I drove a $33,000 Fiat 500X and the subcompact SUV was extremely disappointing (FCAU)

Matthew DeBord

October 17, 2019 3:26 PM

Matthew DeBord/Business Insider

Hello, Fiat 500X! My tester tipped the price scale at $32,755, well up from the base sticker of $25,995. The color? A handsome "Grigio Moda" ("Graphite Grey Metallic").

I tested a 2019 Fiat 500X, a $32,755 subcompact crossover SUV that's made in Italy and shares a platform with the Jeep Renegade.
My Fiat 500X tester started at $25,995, but options took up the price by thousands of dollars.
The vehicle had a 177-horsepower, turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a nine-speed automatic transmission that didn't get along well.
The ride was uncomfortable, and the SUV was a chore to drive.
The Uconnect infotainment system, however, was excellent, although the 500X's screen is rather small.
I was disappointed with the Fiat 500X, which has far too many flaws and few redeeming qualities.
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The Fiat 500 is a nameplate that dates back to the 1950s. The plucky original put the Italian car industry back in business after Word War II.

An updated 500 came to the US after the financial crisis, reestablishing the brand. Fiat, a division of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, then added models, including the 500L, an SUV; the Abarth performance trim of the 500 coup; a 500C convertible; and a 500e all-electric vehicle.

The original 500 and 500C are leaving the US market amid poor sales and a pretty bad reliability record. But other vehicles are sticking around, and for the 2019 model year, the 500X received an update.

The 500X shares a platform with the Jeep Renegade, a vehicle I had sort of liked when I reviewed it, so I was looking forward to the 500X.

Read on to learn what automotive disappointment feels like.

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