Drive Notes: 2024 Fiat 500e Inspired By Beauty

Two drive notes for the price of one this week. Next up: A 2024 Fiat 500e Inspired by Beauty

This EV has a 42 kWh capacity battery and just 117 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque. I believe it's the first time I've driven a 500e -- and not only that, but I was faced with a road trip of about 150 miles. The range, according to the spec sheet, is "up to 149 miles." Tugs collar.

I made it -- more on that below. What else did I think of this 500?

Pros

• Though the horsepower and torque numbers are low, this is a small, lightweight car with the instant torque that accompanies most EVs. Therefore it actually has a decent amount of punch for around-town driving and freeway passing -- more than you'd think.
• It handles pretty well, and it's not tippy.
• The freeway ride is acceptable.
• I had plenty of headroom upfront and the seats were comfortable.
• It's a quiet car most of the time, but there's some general highway noise above 65-70 mph.
• The rear storage/cargo area isn't big, but it did manage to just barely accommodate a large suitcase.
• It would be easy to dismiss a very compact EV, especially in the paint color shown, as a little "putt-putt" machine, but the overall experience was more pleasant than not.

Cons

• That low range really does induce anxiety. At least I had no trouble charging. One session got me from around 20 percent to 87 percent in 26 minutes, another from a similar percentage to 91 in about 30 minutes. I did, however, have to stop for that first charge about halfway home on my road trip. I would not have made it without stopping.
• I could not get in the back seat when trying to enter from behind the driver seat. I was able to get in the rear via the passenger seat, but exiting was awkward as heck.
• I suspect using the drive modes to increase range decreased the energy expended by the A/C...it was struggling to cool off a small car. I am checking to see if this is the case.
• The infotainment screen is unsurprisingly small.
• Driving something this small is intimidating when big-rigs pass you on the freeway.

Pricing, for the curious, was around $37,600. I am working on sourcing a Monroney, but a quick perusal of the configurator shows that before D and D, you'd pay $37,595 for a car equipped as mine was. The only option appears to be summer tires at no cost. All-seasons are standard.

I go back and forth on the 500e's electric powertrain. On the one hand, the near-instant torque of an electric motor works in concert with the relatively lightweight to help you move quickly. On the other hand, the range isn't great, and I am not sure it can be made better on a car this size -- larger batteries require more space. Also, this car isn't that light at almost 3,000 pounds.

The rose gold paint that this trim comes with isn't my cup of tea, but that's subjective and I won't judge those who like it -- though I wish there was a choice (I like 500s in red, that's always been a good color on this Fiat).

It's been a few years since I drove a 500, and the experience remains mostly the same, good and bad. Going electric adds some verve but also some anxiety if you need to drive long distances. This is truly a city car for those who can charge every day or every other day -- it is, of course, easy to park.

Fiat is bringing some version of the ICE back to the 500. Until then, the 500e is something that will work well for a specific use case.

[Image © 2024 Tim Healey/TTAC.com]

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