Whenever someone grabbed the door handle of the Fiat 500L, the comment was the same, “cute car”. What’s more fun than getting inside a cute car? Getting out of that same cute car and saying, “nice ride”. During a week-long test drive of the 2019 Fiat 500L, the appeal-factors were fully evident. For the driver, it’s easy steering (3.0 turns lock-to-lock). Passengers are pampered by roominess. (The rear cabin lounge has 36.7 inches of legroom.) Exterior viewing is splendid with a greenhouse of windows from the A- to D-pillars. The 500L has three models: Pop, Trekking, and Lounge. The tested 500L Trekking is identified by unique front and rear fascias and 17-inch wheels housed within flared arches.

Powering the 500L is a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 160 hp at 5500 rpm and 184 lb-ft of torque from 2500-4000 rpm. The engine mates to a six-speed automatic transmission. The front wheel drive 500L puts a universal garage door opener on the standard list for the 2019 Trekking and Lounge models. Standard 500L fare includes rear back-up camera, seven airbags, electronic stability control, rear park assist, and a 4.7-inch touchscreen. The tested 102.8-inch wheelbase 500L Trekking collects estimated mpg of 22 city/30 highway and carries a base MSRP of $23,325.