Right now you have to go to Europe to see the excellent 500 on the road, though I saw Chrysler's Jim Press roll out in one at the New York Auto Show. If Chrysler merges with Fiat, they'll likely be sold here. The 500 is an update of a tiny Italian classic that never saw U.S. release for obvious reasons -- it makes the MINI look like a Cadillac. The new 500 is in the tradition of the second-gen Volkswagen Beetle as a tasteful and retro heritage car, and it has similar mass-market possibilities.
"Irresistible, like an iPod on four wheels," says one critic. The 500 is shorter, narrower and taller than the MINI, and is mechanically similar to the downmarket Fiat Panda. It's very light and aerodynamic, so the 1.2-liter, 68-horsepower four-cylinder engine gives decent performance and 36 mpg overall in the European cycle.
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