The Fiat 500 It’s a vibrant little town. The Fiat 500 Abarth is a completely different car. It’s still fun and exciting, but it ups the ante with a powerful turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a soulful exhaust and an incredible demeanor.
The Fiat 500 Abarth makes US debut in 2012 model year (along with a Super Bowl commercial which we will share below without further comment). It hasn’t changed much during its 7 years of operation and We are sad that it was withdrawn from the US in 2019. Thankfully, all sorts of things have been sold that are easy to find on the used market.
Why the Fiat 500 Abarth?
It’s a pleasure to drive. It’s not too fast, but has enough power to put a smile on your face. After all, 160 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque (the model with the automatic offers 157 hp and 183 lb-ft) feels solid with just over 2,500 pounds to transport.
Perhaps the most remarkable part of the Abarth’s driving experience is its burly exhaust note. Here’s how we described it back in 2019:
“The small turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder has a heavy hum when idle that doesn’t seem like a good fit for a muscle car. It only gets better as you start moving around. around. The ledge became a fierce howl and turned right at the red line leading to a whip-like crack. It was very drunk.”
That was true then, and it still holds true today.
Also, while we’ll get back to pricing later, it nice, cheap for a small sports car.
Which Fiat 500 Abarth to choose?
You have two main choices to make. First, automatic or manual. Second, fixed roof or sliding canvas roof. We’re suckers for the clutch pedal, so it’s hard for us to recommend the shifter automatic to yourself, but honestly the six-speed automatic isn’t too bad. .
Harder to quantify – it doesn’t look like a traditional droptop at all, instead it’s a canvas that slides back like a large sunroof. We recommend looking at both versions and test driving them at city and highway speeds and hopefully even in different weather conditions, before making a decision.
The model year doesn’t matter much, with the exception of versions prior to 2016 that don’t have any kind of infotainment system. Anyway, the tiny 5-inch unit of last year’s 4 models doesn’t quite meet modern standards.
Expect to pay under $10,000 for an early 500 Abarth with reasonable mileage. Later models are obviously more expensive, but even in today’s soaring used market, you can still find a nice example with low mileage for around $20,000.
Our list of used cars It can be helpful to find a good deal near you. Narrow services by radius around your ZIP code and pay attention to the deal rating on each listing to see how one vehicle compares to others in the same area.
What else to consider?
500 Abarth’s most obvious competitors are Mini Cooper S or John Cooper Works. Both are small European hatchbacks with solid power from small turbocharged four-cylinder engines and limited everyday usability. However, both are not known for its reliability, so if it’s a big purchase, we recommend you take a close look. Honda Civic Si or maybe Ford Fiesta ST. The Volkswagen GTI It may be the quintessential hot hatchback, but it’s also bigger and more practical than the 500 Abarth.
If you’re thinking of using the Fiat 500 Abarth as nothing more than a second car toy, there are plenty of possibilities to consider. The Mazda Miata is a giver, but $20,000 can also score an older Italian (incl Alfa Romeo Spider-Man or Fiat’s own 124 in the original or form of reincarnation) or British sports car (but remember to save some extra powder for fix Work).
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