eisman
Gold Member
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2009
- Messages
- 6,911
I have driven both the regular 500 (rental for 4 days) and the Abarth (owned by a friend). My normal daily driver is a 335i Coupe or an 86 Chevy P/U. I've owned about 20 cars (nothing Italian) and driven them over 4 million miles (not counting trucks or military equipment). I drive 10-20 rentals a year for work, so I get a fair amount of time in different vehicles. Here's my $0.02...
The Fiat 500 sits tall. You expect the seats to be lower because it's a small car. they're not, and that makes it seem like it has a high center of gravity when you ride in it. The Abarth seats are considerably stiffer than the regular models. The suspension on the Abarth is much stiffer also; it has very quick reaction time and a short turn radius. It can change lanes extremely quickly, and turn also, but to me it feels like it wants to roll when handled aggressively. The standard car does seem to be low on power, but it's fast compared to a Focus or your basic Japanese economy sedan. It feels well connected to the road, but the small wheels make rough/bad roads painful. You know when you hit a big pothole. The Abarth has plenty of power and can drive around city streets in second gear (only) no problem; it will also get to 100 faster than most people think.
I'm 6'2" and there's plenty of room, as long as you only consider this a 2 person car. The back seats are a joke. It will hold enough luggage for a short trip if you consider the back seats storage room. It'll get great milage either way, but that depends on how you drive. It's easy to park and while it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of more expensive cars it runs fine. It's a much better car than the Fiats were back in the '80s when I lived in Europe.
There are loads of these things all over the place both here and in Europe. Upgrade parts are cheap and easy. It's not a hard car to work on if that's your thing. They seem to be reliable, the Abarth I drove is a daily driver for a guy who loves Italian cars (replacing a Masaratti) and he loves it. If it works for you I think you'll be happy, but I recommend you rent one for a couple days before you buy.
The Fiat 500 sits tall. You expect the seats to be lower because it's a small car. they're not, and that makes it seem like it has a high center of gravity when you ride in it. The Abarth seats are considerably stiffer than the regular models. The suspension on the Abarth is much stiffer also; it has very quick reaction time and a short turn radius. It can change lanes extremely quickly, and turn also, but to me it feels like it wants to roll when handled aggressively. The standard car does seem to be low on power, but it's fast compared to a Focus or your basic Japanese economy sedan. It feels well connected to the road, but the small wheels make rough/bad roads painful. You know when you hit a big pothole. The Abarth has plenty of power and can drive around city streets in second gear (only) no problem; it will also get to 100 faster than most people think.
I'm 6'2" and there's plenty of room, as long as you only consider this a 2 person car. The back seats are a joke. It will hold enough luggage for a short trip if you consider the back seats storage room. It'll get great milage either way, but that depends on how you drive. It's easy to park and while it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of more expensive cars it runs fine. It's a much better car than the Fiats were back in the '80s when I lived in Europe.
There are loads of these things all over the place both here and in Europe. Upgrade parts are cheap and easy. It's not a hard car to work on if that's your thing. They seem to be reliable, the Abarth I drove is a daily driver for a guy who loves Italian cars (replacing a Masaratti) and he loves it. If it works for you I think you'll be happy, but I recommend you rent one for a couple days before you buy.
