Out of all the press cars I've ever had—including the Bullitt Mustang, the Challenger when it was still brand new, and even the goofy stuff like that lime-green Hyundai Genesis—the Fiat 500 was the one that got the most attention. People rubbernecked it at every intersection. It took some serious evasive action to be able to photograph it without getting mobbed by curious passersby. And even my mom required me to drive it up to the Canadian border so she could personally inspect it. But, as with the Mini, the PT Cruiser, and all other innovatively cute cars, the buzz of novelty will eventually wear off. And when it does, what will it be like to live with one? Surprisingly good, as it turns out. Continue reading...

It's really awesome to see another true microcar on the market in the US, and thanks to its appealing looks and user-friendly layout, I think it might be one of the few that actually catches on in decent numbers. The 500 is amazingly well-proportioned, ergonomically as well as in terms of exterior appearance. At four inches taller than the Mini Cooper (though 6 inches shorter and 2 inches narrower), the 500 offers decent headroom, easy egress, and a van-like driving position that significantly mitigates the feeling that you're driving one of the tiniest cars on the road. And like on a smart car, the two expansive side-doors almost seem to open an entire half of the vehicle, avoiding the cramped feel of a four-door compact.

The test car we got was a 500C, C for the power slide-away cabrio top that charmingly buckles away on tracks to the level of the rear headrests, giving you that big-sky feeling of a convertible but leaving the body structure intact for safety. Loved it, and you can operate the top at up to 60 mph without a lot of drama. Ironically, the cabrio top makes the 500C a much more functional vehicle than it otherwise would be: since the trunk really is just a tiny lidded cubbyhole rather than a true hatchback (which is prevented by the roof mechanism), the open top gives you the leeway to load long or tall items that would otherwise be impossible. Can't you just see this thing with a Christmas tree or a couple of two by fours sticking out of the roof? Fold the rear seats all the way down and you actually get a workable 30 cubic feet of cargo space, which is something that neither a smart car nor a Mini will give you.

As for power, the 101 hp out of the 1.4L 4-cylinder is nothing to write home about, but in a vehicle that only weighs 2,363 lbs it feels quite adequate for city driving. It's got good low-end torque and powers up hills easily, and unlike other subcompacts doesn't give you the feeling that it can't get out of its own way. However, to get real power out of the 500 you're going to have to wait for the 170-hp Abarth, which should hit US showrooms early next year. And definitely, this car is begging for a manual. Mine had the 6-speed automatic, which was fine and didn't draw a lot of attention to itself (though it doesn't let you rev very high). But the five-speed manual saves you about 1,000 bucks off the sticker price, bumps the gas mileage up to 30/38 (from the auto's unremarkable 27/34), and just makes a ton more sense for a little doodlebug like the 500. Surprisingly, American consumers agree, as the manual transmission (and the cabrio top for that matter) have proven to be vastly more popular with new Fiat buyers than expected. Will the microcar end up being the thing to save the manuals? I guess we'll see.

The Fiat 500 handles very well for what it is. It's sprung reasonably stiff but doesn't have the harsh, cheap-feeling ride that's typical of a subcompact. For a proportionately tall car, it doesn't feel very tippy, and corners  surprisingly well. Though it can get a little skittery when driven hard over uneven surfaces, it remained for the most part extremely solid and well-planted. Even on the highway, at speeds up to about 85, I found that it didn't get at all squirrely and unstable as very small cars sometimes will.

And of course, the tiny 90.6-inch wheelbase gives the 500 a gorgeously tight turning radius: it almost felt like you could pull a U-turn on a city sidewalk! It also lent itself to a perk I'd never given much thought to: the Fiat 500 is short enough to park in the interstitial spaces on city streets. You know, when there's a row of packed-in cars but one undersized space has been left behind because it's not quite long enough to accommodate an actual car? The 500 pops into it with ease after only a couple of back-and-forths. Rock! Now I get why people buy smart cars, except this is a smart car with a backseat. And some cargo capacity.

The interior is lovely, and hits all the right retro notes without being overly self-conscious. The body-color-matched dash panel is a nice touch, and the single large concentric-circle dash gauge--speedo on the outside circle, tach on the inside--is trippy. However, I'm not crazy about the white-paneled radio controls--made everything feel too much like a first-gen iPod, so it'll quickly seem dated--and if you're a gearhead who works on things, you probably ought to rule out the white steering wheel. Other colors, and super-sporty cloth interiors, are available at even lower price points than the somewhat gaudy upholstery scheme our test car had.

One more thing: my mom loved it, and is seriously about ready to go buy one. This may seem like a minor point, but if an older professional gal accustomed to bombing around in a loaded S80 can feel totally at home in the thing, I think it's safe to say the subcompact has arrived. The Fiat 500 delivers big-car amenities and a spacious feel while managing to remain totally and charmingly basic. It's definitely my favorite of all the little cars I've driven recently, and while it's also the smallest, it gives you more car than the Mazda 2, the Honda Fit, the CR-Z, and the Suzuki SX/4. Loved it, and I can't wait for the Abarth.

The 2012 Fiat 500C

What's New: In America, everything.

Turn Ons: Big personality, brilliant styling inside and out, great maneuverability, workable cargo area, smooth ride.

Turn Offs: First-year jitters.