Fiat 500 Fiat 500 2012

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Fiat 500 Specs at TrueDelta: Powertrains and tires by trim level (2012)

How powerful is the engine? How much room is in the back seat? Get the 2012 Fiat 500 specs.

2012 Fiat 500 Specs - Exterior and Interior Dimensions

Body 2dr Hatch 2dr Convertible
Wheelbase 90.6 in 90.6 in
Length 139.6 in 139.6 in
Width 64.1 in 64.1 in
Height 59.8 in 59.8 in
Curb Weight 2434 lb. 2434 lb.
Fuel Capacity 10.5 gal. 10.5 gal.
Headroom, Row 1 38.9 in 38.9 in
Shoulder Room, Row 1 49.4 in 49.4 in
Hip Room, Row 1 47.9 in 47.9 in
Legroom, Row 1 40.7 in 40.7 in
Headroom, Row 2 35.6 in 35.6 in
Shoulder Room, Row 2 46.4 in 46.4 in
Hip Room, Row 2 42.6 in 42.6 in
Legroom, Row 2 31.7 in 31.7 in
Total Legroom 72.4 in (over 2 rows) 72.4 in (over 2 rows)
Cargo Volume, Minimum 9.5 ft3 9.5 ft3
Cargo Volume, Maximum 30.1 ft3 30.1 ft3

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TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2012 Fiat 500

2012 Fiat 500 Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
YearComment
2012 Few seats fit everyone well. For me, the "sport seats" in the Abarth were short on both lateral and lower back support. The seatback reclines in steps, and none of the detents was quite right. Try to relax, and you'll find that the headrests are hard and uncomfortably shaped. see full Fiat 500 review
 

What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2012 Fiat 500

2012 Fiat 500 Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
YearBody/PowertrainComment
2013 2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4
5-speed manual FWD
I like to drive small cars, but I am a large man. (6'3" and about 290lbs.) I love the seating position of the Fiat, as it sits higher, so I don't have to bend down as far to get in, as on the Mini Cooper or the Miatas I used to drive. The driving position is more upright, which I find more comfortable as well. The base model (Pop) seats are comfortable, though I would like to have the leather seats of the "Lounge" model. Ride quality is very good. There is no harshness and I easily rate it better than the Honda Civic I traded for it (2006) and many other, larger cars I drove. It is also one of the quieter cars I've owned. see full Fiat 500 review
2013 2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4
6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
Front seat very nice for money.. see full Fiat 500 review
2012 2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4
6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
Great room in front seat, and I'm tall at 6 feet. There are still enough inches above my head to wear a hat. I think the comfortable adjustable seats could accomodate anyone. I bought the cloth seats and I prefer them to the leather seats in my other see full Fiat 500 review
2012 2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4
5-speed manual FWD
Really comfortable driver's seat, but the armrest is annoying. see full Fiat 500 review
2012 Fiat 500 Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
YearBody/PowertrainComment
2013 2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4
5-speed manual FWD
As previously mentioned, I would not want to use my rear seat on a regular basis. It is tight in back, and I think of it as emergency seating. see full Fiat 500 review
2013 2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4
5-speed manual FWD
Yeah, don't try to ride in the back if you are as big as me. But my kids 8 & 11 fit just fine. My family of 4 has taken the Fiat on several small family trips. I wouldn't drive with them more than a couple of hours each way, as they start to get antsy, but the kids love the car for short trips. see full Fiat 500 review
2013 2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4
6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
Rear seat is what it is..Small but bigger then you think.. I'm 5'9 and there is still leg room behind me..But for any real distance I would think it's better for kids.. This isn't really a "Con" as your buyig a small car for fun and mileage not leg room... You think this is small try a mini-Cooper back seat see full Fiat 500 review
2012 2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4
6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
Rear seat is pretty small, but no smaller than most little cars. The seats do fold down for cargo. see full Fiat 500 review
2012 2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4
5-speed manual FWD
One more thing. Rear seat comfort was obviously not a big selling point, nor a necessary feature. But one piece of it was worse than it had to be: the rear seat headrests. The artful circular shape and limited adjustment made the rear seats even harder to use; the headrest would tend to jab passengers in their spine. A better solution which was more even with the seat back would really have helped here. see full Fiat 500 review
2012 2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4
6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
Forget about the rear seat unless you are carrying around people who really like you, or people with really short legs. There's plenty of room up front, but not so much in the back. I usually leave the seats folded to expand the cargo room. see full Fiat 500 review
2012 2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4
5-speed manual FWD
if you need to regularly have adults sitting in the rear seat this may not be the car for you. the rear seat is fine for kids or even small adults occasionally. see full Fiat 500 review
 

2012 Fiat 500 2-door Hatch Specs - Powertrains and Tire Sizes

Trim Pop Sport Lounge Abarth
Standard Engine 1.4L I4
OHC-4v
101 hp@6500
98 lb-ft@4000
1.4L I4
OHC-4v
101 hp@6500
98 lb-ft@4000
1.4L I4
OHC-4v
101 hp@6500
98 lb-ft@4000
turbocharged
1.4L I4
OHC-4v
160 hp@5500
170 lb-ft@2500
Standard Transmission5-speed manual5-speed manual5-speed manual5-speed manual
Optional Transmission(s)6-speed manually-shiftable automatic6-speed manually-shiftable automatic6-speed manually-shiftable automatic 
Standard DrivetrainFWDFWDFWDFWD
Standard Tires185/55HR15 tires195/45HR16 tires185/55HR15 tires195/45HR16 tires
Optional Tires   205/40WR17 tires

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2012 Fiat 500 2-door Convertible Specs - Powertrains and Tire Sizes

Trim Pop Lounge
Standard Engine 1.4L I4
OHC-4v
101 hp@6500
98 lb-ft@4000
1.4L I4
OHC-4v
101 hp@6500
98 lb-ft@4000
Standard Transmission5-speed manual5-speed manual
Optional Transmission(s)6-speed manually-shiftable automatic6-speed manually-shiftable automatic
Standard DrivetrainFWDFWD
Standard Tires185/55HR15 tires185/55HR15 tires

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TrueDelta Reviews the Powertrain of the 2012 Fiat 500

2012 Fiat 500 Powertrain: Pros
YearComment
2012 I was initially underwhelmed by the Abarth's performance. Then I recalled the "Sport" button largely obscured by the right side of the steering wheel rim. Hit it, and throttle response quickens while another 25 or so horsepower are unleashed, for a total of 160. The difference is dramatic. This is essentially the same engine as in the new Dodge Dart, but with about 800 fewer pounds to tote around (at 2,500) and a much louder exhaust full of unusually raw boom and crackle. This said, even in "Sport" performance remains short of mind-blowing. A MINI Cooper S, with another 21 horsepower up top and considerably more shove down below to handle its additional 140 pounds, gets by with fewer revs in daily driving and also proves a little quicker when both are wound out. see full Fiat 500 review
 

What Our Members Are Saying about the Powertrain of the 2012 Fiat 500

2012 Fiat 500 Powertrain: Pros
YearBody/PowertrainComment
2013 2dr Convertible 101-horsepower 1.4L I4
6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
The standard Pop, Sport, or Easy Fiat 500 all use the same power train; a 1.4 liter of 101hp and 98 of torque. This is perfectly fine with either transmission and I can keep up with normal traffic - but not the macho folks that run hard from one red light to the next. The base engine with the manual gearbox is a fun around town or back roads car! You can run hard and have a lot of fun with it yet not kill yourself easily. The base engine with auto is less fun. It makes the car feel dead and slow, not light and perky. A sad combination in my view. When you factor in the steep hit in fuel economy of the auto, it is not something I would do again! Surprisingly, the auto is faster to sixty than my manual Pop. If you nail your foot to the floor from a stop, the transmission does a great job of running thru the gears at redline without your doing anything. Buy the way, this 500c has seen 105 in fifth of six gears when I ran out of safe, empty road. It will stay with highway traffic at 80mph all day if you want, but if you keep it between 70-75mph it gets a true 40mpg, see full Fiat 500 review
2013 2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4
5-speed manual FWD
With only 101 BHP on tap, the Fiat 500 Sport is not a speed demon. However, there is plenty of power on tap if the manual transmission is driven correctly-on the highway if more power is needed to pass, shift down to 4th gear, pass, and shift back to 5th. I have not driven an automatic transaxle model, so I don't know how that performs. While "only" 101hp, it feels peppier than our old Hyundai Accents, which were more powerful on paper. Most think the 500 may make a great city car, and that is true, but it does extremely well on the highway as well- mine is driven on my daily commute 120 miles a day, and is so much fun that I look forward to my next drive in the 500. see full Fiat 500 review
2013 2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4
5-speed manual FWD
The base model has plenty of power for good drivers. "If you can't go fast with 90hp, 900 won't help you" - Bob Hall, father of the Miata. I have to wonder about people who complain about the power of the base model not being enough are full of crap. It is not a racecar, but I can easily keep ahead of traffic without ever shifting above 4500. I usually shift below 3500 and stay ahead of traffic. Never had any trouble merging traffic, either. Yes, an Abarth or Turbo might be more fun at times, but there is nothing wrong with the base model's power. see full Fiat 500 review
2013 2dr Hatch turbocharged 160hp 1.4L I4
5-speed manual FWD
Love, love, love the sound of the 1.4 L turbo engine. The factory exhaust makes me grin every time I drive the car. It can seem a bit noisy when starting up in the morning (don't annoy the neighbors) but every drive to the store is an event in this car. The engine is torquey, smooth, and plenty powerful for anything I have thrown at it, including some agressive mountain road driving. see full Fiat 500 review
2013 2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4
6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
Good performance, not a rocket ship but enough to be called zippy see full Fiat 500 review
2012 2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4
5-speed manual FWD
The 1.4 liter motor in the base model is adequate for street legal driving. With the manual transmission, I can 'hot-rod' the little motor if I want to feel fast. The 'sport' button tightens up the suspension and increases throttle response for a sportier ride... and it works. Mash the sport button and you feel a noticable increase in acceleration and the steering 'tightens' up. Its all I need to remind myself that I'm in a 'hot little Italian car". The turbo 1.4 is quite a lot quicker, much more torque and horsepower... but for everyday driving, you'll never need it. see full Fiat 500 review
2012 Fiat 500 Powertrain: Cons
YearBody/PowertrainComment
2013 2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4
6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
Wouldn't mind a update on the basic engine with a little more horse power see full Fiat 500 review
2012 2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4
6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
It drives 'slowly' when new. As time goes by the engine loosens up and when you get accustomed to it's horsepower you can really make it fly. It winds up like a spring, all of the sudden you take off like a slingshot. It's a high-revving see full Fiat 500 review
2012 2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4
5-speed manual FWD
101HP is enough for this car...it really is. But for the price the new 500T should be the standard not the option. If this car had 120HP stock let's say in Sport configuration, it'd be perfect. see full Fiat 500 review
 

What Our Members Are Saying about the Tires of the 2012 Fiat 500

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2012 Fiat 500 MSRP and Invoice Prices

Body Trim Base Price Invoice Destination
2dr Hatch Pop 15,500 14,990 700
2dr Hatch Sport 17,500 16,850 700
2dr Hatch Lounge 18,500 17,780 700
2dr Hatch Abarth 22,000 21,035 700
2dr Convertible Pop 19,500 18,775 700
2dr Convertible Lounge 22,500 21,565 700

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