By Darlene Donloe
This
is the last edition of Driving With Donloe: I Auto Know for 2015!!!
It’s fun! It’s sporty! It
looks good! It handles well! It’s sexy!
It’s a great drive! It’s affordable! It ROCKS!!!!
What more do you want from a car?
As an economy car it works for mileage, but to be honest, it’s
not real practical. That being said, it works in so many other ways. This car
has personality. If you want to turn heads while driving down the street, drive
a Fiat 500C Lounge Cabrio. Not only did
the car turn heads while I was driving it, a number of people pointed with
delight. I was questioned nearly every time I stopped or given a compliment
about the car’s exterior. In this case the exterior color was celeste blu (retro
light blue). The interior color was avorio (ivory) and retro Marrone (brown) on
the leather seats. Yes, it looks
fabulous! I loved the Bluetooth audio
streaming! The vehicle comes in
hatchback and convertible body styles, five trim levels and three engine
choices. The hatchback is offered in seven trim levels: Turbo, Pop, Lounge,
Ribelle, Sport, 1957 Edition and Abarth (performance focused). The convertible
version, called the 500C, comes in Abarth, Pop and Lounge trims.
You’d be surprised by just how much space is on the inside. It
fits two people very comfortably. Now, any more than that and I can’t make any
promises about comfort. I’m 5’10”. However, if I was 6ft., not sure there would
be comfortable headroom. It would be
close.
VEHICLE AT A GLANCE: Engine: 1.4-Liter 14 MultiAir 16-Valve Engine; Transmission: 6-Speed
Automatic Transmission; rear park assist, advanced multistage front airbags,
supplemental front seat-mounted side airbags, supplemental side-Curtain front
airbags, driver inflatable knee-bolster airbag, front seat reactive head
restraints, LATCH Ready child seat anchor system, security alarm, 4-wheel
anti-lock disc power brakes, electronic stability control, tire specific
pressure monitoring display, hill start assist, power door locks, remote keyless
entry, speed control, 10.5-Gallon Fuel Tank, engine immobilizer, 185/55R15
Tires, black soft top; 12-volt auxiliary power outlet in center console, media
hub (USB, Aux) in center console, USB port in Glovebox, Sirius XM satellite
radio w/1-yr radio subscription
MSRP: $27,030
FUEL ECONOMY: 27/34
THE DRIVE:
Outstanding!
Darlene Donloe is a
seasoned entertainment and travel journalist whose work has appeared in People,
Ebony, Essence, EURWEB.com, LA Stage Times, LA Watts Times, Black Meetings and Tourism, Los
Angeles Sentinel, EMMY, The Hollywood Reporter, Rhythm & Business,
Billboard, Grammy, CYH, BlackVoices.com and more.
