FIAT 500X Test Drive

You might be aware of the little FIAT 500 that has been on sale in the US since 2012, and that several other versions of the small car have come along too. The 500 Gucci Edition, 1957 Edition, Turbo, GQ Edition, and my favorite the 500 Abarth!

Then FIAT started bringing the larger 500L to our shores, and while it's sales have not been spectacular, at least it gives FIAT a bigger vehicle to offer buyers. Unlike the regular 500 that is built in Mexico, the 500L comes from Europe.

The newest model here in the US is what I drove the other day, the 500X, which compares size wise with the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV-4, and the Ford Escape small SUV type of vehicles. What the 500X brings to the party is all wheel drive in it's higher end models, and a reasonable $20,000 price range for the base model.

In a short test drive on a busy highway, I found the standard gear box easy to use, and the X rode smoothly like any new car should. Sitting up higher than in my Abarth was a bit of a change, but it's certainly not gigantic like a full size pickup truck or Escalade either.

If you're looking for a car to haul 4 people and some luggage in the back, I can recommend that you consider the 500X, especially if you need a small SUV that can provide four wheel drive when needed. If you're a fan of Italian style, you might even be proud that the merger of FIAT and Chrysler means that either the 500X has a bit of Jeep in it, or that some of the new Jeep models have some FIAT in them too, since several models share some of the same components.

Prices start at $20,000 and range up around $30,000 with tons of options and features.