Another enjoyable review! I ended up buying a 2013 500 Abarth a couple weeks, ago, with 20k miles. I"m tall (6'3") and didn't want any sort of sunroof, and so there's lots of headroom. The advice I heard was to find a clean, well-maintained used 500 Abarth as they virtually haven't changed except in minor details - and the depreciation is so steep that mine, in excellent (as new) condition with heated leather (sorry, Thomas, I would have preferred the fabric) seats, climate control, 17" alloys - was $10k US. It is great fun to drive, and is my 'winter motorcycle'. -Tom
He's a good reviewer, very Germanically-thorough ... but never order the leather seats! I think I've read every 500 Abarth review on UA-cam, most very entertaining. They lowered the list price on the 2017's - having been designed in 2007 with only very minor facelifting means they've depreciated the development and tools cost. If buying new, they're pushing the 2016's, of course, but you probably want a 2017. Be aware of steep depreciation - and do like I did and use it to your advantage in purchasing clean low-miles used for less than half the price of new. They crash well (EuroNCAP 5 stars, IHS 'good') except for the front small overlap test, which came after the car was designed (or else it would do that well, also). A niche car - more of a two-seater with lots of luggage room, really - but most fun for the buck. It's my 'winter motorcycle.' -Tom
Here's what AutoBlog had to say about safety: "When the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crashed a 2012 Fiat 500, the little car got the best scores in all categories. It's a safe car, then, right? "If safety is a priority, you should avoid the smallest cars," advises Russ Rader, spokesperson for IIHS. "Weight counts. Smaller, lighter cars are safer than they used to be, but all things being equal, people riding in bigger, heavier vehicles get more protection in crashes." That's why, despite its near-perfect crash-test score, the Fiat 500 is No. 1 on Insure.com's list of worst vehicles for protecting passengers from injuries. In an accident with a larger object, the Fiat's safety cage and array of air bags do what they can to protect passenges, but like eggs in a coffee can, the passengers get thrown about and smashed up." I own a 2013, so it's food for thought. However, it's the one car that met my needs. -Tom
That's awesome. Safety is very important. So is my Italian heritage! --- I wonder how a couple of West Coast guys would be seen, carving the canyons, each drawing on a Custombilt!!! ;)
You paint a picture, Gabe! The 500 Abarth is interesting to me, also, because it's pretty much exactly the same car (though made in Mexico) that's sold in the rest of the world. We usually get watered-down versions - not in this case. If you're tall, you'd do well to avoid the sunroof or convertible. Without that, it's very roomy (for 2). '500 Madness' has all sorts of go-fast stuff to add if you want to - the base Abarth is fast enough for me! -Tom
Great little car! The design is very sweet. I like the big digital speedometer and the rest of the dials, too. The infotainment screen is well integrated and mounted in a reasonable height. The climate control looks very good as well. What is really amazing is the sound of the exhaust. I like it because it sounds higher and not just deep and loud and rattling. Of course you have to be willing to pay a lot of money for a very small car with poor practicality. The convertible feeling must be wonderful though. If I bought this car, I would go for a version with a maximum of 100 hp. I know from own experience how fast you get used to a strong acceleration perfomance. And it starts to get boring very soon. And also dangerous of course, not only for your life but for that of others as well. My motto is to enjoy a comfortable ride, save fuel, enjoy the landscape and be a safe partner for other road users. That kind of driving never gets uninteresting. Have fun driving safely everybody!
Words of wisdom. Motoring isn't always about speed. And even if you like brisk driving on curvy country roads, you might not need a lot of power to do so. Enjoyment is the key, numbers are overrated.
One of the best reviews on the web! I also made it, now owning 595 Turismo for a few months with a lot of kilometers, roadtrips and daily driving videos, the car is really amazing!
Happy New Year Autogefuhl! I asked for this car to be reviewed and you came up trumps, love these little fireballs. Great test, as always honest and detailed. Looking forward to see what you bring us in the coming twelve months 👍🏻
Nice review as always Thomas! The wife has had first Gen Abarth 500 since 2009. It's a fun little car, but the suspension gets punished on it (even though it is not low the suspension is VERY hard especially with the 17" rims option), and I feel the price of parts are very overpriced for a fiat. Last year I had to renew both suspension arms, top mounts, rollbar / bushes and (for the third time) a set of drop links at only 30k miles. Also the entire font of the car has to come off just to access two bolts. So it's either a £1700 job at the dealer for two £130 suspension arms, or an evening of swearing laying under the car getting the front off. We also had a gear box / clutch issue at only 16k miles and a water coolant issue at 20k. You also can not replace bushes etc and simple things, they come with the chassis fitting welded to the rollbar etc, so the whole thing needs to be replaced. Some of the things they did when building it was poor, also the exhaust was at such an angle it collects water in the can that stretches across the back of the car. I can't speak about how the leather lasts as the wife opted for cloth (she hated the red leather offering). But the black fabric has faded and has lots of white washed out patches all over them. On the plus side, the dash is nice, the boost gauge and shift gauge is nice (again on the earlier model), the blue and me system is quite good on the earlier ones, although USB is a bit clunky to use for music. The optional interscope sound system with integrated under seat sub sounds pretty good (again in earlier ones now), but bass is a bit hollow. The gear shift is lovely, and sports mode is handy to increase torque , the steering is perhaps a little over heavy though with it on. The car does look smart and it's nippy / sounds good. So it is a nice more unique sporty run around. The steering wheel is chunky and feels very good quality. Also the car has four cup holders! lol Handy for a Starbucks run. The boot actually holds more than it looks and with the seats down the car is almost a little van, we have fit a LOT of stuff in it. Oh, we don't have the key problem in the UK on RHD cars :) Headroom is an issue as you mention in the rear and it is very enclosed in the back with the small windows and large sports seats. But it can seat three / four if pushed.
Great video and very hot car !!! Abarth 595 C Turismo is always standing for fun, performance and a lot of history in one !!! Greatings from Austria, ciao Rainer :-)
The Abarth engineers are great for attention to detail. Sound is lovely. Nicely integrated centre display. I like the convertible, I'd go for that - the real deal, the Competizione with the special dampers and better seats. Fun to drive - go-kart-like. Very entertaining Review Thomas, as always, many thanks. Greetings to Katharina.
as always, nice vid Thomas! I absolutely love them But you don't need to mention "Full HD" in your intro, Full HD is old and nothing special ;-) Keep it coming!!
Hey Thomas....One tip for your UA-cam uploads: Try recording in NTSC format at 30/60Hz because that's what UA-cam is optimised for! You'll get better picture quality with less compression as a result! Cheers und weiter so!
***** thanks. I ordered a brand new one but I haven't test driven one yet. I drove the 595 Turismo so I guess it's about the Same but with a little bit more power. Keep up the good work with entertaining and informative and fun videos.
Willst du sowas (außer du bist sehr jung und brauchst nix anderes) wirklich als 1. Auto fahren? Das ist ne nette Krawallbüchse aber für mehr taugt das dann nicht. Höchstens in der Stadt langt ein 500....
One more perfect review Tomas..well done to you and your team..All your production is on another level...Waiting for the next episode...It would be great to see in future time a review on Nissan GT-R...wish to you and your team one very peaceful and successful 2017!!!
You should experiment with rev matching downshifts. It's a lot of fun and it's also "the proper way". Plus it's pretty easy to learn unless you want to heel and toe.
Ich würde ihn auch als Basis 595 nehmen. Aber es gibt weder Beats Audio, noch die Xenon Scheinwerfer. Also ist der mittlere Turismo die beste Wahl, Leder hin oder her 😊. Wenigstens ist das Poltrona Frau Leder gut verarbeitet.
Wow. Yes please. The perfect second or better third car. Other dream garage a vintage Ferrari, Maserati or Lancia. Daily driver the new Alfa Romeo Giulia or Stelvio.
Sport dial is turbo boost guage not rpm meter. Getting my abarth 595 in may in Modena yellow with 17 inch 10 spoke alloy wheels and automatic transmission
The Base-Version or the Competizione. Thats right. I would get for the Base 595. Two Modifications i would do: 1. Lower the Seats with new Seatframes and 2. tune the engine from 208nm to 230nm (145 to 160 ps). I mean Abarth had some Tuning Kits.
Beautiful review! In HD your footage is deliciously viewable. Thank you for that. "Micro car" so well put! First time I have heard it called that, but so true. I have a 2017 Abarth 500, white with red trim. Just curious, do you have any idea why Fiat put those ugly body-colored slabs of plastic in the center of the taillights for European models as opposed to the lovely taillights systems for US cars? Thanks for a great review and wonderful viewing of the Abarth in action.
Nice review! Is there more headroom in the non-convertible? I have an older generation Panda (type 169) and am 1.95m tall. I'm thinking to replace it with an Abarth 500/595 in the future.
I am driving currently the fiat 500 c 1.4 16v with 100 hp. For my opinion its getting a little bit to loud inside of the cabin especially on Autobahn driving. I am scoring a consumption of 6.8l/100km but I am driving 25 km on the Autobahn and 5 km inside the city and 10 km outside the city. I think it is definitley a good and fair car for the amount of money you need to spend. But if I am honest, I would not buy another one. Thats not because I am not happy with it. I haven't had any problem if it at all. But I am more looking forward to the next generation of Seat Leon Cupra. With all the assitant Systems which aren't available for the fiat 500 abarth or the normal one at all. I hit a lot of traffic jams during my daily drive and thats why I think my next car should include a Acc(with the Stop&Go function), Blindspot monitoring and a lane keeping assistance as its mostly included in a package. I also do not have a seat heating which is definitley needed if your car is standing outside in the cold as mine. Over all I think they are stepping up the game with every new generation but its a little bit to slow for my opinion. I mean it is a city car right, but not City Emergency breaking system available? ... they have done their homework but they still need to do them as those systems are yet available for the Opel Adam which is a direct competitor. Nice review and a happy new year to the whole "Autogefühl" Team!
+SuperAless112 - Hi, interesting info. You talk of daily traffic jams on your commute and a need for ACC (with Stop&Go/Traffic Jam Assist) - I reckon you'll need the DSG on that SEAT Leon Cupra too.
Well, at least here in Europe the Abarth since generation 3 has a big power failure issue which according to a statement of FCA is built in to keep sure its engine/exhaust noise emissions will stay within legal law, a random, full three seconds power failure which is unaceptable in a hot hatch I am afraid.
@@ilpatongi You shift down (or stay in the current gear) and give full gas/throttle. Now the turbo pressure drops to 4 psi (or gets stuck if build up) for up to full 3 seconds. This sometimes happens in the 2nd gear, in the 3rd gear again and in the 4rd gear another time. During these up to 3 seconds of power failure you get almost no acceleration. :-(
Thing that disappoints me about the Abarth is the interior is nearly exactly the same as the standard 500 , If im paying £10 grand more for the Abarth than a standard 500 i expect £10 grand of extras
Did you ever review the Fiat e500? It's supposed to be almost as much fun to drive as the gas Abarth with its low centre of gravity (due to the battery weight). And like other electrics, it has good torque. Not available in Canada (yet or ever)!
Thank you for taking interest in this very important topic! We have researched this issue for many years now so please take your time to go through our extensive resources stated below as they answer every single question we have yet received concerning this matter. At Autogefühl, we have already received several thousands (!) comments, messages and mails that more and more people want to combine enjoying their car with reducing the environmental impact at the same time. We believe that sustainable luxury is possible or at least we should do everything to support that. Those many thousand people confirming this trend, motivate us to give you the most authentic information and background on the product parts. It is not about what you bought in the past, and it is not about blaming anyone, it is about what you decide in the future and what you can decide and influence as a customer. So we want you to have all information that you need for a decision you later enjoy and like best yourself. Check out our special video addressing car CEOs as a first summary and also see conditions of animal skin production: ua-cam.com/video/LNSUzZXzpdc/v-deo.html List of practical reasons against animal skin seats:
1. animal skin seats are often sold as an expensive option, by going for base trim level seats you can save a lot of money and get a better price-performance-deal (often the manufacturers claim that animal leather is top of luxury because they can earn the best money with it) 2. animal skin seats get hot in summer and you stick to the seat, probably you need seat cooling 3. they get very cold in winter and you need seat heating 4. on cloth or microfibre surfaces, you basically don’t need seat heating nor cooling 5. animal skin seats wear out very fast and look like an old sofa 6. if you want leather look or need seats that can be wiped clean easier, the leatherette (faux leather) surfaces are meanwhile highly evolved and it is possible that it feels even softer and better than anything else (See our Tesla Model X review ua-cam.com/video/y2wNGFKa4M0/v-deo.html) So Tesla shows a good example for that 7. More manufacturer names for their good alternatives: Mercedes MBTex/Artico for leatherette, Dinamica for microfibre. BMW Sensatec, Toyota Sof-Tex, Lexus Nu-Luxe (all faux leather)
To the environmental reasons:
1. The way the cows and other intelligent and social animals are raised and held are not according to the basic values that we all share (also see videos below) 2. The factory farming industry can be accounted for at least 40 % of climate emissions and thus is (according to numerous sources you can look up) the number one reason for climate change and environmental destruction. It is the number one reason for deforestation, two thirds of all agricultural land on earth is used for growing animal food crops. If you would feed humans directly by using the agricultural land, you could produce much more food for everyone. See this interesting essay for more on climate emissions background: www.worldwatch.org/files/pdf/Livestock%20and%20Climate%20Change.pdf 3. It is not only cows who are suffering, but also the environment and to a big part also humans. Think of slavery-like working conditions in slaughterhouses (there are plenty of documentaries about this) or think of chemically altered drinking water in animal skin production villages as also seen in the video footage. 4. The discussion, for which body part the cow is killed first, is very patronizing. But if you really think it would be important why someone gets killed in first place: There are many productions where the cow is killed for the skin first, sometimes even while still being (part-)alive, the skin is the most profitable single part of the body. 5. So even if a cow gets theoretically killed for meat first, in every case you give additional money to an industry that relies on killing, pollutes the environment and harms people with chemicals. Let's say you are standing at the meat counter. And you ask for the leg of the cow. The butcher tells you: "You can eat that without worrying, the cow was slaughtered for the neck first". The next customer demands the neck. The butcher tells him: "It's not your fault, the cow was slaughtered for the belly". A the next customer demands the hide, what answer does he get? You see, that argument of "byproduct" comes from the meat and leather industry to cover up that you contribute to killing no matter which part of the body you buy. 6. To the often said argument, animal skin would just be a byproduct, please google/youtube "leather is not a byproduct" you will find plenty of information. A good overview on all those issues can also be found here: adaptt.org/
To “But leatherette is not sustainable due to petrochemical production” 1. Indeed some fabrics and micro fibres are oil based, however most oil is spent on energy production, heating and fuel. The share of oil used for artificial cloth etc. is very very small. 2. If you look at the whole production process, the leatherette is way more sustainable than the leather produce. 3. The best to-come solution are indeed plant-based materials like Pinatex (based on pineapple leaves) or new materials based on mycelia (roots of mushrooms) or other innovative natural products. That’s the future.
More special video episodes:
1. A initial special video from Autogefühl considering the use of leather can be found here: ua-cam.com/video/8f91KgbVbJQ/v-deo.html 2. And another one right here: ua-cam.com/video/tMNgcLE0LDU/v-deo.html 3. Furthermore, you’ll find the footage of leather production also here, where people are walking in chemicals etc. and animals have to watch their friends being slaughtered in front of their eyes: ua-cam.com/video/JipYvuDsI6s/v-deo.html timecode starting 27:46 4. This is another video which very well summarizes the torture of leather production, shots taken at big farms which directly produce for the automotive industry: ua-cam.com/video/OgHs239bAnE/v-deo.html 5. Please note that those videos are made by well-known journalists and cameramen who were not influenced by any animal welfare organisation, they supply their footage to the animal rights groups of course. I partly know the creators of the video footage personally and they are all authentic. You don’t have to search long to find cruel production environments anyway.
Manufacturers reactions: We started the very first inquiry years ago, with the result that car manufacturers do not reveal their sources of animal skin AT ALL. If it all would be clean and happening without harm, why don’t they show it to us whereas they are showing us every other detail of their products? They have good reason not to, because there is no such thing as a clean animal skin production without harming cows, humans and the environment. The only thing a manufacturer can do is increase their effort for a better future, and we are helping with in-depth talks and interviews by presenting the increasing customer demand for sustainable luxury. So meanwhile, we more often also get feedback that a lot of manufacturers are working on leather-free interiors and are aware of the situation. E.g. Bentley, Mini and Kia have started vegan car interior programmes. Tesla and Mercedes are already showing major choices for sustainable interiors, you always have to pay attention to the details when ordering, of course - and we are happy to give advice. However, much has to be done still and the Autogefuehl community is massively helping in boosting the positive change!
hi can you please do a review for the brand new hyundai i30 with the 1.6 turbo petrol engine im thinking of buying it and would love to see you review it thank you.
8 років тому+3
So, if I share, like, comment and tag a friend, is there any chance I can win that Abarth? Oh... This isn't facebook, damned!
It's not about how many gears. It's about how the gear ratios match well with the engine. What a stupid comment. It's like saying "how come this car doesn't have 12 cylinders".... Fucking idiot.
I have a Fiat so I'm very fond of the brand, but that's crazy money for a tiny hot car. Crazy. For not much more the Fiesta ST is a much more complete car. Great review Thomas, even if you didn't really fit in the car .... ;-)
at the moment we do not have any information. But we'll keep you up to date as we will regularly upload a video in which we mention what's coming up or what will change. That's the latest example of it: ua-cam.com/video/tjGnbrl4M7c/v-deo.html
Bekloppt, dass man die ganze Zeit die Hand vom Lenkrad nehmen muss, um das Dach zu schliessen. Ob das wirklich der Sicherheit dienlich ist, wage ich zu bezweifeln.
Thomas, I noticed that German cars Always get a brilliant review but when it is time to review some Japanese or Italian cars, I have the impression you have been instructed by the German motor lobby to highlight some imaginary weak points. E.g. I saw the review you did for the VW Up and when you opened the driver front door you praised the finish in a very positive way. Personally I think that the Up has a finish like most its competitors but you - and your German colleagues - keep doing a brain wash for the viewers. The Up (basis version) here in Germany 10K Euro excl taxes. It has a 60 HP engine (all the competitors have at least 68/69 HP) it is plenty of bare metal inside, no electric Windows, no radio, no aircon, split rear bench, no radio, no glove compartment (!) nothing at all. Would you believe that the Up! got a bad review from your colleagues from AutoBild? Incredibly it happened that the car interior became a swimming pool because of the aircon leaking. Just imagine if this happened to the 500....But when reviewing the 500 you give a negative feedback about the door panel saying it won't last. How can you say this? Do you have a proof about your statement? Please do not mention the ADAC stats....I think you are the nth German reviewer that Always bends the head to the domestic carmakers. Same situation happens regularly with other German magazines such Auto Bild but it seems that many Germans are sick of listening and/or reading the "low rent" and unfair reviews, just read the comments they leave.Even some German consumer magazines seem to award almost only German products (not only cars). Considering that I live here in Germany very often it is a problem for me to decide over the right product.
We have no motivation to promote certain brands. See details here: ua-cam.com/video/VZ180HNvMlk/v-deo.html And as for the VW up vs Fiat 500, if you would check those 2 cars directly after each other, you will notice what I mean.
Thank you very much for your interest in this topic. I also bought cars with animal skin leather seats before I did my research and got to know the industry. The most important thing is: With today's modern materials, you have nothing to lose, just to gain. You achieve the same kind of luxury and comfort or even better while having the same or better durability with less impact on humans, animals and the environment. You can use fabric/cloth, microfibre or leatherette. The classic approach is using oil/plastic as source material. Overall, a vehicle contains about 300 kg plastic. A car seat needs about 5 kg plastic. So the overall plastic share for the seats is very low and it is at this moment the most efficient way to produce a car seat. A couple of litres of fuel equals a car seat basically. So if you want to save oil/plastic, rather look at consumption for energy, fuel and heating and to other car parts than the seat. Note that animal skin leather also always contains a plastic coating for durability. However, long-term we should of course find raw oil alternatives. So going further, seats can be made from recyclables (e.g. from PET-bottles or old fishing nets) or even increased share of plant-based materials (like pine oil, canola oil or start-up materials like Pinatex from pineapple leaves or Desertex from cactus fibre or the mixed-plant-based Mirum, so be seen at ua-cam.com/video/S1aNZeoatmE/v-deo.html). On a calculation base, by ditching animal skin leather from car interiors, the amount of emissions (CO2e) is reduced by 85 (!) % (www.press.bmwgroup.com/africa-dom-easteurope/article/detail/T0403389EN/on-the-market-from-2023:-bmw-and-mini-models-with-vegan-interiors?language=en) - and that is a very conservative calculation. So it is at this moment the most important thing you can do to make car interiors more sustainable. A good example for high-end luxury with ventilated animal free seats is the BMW X7 with Sensafin: ua-cam.com/video/1pRNkW9nrrw/v-deo.html And the Kia EV9 with plant-based oil share: ua-cam.com/video/6vXePQi_MAk/v-deo.html New leatherette materials can be superior in every aspect, even for cleaning: ua-cam.com/video/u94YXJ72UTA/v-deo.html More and more natural materials are rising: ua-cam.com/video/nRSsXEnwHDo/v-deo.html Also check out what the animal skin leather industry tried to with our channel: ua-cam.com/video/nP_CvLlaFlI/v-deo.html For seeing how the animals are being treated and transported in the global leather industry, watch this footage: ua-cam.com/video/tkjCAmq1_8E/v-deo.html Note that the footage is genuine and was recorded by a highly decorated investigative journalist in Germany I know myself personally. Also a group of researchers and German journalists from public media could recent directly trace the connection between car animal leather production and illegal burning down Amazon rain forest: www.daserste.de/information/reportage-dokumentation/ard-story/videos/illegales-leder-video-100.html In a high animal skin grade, the animals are specifically raised for this matter. However even if meat is the "first" misuse case, the hide remains a profitable body part. That means: If manufacturers put animal leather in a car and you demand it as a customer, you give your money to an industry that earns money by oppressing humans, animals and harms the environment, you make them more profitable. Alternatively, you could support industries with your wallet which try to improve the sustainability of materials. Also, if you turn the argument around to "meat is the waste of the leather industry" you realize that it doesn't make sense (and is ethically doubtful) to discuss the primary use of individual body parts of mammals. Mind experiment: You are getting slain down on the street; would it matter to you if it was for your smartphone or for your purse? Remember that animal skin leather is no different to fur, fur is just leather where the hair is still on. And fur is widely not accepted for clothing anymore, and of course not for cars. We cannot change what we have bought in the past, but with more information and compassion we can change how we decide in the future. For a great insight into sustainability in the automotive industry, you can also check out our extensive documentary: ua-cam.com/video/-8gNXlRGngA/v-deo.html
Too expensive! You're better off with a Swift Sport and modify it professionally for similar money. My Swift Sport 1400cc turbo puts out 253 PS with ERL methanol/water injection.
19:50 - you got creamed by a grandfather at the traffic lights! And on a more serious note: Some of your comments about height were bordering on the offensive. Just remember that most people watching this will be of average, or shorter than average height and they will manage fine. The world is built for tall people and they have lots of advantages handed to them. Being cramped in a small car is pretty much a fact of life.
I have yet to understand the appealing of the Fiat 500 and it's variants. In my opinion this car is way too small, looks like a little round ball that will begin to roll around soon and i don't talk about the wheels. If I want a small car, I'd go with Ford Ka or VW Up and his variants at Skoda and Seat. If I need it sporty then there are, even though they are bigger, cars like the Ford Fiesta or VW Polo.
This car is pure art.
It is, and driving it is fun.
Meh
I love your reviews Thomas, so much detail, you mention things others do not.
Also good sense of humour 🤣
🙌🙌 please recommend and share 😎
Thank you so much for this review. I was one of the people who asked for this test :) Great Job, as always!
nice =)
Another enjoyable review! I ended up buying a 2013 500 Abarth a couple weeks, ago, with 20k miles. I"m tall (6'3") and didn't want any sort of sunroof, and so there's lots of headroom. The advice I heard was to find a clean, well-maintained used 500 Abarth as they virtually haven't changed except in minor details - and the depreciation is so steep that mine, in excellent (as new) condition with heated leather (sorry, Thomas, I would have preferred the fabric) seats, climate control, 17" alloys - was $10k US. It is great fun to drive, and is my 'winter motorcycle'.
-Tom
Hey, I know you! I am looking into one of these also! This was an outstanding review.
He's a good reviewer, very Germanically-thorough ... but never order the leather seats! I think I've read every 500 Abarth review on UA-cam, most very entertaining. They lowered the list price on the 2017's - having been designed in 2007 with only very minor facelifting means they've depreciated the development and tools cost. If buying new, they're pushing the 2016's, of course, but you probably want a 2017. Be aware of steep depreciation - and do like I did and use it to your advantage in purchasing clean low-miles used for less than half the price of new. They crash well (EuroNCAP 5 stars, IHS 'good') except for the front small overlap test, which came after the car was designed (or else it would do that well, also). A niche car - more of a two-seater with lots of luggage room, really - but most fun for the buck. It's my 'winter motorcycle.'
-Tom
Here's what AutoBlog had to say about safety:
"When the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crashed a 2012 Fiat 500, the little car got the best scores in all categories. It's a safe car, then, right?
"If safety is a priority, you should avoid the smallest cars," advises Russ Rader, spokesperson for IIHS. "Weight counts. Smaller, lighter cars are safer than they used to be, but all things being equal, people riding in bigger, heavier vehicles get more protection in crashes."
That's why, despite its near-perfect crash-test score, the Fiat 500 is No. 1 on Insure.com's list of worst vehicles for protecting passengers from injuries. In an accident with a larger object, the Fiat's safety cage and array of air bags do what they can to protect passenges, but like eggs in a coffee can, the passengers get thrown about and smashed up."
I own a 2013, so it's food for thought. However, it's the one car that met my needs.
-Tom
That's awesome. Safety is very important. So is my Italian heritage! --- I wonder how a couple of West Coast guys would be seen, carving the canyons, each drawing on a Custombilt!!! ;)
You paint a picture, Gabe! The 500 Abarth is interesting to me, also, because it's pretty much exactly the same car (though made in Mexico) that's sold in the rest of the world. We usually get watered-down versions - not in this case. If you're tall, you'd do well to avoid the sunroof or convertible. Without that, it's very roomy (for 2). '500 Madness' has all sorts of go-fast stuff to add if you want to - the base Abarth is fast enough for me!
-Tom
Great little car! The design is very sweet. I like the big digital speedometer and the rest of the dials, too. The infotainment screen is well integrated and mounted in a reasonable height. The climate control looks very good as well.
What is really amazing is the sound of the exhaust. I like it because it sounds higher and not just deep and loud and rattling.
Of course you have to be willing to pay a lot of money for a very small car with poor practicality. The convertible feeling must be wonderful though. If I bought this car, I would go for a version with a maximum of 100 hp. I know from own experience how fast you get used to a strong acceleration perfomance. And it starts to get boring very soon. And also dangerous of course, not only for your life but for that of others as well. My motto is to enjoy a comfortable ride, save fuel, enjoy the landscape and be a safe partner for other road users. That kind of driving never gets uninteresting. Have fun driving safely everybody!
Great review. I ordered a new arbarth 595 convertible last week. Can't wait for it to be built
Words of wisdom. Motoring isn't always about speed. And even if you like brisk driving on curvy country roads, you might not need a lot of power to do so. Enjoyment is the key, numbers are overrated.
One of the best reviews on the web! I also made it, now owning 595 Turismo for a few months with a lot of kilometers, roadtrips and daily driving videos, the car is really amazing!
thanks m8 !
Happy New Year Autogefuhl! I asked for this car to be reviewed and you came up trumps, love these little fireballs. Great test, as always honest and detailed. Looking forward to see what you bring us in the coming twelve months 👍🏻
=)
As always great review 👍
No back pain...... Bonus!!! Seriously though, great review as usual.
Thx for the detailed review, looking into buying one of these as a daily car. Living in a city with no parkingspace, this car offers a lot.
thanks for joining us!
Nice review as always Thomas!
The wife has had first Gen Abarth 500 since 2009. It's a fun little car, but the suspension gets punished on it (even though it is not low the suspension is VERY hard especially with the 17" rims option), and I feel the price of parts are very overpriced for a fiat.
Last year I had to renew both suspension arms, top mounts, rollbar / bushes and (for the third time) a set of drop links at only 30k miles. Also the entire font of the car has to come off just to access two bolts. So it's either a £1700 job at the dealer for two £130 suspension arms, or an evening of swearing laying under the car getting the front off. We also had a gear box / clutch issue at only 16k miles and a water coolant issue at 20k. You also can not replace bushes etc and simple things, they come with the chassis fitting welded to the rollbar etc, so the whole thing needs to be replaced.
Some of the things they did when building it was poor, also the exhaust was at such an angle it collects water in the can that stretches across the back of the car. I can't speak about how the leather lasts as the wife opted for cloth (she hated the red leather offering). But the black fabric has faded and has lots of white washed out patches all over them.
On the plus side, the dash is nice, the boost gauge and shift gauge is nice (again on the earlier model), the blue and me system is quite good on the earlier ones, although USB is a bit clunky to use for music. The optional interscope sound system with integrated under seat sub sounds pretty good (again in earlier ones now), but bass is a bit hollow. The gear shift is lovely, and sports mode is handy to increase torque , the steering is perhaps a little over heavy though with it on. The car does look smart and it's nippy / sounds good. So it is a nice more unique sporty run around. The steering wheel is chunky and feels very good quality. Also the car has four cup holders! lol Handy for a Starbucks run. The boot actually holds more than it looks and with the seats down the car is almost a little van, we have fit a LOT of stuff in it.
Oh, we don't have the key problem in the UK on RHD cars :)
Headroom is an issue as you mention in the rear and it is very enclosed in the back with the small windows and large sports seats. But it can seat three / four if pushed.
thanks so much for the great feedback !
This is going to be a great year.
Great video and very hot car !!! Abarth 595 C Turismo is always standing for fun, performance and a lot of history in one !!! Greatings from Austria, ciao Rainer :-)
+Rainer Fuchs greetings back and thanks Rainer :)
The TTC button btw means Torque Transfer Control and draws back the electronic stability control a little bit - in most cases you wont need it though.
Enjoy your reviews. Keep up the good work.
+delplaya5 👍
+delplaya5 🏁🏁🏁🎬🎬
The Abarth engineers are great for attention to detail. Sound is lovely. Nicely integrated centre display. I like the convertible, I'd go for that - the real deal, the Competizione with the special dampers and better seats. Fun to drive - go-kart-like. Very entertaining Review Thomas, as always, many thanks. Greetings to Katharina.
thx gordon =)
thomas laughes like sheldon copper xD so nice
abarth: still the winners for best sounding 4 poppers in the motor industry, even after 8 years.
A great start of the new year, cute little car! Great job Thomas!
thanks !!
Excellent review!
as always, nice vid Thomas! I absolutely love them
But you don't need to mention "Full HD" in your intro, Full HD is old and nothing special ;-)
Keep it coming!!
Thomas
Great review as always.
U are mine top gear and grand tour in one package :)
love to hear that =)
better than grand tour to be honest
Hey Thomas....One tip for your UA-cam uploads: Try recording in NTSC format at 30/60Hz because that's what UA-cam is optimised for! You'll get better picture quality with less compression as a result! Cheers und weiter so!
Check our most recent uploads !
My Abarth 595c competizione is arriving on Friday. can't wait to drive it 😁
enjoy =)
***** thanks. I ordered a brand new one but I haven't test driven one yet. I drove the 595 Turismo so I guess it's about the Same but with a little bit more power. Keep up the good work with entertaining and informative and fun videos.
Fantastic review
thanks join us for more reviews!
Autogefühl thanks
Sehr cooles Auto und wie gewohnt sehr gute Review.
vielen dank =)
When you put it in sport mode the turbo goes to 1.9 bar, in normal mode it goes to 0.8-0.9 bar, so thats why its faster in sport.
Als 2. Wagen ein Traum 😍👍!
Warum denn als Zweitwagen?
Willst du sowas (außer du bist sehr jung und brauchst nix anderes) wirklich als 1. Auto fahren? Das ist ne nette Krawallbüchse aber für mehr taugt das dann nicht. Höchstens in der Stadt langt ein 500....
für mich mein einziger
the gauge on the left is not a duplicate tachometer. It is a Boost gauge
If you're running out of cars to review I would greatly appreciate one of the 3 series GT! Happy New Year from Sweden. ☺
One more perfect review Tomas..well done to you and your team..All your production is on another level...Waiting for the next episode...It would be great to see in future time a review on Nissan GT-R...wish to you and your team one very peaceful and successful 2017!!!
thanks! GTR Will be coming up
You should experiment with rev matching downshifts. It's a lot of fun and it's also "the proper way". Plus it's pretty easy to learn unless you want to heel and toe.
Toller Sound und der ABARTH trägt sogar mein Sternzeichen ; )
Happy New Year Thomas, that's stonking little car really go cart like based on the old fiat Panda
Great vids. Keep 'em coming!
For sure! I hope you keep watching Autogefuehl :)
Thank You.
GREAT review.
You have a VERY Nice personality.
(better than mine!!)
Thnaks terry!
Love the car
im 6"4 I have no problem with the roof...
(Abarth 595 (early 2016) chipped + monza exhaust system)
Oh I like German with the English chat - Nice and the car
I really enjoy your reviews! Thank you for making them.
When can we expect a review of the new Scenic?
Thanks! No schedule yet, Renault is a hard one they hardly supply cars and focus on newspapers
being italian is such a disappointment watching at those interiors... i really dont understand how fiat managers think! great video as always
"Really wide aaaa....rear......HAHA!
:>
Wiss zoze hhyuge exhauss
Ich würde ihn auch als Basis 595 nehmen. Aber es gibt weder Beats Audio, noch die Xenon Scheinwerfer. Also ist der mittlere Turismo die beste Wahl, Leder hin oder her 😊. Wenigstens ist das Poltrona Frau Leder gut verarbeitet.
Wow. Yes please. The perfect second or better third car. Other dream garage a vintage Ferrari, Maserati or Lancia. Daily driver the new Alfa Romeo Giulia or Stelvio.
Sport dial is turbo boost guage not rpm meter. Getting my abarth 595 in may in Modena yellow with 17 inch 10 spoke alloy wheels and automatic transmission
If they did a luxury interior and more manly abarth model I'd buy one! :)
Hi Thomas, Happy New Year, would you buy a car like this? I think its great but is it too small for the Autobahn and daily living?
UP! is not very quick Thomas. I have driven 2 of them.
Nice review as always! Funny and interesting to the end! :)
The Base-Version or the Competizione. Thats right. I would get for the Base 595. Two Modifications i would do: 1. Lower the Seats with new Seatframes and 2. tune the engine from 208nm to 230nm (145 to 160 ps). I mean Abarth had some Tuning Kits.
racing style!
Beautiful review! In HD your footage is deliciously viewable. Thank you for that. "Micro car" so well put! First time I have heard it called that, but so true. I have a 2017 Abarth 500, white with red trim. Just curious, do you have any idea why Fiat put those ugly body-colored slabs of plastic in the center of the taillights for European models as opposed to the lovely taillights systems for US cars? Thanks for a great review and wonderful viewing of the Abarth in action.
thanks !! oh ... no idea
The design is not bad, just not as attractive as the US version. Thanks for responding, best to you!
The extra gauge is for turbo boost pressure not for rpm.
ye it is, sorry
Nice review! Is there more headroom in the non-convertible? I have an older generation Panda (type 169) and am 1.95m tall. I'm thinking to replace it with an Abarth 500/595 in the future.
Brian Dowling Yes there shoud be even enough room for a 2m person
I am driving currently the fiat 500 c 1.4 16v with 100 hp. For my opinion its getting a little bit to loud inside of the cabin especially on Autobahn driving. I am scoring a consumption of 6.8l/100km but I am driving 25 km on the Autobahn and 5 km inside the city and 10 km outside the city. I think it is definitley a good and fair car for the amount of money you need to spend. But if I am honest, I would not buy another one. Thats not because I am not happy with it. I haven't had any problem if it at all. But I am more looking forward to the next generation of Seat Leon Cupra. With all the assitant Systems which aren't available for the fiat 500 abarth or the normal one at all. I hit a lot of traffic jams during my daily drive and thats why I think my next car should include a Acc(with the Stop&Go function), Blindspot monitoring and a lane keeping assistance as its mostly included in a package. I also do not have a seat heating which is definitley needed if your car is standing outside in the cold as mine. Over all I think they are stepping up the game with every new generation but its a little bit to slow for my opinion. I mean it is a city car right, but not City Emergency breaking system available? ... they have done their homework but they still need to do them as those systems are yet available for the Opel Adam which is a direct competitor.
Nice review and a happy new year to the whole "Autogefühl" Team!
+SuperAless112 - Hi, interesting info. You talk of daily traffic jams on your commute and a need for ACC (with Stop&Go/Traffic Jam Assist) - I reckon you'll need the DSG on that SEAT Leon Cupra too.
thanks for the info!
Hey BMW, this is how you build a Mini!
I love my sport model car I love it to death
Just a quick question : How tall are you? I am between 1m65 and 1m70, do you think I would sit more comfortably in it?
I hate the new front bumper. Looks so cheezy
Can't you lower the seat? A feature my American '12 Fiat 500 Sport came with.
I'd go for the hatch with electric sunroof.
Well, at least here in Europe the Abarth since generation 3 has a big power failure issue which according to a statement of FCA is built in to keep sure its engine/exhaust noise emissions will stay within legal law, a random, full three seconds power failure which is unaceptable in a hot hatch I am afraid.
Ohlukei What do you mean by “power failure”?
@@ilpatongi You shift down (or stay in the current gear) and give full gas/throttle. Now the turbo pressure drops to 4 psi (or gets stuck if build up) for up to full 3 seconds. This sometimes happens in the 2nd gear, in the 3rd gear again and in the 4rd gear another time. During these up to 3 seconds of power failure you get almost no acceleration. :-(
Thomas , a review of Suzuki Ignis plz
Can you review the Mini John Cooper Works Convertible ? it would be a great car following this review. really enjoyed it.
Countryman review coming up !
great looking forward to it.
super dope!
Thing that disappoints me about the Abarth is the interior is nearly exactly the same as the standard 500 , If im paying £10 grand more for the Abarth than a standard 500 i expect £10 grand of extras
Did you ever review the Fiat e500? It's supposed to be almost as much fun to drive as the gas Abarth with its low centre of gravity (due to the battery weight). And like other electrics, it has good torque. Not available in Canada (yet or ever)!
not yet but sounds interesting!
Can anyone explain why the European 500 facelift never came to North America?
Exterior. We did get the interior facelift, but the outside body is still the old one.
Hat der neue Abarth eigentlich eine Öltemparaturanzeige ?
Thomas, wondering how you avoid wearing or buying leather shoes to a formal occasion
Thank you for taking interest in this very important topic!
We have researched this issue for many years now so please take your time to go through our extensive resources stated below as they answer every single question we have yet received concerning this matter.
At Autogefühl, we have already received several thousands (!) comments, messages and mails that more and more people want to combine enjoying their car with reducing the environmental impact at the same time. We believe that sustainable luxury is possible or at least we should do everything to support that. Those many thousand people confirming this trend, motivate us to give you the most authentic information and background on the product parts. It is not about what you bought in the past, and it is not about blaming anyone, it is about what you decide in the future and what you can decide and influence as a customer. So we want you to have all information that you need for a decision you later enjoy and like best yourself.
Check out our special video addressing car CEOs as a first summary and also see conditions of animal skin production:
ua-cam.com/video/LNSUzZXzpdc/v-deo.html
List of practical reasons against animal skin seats:
1. animal skin seats are often sold as an expensive option, by going for base trim level seats you can save a lot of money and get a better price-performance-deal (often the manufacturers claim that animal leather is top of luxury because they can earn the best money with it)
2. animal skin seats get hot in summer and you stick to the seat, probably you need seat cooling
3. they get very cold in winter and you need seat heating
4. on cloth or microfibre surfaces, you basically don’t need seat heating nor cooling
5. animal skin seats wear out very fast and look like an old sofa
6. if you want leather look or need seats that can be wiped clean easier, the leatherette (faux leather) surfaces are meanwhile highly evolved and it is possible that it feels even softer and better than anything else (See our Tesla Model X review ua-cam.com/video/y2wNGFKa4M0/v-deo.html) So Tesla shows a good example for that
7. More manufacturer names for their good alternatives: Mercedes MBTex/Artico for leatherette, Dinamica for microfibre. BMW Sensatec, Toyota Sof-Tex, Lexus Nu-Luxe (all faux leather)
To the environmental reasons:
1. The way the cows and other intelligent and social animals are raised and held are not according to the basic values that we all share (also see videos below)
2. The factory farming industry can be accounted for at least 40 % of climate emissions and thus is (according to numerous sources you can look up) the number one reason for climate change and environmental destruction. It is the number one reason for deforestation, two thirds of all agricultural land on earth is used for growing animal food crops. If you would feed humans directly by using the agricultural land, you could produce much more food for everyone. See this interesting essay for more on climate emissions background: www.worldwatch.org/files/pdf/Livestock%20and%20Climate%20Change.pdf
3. It is not only cows who are suffering, but also the environment and to a big part also humans. Think of slavery-like working conditions in slaughterhouses (there are plenty of documentaries about this) or think of chemically altered drinking water in animal skin production villages as also seen in the video footage.
4. The discussion, for which body part the cow is killed first, is very patronizing. But if you really think it would be important why someone gets killed in first place: There are many productions where the cow is killed for the skin first, sometimes even while still being (part-)alive, the skin is the most profitable single part of the body.
5. So even if a cow gets theoretically killed for meat first, in every case you give additional money to an industry that relies on killing, pollutes the environment and harms people with chemicals. Let's say you are standing at the meat counter. And you ask for the leg of the cow. The butcher tells you: "You can eat that without worrying, the cow was slaughtered for the neck first". The next customer demands the neck. The butcher tells him: "It's not your fault, the cow was slaughtered for the belly". A the next customer demands the hide, what answer does he get? You see, that argument of "byproduct" comes from the meat and leather industry to cover up that you contribute to killing no matter which part of the body you buy.
6. To the often said argument, animal skin would just be a byproduct, please google/youtube "leather is not a byproduct" you will find plenty of information. A good overview on all those issues can also be found here: adaptt.org/
To “But leatherette is not sustainable due to petrochemical production”
1. Indeed some fabrics and micro fibres are oil based, however most oil is spent on energy production, heating and fuel. The share of oil used for artificial cloth etc. is very very small.
2. If you look at the whole production process, the leatherette is way more sustainable than the leather produce.
3. The best to-come solution are indeed plant-based materials like Pinatex (based on pineapple leaves) or new materials based on mycelia (roots of mushrooms) or other innovative natural products. That’s the future.
More special video episodes:
1. A initial special video from Autogefühl considering the use of leather can be found here: ua-cam.com/video/8f91KgbVbJQ/v-deo.html
2. And another one right here: ua-cam.com/video/tMNgcLE0LDU/v-deo.html
3. Furthermore, you’ll find the footage of leather production also here, where people are walking in chemicals etc. and animals have to watch their friends being slaughtered in front of their eyes: ua-cam.com/video/JipYvuDsI6s/v-deo.html
timecode starting 27:46
4. This is another video which very well summarizes the torture of leather production, shots taken at big farms which directly produce for the automotive industry: ua-cam.com/video/OgHs239bAnE/v-deo.html
5. Please note that those videos are made by well-known journalists and cameramen who were not influenced by any animal welfare organisation, they supply their footage to the animal rights groups of course. I partly know the creators of the video footage personally and they are all authentic. You don’t have to search long to find cruel production environments anyway.
Manufacturers reactions:
We started the very first inquiry years ago, with the result that car manufacturers do not reveal their sources of animal skin AT ALL. If it all would be clean and happening without harm, why don’t they show it to us whereas they are showing us every other detail of their products? They have good reason not to, because there is no such thing as a clean animal skin production without harming cows, humans and the environment. The only thing a manufacturer can do is increase their effort for a better future, and we are helping with in-depth talks and interviews by presenting the increasing customer demand for sustainable luxury.
So meanwhile, we more often also get feedback that a lot of manufacturers are working on leather-free interiors and are aware of the situation. E.g. Bentley, Mini and Kia have started vegan car interior programmes. Tesla and Mercedes are already showing major choices for sustainable interiors, you always have to pay attention to the details when ordering, of course - and we are happy to give advice. However, much has to be done still and the Autogefuehl community is massively helping in boosting the positive change!
Help to raise awareness on this subject. Thanks!
could you pleeeaaase do a review on the Fiat 500 1.2 ???
Abarth 595 Turismo or Alfa Romeo Mito Veloce?
hi can you please do a review for the brand new hyundai i30 with the 1.6 turbo petrol engine im thinking of buying it and would love to see you review it thank you.
So, if I share, like, comment and tag a friend, is there any chance I can win that Abarth?
Oh... This isn't facebook, damned!
haha :D
Man, the Euro versions make the US versions look like trash. Still, I want to pick one of these up sooo badly. They are hilariously fun to drive.
only a 5 speed box in 2017 !? my works van has a 6 speed box
It's not about how many gears. It's about how the gear ratios match well with the engine.
What a stupid comment. It's like saying "how come this car doesn't have 12 cylinders".... Fucking idiot.
+milaman06 up yours bellend
Mit 228 (oder sogar 240) PS ist dieses Auto noch schneller, ein Teufel.
I have a Fiat so I'm very fond of the brand, but that's crazy money for a tiny hot car. Crazy. For not much more the Fiesta ST is a much more complete car. Great review Thomas, even if you didn't really fit in the car .... ;-)
hehe thanks
Qeustion; any info on the new opel isiginia 2017, when can you guys review it?
at the moment we do not have any information. But we'll keep you up to date as we will regularly upload a video in which we mention what's coming up or what will change. That's the latest example of it: ua-cam.com/video/tjGnbrl4M7c/v-deo.html
what bout the Beat sound system? is it good?
quite hard to establish a good audio in that car
I need that
I think you forgot the Pista
wot does the number mean 595 and 695
Bekloppt, dass man die ganze Zeit die Hand vom Lenkrad nehmen muss, um das Dach zu schliessen. Ob das wirklich der Sicherheit dienlich ist, wage ich zu bezweifeln.
Guter Gedanke. Der Schutz ist ja ein statischer Schutz für andere. Aber in der Tat wahrscheinlich gefährlicher für den Fahrer
12:11 that’s not the RPM dial lol
too cool
Its not another rpm meter fyi.. sigh
Thomas, I noticed that German cars Always get a brilliant review but when it is time to review some Japanese or Italian cars, I have the impression you have been instructed by the German motor lobby to highlight some imaginary weak points. E.g. I saw the review you did for the VW Up and when you opened the driver front door you praised the finish in a very positive way. Personally I think that the Up has a finish like most its competitors but you - and your German colleagues - keep doing a brain wash for the viewers. The Up (basis version) here in Germany 10K Euro excl taxes. It has a 60 HP engine (all the competitors have at least 68/69 HP) it is plenty of bare metal inside, no electric Windows, no radio, no aircon, split rear bench, no radio, no glove compartment (!) nothing at all. Would you believe that the Up! got a bad review from your colleagues from AutoBild? Incredibly it happened that the car interior became a swimming pool because of the aircon leaking. Just imagine if this happened to the 500....But when reviewing the 500 you give a negative feedback about the door panel saying it won't last. How can you say this? Do you have a proof about your statement? Please do not mention the ADAC stats....I think you are the nth German reviewer that Always bends the head to the domestic carmakers. Same situation happens regularly with other German magazines such Auto Bild but it seems that many Germans are sick of listening and/or reading the "low rent" and unfair reviews, just read the comments they leave.Even some German consumer magazines seem to award almost only German products (not only cars). Considering that I live here in Germany very often it is a problem for me to decide over the right product.
We have no motivation to promote certain brands. See details here: ua-cam.com/video/VZ180HNvMlk/v-deo.html
And as for the VW up vs Fiat 500, if you would check those 2 cars directly after each other, you will notice what I mean.
:) filinstone Thomas, LOL
=)
attention to detailS
Why avoid the ‘animal skin’ version? You mean leather and it’s a luxury that most people prefer
Thank you very much for your interest in this topic. I also bought cars with animal skin leather seats before I did my research and got to know the industry. The most important thing is: With today's modern materials, you have nothing to lose, just to gain. You achieve the same kind of luxury and comfort or even better while having the same or better durability with less impact on humans, animals and the environment.
You can use fabric/cloth, microfibre or leatherette. The classic approach is using oil/plastic as source material. Overall, a vehicle contains about 300 kg plastic. A car seat needs about 5 kg plastic. So the overall plastic share for the seats is very low and it is at this moment the most efficient way to produce a car seat. A couple of litres of fuel equals a car seat basically. So if you want to save oil/plastic, rather look at consumption for energy, fuel and heating and to other car parts than the seat. Note that animal skin leather also always contains a plastic coating for durability. However, long-term we should of course find raw oil alternatives. So going further, seats can be made from recyclables (e.g. from PET-bottles or old fishing nets) or even increased share of plant-based materials (like pine oil, canola oil or start-up materials like Pinatex from pineapple leaves or Desertex from cactus fibre or the mixed-plant-based Mirum, so be seen at ua-cam.com/video/S1aNZeoatmE/v-deo.html). On a calculation base, by ditching animal skin leather from car interiors, the amount of emissions (CO2e) is reduced by 85 (!) % (www.press.bmwgroup.com/africa-dom-easteurope/article/detail/T0403389EN/on-the-market-from-2023:-bmw-and-mini-models-with-vegan-interiors?language=en) - and that is a very conservative calculation. So it is at this moment the most important thing you can do to make car interiors more sustainable.
A good example for high-end luxury with ventilated animal free seats is the BMW X7 with Sensafin: ua-cam.com/video/1pRNkW9nrrw/v-deo.html
And the Kia EV9 with plant-based oil share: ua-cam.com/video/6vXePQi_MAk/v-deo.html
New leatherette materials can be superior in every aspect, even for cleaning: ua-cam.com/video/u94YXJ72UTA/v-deo.html
More and more natural materials are rising: ua-cam.com/video/nRSsXEnwHDo/v-deo.html
Also check out what the animal skin leather industry tried to with our channel: ua-cam.com/video/nP_CvLlaFlI/v-deo.html
For seeing how the animals are being treated and transported in the global leather industry, watch this footage: ua-cam.com/video/tkjCAmq1_8E/v-deo.html
Note that the footage is genuine and was recorded by a highly decorated investigative journalist in Germany I know myself personally.
Also a group of researchers and German journalists from public media could recent directly trace the connection between car animal leather production and illegal burning down Amazon rain forest:
www.daserste.de/information/reportage-dokumentation/ard-story/videos/illegales-leder-video-100.html
In a high animal skin grade, the animals are specifically raised for this matter. However even if meat is the "first" misuse case, the hide remains a profitable body part. That means: If manufacturers put animal leather in a car and you demand it as a customer, you give your money to an industry that earns money by oppressing humans, animals and harms the environment, you make them more profitable. Alternatively, you could support industries with your wallet which try to improve the sustainability of materials. Also, if you turn the argument around to "meat is the waste of the leather industry" you realize that it doesn't make sense (and is ethically doubtful) to discuss the primary use of individual body parts of mammals. Mind experiment: You are getting slain down on the street; would it matter to you if it was for your smartphone or for your purse? Remember that animal skin leather is no different to fur, fur is just leather where the hair is still on. And fur is widely not accepted for clothing anymore, and of course not for cars.
We cannot change what we have bought in the past, but with more information and compassion we can change how we decide in the future.
For a great insight into sustainability in the automotive industry, you can also check out our extensive documentary:
ua-cam.com/video/-8gNXlRGngA/v-deo.html
The door handle is straight from the Alfa 147/GT....Hahahahaha...Italians....
Raiding the parts bin. It has been happening for years in every price sector.
Too expensive! You're better off with a Swift Sport and modify it professionally for similar money. My Swift Sport 1400cc turbo puts out 253 PS with ERL methanol/water injection.
Just makes me feel claustrophobic 😢
ds3 is billion times better.
Performance wise the 595 abarths are not on the same level as the DS3
Buddy your like 9 feet tall. You should not be in a fiat 500
Joe E The fuck
19:50 - you got creamed by a grandfather at the traffic lights! And on a more serious note: Some of your comments about height were bordering on the offensive. Just remember that most people watching this will be of average, or shorter than average height and they will manage fine. The world is built for tall people and they have lots of advantages handed to them. Being cramped in a small car is pretty much a fact of life.
A golf R is around 10k€ more expensive than the abarth 595 comptitzione in my country so its not worth the money
I have yet to understand the appealing of the Fiat 500 and it's variants. In my opinion this car is way too small, looks like a little round ball that will begin to roll around soon and i don't talk about the wheels. If I want a small car, I'd go with Ford Ka or VW Up and his variants at Skoda and Seat. If I need it sporty then there are, even though they are bigger, cars like the Ford Fiesta or VW Polo.
MrDiarukia , obviously 🙄 that car 🚗 is for girls
Fossa Poplitea it really is not tho
Your car knowledge and taste is myopic
Diskas-kas
fat aaaa 😀😀
Excellent review