Fiat is not in a good spot right now in the United States; in fact, its position in this market has never looked more precarious than it does now. The Stellantis-owned Automaker sells all of two vehicles over here currently, and with the 500e and Topolino each being both the size of a matchbox and electric, they haven’t exactly been roaring successes. With no gas-powered 500, no sports cars and no Fiat SUV to speak of, it is no wonder people are looking beyond what is offered new for a slice of the automaker’s European chic.
Fiat hasn’t produced an SUV for a new model year for nearly three years now, with the 500X going out of production in 2023 after an eight-year run as the subcompact crossover cousin to the 500 city car. It remained available to buy new in subsequent years as Fiat sought to get rid of any unsold inventory. The 500X continues to be available used for startlingly low prices, and with no Fiat SUV models making their way over from Europe anytime soon, it is worth checking out whether the 500X is a good buy.
All information about the 500X is sourced directly from the manufacturer, and is correct at the time of writing. Used prices are taken from current values of 500X examples listed on a range of online used marketplaces.
A Background On The Last Fiat Subcompact SUV
2016 Fiat 500X exterior front viewStellantis
The 500X arrived in 2015, some time after the modern interpretation of the old fiat Cinquecento arrived in the 2000s but well in time for the start of the SUV and crossover craze that has swept the automotive landscape. It may have ‘500’ as part of the name, but rather like the 500L people carrier, it was not really a 500 underneath, as in order to be at least the size of a crossover, it couldn’t use the same Fiat Mini platform that underpinned both the 500 and the Panda.
Instead, it was based on the Fiat Chrysler Automotive platform’s Small Wide 4×4 platform, which was also used by fellow FCA brand Jeep in its Renegade. It does still, of course, have the same cutesy-retro styling the small 500 has, making it arguably one of the most attractive cars in the subcompact SUV segment.
The price started at around $20k when it was first introduced, rising up to just over $30k for a fully loaded top-of-the-line trim by MY2023. Trims the 500X was available with at one point or another included the base Pop, the more upscale Sport, the more Rugged Trekking and Trekking Plus, and the most expensive Lounge and Urbana, as well as the open-top Yacht Club Capri trim.
The 500X only received one meaningful update in its life for the 2019 model year, which replaced the 1.4- and 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines with a new 1.3-liter turbocharged inline-four and introduced all-wheel drive as standard. In terms of styling, it is a game of spot the difference, but the exterior was given a nip-and-tuck with new daytime running lights on the front. For its final model year in 2023, the lineup was cut down to just the Pop and Sport trims. While there are Fiat SUVs like the new 600 being sold in Europe, they are not coming to the US.
Fiat 500X Performance And Practicality: Style Over Substance?
Fiat 500XFiat
The 500X might have gone out of production several years ago, but sales of the new 500e have been so bad that even new 500X examples still left in Fiat’s inventories outsold it in the first quarter of this year. So what is it that has drawn people to the Fiat 500X both during and after its production run?
It is hard to believe that its performance could be the answer, and that’s because it isn’t. It doesn’t matter what engine the 500X is fitted with, be it the pre-update 1.4L or 2.4L four-cylinder motors, or the post-update 1.3-liter twin-air turbo-four, but the 500X will have enough speed for getting around town and not far beyond. The first two engines are sprightly initially but run out of putt early, whereas the 1.3L suffers from turbo lag, making it good for merging but not so good if you need to exploit a gap in slow-moving traffic.
2016 Fiat 500X interior viewStellantis
It would appear then, that it is style that is the biggest unique selling point and the 500X certainly has a lot of it. It’s not just the exterior, but the interior is full of whimsy details, like the body-colored panels on the dash, the large colorful buttons and two-tone hues in the upholstery that gives it the retro-feel many buyers seek. Other positives include the Uconnect infotainment system, which is easy to use, and the handling, which is sportier than other crossovers, especially its Jeep Renegade stablemate.
Fiat 500X Reliability And Maintenance Costs
2016 Fiat 500X exterior front viewStellantis
The Fiat 500X has a mixed reliability history, but mainly because it front-loaded many of its problems and malfunctions early on in its life, and progressively sorted them out later on. The worst year for the 500X was undoubtedly 2016, which saw the greatest number of complaints on the NHTSA, and only a fair rating of 62 out of 100 for quality and reliability based on the initial feedback given to JD Power. The post-2019 years saw far fewer problems and complaints.
TLDR Fiat 500X reliability summary
- JD Power quality and reliability rating: 62/100
- NHTSA complaints: 186
- Recalls: 10
The main issues to look out for if you end up with a 500X, particularly from the first two or three years of production, include the nine-speed automatic transmission unexpectedly shifting into neutral due to wiring and sensor faults, other sensors malfunctioning and producing false faults, as well as overheating issues caused by defective cooling fans. There was a recall to address some of these faults, so it is worth doing a VIN check to see if that has been carried out. The annual maintenance cost is, however, more than that of the Subaru Crosstrek or Kia Soul, which comes to around $3,250 over the first five years.
Pricing: Get This Steal Of A Subcompact SUV While You Still Can
2019 Fiat 500X exterior side viewStellantis
As mentioned already, the typical price that people would have spent on the 500X when new was between $20k and $30k for all but the most expensive versions. Given the 500X’s shortcomings in the subcompact SUV sector, with its rough n’ ready powertrains that didn’t offer much in the way of refinement or performance, and its interior, where you paid for all the cuteness by putting up with a real lack of space, it was a hard sell.
Fortunately, however, on the used market, the 500X is changing hands for far less cash. Even models that are only three or four years old with under 20k miles on the clock are selling, in some cases, for less than 20 grand. And if you are willing to take a punt on a pre-2019 update 500X with slightly higher mileage, you could get your hands on one for ten grand or less. The above price trends graph for the most recent year of the base trim confirms what we have been saying, which is that the value is far lower than the original MSRP, although the bullish nature suggests it might not be a steal for much longer…
Verdict: Is The Fiat 500X SUV A Good Buy?
2019 Fiat 500X interior front driving seat viewStellantis
So, should you buy one? Of course, the price that the 500X is now commanding in the classifieds could potentially make it an ownership proposition that isn’t quite so hard to justify. It is probably worth spending the extra money on a post-2019 update 500X, though, partly because the newer 1.3-liter turbo-four is more efficient, slightly more refined and pulls better at high speeds. That version also benefits from the updated infotainment system, which features modern conveniences like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The bigger upfront cost might also be worth it, considering that the later 500X years generally have fewer reliability issues than the early years.
Conversely, the fundamental issues with the 500X that prevented it from ever being a class leader will still be there no matter what year of production you get and how little you pay. If you want a crossover that has the greatest amount of space for passengers and cargo, as well as the best performance and efficiency for the lowest maintenance costs, the 500X isn’t for you. But it offers a sense of style and fun that almost no other car in the segment does, and knowing this, Fiat marketed it as the “most fun” subcompact SUV, because it was never going to be the best. The difference is that you now no longer have the uncomfortable task of justifying paying premium prices for one, and we really don’t know when or if there will be another Fiat subcompact SUV over here again…
Sources: Fiat, JD Power, NHTSA, RepairPal.
