At least that’s the finding of an online readers survey conducted by the online version of What Car?

Respondents to the What Car? poll of visitors to their website voted around 70% to 30% in favour of the 500 as the “smarter, more chic car”,  despite the Fiat not going on sale in the UK, What Car?’s main market, until early next year.

The proof of the pudding is however always in the eating, and it would be interesting to see responses to the same question being asked a year from now, when those taking part will have had the chance to experience the new Fiat 500 first hand.

The MINI, as many of you will agree, is pretty much “the full package”, it looks good, and it goes great, and some early reviews have not been so flattering towards the road manners of the new 500.  Both companies don’t seem overly keen on like for like comparisons, but the media has been full of them recently, and although quite different offerings, the parallels are there to be drawn by everyone.

The full report can be found on the What Car? website, where at the time of writing they are still canvassing for opinions.