Fiat 500

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At a glance

Who is the Fiat 500 for?

One or two travellers staying inside Budva — where summer parking is brutal and most trips are under 20 km along the riviera.

• Solo travellers
• Short Budva stays
• Photographers

The Fiat 500 on Budva Riviera roads

Behind the wheel

The 500 has barely changed in a decade and the current mild-hybrid 1.0 is honestly the best version. The three-cylinder stop-start is quicker to wake than the older 1.2, the five-speed gearshift has decent throws for a box of its age, and the light steering is weighted for city work rather than country-road carving. Inside, the dash is still a near-vertical slab, the seats are upright and a bit firm, and the boot is comical — 185 litres, not much more than a large backpack. But the car is 3.57 m long and 1.63 m wide, which turns out to matter more than any number in a brochure when you are in Budva in August.

On Budva Riviera roads

The 500 is the only car in this fleet that genuinely fits the back lanes behind Mogren and above the Old Town perimeter. The summer extension of the pedestrian zone in Budva squeezes side streets that nothing wider than 1.7 m threads comfortably — the 500 slips through. On the coast road to Sveti Stefan the ride is fussier than a Polo's, and on the 22 km airport run you feel every ripple, but for short hops between riviera beaches it is genuinely delightful. The hybrid system recovers useful braking energy on the climb down from Brajići and then redeploys it quietly through the 30 km/h Bečići zone.

Space and load

The boot takes one cabin case plus a beach bag and not much else — fold the rear seats and you get 550 litres, which is fine for a day parasol and a cool-box but not for a two-person fortnight of real luggage. Rear seats are symbolic: two children fit, two adults do not, and the doors are coupe-style so access is awkward. This is a car for one or two people staying inside Budva, not for anyone planning day trips with full picnic kit or for travellers who brought hiking gear. Accept the limits and the 500 rewards in ways nothing else in the fleet does.

Best journeys for this car

The 500 belongs to the solo traveller or couple anchored in a Budva or Bečići apartment for three to five nights. It suits the photographer who wants the sunroof open above the Sveti Stefan viewpoint and the bag just big enough for a tripod. It works for the returning visitor who already knows the riviera and wants a car that disappears into the streetscape rather than dominating it. It is the wrong choice for anyone picking up at Tivat Airport with four large cases, or for anyone whose itinerary includes an overnight up at Žabljak — the boot, the engine and the ride all complain at altitude.

Practical notes

Fuel sits around 5.4 L/100 km indicated on mostly-town driving, better than that on the flat coast road. The 35-litre tank gives the Budva–Ulcinj–Budva run without a fill, and Slovenska's metered bays plus Bečići's free winter parking suit a sub-3.6 m car perfectly. The mild-hybrid's 12V recuperation means the stop-start actually works at traffic lights in August heat without the cabin cooking. There is no plug and no range anxiety. The one limitation worth flagging: the AC is small and struggles with four occupants in peak summer — fine for two, borderline for three adults, miserable for four.

The verdict

Pick the 500 if your Budva visit is one or two people, short, and you want a car that becomes part of the photos. Skip it for luggage, long inland days, or any trip where four adults share the cabin.

Inside the car

• Compact Size
• Easy Parking
• Sunroof
• Bluetooth