Episode 48

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Published on:

20th Apr 2023

Save The World In Style With A Fun, Affordable Italian EV - The Fiat 500e

00:00 - OPEN: You Can Save The World In Style With This Fun, Affordable Italian EV

Today I am going to tell you about today a small, 2-door EV hatchback at the very top of my list of used electric vehicles that I would buy if I were in the market for a used EV.  Why?  It’s got attitude, it’s got style, it’s affordable, and most important... it’s fun to drive.

00:45 - INTRO: The 2013-2019 FIAT 500e

Today’s choice is a quick, fun-to-drive, zero-emission Italian EV that places as much emphasis on style and exciting driving dynamics as it does on helping you do your part to save the planet.  So what is it?  It’s the 2013 through 2019 FIAT 500e.   And the “e” is for electric. 

02:10 - Your Best Used EV Value? – Buy an Affordable EV Like This to Go With a Used Gasoline Car or Truck

It’s the best of both worlds and a great way to bridge the gap between an electric vehicle’s range and charging anxiety and a gasoline-powered vehicle's high fuel prices and exhaust fumes. 

 03:50 - What Makes The Fiat 500e a Great Choice in the City?

  • Compact Size
  • Quick and Responsive Handling
  • Enough Range for Most City Commutes
  • It Is An Affordable Used EV That Emphasizes Fun!

09:10 - FIAT’S CEO Didn't Love The Fiat 500e

To meet California's strict emission mandates, Fiat had to produce and sell an electric car in the state. So they commissioned Bosch to turn the gas-powered Fiat 500 into an electric vehicle or EV.

Bosch engineers removed the internal combustion engine and drive train and then install an ingenious EV power train with a liquid-cooled battery pack that was as good as any available at the time.  But it wasn’t cheap, and at the time, Fiat CEO, Sergio Marchionne complained that it cost the company an additional $14,000 for every Fiat 500e sold.

This is good fortune for used Fiat 500e buyers because you get a fun to drive EV with a well-designed electric drive train at a reasonable price.

11:40 - Other Things That Make the Fiat 500e Great

  • Attractive Exterior Styling
  • A Functional, Yet Stylish Interior

16:10 - What is Not So Great About The Fiat 500e?

  • Limited Range
  • Limited Comfort
  • Limited Cargo Space
  • Limited Charging Options
  • Limited Availability Nationwide

18:50 – What Should You Expect To Pay for a Fiat 500e?

  • $9,000 or less - You can find good cars in this price range, but it will take time and effort
  • $9,000-$12,000 - Many options in this range, with more availability on the West Coast
  • $14,000-$16,000 - for final 2-years of production with very low-miles (10K-15K) and a back-up camera

21:30 - Close

With used Fiat 500e from 2013-2019, you can go electric for very little cost with little or no range anxiety - as long as you use it as your second car for short trips and city driving (keep the SUV for the weekends)

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About the Podcast

Better Than New
Find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you'll love
The average new car sales price in the US is nearly $50,000, and the average used vehicle sales price is close to $30,000... I think that's insane! Well if you're like me and you don’t want to pay these crazy inflated car prices, I believe you should still be able to drive something fun. That’s the idea behind Better Than New – a podcast to help you find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you’ll love.

I’m Gary Crenshaw, host of Better Than New and a long time automotive enthusiast, and I want to inspire car buyers on a budget to think differently about what they can actually afford to drive. My goal is to introduce listeners to the broad array of interesting, fun-to-drive, enthusiast-friendly used cars, trucks and SUVs available at prices just about anyone can afford… vehicles from the 80s, 90s, 2000s and beyond that offer buyers a wide range of interesting choices. Each week we’ll explore a specific vehicle or vehicle category, tell you what to look for and what to avoid, and give you practical tips to help you find your next cool used car, truck or SUV and keep it on the road for years to come.

With a little work, the joy of owning a cool used car at price you’ll love is within reach and this podcast is here to help you find it.

So hop in, buckle up and let's go for a drive!

About your host

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Gary Crenshaw

A lifelong lover of all things mechanical, Gary has spent the majority of his existence driving, dreaming about or wrenching on cars, motorcycles and even the occasional airplane.

It started with mini-bikes and go-karts as a kid, progressed to 2-stroke dirt bikes, followed by his first car… a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle. Then came the Yamaha era with several RD400s, RZ350s and a Canadian RD350LC (should have kept that!). A pilot’s license was next with some memorable hours flying a 1946 Aeronca Champ low and slow around the Pacific Northwest. While in college, his brother-in-law who sold high-end cars hired him to deliver BMW, Mercedes and Porsche vehicles to customers.

Those early experiences led to a lifetime of owning an eclectic mix of interesting used cars, including a ‘65 Mustang GT, a ’72 Datsun 510, a Porsche 914, a Celica Alltrac Turbo, a Mini Cooper S, a couple of Miata’s, two Audi S4 Avants, a Galant VR4, a Fiat 850 Spider, a 1983 Subaru 4x4 GL wagon and a first gen RX-7, along with dozens of daily driver cars and SUVs from Acura, Honda, Toyota and Mazda. And his favorite? Depends on when you ask, but that distinction likely goes to the Mazda RX-4 station wagon he learned to drive in. That fun-to-drive car combined Gary's passion for wagons, rotary engines and manual transmissions all in one.

So what about you? Which used car, truck or SUV would you love to own? Let’s find it together!