Ranked #219 car in the UK · City car · 416 units sold last year
Fiat 500
The Fiat 500 is a style icon - a retro city car bought far more on charm and looks than practicality, with a tiny rear seat and boot. The used market spans the long-running petrol/mild-hybrid 500 (1.2 and later 1.0 mild-hybrid) and the all-new electric 500e (2020 on), which sits on a dedicated EV platform. Cross-shop the MINI, Hyundai i10 and Toyota Aygo X, or the Mini Electric for the EV.
How these figures are sourced — the valuation is anchored to a researched used-market price for this model (AutoTrader median, 2023 at 30k miles). Reliability, mileage and variant data are real DVSA MOT records. Dimensions, tyre sizes and costs, servicing figures and the insurance group are segment-level estimates rather than sourced per car, and are being replaced model by model.
- Body
- City car
- Years
- 2018–2026
- Fuel
- Petrol / Mild Hybrid
- Economy
- 54 mpg
- Insurance
- Group 8
combined
The short version
Forecourt score
Value 84 · Reliability 63 · Insurance 96 · catalogue percentiles
The Fiat 500 holds its value well and is cheaper to run than most. Its MOT-based reliability is excellent — an MOT score of 81/100, ahead of 19% of the cars we track. On three-year value retention it ranks better than 84% of models.
The Forecourt score blends how this car ranks against the catalogue on value retention, reliability and insurance cost (weighted 40/40/20) — the from-new ownership picture. Higher is better; running cost is not yet folded in.
Pick your version
Estimates are tuned to the version you choose.
Fuel
Mild Hybrid · 999cc
Power
70 ps
Drivetrain
FWD
Cam drive
Chain
Quoted MPG
54 mpg
Dolcevita trim adds 15-inch alloys, chrome details, panoramic glass roof. Most popular fiat-500 trim.
Tell us about the one you're looking at
Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical car.
Remembered as you browse other cars.
Optional — fills in the exact year and ULEZ status for your specific car. The registration isn’t stored.
Estimated market value
How we got this number — click for the breakdown, or to challenge it.£10,500
Range £8,800 – £12,300
medium confidence
Past the steep drop — most of the depreciation is behind it.
At 18,651 miles it’s about the ~20,614 typical for a 3-year-old.
Seen one for sale?
A data-led guide from the depreciation curve, UK parc trend and reliability — not financial advice.
The depreciation curve
How a 2023-registration Fiat 500 loses value over time.
What it costs to own
Based on the 2023 car with 18,651 miles you entered above — worth about £10,500 today — here is the cost of owning it for the next 5 years, at roughly 6,217 miles a year.
5-year total
£13,329
Per year
£2,666
All-in per mile
£0.43
Fuel per mile
14.6p
Best age to buy — around 2 years
A 2-year-old example loses roughly £1,150 a year — 61% less than the £2,950 a one-year-old sheds. The steepest drop is behind it.
Uses current UK pump and home-charging prices (DESNZ weekly), typical-driver insurance and manufacturer service intervals. "Fuel per mile" is just the energy input — so an EV at ~9p and a diesel at ~22p make running-cost comparison direct. A guide; your own costs will vary.
How it compares
Where this car ranks against the 340 vehicles in our index — higher is better.
Percentile rank across our full index. A measure is shown only where the data spreads meaningfully across the index.
Estimated insurance
Group 8 of 50 (low — cheaper end of the scale) · Comprehensive · 3 years NCB
Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this car, by driver age band and risk profile. Pick the combination closest to your circumstances.
Estimated annual premium · typical, age 33-39
£505/ year
Roughly £42 per month
Typical
Average UK driver — 3 years NCB, average postcode, no recent claims.| Age band | Lower risk | Typical | Higher risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age 17-25 | £1,151 | £1,439 | £1,871 |
| Age 26-32 | £601 | £707 | £863 |
| Age 33-39Selected | £444 | £505 | £596 |
| Age 40-49 | £377 | £419 | £486 |
| Age 50+ | £336 | £374 | £441 |
How we estimate this
Indicative annual comprehensive premium estimates. The 'Typical' figure represents an average UK driver in each age band; Lower and Higher risk show the realistic spread driven by factors UK insurers legitimately price on (postcode, occupation, claims history, NCB, voluntary excess, modifications). Based on 10,000 miles/yr, £250 voluntary excess, and the no-claims bonus selected above. Always get individual quotes before buying.
Expected annual costs
Adjust the annual mileage to match how you'll actually use the car. Insurance is what you selected above (age 33-39, typical risk, 3 yrs NCB).
Routine service
£185
Annual main-dealer service
Major service
£210
Every 2 years, annualised
Road tax
£200
Standard rate, post year-one
Fuel
£381
54 mpg, £1.73/L
Insurance
£505
Age 33-39, group 8
Clean-air zones
⚠ Depends on variantBased on London ULEZ standards — Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and other UK clean-air zones generally follow the same rules.
Excludes depreciation and unscheduled repairs (see next section).
Unexpected costs
What out-of-warranty repairs typically run, by mileage band. Your selected mileage is highlighted.
0-30k miles
£80
per year · low risk
30-60k miles
£240
per year · low risk
60-100k miles
£520
per year · medium risk
100k+ miles
£900
per year · high risk
Tyres
175/65 R14 · 185/60 R15
What a full set of four will cost you (including fit and balance), and which brand each tier of buyer should pick. A typical set lasts about 24,000 miles.
Budget
£300
set of 4, fitted · £60 per tyre
Mid-range
£440
set of 4, fitted · £95 per tyre
Premium
£620
set of 4, fitted · £140 per tyre
What to fit
Optional extras worth paying for
Factory options ranked by how much of their original cost they recover at resale. Anything above 70% return tends to make money back; below 40% is paying for your own enjoyment.
| Option | New cost | Added used value | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
Tow bar (factory-fit) Niche, but the buyers who want one will pay for it. | £650 | £450 | 69% |
Parking sensors & reversing camera Near-expected now — its absence costs more than its presence returns. | £500 | £300 | 60% |
Heated seats / cold-weather pack | £450 | £200 | 44% |
Metallic or premium paint Almost universal — an unusual colour is the bigger resale risk. | £600 | £200 | 33% |
Panoramic / opening roof | £1,100 | £350 | 32% |
Larger alloy wheels | £700 | £200 | 29% |
What fails at MOT
Recorded in DVSA MOT test data for this model, not owner reports. Ordered against 18,651 miles.
Watch now
Failure typically happens around your current mileage.
Upcoming
Typically happens at a higher mileage than yours.
Already due
Past its usual failure mileage. Either already fixed, or about to.
SuspensionUpcoming
Recorded in 14.4% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 4,128,116 DVSA MOT tests analysed.
BrakesUpcoming
Recorded in 10.9% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 4,128,116 DVSA MOT tests analysed.
Tyres & wheelsUpcoming
Recorded in 6.6% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 4,128,116 DVSA MOT tests analysed.
Lighting & signallingUpcoming
Recorded in 8.9% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 4,128,116 DVSA MOT tests analysed.
Driver's viewUpcoming
Recorded in 3.8% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 4,128,116 DVSA MOT tests analysed.
EmissionsUpcoming
Recorded in 5.5% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 4,128,116 DVSA MOT tests analysed.
"Parts low/medium/high" indicates how easy the replacement part is to source — discontinued or specialist parts mean longer workshop time and bigger bills.
Safety rating
Euro NCAP's independent crash-test rating for the Fiat 500, from its 2017 assessment.
The passenger compartment of the 500 remained stable in the frontal offset test.
Independent crash-test data from Euro NCAP. Star ratings reflect the test protocol of the year shown — newer protocols are stricter, so a 5-star from 2024 represents a higher bar than a 5-star from 2014. Euro NCAP ratings run for six years from publication; a lapsed rating means the protocol has moved on, not that the car performs any worse than it did on test.
MOT outlook
How this model fares at its MOT as it ages — from 4,208,433 real DVSA test records.
MOT pass rate by age
A 3-year-old 500 passes its MOT 87.2% of the time; by 19 years that has slipped to 66.7%. The y-axis is zoomed to this model’s range so the trend is readable.
Longevity
From 24,385 vehicles registered in 2018.
Survival by registration year
Each point is one registration cohort. Older cars on the left, newer on the right. A flatter line means the model holds up over time; a steep drop means cohorts disappear from UK roads faster.
What’s on the road
The fuel-type split of every 500 with MOT history in the DVSA record. From 405,332 vehicles tested at least once - not the number on the road today, which is lower.
- Petrol 96.9%
- Diesel 2.3%
What fails at the first MOT
The defect categories a 500 registered 2018–2023 fails on at its first MOT, from 98,035 first tests. Every car here is the same age and the same generation, so these are the faults that show up first - not the wear a high-mileage older example collects.
- Tyres & wheels3.4%
- Driver's view1.2%
- Brakes0.8%
- Lighting & signalling0.6%
- Suspension0.5%
- Identification & other0.3%
Share of first MOT tests recording at least one defect in that category. DVSA test-item categories, not parts: “Driver’s view” covers mirrors, wipers and glass.
Typical mileage by age
The average odometer reading for a 500 at MOT, by age — measured from the same DVSA records, not assumed. A useful yardstick for whether a given car has done more or fewer miles than its age suggests.
- 3 yr20,614
- 4 yr26,626
- 5 yr32,405
- 6 yr38,045
- 7 yr43,642
- 8 yr49,144
- 9 yr54,331
- 10 yr59,313
- 11 yr64,163
- 12 yr68,720
- 13 yr72,980
- 14 yr77,040
Mean recorded mileage at MOT by vehicle age, from DVSA test records. Ages below three are not shown: the first MOT is due at three years, so the few cars tested earlier are a self-selected minority rather than a representative sample. Ages with at least 10 tests shown.
Reliability
Excellent
First-MOT pass rate and defect rate for cars registered 2018 onward (98,035 first tests), with cohort survival — high confidence.
MOT outlook · age 5 years
19th percentile — Among the worst — investigate carefully
Based on 435,478 MOT tests · ranked against 248 catalogue models with comparable data
Where this car sits in the catalogue
Pass-rate distribution across 248 catalogue models
Things owners say
- 01Buy it for style and city-friendly size; rear space and boot are very small - check it suits your needs.
- 02The electric 500e is a desirable, characterful city EV; verify battery health and that the modest range fits your use.
- 03Cheap to run and easy to park; standard used checks (service history, clutch on manuals) apply.
Safety recalls
Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Fiat 500, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.
Check on GOV.UKOpens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.
Theft risk
A general indicator from UK 2025 theft data and this car’s characteristics — not a prediction for any one vehicle.
Whole-car theft
Around average
Theft risk is around the UK average. Like most modern cars it has keyless entry, so relay theft is the method to guard against.
Parts theft
Higher
Hybrid versions are a catalytic-converter target — a hybrid cat is rich in precious metals and can be cut out in about a minute.
Worth doing
- Keep keys in a Faraday pouch and away from the front door to block relay attacks.
- A catalytic-converter guard or forensic marking makes a hybrid far less appealing to cut.
Clean-air zones
Whether driving a Fiat 500 into a UK clean-air zone will cost you anything. Rules use the same Euro standard across most zones — petrol from 2006 and diesel from 2015 onwards are exempt; pure electric is always exempt.
Charging zones for cars
| City | Area | Daily charge | Likely outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | All of Greater London (within the M25) | £12.50 | Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4. |
| Birmingham | Inside the A4540 Middleway | £8.00 | Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4. |
| Bristol | City centre and part of the Portway | £9.00 | Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4. |
| Glasgow | City centre | — | Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4. |
| Edinburgh | City centre | — | Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4. |
| Aberdeen | City centre | — | Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4. |
| Dundee | City centre | — | Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4. |
Zones that don't charge private cars
- Bath — City centre (Private cars and motorbikes are not charged).
- Bradford — Outer ring road and the Aire Valley (Private cars are not charged).
- Sheffield — Inside the A61 inner ring road (Private cars are not charged).
- Newcastle & Gateshead — City centres and the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges (Private cars are not charged).
- Portsmouth — Part of the city centre (Applies to taxis, PHVs, buses, coaches and HGVs only).
Model-level guidance only. To check a specific registration, use the official gov.uk clean-air zone checker. Zone charges and boundaries are set by local councils and change over time.
Company car tax
What HMRC's Benefit-in-Kind charge looks like if you ran this Fiat 500 as a company car, by tax year and income-tax band. Calculated from a CO₂ of 0 g/km, using £16,000 as the P11D value.
EVs sit at the bottom BIK band — currently 4% — so this is one of the cheapest ways to take a company car.
| Tax year | BIK % | Tax @ 20% | Tax @ 40% | Monthly @ 20% | Monthly @ 40% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 3% | £96 | £192 | £8 | £16 |
| 2026-27 | 4% | £128 | £256 | £11 | £21 |
| 2027-28 | 5% | £160 | £320 | £13 | £27 |
| 2028-29 | 7% | £224 | £448 | £19 | £37 |
| 2029-30 | 9% | £288 | £576 | £24 | £48 |
P11D value is approximated from the latest new price; the exact figure on your tax code will depend on options fitted. The 4% diesel surcharge applies only to non-RDE2 (pre-2021) diesels — we assume RDE2 compliance for current models. Bands and rates from HMRC's Autumn Budget 2024 confirmation through 2029/30.
Servicing & the dealer network
How well-supported Fiat is across the UK — a practical read on how easy servicing, parts and warranty work will be to find.
Franchised UK dealers
~90
Solid network
Mass-market
Network size relative to the UK's largest (Fiat is 2% of all franchised outlets)
A solid network — a franchised dealer is usually within reasonable reach, and independent garages are generally familiar with the brand.
For context, the UK has roughly 4,500 franchised car-dealer outlets in total, plus about 15,500 independent garages.
Approximate figures, curated from public UK industry sources (NFDA, Car Dealer Magazine). Franchised networks shrink year on year — these indicate network size, not an exact count.
Dimensions & weight
These are segment estimates, not manufacturer figures. 296 of 325 catalogued cars share one of 14 identical dimension sets, so they describe a class rather than this particular car. Sourced figures replace them model by model.
Length
3,700 mm
Width
1,680 mm
Height
1,500 mm
Kerb weight
1,000 kg
Boot
250–900 L
Fuel tank
35 L
How many are still out there
How the UK Fiat 500 fleet splits: taxed and on the road, parked off the road on a SORN, and gone from the register where that figure is available.
Total ever registered
418,723
Currently taxed & on road
405,720
97% of all registered
SORN (off road)
11,796
3% of all registered
Scrapped or exported
1,207
UK fleet trend — 2014 to 2025
-0.9% vs 2024Source: DfT VEH0124 vehicle licensing statistics (year-end 2025) · Updated 1 Oct 2026
Common questions
Fiat 500, answered from the data
- Is the Fiat 500 reliable?
- The Fiat 500 scores 81/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 19% of the cars we track. That score uses first-MOT pass rate and defect rate for cars registered 2018 onward (98,035 first tests), with cohort survival — high confidence.
- How much does a used Fiat 500 cost?
- A 2023 Fiat 500 with around 18,651 miles is worth roughly £9,550 today (typical range £8,600–£10,450). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.
- How quickly does the Fiat 500 depreciate?
- A new Fiat 500 typically loses about 32% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.
- What insurance group is the Fiat 500?
- The Fiat 500 sits in insurance group 8 of 50 — the cheaper end of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.
- What goes wrong on a used Fiat 500?
- The parts most often recorded at MOT on the Fiat 500 are: suspension (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£450 to put right); brakes (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£500 to put right); tyres & wheels (typically around over 100k miles, £80-£500 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.
- What does the Fiat 500 cost to run?
- Expect around 55 mpg combined, £200 a year in road tax, about £185 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.
- Is the Fiat 500 ULEZ compliant?
- Whether a Fiat 500 is ULEZ compliant depends on its engine and registration date: petrol from 2006 and diesel from September 2015 generally qualify, and electric versions are always exempt.
- How many Fiat 500s are on UK roads?
- About 405,720 Fiat 500s are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.
Answers are generated from this car's Forecourt data — DVSA MOT records, DfT licensing statistics and our valuation model — and update with the weekly data refresh.