Should I buy this Used 500e or is the Battery Fried?

[Sasmania]

Hello, new to the forums. I'm a Tesla owner who wants to pick up a 500e as a second car to rent on Turo along with the Tesla. Won't drive anything but electric now that I have tasted the magical honey. Lol.

I just test drove a '15 with 20K miles today. Had 86 miles at "full" and I test drove it 3.2 miles.... and ended with 69 left. Lost 17 miles of range in 3 miles. Not so good! Yes I did gun it a time or two as it was a test drive but still. I can do the same in my Tesla and you barely notice the drop. Does this sound like a bad battery or nothing to worry about?

Also, I'm in Phx AZ, so limited service options so I want to try to get a semi solid car from the start...

Thanks for your help!! Looking forward to owning one of these!

[msjulie33]

24kwh vs (at least) a 60kwh tesla battery? I'm guessing that's why the relative drop seems high... i had one for 2 years, range was always 80 or above depending on who drove it last .. i would have taken a longer test drive with a more moderate tough as the car resamples somewhat frequently and adjusts downward if AC is on etc.

[Papaquebec]

I'm not sure how the Tesla works, but the FIAT range meter is just a guess based on the previous ten minutes of driving, it's imagining that you will continue driving this same way and 'guessing' the range based on how much charge is left. Looking at the battery info would be a lot more useful than looking at the range.
I had a similar experience when I bought my 500e. I had driven a few at dealerships with a dealer in the car with me, so I drove very nicely, but before I bought mine (at a different dealership), I took it for a quick spin on the freeway without the dealer with me. I did a few fast starts, and launched it on the freeway and sustained it's 80+ top speed for a handful of miles before returning to the dealership. When I returned, I was really nervous about the range meter, because it had dropped significantly.
I bought the car, and love it. We are on the list for the Model 3, but I think my wife will drive it and I will keep my FIAT, as I enjoy driving it so much.

[rkw]

Lost 17 miles of range in 3 miles.

The estimated remaining range is a crude calculation and the number will fluctuate both up and down based on energy consumption during recent driving miles. If you took another trip for 3 miles at steady speed on level ground, the number will probably go up. Also if you turn on the air conditioner or heat, it will simply subtract 10% (and add it back when you turn it off). To get a feel for how much range you'll be able to get, you need to be driving for longer distances and looking at the change in battery level instead.