Buying a Fiat 500 - help!

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Considering picking up a Fiat 500 for the other half, and have a couple of questions re. purchasing.

I've been offered the following :

500 1.2 Lounge - £9500 - Pay £950 then 36 x £153, with an option of final payment of £463 to keep the car.

Or, trade in the current car and put some cash to it that it sitting earning next to no interest and :

Pay 4k on a credit card, then shift it onto a 0% balance transfer, trying to get it paid off within 12 months.


Only issue I can see is, that I don't think we'll want to keep it for any longer than three years, and would sell on anyway. Will a PCP type option suit in this instance?
 
That's a hell of a lot of money for very little car. But if you must, use a credit card and pay the balance on that. At least the APR will not be as high. What car are you considering PX?
 
For that kind of money you could get a far better car IMO.

Im generaly biast away from fiat, my girl has a 03 punto and i just think fiats no so good, but then again its all personal likes and dislikes
 
Yep, I know its a small car/small engine, but it's what she wants. Theres already one big engined, fast car that can be used whenever necessary!
 
I'm not wanting to steer the thread off course but what other alternatives have you considered? Because the above extras you just pointed out come more or less standard on most cars anyway. Barring the bluetooth which can be had as an external unit for £50 or integrated into a head unit which will cost £200. And the glass roof, which again, can be thought of as a sunroof.
Have you considered a Fiesta. The mark before the new one that has just come out? It's arguably better for cheaper.
 
Ricochet J said:
I'm not wanting to steer the thread off course but what other alternatives have you considered? Because the above extras you just pointed out come more or less standard on most cars anyway. Barring the bluetooth which can be had as an external unit for £50 or integrated into a head unit which will cost £200. And the glass roof, which again, can be thought of as a sunroof.
Have you considered a Fiesta. The mark before the new one that has just come out? It's arguably better for cheaper.
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Yep the new Fiesta is a good car, but it's out for looks reasons I'm afraid. (Don't ask me!).
 
I was referring to the version before the new one that has just come out.
Understandably the aesthetics of a new car must be considered. But why are you buying new if you don't mind me asking? You'll loose a juicy portion of the value as soon as soon as you sign on the dotted line. Depreciation can't be helped, but the effects of it can be reduced. But what doesn't help is the Fiat 500 is a bad car in my opinion.

But, just to reiterate my first post, credit card is probably your best option.
 
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Ricochet J said:
I was referring to the version before the new one that has just come out.
Understandably the aesthetics of a new car must be considered. But why are you buying new if you don't mind me asking?

But, just to reiterate my first post, credit card is probably your best option.
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Was considering buying new as there are few second hand models on the market at present, and the ones that are are a marginal saving for even year old examples!
 
PCP is not a good move here. My parents had a look at these before mum bought a second hand smart (don't ask) and the buy back after three years was stupidly low! Was something around the 3.5-4k mark. Fiat arn't expecting them to hold value for whatever reason...
 
Hxc said:
PCP is not a good move here. My parents had a look at these before mum bought a second hand smart (don't ask) and the buy back after three years was stupidly low! Was something around the 3.5-4k mark. Fiat arn't expecting them to hold value for whatever reason...
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From what I can see on other PCP type deals, this is actually one of the better examples - the "buy back" as you put it, is nearly 50% of the original purchase price after three years..
 
my mum was fancying a fiat 500, we went to look at one and it's such a flimsy piece of crap! Felt like you could punch through the door...

get something she won't die in if she crashes :D
 
Ricochet J said:
But what doesn't help is the Fiat 500 is a bad car.
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Uh....no. No, it isn't. It's debatable whether it's worth over 9 grand, but it isn't a bad car by any possible definition of the term.

***edit***

Toker said:
my mum was fancying a fiat 500, we went to look at one and it's such a flimsy piece of crap! Felt like you could punch through the door...

get something she won't die in if she crashes :D
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I just went outside and tapped on various bits of the bodywork and interior on Mums 500. Doesn't feel at all flimsy to me.
 
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Ricochet J said:
I'll add "in my opinion" to the end of the sentance you just quoted! :)
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So, "in your opinion" what makes the 500 a bad car? I'm genuinely interested, as most people quite like them and Mum has loved hers since buying it last year.

As far as I can tell, the only things that aren't great about it are rear visibility (the price you pay for the car looking the way it does I guess) and the dent in practicality that it took from its Panda roots.
 
JRS said:
I just went outside and tapped on various bits of the bodywork and interior on Mums 500. Doesn't feel at all flimsy to me.
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Tapping tells you if it's flimsy? Are you the incredible hulk?

Closing the doors felt like closing the doors on a fisher price little red car and the bodywork could flex easily

The new fiesta zetec-s she also looked at even felt like a solid tank compared to it, and it's a ford!
 
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