General Fiat 500 Lounge MHEV on order

[Portd018]

So I found this site whilst trying to make my decision on what car to order. I've just gotten a new job that comes with a company car and decided to replace my 64 plate Mini Cooper D with something newer. It also swung it for me that I would end up not paying for upkeep.

I originally looked for something medium sized and in diesel guise, as I'll be doing a ton of miles around the North East. Before lockdown I decided to test drive a Vauxhall Astra Sports tourer and a Fiat Tipo Station wagon - both didn't cost much company car tax. I'll fast forward to my visit to the Fiat dealer and I instantly didn't like the Tipo's interior trim, it just felt really dated to me. The girl I was dealing with saw me looking at a 500 and asked if I wanted to take one out. I said that it would be pointless as I was looking for something comfortable to get me here, there and everywhere. She confidently told me to take one out for an hour or so and see what I think.

So I went out in a Passadoble red 500 Lounge and from the moment of starting it up I loved it. I loved how easy it was to drive, the Mini has always seemed heavy and with poor visibility. I drove all over for well over an hour as I got stuck in traffic, I took on a motorway, country lane and normal urban streets and I have to say I was really shocked at how comfortable the car was. Especially after reading the reviews on the 500.

Fast forward to last night and after a trip to the shops (for essentials ) I spotted a 500 in my rear view mirror and I loved how the headlights and DRL's looked at night. When I got home I decided to place my order.

I've went for a Lounge MHEV in groove metal grey, with the ivory ambiance. But I'm thinking with the grey dash to get this swapped to black. Though I love the white steering wheel.

What do you think I should do? Go with the Ivory or the black ambiance?

Currently my car is expected on the 25/04/2021, so a bit of a wait, but if anyone has any info to send, or experience to share I'd love to have a read and get to know you all.

 

[Al D]

Welcome. Dark interior maybe. Should be quiet motorway car and got cruise control. Round town hybrid bit works well, Goudrons explained it to me, forgotten most of it. Could you get 40+ mpg, I'd say so. 9k mile oil changes, should be faultless. Enjoy.

 

[Johnbee]

Welcome. Nice choice of 500 and great colour too.

Personally I opted for the black ambience as I found the ivory interior a bit too bright and light.

 

[Portd018]

Welcome. Dark interior maybe. Should be quiet motorway car and got cruise control. Round town hybrid bit works well, Goudrons explained it to me, forgotten most of it. Could you get 40+ mpg, I'd say so. 9k mile oil changes, should be faultless. Enjoy.

Thanks for the info, I'm hoping it'll be canny economical like

 

[Portd018]

I'm thinking this is a S or a Sport? Love the blue mind! Looks lush

 

[Johnbee]

I'm thinking this is a S or a Sport? Love the blue mind! Looks lush

Well spotted. It is an S - in electronica blue. I wanted the dark ambience, grey dash and also really loved this hue of blue.[emoji3]

 

[Portd018]

Really really nice. I really like the darker handles.

An update on mine - the company car team called me to urge me to rethink my choice of ivory ambience, with being out and about so much they said they've seen the interiors become discoloured. So I changed the black ambience and also decided to go with my original selection and changed to a pasadoble red version!

They've said they are gonna try and fastrack the order, so hopefully I'll have her home soon!

 

[Johnbee]

Really really nice. I really like the darker handles.

An update on mine - the company car team called me to urge me to rethink my choice of ivory ambience, with being out and about so much they said they've seen the interiors become discoloured. So I changed the black ambience and also decided to go with my original selection and changed to a pasadoble red version!

They've said they are gonna try and fastrack the order, so hopefully I'll have her home soon!

Thanks.

I think you’ll be happier with the darker ambience and the red is also a fantastic colour. [emoji1360]

 

[Ralf S.]

Killjoys...!

Ivory ambience doesn't discolour drastically unless you work on an oil rig and aren't washing your hands. The Younger Mrs S. has the ivory and if you look under the console you can see that it is indeed now slightly yellow compared to when it was new.. but the beast is coming up to 8 years old and has been parked outdoors all its life, so it's not exactly severe.

Still.. red and black is classic 500 colours, so it'll be nice. I hope it arrives sooner than April though...

Ralf S.

 

[Portd018]

I've rang them everyday since to try and sweet talk them, good news is that they are gonna fast track it for me, bad news is that they can't say exactly how long it's gonna take.

My only worry now is that looking at 2020 500's there seems to be a load less chrome on the Lounges then on the older models. Especially the windows and the rear bumpers, but when I look at the spec of the car it states I get the chrome pack?

If anybody knows either way, it would be great?

 

[Al D]

Suspect now less chrome and no fixed panoramic roof to save money. As your only "extra" the colour always a chance they could build a car with dark interior anyway in different colour you could be collecting in 4 weeks. Which was case with one of my Pandas. At other times, been supply problems. In theory if could find unregistered car advertised that someone has in their compound your fleet team could buy it for you. Save building one.

 

[Portd018]

I took your advice and called them today, asked if they could just get me an unregistered car in any colour. They told me that because my car was made to a very specific specification that it had to be built. So still looking to be April

 

[Ralf S.]

No need to rush it.. you'll get the car you want and it'll be registered on a new plate (21 or 71, whichever it is.. )

And.. if there's a car in stock already, chances are it was built in October/November, so it could be a Scorpio, and Scorpios are right proper moody... A nice easy going Aquarius is what you want..


Ralf S.