OT...but im in love, just test drove new...
10-27-2012, 04:06 PM
#17
Fiat has introduced a 500 turbo. Not the same power as the Abarth but might be a better buy.
The 500 sits too high for me, feels top heavy and the seats are too high for taller drivers. Can't stand the radio dials. I'd take a good used MX-5 instead. Still one of the best cars on the road....
The 500 sits too high for me, feels top heavy and the seats are too high for taller drivers. Can't stand the radio dials. I'd take a good used MX-5 instead. Still one of the best cars on the road....
10-27-2012, 06:43 PM
#18
Drifting
10-27-2012, 07:20 PM
#19
10-27-2012, 10:15 PM
#20
i have a fiat 500 as a daily and i love it, not a single bad thing to say about it.
i have coilovers on it that changed the car dramatically, no more topsy-turvy feeling.
just a well planted small car.......
i have coilovers on it that changed the car dramatically, no more topsy-turvy feeling.
just a well planted small car.......
10-28-2012, 12:45 AM
#22
Addict
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
01-16-2013, 09:59 AM
#25
Addict
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Join Date: Jan 1997
Location: ^^ Werk 1 pictured Yr '00 .. Vail, Colorado
Posts: 2,522
Received 72 Likes
on
59 Posts
We've had version's of VWs Golf platform e.g. GTI's / GLI's as airport, dailey drivers for decades. A set of big brakes, drop the USA ride height of the supension and add a set of proper sneakers ..... yer done on the cheap $$ for a 1st class platform.
Pay me now or pay me later. You'r going to pay me. Put your money down and takes your chances..... step right up...... everybodies a Winner!
01-16-2013, 12:11 PM
#30
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
I drove a non-Abarth Fiat 500 for several hours a few days ago. It was a pretty unpleasant vehicle.
I'm hoping that Abarth is very different from the regular version of the car. Granted, mine was a rental with (an absolutely atrocious) automatic transmission. But seating position seems to be off center and uncomfortable and the entire car gave a feeling of being cheaply put together from cheap materials and a very non-Italian "we don't need to design anything" vibe. A larger 5-door Focus rented a couple days prior, while also cheap as hell (as expected) inside, certainly had significantly better handling than Fiat.
I will try Abarth at some point just to see.
PS. Ed, Smarts are a different story. Any oohing and aahing aver them in US is irrelevant. They came here more than 10 years after they were released in Europe. They came here with a completely out-of-place Mitsubishi engines without any fuel economy advantage of the European MB engines. They are not useful in the States as there is no infrastructure of support for them as there is in Europe, where the original 2-seater Smart is still pretty popular, unlike their their attempts at carmaking, I might add.
It remains to be seen if Fiat will disappear from US again. But I would not compare it with Smart. I'd compare it with "new Beetle" - another fairly unpleasant and misguided car, nevertheless popular for many years based on just the look and misplaced retro-feelings.
I'm hoping that Abarth is very different from the regular version of the car. Granted, mine was a rental with (an absolutely atrocious) automatic transmission. But seating position seems to be off center and uncomfortable and the entire car gave a feeling of being cheaply put together from cheap materials and a very non-Italian "we don't need to design anything" vibe. A larger 5-door Focus rented a couple days prior, while also cheap as hell (as expected) inside, certainly had significantly better handling than Fiat.
I will try Abarth at some point just to see.
PS. Ed, Smarts are a different story. Any oohing and aahing aver them in US is irrelevant. They came here more than 10 years after they were released in Europe. They came here with a completely out-of-place Mitsubishi engines without any fuel economy advantage of the European MB engines. They are not useful in the States as there is no infrastructure of support for them as there is in Europe, where the original 2-seater Smart is still pretty popular, unlike their their attempts at carmaking, I might add.
It remains to be seen if Fiat will disappear from US again. But I would not compare it with Smart. I'd compare it with "new Beetle" - another fairly unpleasant and misguided car, nevertheless popular for many years based on just the look and misplaced retro-feelings.