the hatch door was nothing amazing even in 1980.

b) The illuminated snowflake air conditioning indicator is impossible to see on sunny days. I have found by placing my hand above it to cast a shadow I can then see it.

c) The indicator light/noise is not bright/loud enough, I've left mine going by accident a few times.

d) The Bluetooth is a bit different. It works fine with the steering wheel buttons for phone calls, but I use a cable and aux for music.

Faults:

The lower rocker panels are peeling away from the body, I've read that it is a result of improper lifting during service. This car has a much smaller footprint and the contact points in the shop must be different. Warranty will cover the repair, just need to get it in.

Other than that... this car makes you drive like a manic. It's a turbocharged go cart.

General Comments:

Love it, coming from small trucks and SUVs this car really doesn't feel small while you're driving it. The interior feels as wide as my S10 - the high roof/ windshield tricks you into forgetting that it is such a mousey little car. It isn't until parking it that I remember hey, this is only half a car long. The back seat is bigger than you expect (low expectations obviously) and the trunk can fit two rollaboard suitcases plus travel junk. Fold down the seat and you can fit more than you expect.

The engine is peppy, lots of noises. Valve chatter if you lift the hood to listen, turbo whine, intake whoosh, and a beautifully tuned exhaust note with standard with no muffler. The exhaust is more than you expect; remember when you were a kid and made revving engine noises while riding your big wheel? That noise is what this car makes. Press Sport mode and the steering will require two hands to turn, the gas pedal gains response and the Multiair turbo remaps for another 25-30 noticeable hp/tq.

Overall, this car is a riot to drive. I drive this in Missouri and people are bewildered by it. A guy driving a Fiat 500? But the car sounds like a Lambo and looks like a Group B rally car with racing rims/brakes?