The 2023 Fiat 500X is a decent all-around performer thanks to a spunky turbocharged engine and standard all-wheel drive. While the idea of going Italian sounds fun and a little romantic, it'll also cost more than a few lira, which is where the 500X loses some of its appeal.
Until the updated 500e all-electric hatchback arrives next year, the 2023 Fiat 500X is the only model in the Italian brand's lineup. It's an extra-small crossover SUV that boasts a strong turbocharged engine and standard all-wheel drive. Unfortunately, that's about where the 500X's upside ends. It's a bit tight inside, and many of the technology features would benefit from an update.
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AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: No
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
26 Combined MPG (24 City/30 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: ZFBNF3B15NP962145 Stock: 26948834 Certified Pre-Owned: No
CarMax values transparency and wants you to love your next car, not settle on it. Certain vehicles may have unrepaired safety recalls. Check nhtsa.gov...
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: No
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
26 Combined MPG (24 City/30 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: ZFBNF3B10NP980102 Stock: 27855224 Certified Pre-Owned: No
These issues are especially acute when compared to contemporaries like the Chevrolet Trailblazer, Mazda CX-30 and Volkswagen Taos. They come with more features, offer more space and generally drive better. We suggest scoping out the competition before settling on the 500X, but if its fashion-forward interior and exterior design call to you then check out our test team's Expert Rating below for a full breakdown.
We drove the 2023 FIAT 500X on our test track and on real roads. Our Edmunds team conducts rigorous independent vehicle testing, driving 500,000 miles a year.
Performance
7.5/10
How does the 500X drive? The turbocharged four-cylinder engine works pretty well despite its small size. In Edmunds' testing, our all-wheel-drive 500X test car covered 0-60 mph in 8.9 seconds, which is reasonably quick for a subcompact SUV. In typical daily driving, the automatic transmission shifts quickly and makes the most of the engine's low-rpm power.
While Fiat touts the 500X as sporty, we found the 500X's handling to be only average for the class. It leans quite a bit when going around turns, and tire grip is mediocre. If you want a fun-to-drive SUV, you'll have to look elsewhere.
Comfort
7/10
How comfortable is the 500X? The 500X's greatest strength is its ride comfort. It's quite smooth for a small SUV. The front seats also have a nice combination of support and comfort. We found the rear seatbacks to be a little upright and the cushions a bit on the firm side.
The climate control system is easy to use, but it can struggle to keep you cool on hotter days. And although the 500X's cabin is decently isolated against outside noise, the car's various technology features make so many interior beeps, bongs, clicks and warning alarms that they destroy any serenity in the cabin.
Interior
7.5/10
How’s the interior? We like how easy it is to get in and out of the 500X's cabin. The generous door openings allow you to slip in and out with minimal effort. The tall windows and smartly placed sideview mirrors make for great outward visibility too. The cabin is roomy up front, but the rear seat, like others in the class, will be tight for people over 6 feet tall.
The 500X's main controls are easy to figure out. The configurable infotainment system is a bit slow to respond but fairly straightforward to use. Our only frustration was having to deep-dive into the touchscreen menus every time we wanted to shut off some of the annoyingly oversensitive driver aids.
Technology
7/10
How’s the tech? The 500X's 7-inch infotainment touchscreen feels tiny and cheap even by subcompact vehicle standards. All the functionality is there, but its size may be challenging for those without razor-sharp eyesight. Our test car's upgraded audio system lacked bass and general low-end punch, which makes some music sound pretty thin.
The good news: The 500X provides three USB ports (more than competitors) to split among your charge-hungry passengers. There's also standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. There's a wealth of advanced driving aids, some of which are overly sensitive. And the warning sounds for some incidents are often more startling than beneficial.
Storage
7/10
How’s the storage? By the numbers, the 500X's trunk is average (14.1 cubic feet behind the rear seats) but it's enough for grocery bags and the like. You can fit bigger items by folding down the rear seats. Storage for personal items within the cabin is much better by comparison. The door pockets can accommodate slightly larger than average water bottles, and a dual-tier glovebox makes good use of the front-dash real estate.
On the child safety seat front, installing a rear-facing seat will be a tight squeeze behind the front seats. There's just not a whole lot of room. The car seat anchors are easy to locate at least.
Fuel Economy
7.5/10
How’s the fuel economy? The 500X's EPA-estimated fuel economy is 26 mpg combined, which slightly falls behind much of its competition. That said, our test 500X returned a promising 29.2 mpg on our 115-mile evaluation route, which could indicate that the EPA's estimate is realistic for real-world driving.
Value
7/10
Is the 500X a good value? The interior of the 500X earns style points. Soft-touch materials abound throughout the cabin, and the matching body-color panels look cool even if they're just thin plastic. But the biggest letdowns are this mini-ute's high price and charmless accessory sounds. Changing those would go a long way to elevate the feel of this car. Fiat's comprehensive and powertrain warranties run for four years/50,000 miles, which are better on the bumper-to-bumper side than some but not as good as others on the powertrain side.
Wildcard
8/10
The 500X has personality if nothing else. There are some nice Italian touches inside and out, and they help the little Fiat stand out in a sea of other tiny SUVs. And while it may not actually be as fun to drive as Fiat purports, it at least makes you look like you're someone who likes to have fun. That's kind of the point here.
2023 FIAT 500X trim level differences
For 2023, the 500X comes in two trim levels: Pop and Sport. A turbocharged 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 177 horsepower and 210 lb-ft of torque is the only engine available across the lineup. It's connected to a nine-speed automatic transmission that sends power to a standard all-wheel-drive system. Feature highlights include:
Which 500X trim does Edmunds recommend?
With the midlevel Trekking model discontinued, we suggest going with the base Pop trim. It comes with a good assortment of standard features, and you can upgrade it with creature comforts normally reserved for the Sport by selecting the Comfort Group for not much more. If you want adaptive cruise control, however, the only way to get it is by springing for the top Sport model with the Technology Group package.
RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.
2018 FIAT 500X Urbana Edition 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl 9A)
What I love. Well just look at the car! So stylish. I had been driving a 2013 Subaru Crosstrek. I love that this is even a little more compact and that there are so few on the road. Performance probably not as good. Subaru AWD can't be beat, and the Subaru flat 4 has a lower center of gravity. Ground clearance on the 500X is same as Crosstrek, very good. Seats ride higher on the 500X … even though the heights of the vehicles are the same, so better road visibility. 5'11" or taller is a problem in the back if you have the moonroof. Acceleration is about the same (Fiat has more HP but more weight). Gas mileage (25 combined) is one less than the Crosstrek. Cabin noise is much better in the 500X. Rear visibility better in the 500X (I had to remove the rear headrests in the Crosstrek). Professional reviews complain about the 9-speed struggling to find the right gear, I haven't noticed a thing. Most importantly, did I mention how hot this thing is? Ow! Love it! (Cons: no cargo cover (though it's only a small gap between the back seats and the trunk), auto dim mirror on top model only, limited Fiat accessories, gas mileage should be better.)
Fantastico!
5 out of 5 stars
Terry M, 05/23/2019
2019 FIAT 500X Trekking 4dr SUV AWD (1.3L 4cyl Turbo 9A)
Rented a Fiat 500X for a two week vacation in Europe and was awed by its performance. My wife and I were also impressed with the automobile's comfort, maneuverability, peppiness and display gadgets such as "driver assist" which posted the speed limit on rural roads along with many other features. I am not sure what are mpg was using diesel fuel, but the car's consumption seemed average … for an automatic transmission. My American preconceived perception of Fiat has totally changed..I am impressed.
If you are tired of the same old same old....
5 out of 5 stars
Robert DiGia, 06/26/2017
2017 FIAT 500X Pop 4dr SUV (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
I have owned over 65 vehicle in my lifetime, and this 500X hits a sweet spot between form and function. It has that either love it or hate it styling ..which I love...the driving experience with the manual 6 speed and turbo 1.4 gives that sense of control and feel for the road that seems missing in most of the made for the masses CUV's out there...its refreshing to be engaged with the … driving experience instead being a slave to the computer controlled automatic transmissions that make a mad dash for the highest ratio gearing no matter what speed you are driving. I guess I am one of the 4% ers that still like to row their own gears in this style of vehicle. The great part of this vehicle is that it has a 4 year/50K bumper to bumper warranty for a car that is priced with incentives at $15K . Add to that fact, that the car is well executed in its fit and finish with better quality materials than what would be found on higher grade trim levels from other manufacturers you can drive away from the dealership confident that you are not feeling car poor and still are driving a car that might arouse some envy from onlookers. ......time will tell if the thrill of commanding a fun to drive stylish CUV will fade, but I suspect given the choice of driving my RAV4 limited or the 500X in my driveway I will grab the keys to the FIAT....she is just so much more fun!
I have had the car a year now.... still love driving it. The 4cyl Turbo with the 6 speed is in my opinion the better of the two drivetrains. Unfortunately a buyer cannot option the AWD system with this drivetrain arrangement. FIAT only offers a 4wd with their Jeep Renegade that uses the same platform as the 500x with the turbo and manual setup. I knew that when I bought the car and looked at the Jeep... but the suspension tuning and styling pushed me to the 500x ... I have an AWD vehicle so it wasn’t a big deal to forego the option in the FIAT... so far very pleased... lots of compliments on the car from onlookers at gas stations and parking lots...
Impressive SUV! Worth every penny.
5 out of 5 stars
Shawn J, 03/04/2017
2017 FIAT 500X Trekking 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl 9A)
I moved into the 500x Trekking AWD from my 2013 FIAT Abarth. I really really liked my Abarth but absolutely love my new 500x! I have some physical disabilities and the Abarth was while very fun to drive also hard for me to drive and was starting to find that people just do not see you in that small of a vehicle. Looking for comfort, and size over the Abarth and the high quality of a … precision Italian SUV boy did I find it! The new interior of the 500x Trekking is amazing and the technology in the features blew me away! It may take me a month to learn how to use everything this SUV has to offer. Styling is great and the optional 18" wheel package and AWD I got adds even more tremendous styling. Acceleration is so so but then again I'm coming from the Abarth. Fuel economy is also not real fantastic but still pretty reasonable. Overall I have zero complaints on this SUV. The one serious recommendation I have though is, get either the Trekking AWD or Lounge AWD model. I test drove the Pop and Easy FWD models and they do not even compare. All the bells and whistles with the two higher models are 100% worth it!
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2023 FIAT 500X, so we've included reviews for other years of the 500X since its last redesign.
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