2014 Fiat 500l & Dave Sanson of Fiat of Olathe
Now go drive a new Fiat 500L which have landed and are in stock at Fiat of Olathe near 119th and I-35. You’ll be shocked, I certainly was.
I was expecting something akin to a Mini Cooper Clubman – the somewhat elongated but still a mini Mini – another cute-mobile, from the folks who brought you JLo, Charlie Sheen and Pitbull.
No effing way!
The new 500L is more than 7 inches longer than the Clubman, 4 inches wider and more than 9 inches taller – that’s huge. It’s even bigger than the Mini Cooper Countryman, noticeably bigger.
What’s more it has the same engine that propels the snarly Fiat Abarth, minus its gnarly exhaust growl. In short, this is the Fiat 500 for those of you who were drawn to the standard issue Fiat 500 because of its European style, great gas mileage and affordable price tag, but thought the better of it because it was too small, too impractical or too gay.
You can forget about those perceived deficiencies with the 500L.
It’s he-man sized, as practical as any small SUV on the market and loaded to the gills with style and function while sporting above average gas mileage and a price families and hipsters alike can afford.
What to expect when you lay eyes on a 500L in real life?
“They’re like a bus,” says Fiat of Olathe main man David Sanson. “I drove one home last night and it was like a bus.”
There’s more.
“I’ll tell you what I love is the headroom and legroom and how easy it is to move into the backseat,” Sanson continues. “I also like the power that it has to get up and scat, and it handles really well. It handles like a sports car, and it’s got more standard equipment for the money than most of its competitors, including a free $1,700 package that has a 6.5 inch touchscreen monitor with GPS navigation, a rear backup camera and park assist.”
Dr. Bose
The other thing small SUV shoppers will notice; the 500L’s Italian styling and panache and its bargain price.
“It has some unique European style in it and a lot of very well thought out nooks and crannies,” Sanson adds. “It’s really been well thought out from front to back.”
Now you can check one out up close and personal.
Get that checkbook ready Hearne.
For the rest of us realize what this is- AN ITALIAN FIAT.
That is all you need to know if you have a shred of mechanical knowledge.
We used to buy boots from an Italian company. They went on strike but never missed a day’s work.
The simply made left boots for the two-year-long strike.
That Fiat products outshine Chrysler/Dodge is really not surprising.
Still smile thinking of all those 500s coming out of the Yugo plant.
That is a great story if it is true Orphan.
It was Sidi, they made ski and motocross boots.
Ducati motorcycles were hand built, beautiful engineering and real works of art.
When my friend went to put in new valves, each valve had to be hand-finished to fit the machine.
Ducati and Fiat is like comparing a turd to a perfectly grilled prime T-bone steak.
No checkbook this time out, I’m keeping it in my pants.
But the Fiats of today are just about as problem free and any car. There’s no fix it again Tony today
Oh come on you are rich so get one.
Ugly cars don’t sell. That’s an ugly car.
It looks a lot better in person
Metrosexuals must be dancing in the streets. The rest of us will continue to ignore that ugly looking thing. “They’re like a bus!” is supposed to be a good thing?
Yeah, ‘Drives like a bus’, is that meant to want us to buy it or scare people away?
If I wanted something that drove like a bus I would buy a bus, not a crappy Fiat, that’s for sure.
He was talking about the capacity, not the way it drives. Remember the part about it being fast and handling like a sports car?
But trust me, if you’d been living in a regular 500 for the last two years and got in one of these babies, you’d feel like you had hijacked a Greyhound by comparison, too!
Hearne, if I found myself living in a 500 for a week I would have taken the bullet train before Monday.
Hearne –
This is how a medium sized market does a festival right.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/black-keys-end-tour-with-potent-forecastle-set-20130715
“Snarly”???
I went to Framingham Mass back in the day to meet Dr. Bose.
It was like the land of the body snatchers up there. Very cultish.
Yeah, like the word “snarly” – “to growl threateningly or viciously”
Have you ever heard the standard Fiat Abarth exhaust note? Totally snarly!
Maybe I was expecting a full “Throaty Roar”.
Can ya put Glass Packs on that baby?
🙂
Who needs a rear backup camera on something only four feet long?
Hey chuck for these little cars they have those mufflers we call fart pipes for that extra Throaty Roar
Very nice, I am sure it sounds great!
🙂
Four feet long, huh?
You’re only off by more than 10 feet!
You guys, why don’t you just admit that you’re on your way out their to take a test drive and be done with it. It won’t kill you to act like me once in a while. Better, arguably, than trying to emulate the Scribe…safer too.
Oh I was just teasing you. I have looked at these smaller cars and can’t decide what I want to do. I sure as hell want to have something that gives me better milege but I as well have to justify the extra car costs in being a multi car owner in a single person household. In short getting one to save some on gas in the end might cost me more per month then if I didn’t have one. As well I gave up the looking cool junk about 10 years ago when it comes to cars,. Sure be nice to have a cool ride but that as well is and can be a silly waste of money.
Pingback: FIAT PALIO 2013
The automotive version of a jumbo shrimp.
2012’s answer to the Yugo.
Hardly.
I’ve owned three so far and they’ve been all but bulletproof, got great mileage and are built like bricks…little bricks.
Does the slushbox automatic make it easier for road bocchino?
Nope, I got the manual tranny
What is next, a Smart Car SUV?
Doubt it, the smartfortwo is the biggest automotive bomb to hit these shores since the Yugo.
Not because of the quality, rather because of its limitations, nerdy styling and you can get similar mileage with two more seats and a trunk for near the same money.
It would be history in this country by now except for the fact that mercedes took it over and is keeping it because it enables them to meet the CAFE
The idea wasn’t bad, but it is hampered with a horrible drivetrain. Put a decent, up to date direct injected version of it’s engine and a good manual or CVT automatic and you could probably get 10 more mpg., more performance, and not require premium fuel like it does now.
All joking aside, I’m not saying the 500 is a bad car. I just find that taking a tiny car and making a jumbo version of it slightly amusing.
I see your point but…
While it looks kinda the same in front and some other places, it’s on a whole different platform. There’s no baby Fiat frame underneath that “bus” body