Fiat 500 Abarth

[Markll7]

I'm pretty much at wit's end trying to figure out my next small car purchase and a co-worker suggested that I try out the Fiat 500 Abarth. Does anyone here have one ? How are they on reliability and depreciation ? Are they easily tuned ?

I'm booked in for a test drive at the dealership on Thursday but would like to see what other Beyonder's think about the car.

[My_name_is_Rob]

I have been watching these as well since spring. As far as i know the only two at dealerships in alberta, are in edmonton. Was going to go look at them tomorrow, but if not, you should post up your impressions of them.

[Markll7]

I'm taking a look at the black one at Derrick Dodge on Thursday, where's the other one at ? Were they only a limited edition run for Canada like the Golf-R ?

[My_name_is_Rob]

The other one is a grey one at capitol chrysler. And I am guessing its because they are either in high demand, or they take a while to make after the orders are in. Which is kinda funny, cause i think these ones are just the demo cars that took months to get in.

I havent heard about them being limited production, like the R's, and our neighbors to the south have been getting them for a couple years already i believe.

[FullFledgedYYC]

I have driven a Fiat 500 as a rental car (not Abarth).

Good car, it has more storage capacity than you would think. When I was driving it I hit a small bump in the road and my 4-way flashers came on and would not turn off, even if I turned the car off. I tried rummaging around under the hood and under the dash and could not get them to turn off (it was pitch black out... so this didn't help).

I drove back home and they eventually turned off on the way home, but then came back on again.

I took some of the panels off to get at the relay/fuse box below the steering wheel and found that one relay seemed to be loose. I just pushed everything back in rather hard and it didn't happen again.

Hopefully you don't like doing your own maintenance/work on your vehicle as that engine bay is EXTREMELY tight.

I would love to try the Abarth, the regular 500 with an auto was by no means slow... so I imagine a manual with a turbo would be quite quick.

[Canmorite]

Originally posted by FullFledgedYYC
When I was driving it I hit a small bump in the road and my 4-way flashers came on and would not turn off, even if I turned the car off. I tried rummaging around under the hood and under the dash and could not get them to turn off (it was pitch black out... so this didn't help).

I drove back home and they eventually turned off on the way home, but then came back on again.

I took some of the panels off to get at the relay/fuse box below the steering wheel and found that one relay seemed to be loose. I just pushed everything back in rather hard and it didn't happen again.

Hopefully you don't like doing your own maintenance/work on your vehicle as that engine bay is EXTREMELY tight.

Ah, sounds like a true Fiat

[flipstah]

Originally posted by FullFledgedYYC
Hopefully you don't like doing your own maintenance/work on your vehicle as that engine bay is EXTREMELY tight.

I was sold on this car until you mentioned this.

I think it looks/sounds great and way better value than a Mini Cooper S.

I still think it's a sweet buy!

[DeleriousZ]

Do they let you test drive the girl from the abarth commercial too?

[FullFledgedYYC]

Originally posted by flipstah


I was sold on this car until you mentioned this.

I think it looks/sounds great and way better value than a Mini Cooper S.

I still think it's a sweet buy!

Maybe it's not THAT horrible... I mean the new Civic SI also has a pretty tight engine bay... heres a pic for reference.


» Click image for larger version

[flipstah]

Originally posted by FullFledgedYYC


Maybe it's not THAT horrible... I mean the new Civic SI also has a pretty tight engine bay... heres a pic for reference.


» Click image for larger version

That looks painful to get a timing belt changed. Then again, I haven't seen it in person so it's a bit subjective.

[Hash_man]

We have two Fiat 500's at my work now for company cars. Both non-abarth models, one just purchased, the other a year old with 16,000kms on it now.

My personal impressions;

The fiat 500 looks good, interior materials feel like a 16,000$ car (lots of hard cheap plastics), which is what they start at, although one of ours came to around $22000 with options. The sport model gets a fake leather and hi-tech cloth combo, which looks nicer then base, but the cloth material stains super easily. The seating position always feels really high, and with a sunroof headroom is terrible even with the seat in lowest position, my hair is brushing the roof (I am 5'10").

The brakes are good for a small car, gas mileage is mediocre for such a small car in the city, we usually average about 8L/100kms. The 6spd auto is actually a pretty good transmission, but I imagine the car would be much more fun with a stick. Cargo room really sucks with the back seats up, you can't fit a whole lot back there, but with the back seats folded flat it is pretty good.

Within the year we have hard ours it has been pretty much problem free aside from the following issues which are going to be covered under warranty; LH door hinge keeps coming loose, heater blower motor makes a bunch of noise, and the armrest on the seat fell apart.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[FullFledgedYYC]

When I worked for a car dealership we had a few Mini Coopers on the used lot.... I got to know the service advisors very very well at Mini in Crowfoot since I had to take a car there every week.

[94boosted]

Will we be getting the Abarth Esse Esse? Or is that Europe only?

I'd take a 500 Abarth over a mini cooper as those are a dime a dozen and way overpriced

[James Martin]

Originally posted by Markll7
I'm pretty much at wit's end trying to figure out my next small car purchase and a co-worker suggested that I try out the Fiat 500 Abarth. Does anyone here have one ? How are they on reliability and depreciation ? Are they easily tuned ?

I must say that you select a gorgeous car. I love small cars and I love this one. The sound of this car make you crazy. Uniquely designed, superb handling and balance. What you want in small cars?

[flipstah]

Originally posted by 94boosted
Will we be getting the Abarth Esse Esse? Or is that Europe only?

I'd take a 500 Abarth over a mini cooper as those are a dime a dozen and way overpriced

From what I've read, the Abarth version for the North American market is the Esse Esse version in Europe.

US Fiat's need more hp to move American fat-asses.

[94boosted]

Originally posted by flipstah


From what I've read, the Abarth version for the North American market is the Esse Esse version in Europe.

US Fiat's need more hp to move American fat-asses.

I thought that the Esse Esse was above the Abarth sort of like an Abarth with the dial cranked to 11. i.e. what the Cooper JCW is to the Cooper S

[r3ccOs]

knowing fiat's and Alfa Romeo's... really outside of how pretty they can be

why would anyone in their right mind want to buy one?

I have an Alfa Milano and had a GTV and a spider and being an owner is as much heart ache as it is pride with trying to keep these things running

[toastgremlin]

Originally posted by 94boosted


I thought that the Esse Esse was above the Abarth sort of like an Abarth with the dial cranked to 11. i.e. what the Cooper JCW is to the Cooper S

It is - more boost, more goodies.

It's not worth comparing models directly; the American model is almost completely different to the Euro model.

The engine is different, the tune/ECU is different, alignment is different, tires are different, the suspension is different (different spring rates damped by Koni FSDs from the factory thanks to SRT). The exhaust is different, using an SRT-4 style resonator.

Think of it more as a Fiat 500 SRT-4 than the Abarth you may have seen from European sources.

The cool thing about the Abarth (v. the regular 500) is the MultiAir engine; valves are actuated electronically instead of by a camshaft. This means that you get reduced internal losses as well as a ridiculous amount of potential for tuning. I think the Dart has this too; there's no way an SRT Dart isn't on its way.

Chrysler Canada's press release about some of the changes made to the Abarth:
http://www.chryslercanada.ca/product...ngineering.pdf

Jack Baruth's review of the 500 Abarth, touching briefly on North American changes:
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...at-500-abarth/

To make things more confusing they're also coming out with a Fiat 500 Turbo, which is not as good as the Abarth but better than the regular 500.

[flipstah]

Originally posted by 94boosted


I thought that the Esse Esse was above the Abarth sort of like an Abarth with the dial cranked to 11. i.e. what the Cooper JCW is to the Cooper S

Originally posted by toastgremlin
It is - more boost, more goodies.

It's not worth comparing models directly; the American model is almost completely different to the Euro model.

The engine is different, the tune/ECU is different, alignment is different, tires are different, the suspension is different (different spring rates damped by Koni FSDs from the factory thanks to SRT). The exhaust is different, using an SRT-4 style resonator.

Think of it more as a Fiat 500 SRT-4 than the Abarth you may have seen from European sources.

The cool thing about the Abarth (v. the regular 500) is the MultiAir engine; valves are actuated electronically instead of by a camshaft. This means that you get reduced internal losses as well as a ridiculous amount of potential for tuning. I think the Dart has this too; there's no way an SRT Dart isn't on its way.

Chrysler Canada's press release about some of the changes made to the Abarth:
http://www.chryslercanada.ca/product...ngineering.pdf

Jack Baruth's review of the 500 Abarth, touching briefly on North American changes:
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...at-500-abarth/

To make things more confusing they're also coming out with a Fiat 500 Turbo, which is not as good as the Abarth but better than the regular 500.

According to FIAT Canada, the Abarth model that we have comes 160bhp standard.

The EsseEsse kit adds that punch:

http://abarthcarsuk.com/abarth-cars/...-500-esseesse/

So in essence, our 'Abarth' is their 'Esse Esse'.

EDIT: Oops, didn't fully read the post. Carry on.