I would dump that car faster than a ticking time bomb… which is what it is.
Fiat pulled out of the US because they were the bottom of the quality and reliability ratings. Given your research, it surprises me you bought it.
Long ago in the US, Fiat came to stand for… Fix It Again Tony… and the newer ones did not change that.
Yeah…we researched several vehicles earlier in the day and viewed the Fiat after 6 dragged out hours late at night. So my brain was just done absorbing information. We were tired, hungry, and rash.
Why the hurry on buying something else?
I’ve found making big financial decision under pressure usually leads to less than ideal outcomes later.
The Fiat 500L is related to the Jeep Renegade and Jeep Compass, not high quality vehicles but they sold many Compass and Renegades around here.
@ledhed75 Oh I totally agree. It’s just that the dealership is only offering the exchange for 5 days. So I suppose you’re thinking we could sell the Fiat ourselves then buy another car?
We’re looking at a 2014 Nissan Juke now (at the dealership), any thoughts on that? Of course now I’m overanalyzing their CVT Xtronic tranny 
There aren’t really any good answers here, sadly.
Personally, I’d avoid anything with a CVT transmission, especially from Nissan. They have a terrible reputation.
Do you avoid Nissan in general? What about a 2010 Nissan Titan? It’s tranny is a 5-speed automatic, with tow-haul mode.
Well, I meant Nissan CVTs have a terrible reputation. I’m kind of neutral on Nissan in general. I had a 1997 Nissan pickup many moons ago; it was a good little truck. But that was 25 years ago.
We had two Chevrolet Cobalts. They ran well for us, except for one problem: the fuel line rusted out prematurely. Ours took 10 years, within his a long time, but a huge number of Cobalts have the problem. The NHTSA is currently investigating a recall. This is not a problem if the rusted fuel line is repaired. If you decide to look at them, make sure the fuel line is closely inspected during the prepurchase inspection. Also, the last year of production was 2010 for the Cobalt. The replacement is the Cruze and my daughter has a 2012 Cruze. She is happy with it and it has been a good commuter car for her since she bought it new. I don’t think it’s a popular car, and that’s good news for someone looking for basic transportation.
here is a site that will give you some info to help. you can click on BEST vehicles or WORST vehicles to give you an idea if the vehicles you are looking at are worth getting.
CarComplaints.com | Car Problems, Car Complaints, & Repair/Recall Information
You say you “want an older vehicle because they are more reliable, easier to repair, and last longer”. That is all nonsense, and those two vehicles you are considering are already at the end of their economic lives
I have said this before - I have looked at the Car Complaints web site and concider it a waste of time . Many of the failure complaints could happen to any vehicle of the same age and miles.
Why would you want a pickup truck the size of a building that gets lousy fuel mileage at 4.00 dollars a gallon . Do you not have a family member of friend that can help you ?
You need a later model vehicle and I don’t under stand why you are afraid of the nice things modern vehicles have . Those electrical gadgets seldom fail .
Is this what you need? A truck with towing package? What were you planning to tow/haul with the Yaris?
The Titan is rated at 13 MPG in the city.
The Yaris is rated at 29 MPG city, uncomfortable sub compact car.
The Juke is rated at 27 MPG city, small high revving engine like the Fiat but with a CVT.
A reason to return any of these cars can be developed.
Any vehicle this old the first thing I’d be more concerned about is maintenance records. Was preventative maintenance performed properly and on time?
… especially the timing belt on that old Accord!
IIRC, back in those days, the maintenance schedule called for that procedure to be done every 60k miles/60 months, but it is possible that it was supposed to be done every 90k miles/90 months.
Does the OP REALLY think that that someone who is getting rid of a 24 year old car was scrupulous about its maintenance in the months (or years) leading up to the date when they finally dumped it?
I’m curious…
Earlier today, the OP began a new thread regarding the purchase of a 2014 Nissan Juke, but that thread seems to have disappeared. Does that omission mean that the OP has decided against buying that CVT-equipped Nissan?
Edited to add… Whoops!
Now I see that it was not deleted.
I’ll buy
Why not??
Go with the Yaris. It offers the most bang-for-the-buck of these three options. The 1998 Accord requires costly maintenance which the 2007 Yaris won’t (timing belt, etc.) and has a lot more miles on it. Unless you can DIY, a 24-year old car isn’t for you.
It makes no difference what the new vehicle dealer is when selling used vehicles . I have trouble understanding why you don’t understand that. People trade brand X in on other brands all the time plus a huge amount of vehicles are sold at auction to all kinds of used dealers .