On a quick trip to New Jersey recently for a car club event, our friends at Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles arranged for us to have a 2016 Fiat 500L Trekking model to drive.
Our trip required negotiating the maze of roads, bridges and urban sprawl that surrounds Newark International Airport to find our way to the lovely suburban roads of bucolic western New Jersey (yes, Californians, “lovely” and “New Jersey” can actually be used in the same sentence). The 500L, introduced by FCA in 2014, was a terrific choice. Metropolitan apartment dwellers who need a good hauler that’s easy to park and a vehicle that can work for occasional escapes to the mountains or coast couldn’t do better.
Much less well known than the diminutive Fiat 500, the 500L is actually part of the new breed of compact all-wheel-drive crossovers that are rapidly becoming popular. Priced under $30,000 fully equipped, this car offers the best of all worlds: It’s tall, with great all-around visibility and excellent interior space on a small and maneuverable platform.
What we drove: 5-door, 4-passenger compact sport-utility with 1.4-liter inline turbocharged 4-cylinder engine producing 160 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels through a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Price as tested: $29,125; includes destination charge and extensive options list, notably GPS navigation and back-up camera with 6.5-inch screen, premium audio system, sunroof, 17-inch wheels and cosmetic upgrades.
What we did like: Tall greenhouse with excellent all-around visibility; tall ride height; lots of interior space; eye-catching color scheme; comfortable ride with confident handling; small footprint and turning radius.
What we would have liked: More power to carry the substantial weight; better integration of front-end design; more attention to front-seat support and comfort.
Competes with: Mini Countryman, Kia Soul, Honda Fit and, for a few more dollars, Mercedes-Benz GLA.
