what car Alfa Romeo Mito or Fiat 500 lounge about £5.5K

Other half wants a new car, looking for something small and not too boring to look at. Any real world experience of either of these?

The 500 is fun and cute. The Mito looks a bit confused and cross eyed to me.

We have a 500 and a mate has a Mito.

They share engines and gearboxes.

We have had zero issues with the 500.

There is much more room inside a Mito.

What else would you like to know?

What would I like to know? What are they like to drive, any potential pitfalls and personal experience?

I’ve got a MiTo 155 TB Veloce (2009model), best car I’ve ever owned, loads of power, leave it in dynamic mode all the time and it still averages 41mpg. Watch out for multiair engines, unless you are religious with oil changed they can fail at much expense to replace. Veloce models have firm suspension and with the 17 inch wheels it’s not the most comfortable ride in the world.
Would I have another one if this one got written off? Absolutely!

I’ll be chipping in my Puma so when I use it I want to enjoy it. Rockhopper sounds like your a fan but it would probably be the standard 1.4.

Our 500 is the 1.4 sport, so normally aspirated and gives 100bhp. It has a six speed box.

Drives really well and is quite quick. Makes me smile every time I drive him.

Only been a passenger in a Mito with the same setup but seemed to ride much better. More controlled without being too harsh.

As above we have had no issues with our 500 and neither have various friends . Even the one Abarth we know of has been fault less.

Thanks Pete

We bought a second hand 1.4 lounge with the 100 hp engine and six speed box for Katie. Lady who had it before us had nearly every extra added to it. Its great fun to drive. Holds the road well but wouldnt want to do any long journeys in it. You can get a bike in the back with the seats down and both wheels off. Abigale will be learning in it next year. Thats when the fun will really start when they have to share it.

The new ford Ka is built at the same factory using the same chasis and looks more refined inside, but i would have either, fantastic little cars

Both are genuinely good, reliable cars. The 500 came top in the ADAC equivalent of the jd power survey for reliability last year.

Issues to watch for on the 500? Leaky rear shocks, tailgate electrical connection (check heated rear windscreen, wiper and number plate light all work), comedy pre voluntary recall exterior door handles. Erm… That’s about it.

It’s for shorter journeys and got the berlingo for bikes etc. Quite positive response’s so far thanks.

My best mate has a 500 pop, he went from a 5-series BMW to it as his commute changed were city parking became an issue, despite being 6’3” he loves it. He said he had done the big car big bill thing for too long. It was one of the very early 500’s and he’s not had any issues with it other than the water pump working itself lose. I’d quite like a 500 despite every blonde Cheshire girl around here now ditching their mini’s and 1 series for a cream or baby blue one. My father in law worked for Alfa and thinks the mito’s aren’t as well made and has seen a few come back and forth to the garage. For me the 500 is all you need in a small car, cheery, cheap, easy to fix & fun.

Wife has a 2010 ford ka. Which is a fiat 500 in disguise.

Fiat engine. Fiat factory build.

It blew its head gasket at 75k miles. The 1.2 FIRE engine. The thermostat housing is made of plastic. Over time it becomes brittle. Housing falls apart. Coolant pours out. Fiat wisely put the coolant temp sensor in the now exposed housing. Air from outside at 70mph rushing past the now exposed sensor gives a nice false reading on the temp gauge until the engine has proper cooked itself.

Speaking to a few people with pandas, 500s and kas etc and to the AA man, this has happened to others.

Just to be aware.

1242 8v fire engine is a totally different unit to the 1368 16v. On the 8v lumps the firewall can go between #1 and #2 cylinders but this rarely results in cooking as it’s just the firewall.

I’ve never, ever known the stats to be an issue & I’ve been working on these engines since the late 80s. Stat housings on the 8v are alloy and bolted to the #4 end. Block water sender is on the back of the engine in the head, behind #4 cylinder and before the stat, exactly where it should be. I smell AA man bovine excreta.

No worries 1 shed, email in profile if you want to ask more questions.

The Cannondale frame has built up in to a great bike by the way.

I guess its time to test drive now. Glad the dale built up well Pete I have just built up a All City macho man disc.