Clearly they are idiots...
Don't even know what the car is all about. Uninformed too.
It is small but also safe. 7 airbags, 5 star crash rating and it still makes people smile. Don't dis it, give it a chance. If you are so big that you cannot fit, well that is a different story. I suspect that you may have problems fitting in larger cars as well. The Fiat 500 doesn't pretend to be anything other than a fun, economy car. It doesn't need to be boring like a Yaris. Plus, there is a good chance that these will be built in the US, more jobs for us, less government meddling. This car is NOT for everyone so you can keep your Mercedes and leave the 500 to those who appreciate what it is and how well it does it. Plus, that will be one less on the waiting list in front of me. ;-) Check this out for fun...
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpAFi9nIJVQ"]YouTube - Top Gear Fiat 500 Abarth SS[/ame]