Fiat 500 mania!!!!
05-21-2017, 11:52 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Fiat 500 mania!!!!
Give me your thoughts...........
I am toying with the idea of maybe throwing a Fiat 500 into the mix to basically have for shiz and giggles as a third car to beat the heck out of, and basically be my "SUV" for Home Depot runs with the seats down as it would have far more cargo capacity with the seats down than my 3 series or the Cayman.
Some are probably familiar with me bitching about losing my parking space because my employer installed a charger in it for electrics but..............
Anywho, FIAT #1 is a 500e electric car that some of you have probably read are worth very little when they come back from lease. I happen to know of one where I can walk out with it for about $8k OTD all taxes and tags paid, BUT my wife's employer has a stipend to encourage people to buy an electric car and after that was taxed would bring my cost for the 500e down to $6k OTD and the car has LESS than 7,000 miles on it for a 2014. Gonna drive it later this week. But $6k out of pocket for an 80 mile range EV with almost no miles seems like kind of a interesting toy to have. Also on the plus side my wife LOVES the 500 and she could also drive it when she felt like it because it is an auto.
My second idea I have been toying with is something I would pull the trigger on down the road after paying down the Cayman a bit more, and that would be to find one of the plentiful used low mile 500 Abarths with a stick for about $10-$12k depending on year, mileage and options, and just use it to Hoon the snot out of it on a semi daily basis. These to me look like a riot, have not driven one yet and are plentiful at low prices on the web. It would be kind of a disposable fun car for cheap that I could really just kind of wring out back and forth to work and have some fun in. What is amazing is a strippo new 2017 Abarth goes for $20k flat with the current rebate BEFORE you even try to negotiate with the dealer and practically pristine year old low milers can be found for about $14k. You could probably buy a new one for $18k or less if you bargain.
Our three car garage is full but I kind of wanted a third toy/beat on kind of car. The wife does not want it in the driveway in front of the house, but the neat thing about these is that we have a concrete slab on the side of the house out of the way where you can park a 500 and nobody would ever see it. Anything much bigger than a Miata would not fit.
Anyone though of a used Abarth to beat on at these fairly low used prices?
I am toying with the idea of maybe throwing a Fiat 500 into the mix to basically have for shiz and giggles as a third car to beat the heck out of, and basically be my "SUV" for Home Depot runs with the seats down as it would have far more cargo capacity with the seats down than my 3 series or the Cayman.
Some are probably familiar with me bitching about losing my parking space because my employer installed a charger in it for electrics but..............
Anywho, FIAT #1 is a 500e electric car that some of you have probably read are worth very little when they come back from lease. I happen to know of one where I can walk out with it for about $8k OTD all taxes and tags paid, BUT my wife's employer has a stipend to encourage people to buy an electric car and after that was taxed would bring my cost for the 500e down to $6k OTD and the car has LESS than 7,000 miles on it for a 2014. Gonna drive it later this week. But $6k out of pocket for an 80 mile range EV with almost no miles seems like kind of a interesting toy to have. Also on the plus side my wife LOVES the 500 and she could also drive it when she felt like it because it is an auto.
My second idea I have been toying with is something I would pull the trigger on down the road after paying down the Cayman a bit more, and that would be to find one of the plentiful used low mile 500 Abarths with a stick for about $10-$12k depending on year, mileage and options, and just use it to Hoon the snot out of it on a semi daily basis. These to me look like a riot, have not driven one yet and are plentiful at low prices on the web. It would be kind of a disposable fun car for cheap that I could really just kind of wring out back and forth to work and have some fun in. What is amazing is a strippo new 2017 Abarth goes for $20k flat with the current rebate BEFORE you even try to negotiate with the dealer and practically pristine year old low milers can be found for about $14k. You could probably buy a new one for $18k or less if you bargain.
Our three car garage is full but I kind of wanted a third toy/beat on kind of car. The wife does not want it in the driveway in front of the house, but the neat thing about these is that we have a concrete slab on the side of the house out of the way where you can park a 500 and nobody would ever see it. Anything much bigger than a Miata would not fit.
Anyone though of a used Abarth to beat on at these fairly low used prices?
Last edited by vader1; 05-21-2017 at 11:57 AM.
05-21-2017, 12:11 PM
#2
Thread Starter
05-21-2017, 04:59 PM
#4
Thread Starter
Recent Autotrader article:
The FIAT 500 Abarth is one of the most enjoyable little cars on the market today. I'll never forget the first time I ever drove one. Like you (probably), I dramatically judged this hatchback by its cover: It's cute, and small, and plucky, so I assumed it would be sort of fun to drive but obviously lacking in serious performance-car excitement. Nothing that looks like that can actually be fun for a serious car enthusiast.
But it IS fun! It turns out the 500 Abarth is a wildly fun little car, with excellent handling, and great steering feel, and a tight 5-speed manual transmission, and a sound that truly makes you laugh every time you stab the throttle. With only 160 horsepower, the best part might just be how slow it is: zero to 60 is in 7 seconds, which is reasonably quick for a little car like the Abarth but not ultra-fast -- and which requires you to really push that throttle, and hear that noise, in order to really get the most out of it. It's a car that actually wants you to go faster, which in turn makes you happier. I love it.
And here's the best part: It's an amazing deal on the used market.
Actually, the 500 Abarth is an amazing deal overall. Even a brand-new model starts at just $22,500 with shipping. But the average asking price for a used FIAT 500 Abarth on Autotrader is just $13,500, which seems like highway robbery for such a hilariously enjoyable little car. If you change your search to only look at 2013 and 2014 models, that figure drops to just $11,900, which has to make this the best bang for your buck of any modern car on the market. Under twelve grand for a 3-year-old car that provides as many thrills as just about any other modern sports car.
Of course, the 500 Abarth isn't wildly practical, and it could use a sixth gear, and maybe a nicer interior -- but that isn't the point. The point is that eleven grand can buy you a fun, exciting car with distinctive styling and an amazing sound -- and you should go out right now and get one. I'll stand by, jealous of your newfound Abarth, since I don't have anywhere to put one.
Doug DeMuro is an automotive journalist who has written for many online and magazine publications.
The FIAT 500 Abarth is one of the most enjoyable little cars on the market today. I'll never forget the first time I ever drove one. Like you (probably), I dramatically judged this hatchback by its cover: It's cute, and small, and plucky, so I assumed it would be sort of fun to drive but obviously lacking in serious performance-car excitement. Nothing that looks like that can actually be fun for a serious car enthusiast.
But it IS fun! It turns out the 500 Abarth is a wildly fun little car, with excellent handling, and great steering feel, and a tight 5-speed manual transmission, and a sound that truly makes you laugh every time you stab the throttle. With only 160 horsepower, the best part might just be how slow it is: zero to 60 is in 7 seconds, which is reasonably quick for a little car like the Abarth but not ultra-fast -- and which requires you to really push that throttle, and hear that noise, in order to really get the most out of it. It's a car that actually wants you to go faster, which in turn makes you happier. I love it.
And here's the best part: It's an amazing deal on the used market.
Actually, the 500 Abarth is an amazing deal overall. Even a brand-new model starts at just $22,500 with shipping. But the average asking price for a used FIAT 500 Abarth on Autotrader is just $13,500, which seems like highway robbery for such a hilariously enjoyable little car. If you change your search to only look at 2013 and 2014 models, that figure drops to just $11,900, which has to make this the best bang for your buck of any modern car on the market. Under twelve grand for a 3-year-old car that provides as many thrills as just about any other modern sports car.
Of course, the 500 Abarth isn't wildly practical, and it could use a sixth gear, and maybe a nicer interior -- but that isn't the point. The point is that eleven grand can buy you a fun, exciting car with distinctive styling and an amazing sound -- and you should go out right now and get one. I'll stand by, jealous of your newfound Abarth, since I don't have anywhere to put one.
Doug DeMuro is an automotive journalist who has written for many online and magazine publications.
05-21-2017, 10:03 PM
#6
The exhaust noise is friggin awesome.
05-22-2017, 06:41 AM
#7
Site Moderator
We've got an Abarth, had it for almost 3 years now. They're a blast.
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05-22-2017, 06:51 AM
#8
Thread Starter
05-22-2017, 07:29 AM
#9
Site Moderator
05-22-2017, 01:26 PM
#10
Moderator
If you want pretty much no cost after buying, the 500e for $6k seems like a no brainer. A $10k Abarth sounds like fun, but you have other cars for that, right?
Either way, I don't think a 500 is a bad choice, but to play the role of an SUV at Home Depot? Lol - maybe with the windows down and roof open.
Either way, I don't think a 500 is a bad choice, but to play the role of an SUV at Home Depot? Lol - maybe with the windows down and roof open.