A Fiat 500e for less than a dinner for two?
When we first saw the deals on cheap Fiat 500E leases we thought it was too good to be true. Lo and behold, what we were seeing was real. So real, that myself and four of my friends and coworkers went for it.
Colorado has enough incentives for EVs (as of late 2024, that is) that our local dealer was able to offer leases for as low as $1,200 down and $0 per month. My lease was $900 down and $49 monthly. That works out to just over $2,000 for a 27 month lease. Part of the extra cost in my lease is a protection plan that covers wear and tear.
Tommy managed an even cheaper lease making his monthly payment $0. For his lease to actually have no monthly payment, however, it has come with some extra paperwork and headache that we’ll discuss in an upcoming video.
Living with the cheap Fiat 500e has been everything you’d expect…for better or worse.
True to the brand’s reputation, there have been some unique flaws. Unique in that all 5 of our Fiats have completely different quirks. Mine will randomly stop charging until you open the door to wake the car. My buddy Conor’s has buggy window switches. Neither of our Fiat apps work correctly, although Tommy’s app works perfectly. And Tommy’s 500e has wind noise audible through the trunk seal.
That being said, all five of us who got the deal love the cars themselves. When you get a vehicle for as little as we paid, it’s tough to complain. Especially when none of our issues are critical to the use of the car. Fiat also managed to make the 500e one of the most entertaining cheap EVs to drive that any of us have experienced. Low center of gravity, snappy acceleration and a small footprint make the car joyful to hustle around.
Size is rarely an issue with two comfortably sized seats and two more not so big ones that work in a pinch. I even brought three friends along in December to buy the world’s smallest Christmas tree. And for snowy winter days, the 500E handles the snow surprisingly well. With a fairly small 40kWh battery, the range tends to hover around the 140 miles it’s rated at. Much less for longer highway trips.
Thankfully charging a small battery with a 220-volt charger is plenty quick.
The 500e has smart interior features with one major oversight.
For a basic vehicle, it comes pretty well equipped. Two high resolution screens populate the dash with wireless Apple CarPlay and a wireless phone charger. Body color dash and red seat piping with FIAT script in the seats add an Italian sense of occasion. HVAC controls have dedicated buttons rather than screen controls, and the steering wheel feels great in hand.
Aside from that, it’s a simple, low cost cockpit. Max volume on the audio system won’t impress anybody. The seats are basic fabric, there’s cheap plastics all over and only one cupholder up front. Worse is that our cheap Fiat 500E seats lack heating, a major drawback in the Colorado winter.
Trunk space is limited but the seats fold to make for a passable cargo area.
Is the Fiat 500e worth the downsides?
If you’re looking for a simple, cheap and easy city car, this one is a good option. It’s not the kind of EV that has a soul crushing dullness to it. For all its quirks and drawbacks, we all love our little Fiats and are looking forward to the next two years of keeping the miles off our other cars.
To see more about the Fiat 500E, check out the video linked below: