If you think you want it bring it home to show the wife. They are too cute to let go back to the cold dark dealer alone.
If you think you want it bring it home to show the wife. They are too cute to let go back to the cold dark dealer alone.
Yesterday's garage day at my friend's was productive:
Thinking of plastidipping my wheels red. The white wheels look great...for the 30 seconds they are clean.
(Resurrect a dead thread) I know you guys are anti-Jalopnik, but I still browse it at work when bored
The Fiat 500 Abarth Just Isn't As Stupid Fun With An Automatic
To bump a thread too. Should I get a 500 Turbo or an Abarth? I like the Abarth badges, but sort of worried the exhaust is going to be a bit obnoxious and the ride will be too stiff vs regular turbo. I know it does sound good, but the car already grabs enough attention, don't want to be super HEY LOOK AT ME. Although I haven't heard it in real life yet.
At the same time, I bought a Crown Victoria when I shoulda bought a Marauder. Don't wana make the same mistake.
We aren't anti-Jalopnik
We are just not a fan of the National Enquirer of cars. 
I have been looking at abarths and FiSTs and everyone says FiST. The hitch is about a $5k average price difference used! Also I can get a FoST for $3k more than the Abarth and $2k less than the FiST!
You can do a lot with $5k. Can you get the Abarth past a FiST for that money, is the FoST the best buy?
In reply to Coldsnap:
Drive both. The Abarth was a fun little car. I didn't mind the exhaust at all. The Auto did suck a lot of the fun out of it which it which is why I didn't get one. The wife isn't comfortable with a manual any more and she needs to be able to drive it.
Coldsnap wrote: To bump a thread too. Should I get a 500 Turbo or an Abarth? I like the Abarth badges, but sort of worried the exhaust is going to be a bit obnoxious and the ride will be too stiff vs regular turbo. I know it does sound good, but the car already grabs enough attention, don't want to be super HEY LOOK AT ME. Although I haven't heard it in real life yet. At the same time, I bought a Crown Victoria when I shoulda bought a Marauder. Don't wana make the same mistake.
I know we talked a lot about it offline but here's my take and you sum it up perfectly with the CV sport v. Marauder. When I bought the Abarth I had come off a string of buying "close" to the ultimate version of vehicles. I would get the "almost" the best offered and it always left me wishing I'd gone the whole way.
When I test drove the Fiats I knew this time I wasn't going halfway, I wanted the pinnacle of the line. And as you know I ended up applying the same mentality by selling my CV sport and getting a Marauder.
I've never regretted either decision.
As far as the exhaust being annoying, I haven't found it to be so. Its a bit loud when you are outside the car but its a pleasant loud not harsh or annoying. In the car its not as noticeable and some days I almost regret that I don't get to enjoy the exhaust note from inside the car.
I don't find the ride to be any more harsh than any small car.
I'm at about 25k miles or so on my Abarth, and about 1.5 years. That includes a 1k mile round trip to the SCCA National convention the first weekend I had it. A trip to Gingerman Raceway a few months ago (~5hr each way), down to Fiats on the Dragon in April, and a 1/2hr commute to work every day.
The exhaust does not bother me one bit. It's aggressive enough to know it's there, but not loud or droning enough to be excessive. I do not regret my decision one bit.
Cool, I will go test drive one. Got a place around here I negotiated a price drop through email.
I think if Fiesta ST were in the 15k price used right now, I'd have to reconsider. Just because everyone seems obsessed with that car. However I test drove a none ST with my girlfriend and my biggest problem was the drivers and passengers seat was really cramped, more so than the Fiat.
JThw8 wrote:Coldsnap wrote: To bump a thread too. Should I get a 500 Turbo or an Abarth? I like the Abarth badges, but sort of worried the exhaust is going to be a bit obnoxious and the ride will be too stiff vs regular turbo. I know it does sound good, but the car already grabs enough attention, don't want to be super HEY LOOK AT ME. Although I haven't heard it in real life yet. At the same time, I bought a Crown Victoria when I shoulda bought a Marauder. Don't wana make the same mistake.I know we talked a lot about it offline but here's my take and you sum it up perfectly with the CV sport v. Marauder. When I bought the Abarth I had come off a string of buying "close" to the ultimate version of vehicles. I would get the "almost" the best offered and it always left me wishing I'd gone the whole way. When I test drove the Fiats I knew this time I wasn't going halfway, I wanted the pinnacle of the line. And as you know I ended up applying the same mentality by selling my CV sport and getting a Marauder. I've never regretted either decision. As far as the exhaust being annoying, I haven't found it to be so. Its a bit loud when you are outside the car but its a pleasant loud not harsh or annoying. In the car its not as noticeable and some days I almost regret that I don't get to enjoy the exhaust note from inside the car. I don't find the ride to be any more harsh than any small car.
Right, that's what I'm thinking. Especially with depreciation on the car, the Abarths are about $1k more than Turbos.
Around DC finding used Abarths in the $12~$14k range ask.
Thanks not bad for an enthusiast toy! FoST are in the ~$16~$18k range and the FiST is $18~$20k!
Can anyone comment on service on the Abarth vs 500 turbo? They are pretty much the same engine I see. So probably not too much. How much does a standard oil change run, just curious.
Jerry wrote: I'm at about 25k miles or so on my Abarth, and about 1.5 years. That includes a 1k mile round trip to the SCCA National convention the first weekend I had it. A trip to Gingerman Raceway a few months ago (~5hr each way), down to Fiats on the Dragon in April, and a 1/2hr commute to work every day. The exhaust does not bother me one bit. It's aggressive enough to know it's there, but not loud or droning enough to be excessive. I do not regret my decision one bit.
Whoa, that's some mileage. I'm guessing the firmer suspension doesn't bother you then. I work from home so don't have a commute. My second part time job, for walking around money, is about 15 mins away. So I'm thinking the Abarth would be awesome to have to jump it, get to the gym, run errands, go downtown, and get to work when I need to.
In reply to Coldsnap:
The 500 Abarth and Turbo are basically the same except for the seats, springs, rear suspension design and a few other little things (ECU tune, exhaust, colors, etc). As noted before the Abarth seats are pretty aggressively bolstered, judging from your thread looking for bench seats you will probably not like that part. The suspension harshness is a relative thing. I didn't think it was harsh but it's a common complaint from people used to big, soft, long-wheelbase cars.
Gotcha, sounds like I gotta get into both. I really like the Fiat's seats, maybe abarth too bolstered (but i can see that helping, seeing how easy it is to hoon). Immediately after my first test drove I called my friend and said that I've finally found a modern car with jeep seats. As we are always bitching about bucket seats for jeeps were the pinnacle of seats as far as comfort and good posture go.
I'm pretty picky on seats and I find the Abarth seats comfortable even for long stretches.
Service. Oil change every 8k, at the dealer I think it was running about $60 for full synthetic but that also included tire rotation lube and other checks and inspections.
As for the seats, I see a chiropractor monthly for a "tuneup". 5hrs into the SCCA trip that first weekend I thought to myself "damn these seats are way more comfy than I expected".
Hmm, well dang. Maybe I won't need to keep the Vic around for 2 hour trips. I'm leaving now to test an Abarth and a turbo 500. I'm terrible at manual, just learned last weekend and only have about an hour of experience. So this should go well.
Coldsnap wrote: I'm terrible at manual, just learned last weekend and only have about an hour of experience.
Don't forget the hill-top option you can select in the menu on the dashboard. Keeps the brakes engaged for a few seconds when you let off to help on hills, I've driven manual for decades but still think it's useful.
Alrighty, test drove the Abarth and the 500 turbo. I wish I could get the 500 Turbo seats in the Abarth. I could not get comfortable in the Abarths seat, but I could live in the 500 turbo seats.
I could see how other people might prefer the other way around. As the Abarth's seat sit less "upright" and I know some people did not like how upright sitting the stock ones are.
I thought the exhaust was too much for daily driving. But a dealership has an abarth with quieter exhaust in it, apparently it's not selling. So I might actually be able to swoop in and get it for cheap.
It's got a scratch/dent though from another car's door. I'm guessing it can't be buffed out if the dealership hasnt.
Coldsnap wrote: But a dealership has an abarth with quieter exhaust in it, ...
I are confused.
Yup. He did the one thing everyone loves about the Abarth, but I sort of would prefer. Something I noticed, and some of the Abarth owners here could probably help me. This the car right here -
http://www.fiatusaoftriad.com/certified/FIAT/2013-FIAT-500+Abarth-Greensboro-91ebcb570a0a0002001c7a811bec73ac.htm
So it has quieter exhaust, I'm guessing there might be other work done as I see once it was sold to this dealership they replaced the computer module.
http://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory/p/Report.cfx?vin=3C3CFFFHXDT514317&partner=COO_0
See at 16,402. My guess is he had the exhaust swapped then had a tune. The dealership replaced the computer module to stock, so they could sell it as CPO. Anything else I should look for, for other upgrades? They have no paper trails of the exhaust change either. So I might find other upgrades on the car.
Picking this up today from my local Fiat dealer. Negotiated to $14,000 with taxes and everything. 2013 Abarth with 15k miles. It's got the larger 17" rims (hopefully tires are not going to be stupid expensive) and a hard top! Was thinking I wanted a black one or silver, but realized if I have a car this small it might be good that its bright.
I'm really excited to completely learn stick on this thing. As I only drove stick three times, as of now. Luckily the dealer is right down the road and I'll be able to easily get home. Hopefully I can find the "just right" seat positioning, as I wasn't able to on my test drive. But the 500 turbo seats felt great.
In reply to Coldsnap:
Hope my email helped. Good luck on your new toy, and stay away from 500Madness, Eurocompulsion, if you want to save your $.
Congrats, I still like my 2013 Abarth. Surprised you think the seats are too bolstered. You'd probably really hate the Recaros in the FiST and FoST. As for comfort, I took mine on a three week 7k mile trip earlier this year and did just fine. Would have liked to have had the 16" wheels a few times, for the ride improvement and a little bit less nervousness about damaging them on rough roads.
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