Ended up picking it up for a sweet price. So far, she is a hoot to drive and is sipping the fuel compared to my Silverado!
Fiat 500 Abarth as daily commuter...
- Thread starter DriveHard
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My buddy is looking at a '12 500 pop with 70k on the clock for $3,000 as an efficient commuter. Its a 5 speed too. Seems like a basic little car but alot of value for $3,000.
Glad to see the owners of the modern FCA Fiats seem to have really good things about these cars. He drove it yesterday around the block and said its very refined compared to what he had expected (He has a '16 Mustang GT and '70 F250 so I was surprised when he mentioned the 500). He's going to try and get the price a little bit lower as it needs tires and a couple small exterior issues.
If he can consistently get 40 MPG on his 45 mile commute daily (beating the 11 he gets in the F250) he will be in the black after 1.5 year.
Glad to see the owners of the modern FCA Fiats seem to have really good things about these cars. He drove it yesterday around the block and said its very refined compared to what he had expected (He has a '16 Mustang GT and '70 F250 so I was surprised when he mentioned the 500). He's going to try and get the price a little bit lower as it needs tires and a couple small exterior issues.
If he can consistently get 40 MPG on his 45 mile commute daily (beating the 11 he gets in the F250) he will be in the black after 1.5 year.
There are some deals on new 500x mini-CUVs locallly too, but there's just not quite enough room for my taste...the 500 is a tiny little thing, I just can't imagine driving one on the interstate surrounded by Suburbans and full size trucks.
Sounds great, but the reliability is unacceptable
Originally Posted By: CincyDavid
There are some deals on new 500x mini-CUVs locallly too, but there's just not quite enough room for my taste...the 500 is a tiny little thing, I just can't imagine driving one on the interstate surrounded by Suburbans and full size trucks.
It sucks becoming an adult, when you forget to do things as simple as IMAGINE things that are not normal to you.
Here's something for you to think about:
My wife has bought 2 different Fiats.
The first one was a 500 sport, that we bought in September 2011.
We bought it in Texas, brand new, and had to drive it back to Colorado.
We took the interstate.
There were trucks, and SUV's, and everything.
We lived to tell the tale (I'm here, right now).
Then, in June of 2012, she traded in that 500 Sport for a 500 Abarth when they became available.
With that purchase, she was given track day instruction.
The only catch was that we had to drive to Phoenix in order to participate.
Well, we drove that one on the highway, too.
In October of 2012.
There were trucks and SUV's on the highway, again.
And again, we survived the ordeal.
Who would have thought that we would have survived driving on the Interstate in a Fiat, not once, but twice?
Oh, wait...
Whenever we drive to Denver, or Boulder, or Westminster, or Broomfield from our little house in Dacono, we drive on the interstate.
I-25, specifically.
I assure you, there are trucks and SUV's aplenty, at all times.
We're still alive.
Good luck getting your imagination back.
It does make life so much better.
BC.
There are some deals on new 500x mini-CUVs locallly too, but there's just not quite enough room for my taste...the 500 is a tiny little thing, I just can't imagine driving one on the interstate surrounded by Suburbans and full size trucks.
It sucks becoming an adult, when you forget to do things as simple as IMAGINE things that are not normal to you.
Here's something for you to think about:
My wife has bought 2 different Fiats.
The first one was a 500 sport, that we bought in September 2011.
We bought it in Texas, brand new, and had to drive it back to Colorado.
We took the interstate.
There were trucks, and SUV's, and everything.
We lived to tell the tale (I'm here, right now).
Then, in June of 2012, she traded in that 500 Sport for a 500 Abarth when they became available.
With that purchase, she was given track day instruction.
The only catch was that we had to drive to Phoenix in order to participate.
Well, we drove that one on the highway, too.
In October of 2012.
There were trucks and SUV's on the highway, again.
And again, we survived the ordeal.
Who would have thought that we would have survived driving on the Interstate in a Fiat, not once, but twice?
Oh, wait...
Whenever we drive to Denver, or Boulder, or Westminster, or Broomfield from our little house in Dacono, we drive on the interstate.
I-25, specifically.
I assure you, there are trucks and SUV's aplenty, at all times.
We're still alive.
Good luck getting your imagination back.
It does make life so much better.
BC.
Originally Posted By: ad244
Originally Posted By: slacktide_bitog
Sounds great, but the reliability is unacceptable
What specifically breaks on them slacktide? They seem pretty reliable from my research, I'd love to hear more specifics
Well, my wife has had her 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth since it was brand new, in June of 2012.
The only thing that has broken on it was the battery in one of the TPMS sensor died, and the dealer replaced it.
We also had to take it in for a recall early on so that they could increase the hp that the car made in a reflash of the ECU.
Increased the maximum amount of boost pressure that the car could hit.
Horrible, isn't it?
BC.
Originally Posted By: slacktide_bitog
Sounds great, but the reliability is unacceptable
What specifically breaks on them slacktide? They seem pretty reliable from my research, I'd love to hear more specifics
Well, my wife has had her 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth since it was brand new, in June of 2012.
The only thing that has broken on it was the battery in one of the TPMS sensor died, and the dealer replaced it.
We also had to take it in for a recall early on so that they could increase the hp that the car made in a reflash of the ECU.
Increased the maximum amount of boost pressure that the car could hit.
Horrible, isn't it?
BC.
Originally Posted By: Bladecutter
Well, my wife has had her 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth since it was brand new, in June of 2012.
The only thing that has broken on it was the battery in one of the TPMS sensor died, and the dealer replaced it.
We also had to take it in for a recall early on so that they could increase the hp that the car made in a reflash of the ECU.
Increased the maximum amount of boost pressure that the car could hit.
Horrible, isn't it?
BC.
I still toy with the idea of getting a used Abarth to use as a DD when I go back to work full time this January. The safety issue doesn't worry me one bit; we rented a base 500 for a trip from Louisville, KY to Columbia, SC and my wife and I felt totally safe. As a matter of fact, the largest car in our garage is the 2 Series, so I don't get all the whining the 500 being too small. Some of the hand-wringing bed wetters need to exchange their operators license for a public transit pass.
Well, my wife has had her 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth since it was brand new, in June of 2012.
The only thing that has broken on it was the battery in one of the TPMS sensor died, and the dealer replaced it.
We also had to take it in for a recall early on so that they could increase the hp that the car made in a reflash of the ECU.
Increased the maximum amount of boost pressure that the car could hit.
Horrible, isn't it?
BC.
I still toy with the idea of getting a used Abarth to use as a DD when I go back to work full time this January. The safety issue doesn't worry me one bit; we rented a base 500 for a trip from Louisville, KY to Columbia, SC and my wife and I felt totally safe. As a matter of fact, the largest car in our garage is the 2 Series, so I don't get all the whining the 500 being too small. Some of the hand-wringing bed wetters need to exchange their operators license for a public transit pass.
Originally Posted By: CincyDavid
I just can't imagine driving one on the interstate surrounded by Suburbans and full size trucks.
One of the reviews I read about it was that it was horrible on the hwy. And a Ford Fiesta felt great on the hwy in comparison.
I just can't imagine driving one on the interstate surrounded by Suburbans and full size trucks.
One of the reviews I read about it was that it was horrible on the hwy. And a Ford Fiesta felt great on the hwy in comparison.
Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
One of the reviews I read about it was that it was horrible on the hwy. And a Ford Fiesta felt great on the hwy in comparison.
A Fiat 500 Abarth that was horrible on the highway?
Lets get a link to this review.
It should be stunning.
BC.
One of the reviews I read about it was that it was horrible on the hwy. And a Ford Fiesta felt great on the hwy in comparison.
A Fiat 500 Abarth that was horrible on the highway?
Lets get a link to this review.
It should be stunning.
BC.
Agreed, it has a very choppy ride, noisy, skinflint cargo area, etc...
ls1mike
$50 Site Donor 2024
Glad you are enjoying it. Like I said my buddy has on 110 miles round trip a day. Love the thing. Has been flawless.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Still loving mine!!!
Not sure why it would be reported as bad on the highway...mine is great! I have been averaging 35 mpg on my daily commute, and can pull almost 40 on a highway run. It is just sooo much fun to drive!
Not sure why it would be reported as bad on the highway...mine is great! I have been averaging 35 mpg on my daily commute, and can pull almost 40 on a highway run. It is just sooo much fun to drive!
Originally Posted by DriveHard
Still loving mine!!!
Not sure why it would be reported as bad on the highway...mine is great! I have been averaging 35 mpg on my daily commute, and can pull almost 40 on a highway run. It is just sooo much fun to drive!
You should know by now that the true BITOG vehicle experts are the people who haven't even sat in the vehicle that they are critiquing...
Still loving mine!!!
Not sure why it would be reported as bad on the highway...mine is great! I have been averaging 35 mpg on my daily commute, and can pull almost 40 on a highway run. It is just sooo much fun to drive!
You should know by now that the true BITOG vehicle experts are the people who haven't even sat in the vehicle that they are critiquing...
A guy I know at work bought one of these a couple of years back.
He and his current wife do a lot of weekend trips and he wanted something cheap and economical.
The Fiat fits the bill for him and he's still very happy with it.
These cars are probably no worse than a Sentra or Corolla of a couple of generations back and are certainly more attractive and probably offer better handling.
The durability and reliability of these cars is probably okay by any realistic measure although I'm sure they aren't among the best.
He and his current wife do a lot of weekend trips and he wanted something cheap and economical.
The Fiat fits the bill for him and he's still very happy with it.
These cars are probably no worse than a Sentra or Corolla of a couple of generations back and are certainly more attractive and probably offer better handling.
The durability and reliability of these cars is probably okay by any realistic measure although I'm sure they aren't among the best.
My in laws have a 500 with the 1,2 69hp engine. It sure is gutless, but smooth in the city, and allows some occasional slow highway trips (highway here is 130Km/h). I sure wouldn't want it with that engine as a daily driver, but with just the 1,4 it would be good enough for me.
Their car is now approaching 10 years (I think) and something like 100K Km, trouble free except for some repetitive rear parking sensor issue. Pretty much all they did was basic maintenance and a new battery.
Their car is now approaching 10 years (I think) and something like 100K Km, trouble free except for some repetitive rear parking sensor issue. Pretty much all they did was basic maintenance and a new battery.
Originally Posted by emg
I've driven a non-Abarth 500 on the highway, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Had it as a rental car for a couple of weeks in Italy, and was glad to see the back of it.
And I say that as someone who's owned several Fiats before.
Didn't even get very good fuel economy, by European standards.
Again, you are STILL not talking about the same vehicle that the original poster asked about.
The question has been answered by several FIAT owners already.
The Abarth is more than capable of being a great daily driver, anywhere in North America.
Period.
BC.
I've driven a non-Abarth 500 on the highway, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Had it as a rental car for a couple of weeks in Italy, and was glad to see the back of it.
And I say that as someone who's owned several Fiats before.
Didn't even get very good fuel economy, by European standards.
Again, you are STILL not talking about the same vehicle that the original poster asked about.
The question has been answered by several FIAT owners already.
The Abarth is more than capable of being a great daily driver, anywhere in North America.
Period.
BC.
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