Obsession with the Fiat 500 Abarth

[MustangO4]

I can't help it. I am obsessed with the 500 Abarth. I am seriously considering selling the VX to buy one. I don't know what's wrong with me and my wife is totally unsupportive. I just thought I should confess.

[twalker920]

The only one I've seen in person was being driven on the wrong side of the street, towards my VX, right after I made a right turn on to a street. Of course the idiot woman driving was on her cell phone. I slowed down, but for some reason she chose to swerve to her left which put her all the way up on the sidewalk(!) rather than to her right which would have put her in to the lane she should have been in, where there was NO traffic. I would have crushed it if she kept coming. Darwin almost chalked another one up. Tiny little things. Don't waste your money - it'll get old and you'll miss your VX.

[fuzzy]

You realize that Catrinel Menghia doesn't come with the car, right?

[Riff Raff]

Forget the Fix It Again Tony abarth. It's all cheezy plastic inside and a total waste of money.

A much wiser choice with great bang for the buck is the new performance upgraded 2013 Hyundai "Veloster" with a turbocharged 201-HP engine.

http://www.hyundaiusa.com/vehicles/future-cars/2013/veloster/

Heck, even the Veloster's tail-lights look like the VX's headlights!!!

:bgwb:

[CoastieCosta567]

The only one I've seen in person was being driven on the wrong side of the street, towards my VX, right after I made a right turn on to a street. Of course the idiot woman driving was on her cell phone. I slowed down, but for some reason she chose to swerve to her left which put her all the way up on the sidewalk(!) rather than to her right which would have put her in to the lane she should have been in, where there was NO traffic. I would have crushed it if she kept coming. Darwin almost chalked another one up. Tiny little things. Don't waste your money - it'll get old and you'll miss your VX.

She was just living the full Europe driving experience ;) Gosh..... :bgwo:

[circmand]

Take a test drive. That should solve the issue.

[WormGod]

Garbage. My buddy has had the regular Fiat 500 for a about a year and cant wait to get out of it. Already looking at new cars. The sad thing is, it does NOT hold value at all. He is totally upside down. It has already been in for a timing/misfiring issue, front bearing replacement (only one side needed it but they did both), and a leaking around the windshield. 1 YEAR OLD!

Abarth or not, I would pass on that garbage. I couldn't afford the chance.

[vt_maverick]

But where will you mount the spare tire carrier? And the tube doors?

[Osteomata]

Well I am all about funky cars, I have defended several on this site. But the Fiat 500 is not something I can get behind. As for the Abarth, this writer described it as "Vehicular Comedy" after highly disappointing test drive: http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/editors_notebook/1205_2012_fiat_500_abarth/viewall.html

[twalker920]

She was just living the full Europe driving experience ;) Gosh..... :bgwo:

LOL maybe. I know in England I have driven on the sidewalks when the road is less than one car wide (smaller than my rented VW Golf!). But here in the land of giant roads it's hardly necessary!

Besides for the full Italian driving experience she should really have kept turning left and pancaked it in to the wall.

Skip the 500. Keep the VX. You will sleep better.

[nfpgasmask]

You realize that Catrinel Menghia doesn't come with the car, right?

LOL, and as a Scorpio, that logo gets me every time....

Bart

[Y33TREKker]

Not that I've actually researched the thing, but based on the impressions I have, the main thing I find appealing about the Abarth so far is the commercials. :p

Like the VX though...with all it's associated pro's and con's, it simply isn't going to be for everyone, so if you like it and want one, what more is there to say?

[Gizmo42]

I really like the black and red Abarth, but will never buy one. The 500 began as a cheap small car for the working class. Now its a cheap (built) small car with a large much better car price tag.

[MustangO4]

Yea, it has been a couple of days and I am over it. It is just too limited in it's usefulness and will depreciate like crazy. Maybe I'll get a used one someday, but not today.....

[BigSwede]

You realize that Catrinel Menghia doesn't come with the car, right?

Heh, beat me to it.

[antdag22]

I like the Fiat. Only car in that range that has some style. But, you need both.:yeso:

[blacksambo]

Carl Abarth was old man Porsche's brother in law. Now really what does that have to do with an Italian smart car?

[blacksambo]

Correction---Carlo, not Carl.

[Gizmo42]

Carl Abarth was old man Porsche's brother in law. Now really what does that have to do with an Italian smart car?


Close, but no. He was married to Ferdinand Porches son in laws secretary. Abarth (originally Karl but changed to Carlo after becoming a naturalized Itallian citizen) got his start in race cars and performance parts with Fiats. His company was later bought by Fiat in the early 70s.

[RickOKC]

Keep the VX, and buy Gran Turismo 5 (and a PS3 & steering wheel/pedals set if necessary) and enjoy both! :)

[blacksambo]

Close, but no. He was married to Ferdinand Porches son in laws secretary. Abarth (originally Karl but changed to Carlo after becoming a naturalized Itallian citizen) got his start in race cars and performance parts with Fiats. His company was later bought by Fiat in the early 70s.

I think he got his start with 356 era Porsches?

[89Vette]

Forget the Fix It Again Tony abarth. It's all cheezy plastic inside and a total waste of money.

A much wiser choice with great bang for the buck is the new performance upgraded 2013 Hyundai "Veloster" with a turbocharged 201-HP engine.

http://www.hyundaiusa.com/vehicles/future-cars/2013/veloster/


Much better choice! I've seen a couple of these and they really turned my head. I like the roofline, wide rear stance, and (probably) MPGs.

Where the Veloster made me turn my head, the FIAT turns my stomach. What an ugly POS. J-Lo's image dropped a couple of notches with her endorsement of that worthless car.

[circmand]

J-Lo's image dropped a couple of notches with her endorsement of that worthless car.

Frankly given her status as a reality show judge can it really go any lower? I thought they used her because she and the Fiat car company are the same age

[PK]

When I first saw your post, I was going to jump in with a comment, but then thought I should check my facts first.
I have a friend with a Fiat Abarth, so I email him to ask how it was going.

His response -
"I have now owned it for 8 months, and it has less than 7k on the clock. (That is kilometres, so about 4K miles.)
I have put more miles on loaner cars than my own, because the POS sits in the dealers waiting for parts to replace what ever the latest failure is.
It is plain crap, and I am trying to get the Fiat Dealer to buy it back off me.
It is fun to drive when it is going, but I just can't put up with the reliability problems.
It has been towed from the roadside twice in that time.
Hey, would you like to buy a good used car - low mileage??"

I guess it is buyer beware.

PK