2017 head-to-head · Subcompact Car
2017 Fiat 500 vs Volkswagen Beetle
MPG, range and what each one really costs you to fuel, from official EPA ratings and recalculated with your own gas and electricity prices.
The 2017 Volkswagen Beetle is the cheaper one to run. Driving 15,000 miles a year with $3.95/gal premium gas and $3.10/gal regular gas, it costs about $1,661 a year to fuel (28 MPG), versus $1,743 for the 2017 Fiat 500 (34 MPG). That's roughly $82 a year, or about $410 over five years.
Your numbers
Change these to match your driving and local prices. Every figure and chart on this page updates.
Fuel cost over 10 years
- Fiat 500
- Volkswagen Beetle
Side by side
| Fiat 500 | Volkswagen Beetle | |
|---|---|---|
| $1,743 | Your annual fuel cost | $1,661 |
| 34 MPG | Combined efficiency | 28 MPG |
| 31 MPG | City | 24 MPG |
| 38 MPG | Highway | 33 MPG |
| 76 cu ft | Passenger volume | 81 cu ft |
| 7 cu ft | Cargo volume | 7 cu ft |
| 264 g/mi | Tailpipe CO₂ (g/mi) | 322 g/mi |
| 8/10 | EPA fuel economy score | 6/10 |
| 8/10 | EPA greenhouse gas score | 6/10 |
| Gas | Powertrain | Gas |
| Premium gasoline | Fuel | Regular gasoline |
| 1.4L 4-cyl | Engine / motor | 1.8L 4-cyl turbo |
| 5-speed manual | Transmission | 6-speed automatic |
| FWD | Drivetrain | FWD |
✓ marks the better value. EPA scores run 1–10 (10 is best). Volumes come from the EPA interior volume index and aren't published for every body style.
Fiat 500 vs Volkswagen Beetle across model years
- Fiat 500
- Volkswagen Beetle
Annual fuel cost of the most efficient configuration of each model year, at your prices. Click a point to open that year.
How they differ
Per EPA interior volume figures, the Volkswagen Beetle has more passenger space (81 vs. 76 cu ft).
Among 43 2017 subcompact cars, the Fiat 500 ranks 9th and the Volkswagen Beetle 8th for lowest fuel cost.
Frequently asked questions
Which is more fuel-efficient, the 2017 Fiat 500 or the 2017 Volkswagen Beetle?
Measured by cost to drive, the Volkswagen Beetle. The Fiat 500 is rated 34 MPG combined and the Volkswagen Beetle 28 MPG (EPA, most efficient configuration of each).
How much does it cost to fuel the 2017 Fiat 500 vs. the Volkswagen Beetle per year?
At 15,000 miles a year with $3.95/gal premium gas and $3.10/gal regular gas, about $1,743 for the Fiat 500 and $1,661 for the Volkswagen Beetle.
Fiat 500 vs Volkswagen Beetle in other years
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