Compare the2018 Volkswagen BeetleVS 2017 Fiat 500

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Beetle has standard post collision braking, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The 500 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To help make backing safer, the Beetle Coast/SE’s cross-path warning system uses wide-angle radar in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The 500 doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

The Beetle SE has standard Car-Net, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The 500 doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Beetle and the 500 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front-wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, available blind spot warning systems and rear parking sensors.

The Volkswagen Beetle weighs 508 to 906 pounds more than the Fiat 500. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Volkswagen Beetle is safer than the Fiat 500:

	Beetle	500
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	256	384
Neck Injury Risk	22%	30%
Neck Stress	227 lbs.	406 lbs.
Neck Compression	107 lbs.	152 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	3 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	39%	49%
Neck Stress	202 lbs.	256 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	395/294 lbs.	479/866 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Volkswagen Beetle is safer than the Fiat 500:

	Beetle	500
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	59	166
Hip Force	427 lbs.	684 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	363	382
Spine Acceleration	47 G’s	70 G’s
Hip Force	766 lbs.	852 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches
Spine Acceleration	54 G’s	54 G’s
Hip Force	804 lbs.	1103 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Beetle is 4% less likely to roll over than the 500.

Warranty

The Beetle comes with a full 6-year/72000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car. The 500’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years and 22000 miles sooner.

The Beetle’s corrosion warranty is 5 years longer than the 500’s (10 vs. 5 years).

There are over 70 percent more Volkswagen dealers than there are Fiat dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Beetle’s warranty.

Reliability

The camshafts in the Beetle’s engine are driven by a hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs. The 500’s camshaft is driven by a rubber belt that needs periodic replacement. If the 500’s cam drive belt breaks the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2017 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Volkswagen vehicles are better in initial quality than Fiat vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Volkswagen 10th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 70 more problems per 100 vehicles, Fiat is ranked 32nd, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2016 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Volkswagen vehicles are more reliable than Fiat vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Volkswagen 25th in reliability. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Fiat is ranked 26th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ April 2017 Auto Issue reports that Volkswagen vehicles are more reliable than Fiat vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Volkswagen 6 places higher in reliability than Fiat.

Engine

The Beetle’s 2.0 turbo 4 cyl. produces 73 more horsepower (174 vs. 101) and 86 lbs.-ft. more torque (184 vs. 98) than the 500’s standard 1.4 SOHC 4 cyl. The Beetle’s 2.0 turbo 4 cyl. produces 17 more horsepower (174 vs. 157) and 1 lbs.-ft. more torque (184 vs. 183) than the 500 Abarth’s optional 1.4 turbo 4 cyl. The Beetle’s 2.0 turbo 4 cyl. produces 14 more horsepower (174 vs. 160) and 14 lbs.-ft. more torque (184 vs. 170) than the 500 Abarth’s standard 1.4 turbo 4 cyl.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Beetle Dune gets better fuel mileage than the 500 Abarth 1.4 turbo 4 cyl. (157 HP) (26 city/34 hwy vs. 24 city/32 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Beetle uses regular unleaded gasoline. The 500 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Beetle has 4 gallons more fuel capacity than the 500 (14.5 vs. 10.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

The Volkswagen Beetle comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the 500.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Beetle’s brake rotors are larger than those on the 500:

	Beetle	500	500 Abarth
Front Rotors	11.3 inches	10.1 inches	11.1 inches
Rear Rotors	10 inches	9.4 inches	9.4 inches

The Beetle stops much shorter than the 500:

	Beetle	500
70 to 0 MPH	176 feet	195 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Beetle has larger standard tires than the 500 (215/55R17 vs. 185/55R15). The Beetle’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 500 (235/45R18 vs. 205/40R17).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Beetle has standard 16-inch wheels. Smaller 15-inch wheels are standard on the 500 Pop/Lounge. The Beetle’s optional 18-inch wheels are larger than the 17-inch wheels optional on the 500 Abarth.

The Volkswagen Beetle’s wheels have 5 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Fiat 500 only has 4 wheel lugs per wheel.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Volkswagen Beetle has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Fiat 500 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Beetle has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Beetle flat and controlled during cornering. The 500 base model’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Beetle’s wheelbase is 9.4 inches longer than on the 500 (100 inches vs. 90.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Beetle is 6.8 inches wider in the front and 6.1 inches wider in the rear than the track on the 500.

The Beetle’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (59.3% to 40.7%) than the 500’s (63% to 37%). This gives the Beetle more stable handling and braking.

The Beetle Dune Coupe handles at .84 G’s, while the 500 Abarth pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Beetle Dune Coupe is quieter than the 500 Abarth:

	Beetle	500
At idle	40 dB	56 dB
Full-Throttle	71 dB	84 dB
70 MPH Cruising	70 dB	71 dB

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the Beetle Coupe is rated a Compact car by the EPA, while the 500 is rated a Subcompact.

The Beetle Coupe has 9.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 500 (85.1 vs. 75.5).

The Beetle Coupe has .5 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front legroom, 5.9 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom and 2.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the 500.

Cargo Capacity

The Beetle Coupe has a much larger trunk than the 500 with its rear seat up (15.4 vs. 9.5 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Beetle. The 500 doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Ergonomics

To help each driver find a more comfortable driving position, the Beetle has a telescoping steering wheel. Much better than just a tilt steering wheel or adjustable seat, this allows a short driver to sit further from the steering wheel while maintaining contact with the pedals. The 500 doesn’t offer a telescoping steering wheel.

The Beetle’s standard front power windows open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The 500’s power windows’ switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. The Beetle Convertible’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches.

The Beetle’s standard power window controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The 500’s available power window controls are spread out on the center console where they can’t be seen without the driver completely removing his eyes from the road.

Keyless Access optional on the Beetle allows you to unlock the driver’s door and start the engine all without removing a key from pocket or purse. This eliminates searching for keys before getting in the vehicle in bad weather or making a hurried start to your trip. The Fiat 500 doesn’t offer an advanced key system.

The Beetle has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent vandalism, such as sugar in the tank and fuel theft. The 500 doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Beetle’s optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The 500’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Beetle SE/SEL to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The 500 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Beetle offers an optional automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The 500 doesn’t offer automatic headlights.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Beetle R-Line has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The 500 doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Beetle SE/Dune’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The 500 doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Beetle has standard rear heat vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The 500 doesn’t offer rear vents.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Beetle owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Beetle with a number “1” insurance rate while the 500 is rated higher at a number “5” rate.

The Beetle will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Beetle will retain 43.41% to 74.04% of its original price after five years, while the 500 only retains 20.53% to 34.95%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Beetle is less expensive to operate than the 500 because typical repairs cost less on the Beetle than the 500, including $97 less for fuel injection and $128 less for a fuel pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Volkswagen Beetle will be $306 to $3736 less than for the Fiat 500.

Recommendations

The Volkswagen Beetle outsold the Fiat 500 by 230 units during 2016.

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