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CR Review: 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth


zeitgeist57

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I picked up a 500 for daily driving duty's about a month ago. I was looking at them for my girlfriend and considered the idea of one for myself to keep miles off other stuff. I jokingly made an offer and they accepted so now I have a damn Fiat... Awesome little turd to drive back and fourth to work. That's about it... Ha ha
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i think its a cool concept but for the money i would rather have a first gen mazdaspeed3 more space more power and it actually looks like a car.

 

The MS3 is a great car, don't get me wrong. 260 HP is absolutely awesome for a platform that size. However, it's necessary.

 

The curb weight on an Abarth is, depending on options, somewhere between 2450-2600 lbs. Curb weight on an MS3 is 3280, and I'm sure that increases with options as well. That's not an insignificant difference.

 

I remember meeting you at Red, White and Boom. Come by and drive one!

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The MS3 is a great car, don't get me wrong. 260 HP is absolutely awesome for a platform that size. However, it's necessary.

 

The curb weight on an Abarth is, depending on options, somewhere between 2450-2600 lbs. Curb weight on an MS3 is 3280, and I'm sure that increases with options as well. That's not an insignificant difference.

 

I remember meeting you at Red, White and Boom. Come by and drive one!

 

ill take you up on that offer ive driven one at the auction but a 1/8 strip maybe wasnt enough.

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Though i still prefer a Mini Cooper JCW, i have a lot of respect for the Abarth.

 

 

Isn't a loaded up JCW nearly $40k?

 

I think the Fiat is more in the smart cars realm than the mini cooper. Compared to a Smart, the Fiat is everything the smart should have been, more space, better visibility, better transmission, more stable ride, better power etc.

 

But when you put the 500 against the Mini the Mini just seems like WAY more car. That yes, is more money.

 

I know El Karacho will disagree, but having driven probably 40 minis, 10 smarts, and 5 500s that's about where I am on this one.

 

Alex was nice enough to show me the 500s a year ago, the girlfriend really likes the Abarth though, so it may be worth another trip out there.

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Isn't a loaded up JCW nearly $40k?

 

I think the Fiat is more in the smart cars realm than the mini cooper. Compared to a Smart, the Fiat is everything the smart should have been, more space, better visibility, better transmission, more stable ride, better power etc.

 

But when you put the 500 against the Mini the Mini just seems like WAY more car. That yes, is more money.

 

I know El Karacho will disagree, but having driven probably 40 minis, 10 smarts, and 5 500s that's about where I am on this one.

 

Alex was nice enough to show me the 500s a year ago, the girlfriend really likes the Abarth though, so it may be worth another trip out there.

 

I don't disagree. The FIAT hits a few of the highlights of each the Smart and the Mini. It is NOT as much a performance machine like the Mini is, and the price reflects it. It is a good economy car with a lot of nice features compared to the Smart, and again, the price reflects it. I think it does a great job of combining the driving experience of both; the Smart in my opinion is a great idea for a car that was horribly executed. The boat motor, the mentally-challenged robot transmission, and bizarre lack of options (no standard assisted steering? no A/C standard? wtf?) made for a poor reception here.

 

On the other hand, the Mini is a much more performance oriented drive. They are INSANELY fun to drive and I can't knock much about them, save for the price and cost of ownership. Also I fucking hate run-flat tires, but that's personal opinion and not a fact. Still, you experience the performance orientation of the ride whether you want to or not, something I find undesirable for a DD.

 

I really hope FIAT and Mini can build on each others' success so we develop a market that is more friendly to small car manufacturers. I want Renault and Citroen back in this country. We need the FIAT Punto Abarth here. We need the Benz A-Class here.

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  • 3 weeks later...

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/17/2013-fiat-500-turbo-unveiled-with-135-hp-1-4l-multiair-priced-f/

 

I'm a fan of the Fiat, though I wouldn't buy one new. Definitely liking the details surrounding the 500 Turbo. For 20-somethings looking for a fun, economical car with a ton of character for Chevy Sonic/Hyundai Accent money, you should definitely consider this...

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So have any of you driven the new "Dart" *cough* Fiat/Alfa?

 

They aren't really in my realm of possibilities currently either but the seem mildly interesting, including the little turbo engine option and some odd transmission choices (for our market, anyway).

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So have any of you driven the new "Dart" *cough* Fiat/Alfa?

 

They aren't really in my realm of possibilities currently either but the seem mildly interesting, including the little turbo engine option and some odd transmission choices (for our market, anyway).

 

I test drove the dart 1.4t and loved it. However, it's underpowered.

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I test drove the dart 1.4t and loved it. However, it's underpowered.

That's the one that intrigued me the most. Seems like a tune would put it near the power of the "faster" model and still likely get near 40 MPG. It seems to be a big enough car to still be useful to me as a commuter too.

 

I know I'm getting old when I'm selling a 425 RWHP car and considering a ~100 RWHP car as a possible "upgrade".

:fa:

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That's the one that intrigued me the most. Seems like a tune would put it near the power of the "faster" model and still likely get near 40 MPG. It seems to be a big enough car to still be useful to me as a commuter too.

 

I know I'm getting old when I'm selling a 425 RWHP car and considering a ~100 RWHP car as a possible "upgrade".

:fa:

 

The Dart was my top purchase out of a lot of test drives and considerations. They did great with that car. However, it was way, way too slow. Really, 180hp and 3200lb sucks. If they release an srt next year with a 2.4 and a turbo I will be buying. For now, it's meh. I don't want to sink money into the 1.4 platform when it's already proving to be exhausted at 220 with the Fiats.

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The Dart was my top purchase out of a lot of test drives and considerations. They did great with that car. However, it was way, way too slow. Really, 180hp and 3200lb sucks. If they release an srt next year with a 2.4 and a turbo I will be buying. For now, it's meh. I don't want to sink money into the 1.4 platform when it's already proving to be exhausted at 220 with the Fiats.

 

The 2.4 Tigershark looks to be a solid option when it arrives in the R/T. I'm with you, I think a turbo version of it will likely be awesome.

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Yeah, seems like it would be a good commuter if they get a nice balance of mileage and power.

 

It will be a while before I'm in the market. I'm keeping my money liquid until I figure out my house situation, but will probably need to pick something up within the next year. Just kinda looking around now.

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