Used 2018 Fiat 500L for sale 

The 500L comes in three variants – Pop, Trekking, and Lounge. All the three variants get the same engine option which is a 160-hp 1.4litre 4-cylinder turbocharged engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The difference between the three largely falls on the standard feature list. 

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The Pop trim is quite decent but considering the fact that the base and the top variant are separated by less than $3000. We consider opting for the Lounge trim as it adds all the features the car has to offer. In fact, the Lounge variant actually costs less than the Trekking version when combined with the Popular Equipment Group. Thus the Lounge provides the most value for money spent. 

The 2018 Fiat 500L borrows the engine from the original Fiat 500 and is the same 1.4 liters turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine that produces 160 horsepower along with 184 pound-feet of torque. The engine is mated with a 6-speed automatic transmission which delivers the power to the front wheels. The all-wheel-drive system is not available with the Fiat 500L.

Although the 500L gets a turbocharged engine being a larger, wider, taller car the Fiat feels underpowered with only sufficient power, there is also a considerable amount of noticeable turbo lag when you hit the gas from a standstill. Whereas fast-moving traffic will make drivers squeeze every bit of power from the engines to keep up.

The 2018 Fiat 500L is the most powerful car in the comparison, even though it has the smallest engine onboard. The Mazda CX-3 and the Toyota C-HR has a bigger 2-cylinder engine, but still produces just 146-hp and 144-hp respectively. Fiat and Mazda have a 6-speed automatic transmission while Toyota is equipped with a continuous variable transmission. 

How quick is the 0-60 mph acceleration of the 2018 Fiat 500L?

The 6-speed automatic transmission lacks smoothness and the power delivery is linear, in spite of this it provides manual control and shifts quickly, which helps the Fiat 500L to accelerate to 60mph in the fastest time in its class. The 500l accelerated to 60-mph from a standstill in 8.0-seconds which is acceptable for a vehicle in this segment.

Similarly, the quarter-mile acceleration takes 16.2-seconds. 

The only compact wagon that gives tough competition to the 500L is the Mazda CX-3 which equals the 500L in acceleration for a loss of only 0.1 seconds in both the quarter-mile and 0-60mph test. Though the 500L has the smallest engine from its competition it still manages to churn out an extra 14 horses and about 34-45 pound-feet of torque than the rest.

How is the handling performance of the 2018 Fiat 500L?

The Steering on the 500L is almost precise. Only on the highway, you will appreciate its handling but for the rest of the time, it is not that great, as the 500L lacks the steering feedback which makes the driving experience a bit dull. The limited steering grip on a taller car does disappoint, the car is stable around corners but takes a quick turn or enters a sharp corner and you will be greeted by lots of lean and considerable body roll. This is due to the softer suspension setup on the vehicle which provides great comfort on straight or uneven roads by floating out the bumps. 

How is the braking performance of the 2018 Fiat 500L?

The 2018 Fiat 500L has effective brakes that complement its acceleration and weight. The brakes actually have a good amount of bite to them and provide a surprisingly good pedal feel. It's only when you stomp on the brakes suddenly that makes the car wobble and makes you doubt its stability. 

The front is equipped with a 12-inch disc while the rear sees a much smaller 10.4-inch disc brake setup. This setup provides a decent brake force to decelerate this vehicle. The Fiat 500L took just 119 feet to stop from a speed of 60mph which although not being ideal is pretty decent.

The quickest to come to a halt amongst the rivals is the Mazda CX-3. It takes just 117 feet to come to a stop from 60mph which is just 2 feet shorter than the 500L. The Toyota C-HR does not perform very well in the braking department with an unimpressive 137 feet distance.

The 2018 Fiat 500L gets a fuel efficiency of 22-mpg in the city, which improves to 30-mpg on the highway. Even with a smaller 1.4-liter engine, the Fiat 500L proves to be thirsty on fuel consumption. Combined together the 500L provides a mileage of 26-mpg which comes close to the Toyota C-HR. 

Even with their bigger engines, the rest of the pack puts up competitive numbers on the chart. The Toyota C-HR put up an impressive 29 mpg combined fuel efficiency. The Mazda CX-3 leads the competition with a combined fuel efficiency of 31 mpg.

Like the exterior, the 500L also gets many improvements in the interior. The dull and boring steering wheel has been replaced by a new well-rounded steering wheel with plenty of steering mounted controls. The completely redesigned instrument cluster features two dials and a 3.5-inch LCD display between them along with this there is also a 7.0-inch Uconnect Infotainment which now comes as standard and supports Android Auto and Apple car play.

The rear seats have been placed higher than the front seats which results in excellent visibility for the rear passenger as well. The Fiat 500L easily trumps the other in terms of headroom but fares average when it comes to legroom and shoulder room. The front seats lack padding, especially the seat bottoms are hard which makes it uncomfortable. The rear seats are rather upright with gear legroom for the passengers.

All the vehicles in comparison can accommodate up to 5 passengers inside the cabin. The Fiat 500L has the maximum in-cabin volume that provides ample space for all the occupants. The Mazda CX-3 and Toyota C-HR also offer decent space for the rear passengers, but the limited shoulder room may feel a bit cramped. Here is the list of the key interior features of the 2018 Fiat 500L:

• Dual -Zone Climate control
• Cruise Control
• Leather-wrapped Steering wheel and gear shifter
• LED ambient interior lighting

• Dual -Pane power sunroof
• Carrera Grey leather-trimmed Seats

How intuitive is the infotainment system in the 2018 Fiat 500L?

The Fiat 500L is equipped with an updated UConnect 4.0 infotainment System which includes a 7.0-inch touchscreen display. All the trims get smartphone integration systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard which improves the multimedia streaming experience. As standard, the base Pop model of 500L gets a 6-speaker configuration while the Trekking and Lounge trims get an improved Beats Audio System. Along with the 500L gets all the standard features like Bluetooth Connectivity, Voice command, and USB ports.

Here is the list of key infotainment features available in the 2018 2018 Fiat 500L:

• Uconnect 4 with a 7.0-inch touchscreen
• Android Auto 
• Apple CarPlay
• Beats Audio Premium Sound System
• Navigation
• Hands-free calling
• Integrated Voice Commands
• Bluetooth audio streaming 

What is the available cargo volume in the 2018 Fiat 500L?

The 2018 Fiat 500L offers a generous boot space of 22.4 cubic feet with its rear seats in place. Folding over the rear seats frees up a massive cargo space of 68 cubic feet which is best in its class. That's 24 cubic feet more than the nearest competitor.

The Other two vehicles in comparison are not even close to the cargo space available in the Fiat 500L. The Mazda CX-3 has a really small booth space of 12.4 cu-ft behind the second row, while the Toyota has a cargo volume of 19 cu-ft. But the tables turn with the second-row seats folded. The Mazda’s cargo space improves to 44.5 cu-ft which is 8 cu-ft larger than the Toyota. 

What are the exterior features of the 2018 Fiat 500L?

The 2018 Fiat 500L has a very unconventional styling which makes it unique and stands out from the rest. It looks much more stylish with its new front design. The oval-shaped front LED headlights to look unique on this compact vehicle.

The roof is raised to accommodate taller passengers, but with the integration of the sunroof, the headroom is decreased. 

The 500L is one of the heaviest compact vehicles out there. It has the shortest track width of 59.1/59.4 inches for front and rear respectively. The 500L is also the tallest of them with a height of 65.7 inches. It almost equals the width and length of the other three rivals. The Fiat also sits closer to the ground at 4.9-inch while the other two vehicles are provided with slightly more ground clearance. Some of the exterior features include:

• Heated Mirrors
• Rearview Camera as Standard
• Fog Lights
• Rugged themed body panels for Trekking and Lounge variants
• 17-inch Alloy wheels with paint finish
• Chrome accents on mirrors and body

IIHS gave the new Fiat 500L their maximum rating of 'Good' in all their crash tests. The small overlap on the driver side, however, got a rating of 'Poor'. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has just performed a front crash and rollover test of the 2018 Fiat 500L, where the car has received 4-stars on both the tests. Along with that, the 500L has multiple safety features integrated which improves the safety factor of the vehicle. The 2018 Fiat 500L adds a rearview camera as standard and Rear parking sensors are offered as Optional. Other safety features include:

• Airbags
• 4-Wheel ABS
• Brake Assist
• Electronic Stability Control
• Daytime Running Lights
• Child Safety Locks

Fiat 500L Wagon vs. Toyota C-HR

Even though the Toyota C-HR gets a bigger engine, the lack of turbo disables it to generate substantial power. The 500L manages to produce 16hp and 45-pound feet of more torque than the C-HR, the C-HR also comes in at a whopping 3 second late in the 0-60mph drag. Better Head and shoulder room availability in the front row make it easier for tall riders to get comfortable in the 500L hence it is the better choice of the two.

Fiat 500L Wagon vs. Mazda CX-3

The Mazda CX-3 has a very minimalistic and simple interior design as compared to the Italian style 500L interior. Furthermore, the feature list in the Mazda is very limited as opposed to the 500L which comes loaded with features. The infotainment unit on the Mazda is quite off and lacks some important features.

The 500L has a decent Uconnect 4.0 infotainment system with a 7.0-inch full touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The CX-3 also offers a small cargo hold for a car designed for a practical audience of only 12.4 cubic feet whereas the 500L can hold almost double i.e. 22.4 cubic feet.

If you are a fan of the Italian design and want a more matured version of the Fiat 500 city car with excellent outward visibility, and large cargo space with adequate features, the 500L will be a good choice. Plus, it's light on the wallet. However, if looks do not impress you, you can spend more and get some better products that will easily address the primary shortcomings of the Fiat 500L like unimpressive fuel economy, underpowered engine, unengaging handling, and questionable build quality.