Fr-s VS. Fiat 500 Abarth

[muffinman]

saw an abarth the other day for the 1st time on the street. i like how it looks noticeably sportier than the regular 500. i still wouldnt get one, but i like how they differenciated the abarth from the"base 500" more so than mini did with from their Cooper S and the base Cooper.

[Proud of BOXER]

Originally Posted by Kunzite

Yep, Catrinel Menghia (that's her name) is Romanian.
Does that means the Abarth would randomly slap you in the face? And that is very expensive to maintain? It could even run off with some footballer if getting bored? Then, I'd rather have a more tame Japanese

Japanese women aren't tame. They just seem so.

[Kurenai]

Ultimately, this was my choice as well.
I was unable to test drive an actual Abarth, only a normal 500 sport. Did sit in an Abarth, and the seats were considerably better than normal.

I was excited about the Abarth, was seriously considering ordering one.. but felt like i had to do due dilligence on other sport/sporty cars in the price range, including Genesis 2.0T coupe, etc.

Once i was able to actually test drive a FR-S... what Abarth? Nothing else mattered except how long it would take to get one set up as I wanted to get in.

[Turbowned]

Originally Posted by was385

If I lived in a crowded city, I'd have looked at that car more seriously. But out in the burbs, the practicality of the BRZ makes a lot more sense.

That's true; if i lived in the City, an Abarth would be a more appealing choice. Not that the BRZ/FR-S is a bad city car. I'd probably just pick up a stock MK1 MR2 for two grand and drive that in the city, though. That way I wouldn't cry when it got beaten up from city life. 2350lbs, 112hp, available t-tops or sunroof. Plentiful and cheap!

[BioRage]

Really?

[shadoquad]

One thing that folks should check out if they get the chance is the Abarth's exhaust note. Sounds so sweet. Fiat is actually working with Dodge's SRT group to make aftermarket goodies for the car. I also agree that it would be a better city car. Parking would never be an issue, and thin city streets would be easy to negotiate.

But I like the FRS more for the money. You're not really sacrificing much interior space, may even have more boot space, and while both are fun, the FRS has the advantage of RWD.

So, while I think FWD is a more practical drivetrain than RWD, the practicality basically evens out with these two, in my mind, and I'd rather have the fun of the FRS.

[Turbowned]

Just peeked inside a base model 500 that parked at my dealership. Quirky, cool and fun, but the driving position is minivan-like and there's very little cabin space. It's very Mini-esque in that it has that "cute" feel. I love how small it is, though! America needs more cars like this - just don't expect me to buy one.

[arg0naut]

First post here, I have neither a Abarth 500 or a FRS/BRZ but have a post-it on my monitor that has the base prices for each, destination charges, lb/hp and potential options to get from the dealership for both. I own a Fiat X1/9, a 2nd gen MR2 Turbo and a Mazda3. I've driven a 500 sport extensively (over 1,000 miles on a tour), test driven a Abarth 500 and only sat in an FRS. I grew up with Fiats so for what it is worth I'm a little biased.

I've test driven an Abarth at a journalist meetup on city streets and it is a fun car to drive in the 20 minutes I had it. The exhaust note out of the box is amazing and has a lot of pull compared to the 500 sport. There is a simulated differential (brakes?) that helps keep the power down but you have to push the sport button all the time to unlock the extra fun. The main appeal of the car is its appearance, extra kick over the 500 sport and the brand loyalty (for me). The seating position is very high compared to the FRS/BRZ and again, is front-wheel drive. The optional sunroof lowers the head clearance quite a bit so check with a helmet if you are seriously considering it. I had the pleasure of sitting in one at a track with an experienced driver and discussed the importance of left-foot braking in a FWD car, but to me it still felt weird.

The FRS/BRZ seems, from the forums, to be more of a serious business car. The engine bay looks to have tons of room for modifications and the whole car sits lower than the Abarth. Have you looked into the interior of the Abarth 500 engine bay? Pretty tight all up in there. Also, if tuning is your thing I have a feeling a lot more aftermarket parts will be available for the FRS/BRZ than the 500. I like to learn and drive the cars unmodified so that wouldn't be a consideration for me.

It will be awhile before I can make a financial decision for either but those are my 2 cents.

[Minhtyfresh]

I've driven both. I'm an engineer for the company that makes the Abarth, and I own a whiteout fR-S. So I think my opinions on these cars is pretty valid.. Maybe.

Both cars are incredibly fun to drive. Those who bash on the Abarth don't know a thing about it.

The reason I chose the fR-S:
-RWD handling
-I liked the styling better.
-Lower seating position
-More tuning market.

The Abarth:
-Better stock exhaust note
-Functional backseats.. although still uncomfortable...
-more novice friendly when the weather starts to get colder (snow?)
-slightly cheaper to own in terms of insurance, gas, and purchase. I don't know a thing about their maintenance costs!
-park where ever the heck you want, almost. (mr.bean style parking.. lol)

Both good cars.. depending on what you are looking for. I'll be honest though.. Like everyone else, I'd take the frs/brz over the abarth anyday.

[switchlanez]

I haven't driven an Abarth but did rent the 500 for a few days. My only quip was the short wheelbase makes the whole car jerk or undulate over almost any road imperfection. Probably excellent for autocross but too straining for everyday driving. The FR-S is more GT-like in the sense of it having a longer, more comfortable wheelbase to live with.

Other than that, I appreciate the 500 for what it is and the Abarth trim is icing on the cake.

[Turbowned]

Saw my first Abarth on the highway the other day - white/white with a red scorpion decal on the back. It looks absolutely fantastic! I wish I could afford both cars, honestly. I'm so happy to see the return of affordable Italian cars. Now if I could just find an original example...

[gmookher]

Their engineer drives an frs, Nuff said.

[karma003]

Ive gone head to head w one at the auto x & yea. Theyre... Ok. Of coarse I beat it but surprisingly not by alot. Stayed pretty close

[whitejdm]

My little brother owns an Abarth and had a 500 sport prior to that. The Twins and the Fiats are two very different cars even though the pricing is similar.

The BRZ/FRS definitely have a more "serious" feel about the handling and seating position. The Abarth just screams with italian flair and stupidity (essentially no exhaust, loud colors etc...). If I had one gripe about the Abarth is that after spending seat time in a 500 sport you realize that the Abarth gives you more power, but really doesn't fix any of the problems the standard car has. The shifter is vague (combination of lousy linkage and a stupid shift knob), steering is overboosted at low speeds, and the seating position is hilarious(ly bad). Also, the car has two VERY italian qualities; the nav unit clearly looks like someone was assigned to find a way to attach it to the car, decided to take the day off instead, and came up with something 20 minutes before the morning meeting. And how they ended up with a giant blind spot in a car the size of a shoe I will never know.

I'm not really sure where I am going with this haha. I guess you could say if you love the Fiat you will love the Abarth haha and if you don't get it, you'll never get it.

If you met my brother and I you would instantly understand who has the BRZ and who has the Abarth.