The Fiat 500e is one of the least expensive electric cars you can buy new, but it’s also a hard sell in a country terrified of density. Then again, the closer something is to being free, the easier it is to sell, so we were particularly interested when we saw a $0 lease offer on a new 500e in Colorado. We tried calling to get more information, but apparently, Larry H. Miller Fiat’s phones don’t work if you live out of state. As one reader told the Autopian, though, that nearly free 500e deal was legitimate, and they know because they got one.
We’d seen previous deals advertised online that offered incredible lease deals on the 500e but also appeared to only apply to a single unit on the lot, while the rest were offered at much higher prices. Were you to show up looking for the cheap car, you’d be told the one you were looking for had already been leased, but you were welcome to look at the rest of what was in stock. Based on what Carson Giardini told the Autopian, though, that wasn’t the case with the almost-free lease he recently picked up. He even provided the paperwork to prove that he got the deal in question.
“I recently leased a 500e. It was chaotic, with around 35 people simultaneously trying to secure one,” Giardini told the Autopian. “I paid $1,111 out the door. Although the car wasn’t yet prepared for delivery, I expect to pick it up on Monday or Tuesday.” From the sound of it, that’s pretty much it. He won’t even have a monthly payment, saying, “It’s a true one-time payment lease. I expect to pay $1,111 in taxes, paid at the dealership, and $57 per year for three registration and renewal fees.”
It’s not clear exactly how many 500es the dealership had on site or how many of the estimated 35 people who showed up to get one were able to drive home in a new car they basically got for free, but oh well. At least we know the deal was real, even if it was only available to Colorado residents. I bet the ones they got weren’t painted baby blue, though.
