Reliability is hard to judge on a new car, it takes time to find these things out. There are many sources of information like JD Power reports etc. This car is built in the old PT Cruiser factory, which had very good reliability towards the end of its run. The reality is that my job is to point out the features of the car, reliability is too hard to predict on a new model.
My wife and I own one of these Fiats and it is an Incredibly great car. I am 6’ tall and I fit comfortably in the front. The turbo is insanity! My wife is a tiny woman and very sweet.... but when she gets behind the wheel .... She turns up the Beats radio and flies down the parkway... you can smell clutch when she pulls in! But she loves it! Great car.
I just double checked the price of the same car in the US and Canada. Without the navigation unit and freight, the Canadian car seen here cost $23,750. The same car in the US is $22,850, roughly $700 less expensive in the US. (navigation does not show up on the US web site, it must be a dealer install). In actual fact, the US bundles the options together and the stand alone features, like leather and Beats Audi are cheeper here in Canada.
Fiat owns 85% of dodge helped the American automaker to bounce back from recession, fiat also has to factorys back east in the us that builds both the 500 and the 4door 500L. So im glad that fiat help us in the u.s.
Good luck with that! That price is impossible unless salvaged car. These are not built as well as many other cars but if taken care of at least as reliable as any Chevy.
Thanks mate, that was a good review. Ages ago, when I had hair and lived in the city, I used to drive a Fiat 500 with a 500cc donk as my daily commute & I always wondered what it would be like with more pep. These days I live in the country & down a dirt road, so this car is not for me. But I've never forgotten my Italian love affair. ;-)
I found the clutch released quite high when I test drove a 2012 Sport a year ago. Over a 20 minute drive in the city, it became annoying; lifting my leg what felt like 4 to 6 inches every shift. Can you tell me if they corrected this in the 2013 Turbo? Thanks. Great work. Dom
Exactly, but what you dont know, apart from the missing intercooler, and the lower boost, the 500T's engine is the same as the USDM Abarth. It has a slightly less flowing Exhaust, but not by much. So my point is still pretty Valid. You can use the USDM Abarth tuner box on a 500T.
We bought one of these for my wife. I actually like it a lot as it's a blast to drive. You are right that it's kind of the sweet spot between the Pop and the Abarth. And I do grumble that the seats down ratchet down lower, but it's my wife's car and she's short, so it suits her.
the one of the motormanagment, it controls all the engine functions it is an eeprom. novitec in germany or squadra tuning knows more because to get 200 hp it could be that you need a bigger intercooler or turbo, but 170 hp is possible without hardware swap
Thanks for the info. This car sounds perfect for me. I'm only 5"4. I don't sit comfortably in larger cars. My head does not rest comfortably on the head rest unless I stretch my neck. I have to adjust the chair to the point where I'm too close to the steering wheel. My elbows don't reach the arm rest and its tiring keeping my hands on the wheel all the time For a big guy, why did you not go for a larger car? In 2014, sub-compact SUVs are coming out. I might check those out before deciding
I keep coming back to the Abarth but have not been able to go through with it. Just a warning, if you are looking at the sunroof and are around 6' you will fit in the driver seat but not as much in the passenger seat that is a little higher and not adjustable. I don't really need the sunroof and the Cabrio makes manuvering items in the rear much more akward.
Well for a start the original point was that a chip could take it to 200HP, an intake wasn't mentioned and secondly i am on the forums, im member of the Abarth owners club. My chipped Abarth produces around 165-170. Even the Novitec website and TMC websites dont claim there tuning boxes/ chips could produce 200HP.
No they didnt, but you get used to it. Its not necessarily that its high, its that it doesnt move at the bottom then snaps when you let it got an inch. It actually curves instead of going in an out like on all my other manual cars. Just to need to get accustom to it thats all.
In Ontario these things have depreciated a fair bit. You can get one similarly equipped in this video for under $15,000 with less than 30,000 KM. I've spoken to a lot of sales people as well and most all of them say that they received the T as a trade on used Abarths. That being said though, having owned and traded an Abarth I have to say in hindsight that I would much, MUCH rather have had the T. The former was a joyous way to overload the senses when driving on twisting back roads, but it was a choppy, loud, and conspicuous car that very quickly became irritating when driving anywhere else more than a half hour away. Its kind of like what Matt Farah said in one of his "One-Shots" being that its a great car to blast through the canyons or on a windy road for 15 minutes, but too much to live with on the regular. The Turbo is honestly just as rambunctious and playful on the same roads, but its a bit softer and more forgiving on long journeys, and hides its extra power behind the veil of the cuter and significantly less threatening Fiat badges. If the Abarth is what you crave than by all means go for it, its still an absolute blast to drive, but if you want something a bit more practical for use everyday that is still exciting and fun, pick up a second hand T and enjoy it.
Yeah and both the Abarth and the 500T when tuned achieve the same HP so the 500t is way better value. Abarth seats can be had for 500$ and the steering for 200-300$. The rest of the stuff you can upgrade with aftermarket and achieve a better vehicle. That's what i did with mine when i owned one.
Mathieu Levac I am thinking about picking up a 500t. Do you know if it’s possible to use the same tuners on the 500t as you would on an abarth? The idea being that I’d like my 500t to have the same or more hp as the abarth.
If its any help i have both the fiat 500 and abarth 500, there both fours years old and have never had any major mechanical problems whatsoever (touch wood) neither do i know of anyone else who has either. The F500 in particular is very simple, so theirs less to go wrong.
well, it depends on region of manufacture. the puntos in europe that i drove in were well built, with clean lines and acceptable panel gaps, but the one I bought back in india is made in a different factory, and definitely looks like it's definitely been built to a price.
Well, ive seen dyno charts... and idk about Novitec, but the 3 companies ive heard around here (North America) are TMC, RoadRaceMotorsport and MM. Btw, by abarth, you mean North American Abarth OR Europe Abarth?
Nice. review. I have the exact car. Lots of fun. Fyi, volume control is also on on back of the steering wheel for easy access. The turbo is great. After driving it for a few years the question now is can i get it tuned from 135 HP up to 160 like the Abarth? Same suspension, why not? We'll see what the dealer says.
Well, the suspension is different, the axles are different, the brakes are different, the turbo is different, the transmission is different and the exhaust is different. Vs tha Abarth. But a computer should get you to 150-160hp.
..and this works for the Fiat 500 ? I know Civics are modded (modified) that way usually by tapping into the CAN diagnostic network on the automobile and playing around with settings. But I did not know that kind of mod was also do-able on a Fiat ! I'm thinking the Fiat 500 Turbo (not Abarth but Turbo model which is one step lower) probably has this mod. In other words, its the same car as the regular Fiat 500 but with these software tweaks. What do you think ?
Ok, fair point on the Garret turbo, i was not aware of that. I based my thoughts on it having IHI turbo which is the smaller one. It seems like overkill to give it a turbo that big if it has such modest performance stats. Lets just agree a 500T with a chip on its own could produce a nice amount of power but not quite 200.
No problems, got it in may so no winters with it yet. Yes i have THIS exact model, in silver so yes turbo. Downsides, im 6'3" so i dont fit in a car equiped with a sun roof, so i didnt get one. An other downside for me anyways because of my height, is the non telescopic steering wheel, i feel like i have to reach too much to grab it with one hand. An other thing, the drivers seat goes up and down, but the passanger's doesnt, so if that person is tall, his head will be in the roof liner.
One thing I don't like is how its lifted from the rear suspension it just bothers me how they made it like that. Should have kept it even with the front suspension.
Thats for an US Abarth. Not a Fiat 500 turbo as per my original point. I think the US Abarth produces 175HP as stock not 133HP so there is a big difference. I have a TMC box on my car and i can assure you it will not produce 200HP and neither does it in your link. Plus setting 8 is not advisable, setting 7 is considered to be the safer option.
You get more utility, more power and cheaper in a hatchback Accent. Sure it's not 'Italian' or cute, but if money is an issue, there are so many better choices for the price range. For $25k, the Nissan Juke Nismo can be had. Rockford Fosgate system, push-button start, alcantera seating, 197hp turbo i4 1.6litre. Great on fuel and would give the Cooper S and Abarth a serious run for its money.
DarkClosetOfTheMind says this car is ugly, and I find it to be the most interesting and best looking cars in the class. This car is not meant to be a Porche, but it has plenty of pep. I have the standard Pop version at 101 HP, and with a 5 speed manual it performs just fine. The Abath and Turbo are really fun to drive and given the weight and size of the car performs wonderfully! The mini is a nice car...however the fiat is a less expensive option with definite differences in design and per
I love your reviews Zack, but it would be nice to have more information on ' Built quality' & 'reliability' of the cars you're presenting... I heard that the Fiat 500 are cheaply made, won't last long, and some car journalist don't predict an overall good reliability from the car in the long end. It would be nice to hear about those things during your reviews... Most peoples these days are looking for something reliable with good durability...
Euro Abarth. Remember were talking about taking a fiat 500 turbo (133bhp) to 200HP. Not a US Abarth. I believe US Abarths are capable of 200HP. But i would be mighty impressed if a 133HP fiat 500 turbo could produce 200HP with a simple engine chip.
The Regular 500 is about the same price as the Accent, it obviously doesnt compare in size, but it has a lot more character. The abarth weighs alot less than the nissan juke, which in turn makes it sportier.
I was talking about the Nissan Juke. The Accent would be more of the regular 500 comparison. It's cheaper and has more utility than the regular 500. The Abarth is a nice car though but it just doesn't have any utility.
Idk, ive read that a mordern car's break in period is much shorter, and im at 30,000km right now. Still same fuel millage. Like i said,our cars are just not that great on gas, even the EPA says so.
There are different stages of break in. The catalytic converters take a long time to properly seat. I'm using fuelly to track mileage, Joe about yourself?
True, 200, without anything else, is not possible. Unless you get Standalone tuning like AEM or something of the sort. Still. A chipped 500T will yield more than you said though.
Well, when you think about it. It costs less to buy a bunch of the same thing, and just software reduce the power then buy a bunch of different parts and still have to tune it differently. PC video cards have been doing it for years. Reducing clockspeed and other such variables. Costs them nothing extra to do it this way.
For a car this size, how much power do you expect, or even need? That's right, it's 2013, and the old idea of Americans feeling insulted at the prospect of driving a car like this should be history by now.
the abarth has stiffer roll bars and suspension arms and stronger brakes, and stronger wheel hubs to accomodate larger wheels and stronger braking systems. it isn't the regular 500. abt the engine it is a very proven and tough engine can handle the power (not the garbage TSI volkswagen throuws in the world) but you 'll lose factory guarantee if you tweek it. it works on the abarth but must be done by specialist as squadra or novitec,not in the lokal brewery.
it isn't underpowered at all, the drivetrain is much more efficient than the draditional american 3 speed automatic and it weights about 1,1 metric tonne. the torque is directly present thanks to the multi air tecnology (without butterfly valve in the intake) but all sayd, not a car for a man, it doesn't fit us propper. Prefer the alfa 159
I own this car. For the recorded, though they look nice, but these 500's are very cheap build quality and materials. Every panel is loose and cheap sqeaky plastic. The road noise is insainly bad, and the engine ticks, like a diesel. I'm shocked, no auto reviewer has mentioned these things. But at the end of the day, it's a very handsome eco car. You can get them super cheap, preowned
Doubt you'd get 200hp with a 'little chip'. even my chipped Abarth isnt getting that much. I dont think that turbo is even capable of 200hp, if you want the magic 200 you'd need to upgrade to a garret 1446 turbo. remap that engine and you could get around 165 - 170.
it takes 1 lil chip reprogramming and you have 200 HP. and it is a stupid statement you do, in fact the porsche was underpowered for a porsche with other modifications you can go even further.. but not recommanded for a dayly use car
$25,000???? Wow what a rip off!!! They wonder why they aren't selling them! Not to mention we get ripped hard in canada. We pay $5000 than americans for the same car
Although the review was well executed, I still think these cars a joke. I can see how they appeal to people who don't like parking and driving larger cars, but they are grossly overpriced. For the same amount of money you can easily find many 2-3 year old cars that are much more comfortable and have twice the horsepower and interior room. And worst of all, based on Fiat's terrible reputation in regards to reliability, those 2/3 year old cars will most likely also outlast this car too.
You always do a good job with the reviews, however this car is just plain ugly. A turbo with 135 HP?!?, seriously this car is a joke. I had an '84 Porsche with 165 HP without a turbo. This is 2013 people, don't waste your money on this dopey looking, under powered Mini wannabe.
Who cares about reading features off a list. I wanted to see how it accelerates, sound of the beats system, etc. Fiat has been making these cars for decades in Europe and then they import this new crap here with the cheapest looking plastic interiors, disgusting reliability, and inflated prices. Not to mention how dangerous it is if you get hit by anything bigger than a Yaris. No wonder they soured many people and have to retreat back overseas. Could have been a decent go-around inexpensive car as the demand was there, instead a complete failure.
Reliability is hard to judge on a new car, it takes time to find these things out. There are many sources of information like JD Power reports etc. This car is built in the old PT Cruiser factory, which had very good reliability towards the end of its run. The reality is that my job is to point out the features of the car, reliability is too hard to predict on a new model.
Not true. The Turbo model here is less than a $1000 different than the US. In fact, the car is on sale in Canada right now and it is actually cheaper.
Quick note: the Abarth does 160 HP only in Sport mode. It does 135 HP in non-sport mode, the same as this Turbo model.
My wife and I own one of these Fiats and it is an Incredibly great car. I am 6’ tall and I fit comfortably in the front. The turbo is insanity! My wife is a tiny woman and very sweet.... but when she gets behind the wheel .... She turns up the Beats radio and flies down the parkway... you can smell clutch when she pulls in! But she loves it! Great car.
I just double checked the price of the same car in the US and Canada. Without the navigation unit and freight, the Canadian car seen here cost $23,750. The same car in the US is $22,850, roughly $700 less expensive in the US. (navigation does not show up on the US web site, it must be a dealer install). In actual fact, the US bundles the options together and the stand alone features, like leather and Beats Audi are cheeper here in Canada.
Fiat owns 85% of dodge helped the American automaker to bounce back from recession, fiat also has to factorys back east in the us that builds both the 500 and the 4door 500L. So im glad that fiat help us in the u.s.
just a quick correction-my 2013 Abarth has a body colored dash panel (rosso). 3 years old,30k mile,zero issues,36.5 mpg
You can find these fiats in 2019 for around 2,500-3500 cash in Texas.
I wish i knew where they are located I'm in Grand Prairie Texas and can't find 25 - 3000 dollar 2019"s
Yeah now....wish I had known that when I bought mine 5 years ago. Already replaced the clutch for that amount...it's fun to drive though so
Good luck with that! That price is impossible unless salvaged car. These are not built as well as many other cars but if taken care of at least as reliable as any Chevy.
Thanks mate, that was a good review. Ages ago, when I had hair and lived in the city, I used to drive a Fiat 500 with a 500cc donk as my daily commute & I always wondered what it would be like with more pep. These days I live in the country & down a dirt road, so this car is not for me. But I've never forgotten my Italian love affair. ;-)
I found the clutch released quite high when I test drove a 2012 Sport a year ago. Over a 20 minute drive in the city, it became annoying; lifting my leg what felt like 4 to 6 inches every shift. Can you tell me if they corrected this in the 2013 Turbo? Thanks. Great work. Dom
I have one just like this, however mine has red leather seats to match. i love it
Excellent review. Like your new camera angles. Rather odd ending. My wife thought there was something wrong.
Exactly, but what you dont know, apart from the missing intercooler, and the lower boost, the 500T's engine is the same as the USDM Abarth. It has a slightly less flowing Exhaust, but not by much. So my point is still pretty Valid. You can use the USDM Abarth tuner box on a 500T.
!Update!: Available in an Aisin 6-Speed Automatic for 2015 models (so does the Abarth 500) :D
the usa abarth has been dynoed at 155whp and 175 WT and gm has a recall to up the car to 22psi and 180bhp
We bought one of these for my wife. I actually like it a lot as it's a blast to drive. You are right that it's kind of the sweet spot between the Pop and the Abarth. And I do grumble that the seats down ratchet down lower, but it's my wife's car and she's short, so it suits her.
the one of the motormanagment, it controls all the engine functions it is an eeprom.
novitec in germany
or squadra tuning knows more
because to get 200 hp it could be that you need a bigger intercooler or turbo, but 170 hp is possible without hardware swap
I love the 500 body style design in general I know it's almost the same but between this and the Abarth version 'id go for the A500 for sure!
Thanks for the info.
This car sounds perfect for me. I'm only 5"4. I don't sit comfortably in larger cars.
My head does not rest comfortably on the head rest unless I stretch my neck. I have to adjust the chair to the point where I'm too close to the steering wheel. My elbows don't reach the arm rest and its tiring keeping my hands on the wheel all the time
For a big guy, why did you not go for a larger car? In 2014, sub-compact SUVs are coming out. I might check those out before deciding
I keep coming back to the Abarth but have not been able to go through with it.
Just a warning, if you are looking at the sunroof and are around 6' you will fit in the driver seat but not as much in the passenger seat that is a little higher and not adjustable. I don't really need the sunroof and the Cabrio makes manuvering items in the rear much more akward.
Well for a start the original point was that a chip could take it to 200HP, an intake wasn't mentioned and secondly i am on the forums, im member of the Abarth owners club. My chipped Abarth produces around 165-170. Even the Novitec website and TMC websites dont claim there tuning boxes/ chips could produce 200HP.
No they didnt, but you get used to it. Its not necessarily that its high, its that it doesnt move at the bottom then snaps when you let it got an inch. It actually curves instead of going in an out like on all my other manual cars. Just to need to get accustom to it thats all.
In Ontario these things have depreciated a fair bit. You can get one similarly equipped in this video for under $15,000 with less than 30,000 KM. I've spoken to a lot of sales people as well and most all of them say that they received the T as a trade on used Abarths.
That being said though, having owned and traded an Abarth I have to say in hindsight that I would much, MUCH rather have had the T. The former was a joyous way to overload the senses when driving on twisting back roads, but it was a choppy, loud, and conspicuous car that very quickly became irritating when driving anywhere else more than a half hour away. Its kind of like what Matt Farah said in one of his "One-Shots" being that its a great car to blast through the canyons or on a windy road for 15 minutes, but too much to live with on the regular. The Turbo is honestly just as rambunctious and playful on the same roads, but its a bit softer and more forgiving on long journeys, and hides its extra power behind the veil of the cuter and significantly less threatening Fiat badges. If the Abarth is what you crave than by all means go for it, its still an absolute blast to drive, but if you want something a bit more practical for use everyday that is still exciting and fun, pick up a second hand T and enjoy it.
Yeah and both the Abarth and the 500T when tuned achieve the same HP so the 500t is way better value. Abarth seats can be had for 500$ and the steering for 200-300$. The rest of the stuff you can upgrade with aftermarket and achieve a better vehicle. That's what i did with mine when i owned one.
Mathieu Levac I am thinking about picking up a 500t. Do you know if it’s possible to use the same tuners on the 500t as you would on an abarth? The idea being that I’d like my 500t to have the same or more hp as the abarth.
If its any help i have both the fiat 500 and abarth 500, there both fours years old and have never had any major mechanical problems whatsoever (touch wood) neither do i know of anyone else who has either. The F500 in particular is very simple, so theirs less to go wrong.
What would you say are the down sides of this car?
Have you had any problems with it?
Does it work well in the winter?
Do you have the Turbo version?
well, it depends on region of manufacture. the puntos in europe that i drove in were well built, with clean lines and acceptable panel gaps, but the one I bought back in india is made in a different factory, and definitely looks like it's definitely been built to a price.
Well, ive seen dyno charts... and idk about Novitec, but the 3 companies ive heard around here (North America) are TMC, RoadRaceMotorsport and MM. Btw, by abarth, you mean North American Abarth OR Europe Abarth?
Nice. review. I have the exact car. Lots of fun. Fyi, volume control is also on on back of the steering wheel for easy access. The turbo is great. After driving it for a few years the question now is can i get it tuned from 135 HP up to 160 like the Abarth? Same suspension, why not? We'll see what the dealer says.
Well, the suspension is different, the axles are different, the brakes are different, the turbo is different, the transmission is different and the exhaust is different. Vs tha Abarth.
But a computer should get you to 150-160hp.
..and this works for the Fiat 500 ?
I know Civics are modded (modified) that way usually by tapping into the CAN diagnostic network on the automobile and playing around with settings. But I did not know that kind of mod was also do-able on a Fiat !
I'm thinking the Fiat 500 Turbo (not Abarth but Turbo model which is one step lower) probably has this mod. In other words, its the same car as the regular Fiat 500 but with these software tweaks. What do you think ?
Ok, fair point on the Garret turbo, i was not aware of that. I based my thoughts on it having IHI turbo which is the smaller one. It seems like overkill to give it a turbo that big if it has such modest performance stats. Lets just agree a 500T with a chip on its own could produce a nice amount of power but not quite 200.
I'm thinking of replacing my 2006 Mazdaspeed 6 soon and 500's have always drawn me in....
More power? Does the Accent have 150 torque in the 2xxx rpm? I think not. It also weights more.
Norm McDonald is doing car reviews now? Nice!
No problems, got it in may so no winters with it yet. Yes i have THIS exact model, in silver so yes turbo. Downsides, im 6'3" so i dont fit in a car equiped with a sun roof, so i didnt get one. An other downside for me anyways because of my height, is the non telescopic steering wheel, i feel like i have to reach too much to grab it with one hand. An other thing, the drivers seat goes up and down, but the passanger's doesnt, so if that person is tall, his head will be in the roof liner.
One thing I don't like is how its lifted from the rear suspension it just bothers me how they made it like that. Should have kept it even with the front suspension.
I LOVE MY ABARTH, AND WOULD RECOMMEND FIAT 100%. THIS IS COMING FROM SOMEONE THAT HAS A 2012 BMW 528, AND A 2013 640I GRAN COUPE....FORZA FIAT!
Thats for an US Abarth. Not a Fiat 500 turbo as per my original point. I think the US Abarth produces 175HP as stock not 133HP so there is a big difference. I have a TMC box on my car and i can assure you it will not produce 200HP and neither does it in your link. Plus setting 8 is not advisable, setting 7 is considered to be the safer option.
it is 19500 in America with all that plus nav is around 22000
What's the point of having the same power plant as the abarth, but turning down the boost. Idiotic
same thing with the new civic si
does it really go in water?
You get more utility, more power and cheaper in a hatchback Accent. Sure it's not 'Italian' or cute, but if money is an issue, there are so many better choices for the price range.
For $25k, the Nissan Juke Nismo can be had. Rockford Fosgate system, push-button start, alcantera seating, 197hp turbo i4 1.6litre. Great on fuel and would give the Cooper S and Abarth a serious run for its money.
A little late to watch, but still a great and relevant video. Thanks.
DarkClosetOfTheMind says this car is ugly, and I find it to be the most interesting and best looking cars in the class. This car is not meant to be a Porche, but it has plenty of pep. I have the standard Pop version at 101 HP, and with a 5 speed manual it performs just fine. The Abath and Turbo are really fun to drive and given the weight and size of the car performs wonderfully! The mini is a nice car...however the fiat is a less expensive option with definite differences in design and per
Cute car. I like this model much. But i'd also consider the forthcoming 200hp Fiesta ST
I love your reviews Zack, but it would be nice to have more information on ' Built quality' & 'reliability' of the cars you're presenting... I heard that the Fiat 500 are cheaply made, won't last long, and some car journalist don't predict an overall good reliability from the car in the long end. It would be nice to hear about those things during your reviews... Most peoples these days are looking for something reliable with good durability...
Euro Abarth. Remember were talking about taking a fiat 500 turbo (133bhp) to 200HP. Not a US Abarth. I believe US Abarths are capable of 200HP. But i would be mighty impressed if a 133HP fiat 500 turbo could produce 200HP with a simple engine chip.
The Regular 500 is about the same price as the Accent, it obviously doesnt compare in size, but it has a lot more character. The abarth weighs alot less than the nissan juke, which in turn makes it sportier.
I own this car in silver, i paid 23k including tax, base model with heated seats. LOVE IT.
A/C ?
I was talking about the Nissan Juke. The Accent would be more of the regular 500 comparison. It's cheaper and has more utility than the regular 500. The Abarth is a nice car though but it just doesn't have any utility.
what chip do you reprogram ?
Oh, and here both the 500T and the Abarth have the Garret gt1446 turbo.
I love my fiat 500 turbo, but I am one of those people that just need it to commute to work. Very economical!
I also own one, and its not THAT great on gas.
Mathieu Levac Depends on how you drive it.
Brodey Dover OH....and break-in. Modern cars will run rich for their first 35 000 miles (give or take 10 000 miles). It *will* get better!
Idk, ive read that a mordern car's break in period is much shorter, and im at 30,000km right now. Still same fuel millage. Like i said,our cars are just not that great on gas, even the EPA says so.
There are different stages of break in. The catalytic converters take a long time to properly seat. I'm using fuelly to track mileage, Joe about yourself?
it's a 1.4..... Turbo doesnt always = MAD POWER. it drives fine and has plenty of pep at low RPM. Cant say that for any other N/A 1.4-1.6L engine...
True, 200, without anything else, is not possible. Unless you get Standalone tuning like AEM or something of the sort. Still. A chipped 500T will yield more than you said though.
orgoglio italiano!!
Well, when you think about it. It costs less to buy a bunch of the same thing, and just software reduce the power then buy a bunch of different parts and still have to tune it differently. PC video cards have been doing it for years. Reducing clockspeed and other such variables. Costs them nothing extra to do it this way.
For a car this size, how much power do you expect, or even need? That's right, it's 2013, and the old idea of Americans feeling insulted at the prospect of driving a car like this should be history by now.
Because that is a good comparison.
I love this car💝
novitec chip and 200 hp are available ! ;)
I want one of these for a fun weekend car and maybe turbo it some more to make some more power
DAMN ! $25,000 is actually on the expensive side.
you realize the same company makes Maserati and Ferrari right?
Great review!
love the armrest, get the fuck off my armrest im the driver lol
the abarth has stiffer roll bars and suspension arms and stronger brakes, and stronger wheel hubs to accomodate larger wheels and stronger braking systems. it isn't the regular 500.
abt the engine it is a very proven and tough engine can handle the power (not the garbage TSI volkswagen throuws in the world) but you 'll lose factory guarantee if you tweek it.
it works on the abarth but must be done by specialist as squadra or novitec,not in the lokal brewery.
Nice review
Wrong, check on the forums. A chip and an Intake =200 Crank HP.
prelep!
it isn't underpowered at all, the drivetrain is much more efficient than the draditional american 3 speed automatic and it weights about 1,1 metric tonne.
the torque is directly present thanks to the multi air tecnology (without butterfly valve in the intake)
but all sayd, not a car for a man, it doesn't fit us propper. Prefer the alfa 159
Why is that? It's a very european car, perfect for the city. You don't prove your manliness by driving a pickup truck.
because European roads CANT fit real trucks, dumbass
Google ABARTH Engine Module Comparison Dyno. Should be the first link.
if you get into a crash, your insurance company won't cover it because you tampered with the car
"This car appeals to women AND men, ESPECIALLY when you get the alloy wheels."
Very nice but you can get a fully loaded Hyundai elantra for under 25,000 .
But there is no evidence of a 500T producing 200HP using a chip. Which was the point i was making.
I own this car. For the recorded, though they look nice, but these 500's are very cheap build quality and materials. Every panel is loose and cheap sqeaky plastic. The road noise is insainly bad, and the engine ticks, like a diesel. I'm shocked, no auto reviewer has mentioned these things. But at the end of the day, it's a very handsome eco car. You can get them super cheap, preowned
Doubt you'd get 200hp with a 'little chip'. even my chipped Abarth isnt getting that much. I dont think that turbo is even capable of 200hp, if you want the magic 200 you'd need to upgrade to a garret 1446 turbo. remap that engine and you could get around 165 - 170.
brilliant he says. hmm.
it takes 1 lil chip reprogramming and you have 200 HP.
and it is a stupid statement you do, in fact the porsche was underpowered for a porsche
with other modifications you can go even further.. but not recommanded for a dayly use car
$25,000???? Wow what a rip off!!! They wonder why they aren't selling them! Not to mention we get ripped hard in canada. We pay $5000 than americans for the same car
you know what they say about Fiat
Found On Road Death
found one of these for 300 bucks man i am lucky.
Fiat got plenty ideas from Volkswagen....
Although the review was well executed, I still think these cars a joke.
I can see how they appeal to people who don't like parking and driving larger cars, but they are grossly overpriced. For the same amount of money you can easily find many 2-3 year old cars that are much more comfortable and have twice the horsepower and interior room.
And worst of all, based on Fiat's terrible reputation in regards to reliability, those 2/3 year old cars will most likely also outlast this car too.
You always do a good job with the reviews, however this car is just plain ugly. A turbo with 135 HP?!?, seriously this car is a joke. I had an '84 Porsche with 165 HP without a turbo. This is 2013 people, don't waste your money on this dopey looking, under powered Mini wannabe.
Who cares about reading features off a list. I wanted to see how it accelerates, sound of the beats system, etc. Fiat has been making these cars for decades in Europe and then they import this new crap here with the cheapest looking plastic interiors, disgusting reliability, and inflated prices. Not to mention how dangerous it is if you get hit by anything bigger than a Yaris. No wonder they soured many people and have to retreat back overseas. Could have been a decent go-around inexpensive car as the demand was there, instead a complete failure.
ABARTH NOT ABART HOLY FUCK
TOO MUCH MONIES!
It still looks like a girls car.
Its a gay clown car
fu!
ohemgee4419 fuck barak obama too, lol
ya fk u guize >:D
Actually, the proper way to pronounce Abarth is "uh-bart"