Abarth 595 Competizione 180
Discussion
1598Craig said:
Great looking car, liking the new updated looks of the 595 range. Lots of the new updated model are red on auto trader, so reckon that'll be the colour to get. Hope you enjoy it mate, it'll be a riot 
For some reason it would seem all the demonstrators were identical even down to the colour. Thanks to you and this thread it made me sign the paperwork and get one after my civic became tired and worn, I'm 6'3" and fit comfortably people are surprised how much room is in there. So far I've had a lot of comments mainly those who know what it is give the thumbs up/complimentary and then there's the crowd who clearly think it's just a 500, I've already converted one friend who came out for a drive.
Mike1990 said:
Love the new one, more so with the 'Performance Pack' having a LSD really does make a world of difference, it's magical, out of interest what make LSD is it or is it Fiat/Abarth's own? and is the Suspension still Koni's?
Mine is a performance pack car, I think it does make a difference after driving one without. Koni FSD damping is really very good. I was worried about the ride but it's not bad at all. Indeed, a journalist friend of mine has had a ride in it and was pleasantly surprised. I'll let him have a go (Abarth don't seem to have one on fleet yet) and post up his review. He drives pretty much everything so has a better understanding of its pros and consMy mate recently bought a Polo GTi, not a bad car but can't say it blew my socks off and can't help thinking my old 208 GTi would eat it for breakfast (then I am probably biased)
My Abarth is pretty hard core compared to the likes of most regular hot hatches but no more so than other hard core hatches (type r) etc so while it takes a bit more commitment that a fiesta ST or the like, it's by no means impossible to live with
My Abarth is pretty hard core compared to the likes of most regular hot hatches but no more so than other hard core hatches (type r) etc so while it takes a bit more commitment that a fiesta ST or the like, it's by no means impossible to live with
roystinho said:
Mike1990 said:
Love the new one, more so with the 'Performance Pack' having a LSD really does make a world of difference, it's magical, out of interest what make LSD is it or is it Fiat/Abarth's own? and is the Suspension still Koni's?
Mine is a performance pack car, I think it does make a difference after driving one without. Koni FSD damping is really very good. I was worried about the ride but it's not bad at all. Indeed, a journalist friend of mine has had a ride in it and was pleasantly surprised. I'll let him have a go (Abarth don't seem to have one on fleet yet) and post up his review. He drives pretty much everything so has a better understanding of its pros and consI got to display mine at Italian Sunday at goodwood this weekend.
Abarth 595 CompetizioneIt doesn't have five doors and getting my son I'm and out would be a right old mare with those sabelt seats! The boot is also horrendously small.
Reference the Polo gti I take mine on track and don't have any problems with it. It's quick in a straight line with loads of torque, sure it's not the sharpest tool out there but it makes up for it day to day
Reference the Polo gti I take mine on track and don't have any problems with it. It's quick in a straight line with loads of torque, sure it's not the sharpest tool out there but it makes up for it day to day
Fair one mate, when you say it like that it's a good point, I forget sometimes been a single bloke and living in rural Wales some people have to actually use their cars or heaven forbid go over speed bumps (which I don't recommend in the Abarth lol)
Do see a lot of Polo GTis about now, is yours a manual or Dsg? Guessing the manual option increased their sales no end
Do see a lot of Polo GTis about now, is yours a manual or Dsg? Guessing the manual option increased their sales no end
Yep! Manual gearbox here! Cheaper and you also get 70nm more torque than the DSG equipped Polo Gti!
Yeah I did look at all the options before I chose the Polo Gti! I *could* have lived with the Abarth but to be honest in my circumstances the veedub was a more practical choice in the end.
Yes indeed it did have a turbo problem but that was rectified with a replacement that was actually a different part number to the original so I assume that will have fixed the issue now. I hear a lot of Golfs have had problems with theirs as well so it's not a Polo problem probably a larger vw one!
What I most like about the Abarth is all the in house tuning and customisation options. My car is definately classy but ultimately a little bland in comparison!
Yeah I did look at all the options before I chose the Polo Gti! I *could* have lived with the Abarth but to be honest in my circumstances the veedub was a more practical choice in the end.
Yes indeed it did have a turbo problem but that was rectified with a replacement that was actually a different part number to the original so I assume that will have fixed the issue now. I hear a lot of Golfs have had problems with theirs as well so it's not a Polo problem probably a larger vw one!
What I most like about the Abarth is all the in house tuning and customisation options. My car is definately classy but ultimately a little bland in comparison!
JoeMarano said:
It doesn't have five doors and getting my son I'm and out would be a right old mare with those sabelt seats! The boot is also horrendously small.
Reference the Polo gti I take mine on track and don't have any problems with it. It's quick in a straight line with loads of torque, sure it's not the sharpest tool out there but it makes up for it day to day
Fair enough, both my kids love going in the back, we just have a no shoes on the carbon fibre rule, or shoes off if you think the shoes will touch (if they want to nap for instance). Admittedly we have a family car for big journeys, shopping etc, just use the Abarth if we're going out to eat or don't need to take much stuff with usReference the Polo gti I take mine on track and don't have any problems with it. It's quick in a straight line with loads of torque, sure it's not the sharpest tool out there but it makes up for it day to day
18k update
Been a while since I wrote anything significant on here so thought its about time. Since I've last wrote, had some dramas with the windscreen, helped my mate look for a new car and just about to get it in for its second service.
Windscreen
Couple of weeks ago I noticed cleaning my car what I thought was pretty stubborn dead fly on my windscreen, which on closer inspection seemed to be a very small but pretty deep little chip, about eye line on the passenger side. Damn, I've seen the Autoglass adverts, going over a bump or hot/cold will surely shatter that, especially with my cars "rather firm" ride. So, I left the car stationary for a week until i could get an appointment with Autoglass to get my windscreen repaired. When I applied on the website the 130 quid bill was a shocker but it then said that the car was covered by insurance so I only had a 25 quid excess to pay; not great but soon this debacle would be over.
Unfortunately, the adverts and the reality didn't quite match. On the adverts its all smiles and a bit of glue into the chip and all is well. In actual fact, the Abarth's windscreen had to go through a pretty rough diagnosis to see if the chip can be repaired, including scrapping the chip with a screwdriver, pressure vacuumed and then glued. All of the above meant the chip soon became a 5 cm crack on the windscreen, meaning not only a full replacement needed but 75 quid too.
Fast forward to next week when my windscreen was ready to be repaired and I was initially impressed by the skill needed to replace the windscreen, including a wire cutter that would peel through the windscreen glue and remove the glass, but after the 3rd time the wire had snapped I was getting pretty impatient. Fiat's aren't known for been made out of lead and diamonds so can't see how the windscreen would be too hard for apparently the biggest glass repair company to remove but, hey at least it ESSENTIALLY FOR MY SAFTEY, a windscreen is structurally important to the car and its crash structure.
Auto glass' technician didn't agree, and said that theres no point repairing a chip, and even with a crack the glass should be strong. If anything, the adverts are just to scare customers into getting a chip repaired, which usually cracks the screen, meaning they need a new screen. Chips, aren't even an issue, and go go years without breaking. Whether or not this is accurate, it is a bit of a p*ss take to hear I'm spending 75 quid on something even the technician doesn't agree with. It was nice to see how the car could be taken apart and a new screen replaced but my advice to anyone with a chip on their screen would be approach this with caution - I'm sure a crack should be repaired asap but I'd chance a chip windscreen again to avoid spending much time and money on something I don't particularly see as beneficial.
Car Shopping
Not for myself unfortunately, but seeing as this is the 11th mate I've helped buy a car for (combination of car knowledge and always free on the weekends no doubt) its good to chat about what "normal" people look for in a car. Crazily, most people aren't looking for 4 pipe exhausts, race suspension and stripes on their car (their loss).
My mate in question's 8 year BMW 320D has just expired (engine needing replacement because literally everything has broken) and he had a budget of 400ish pound a month or £35,000 for a coupe/sports car. The default choice was the Audi TT of which he's owned the MK1 a few years back and was keen to try the new one. My Impressions of the TT? its really not bad. Disregard any image perception you might have, and viewed as a car, the base 1.8 180bhp manual we drove was quick enough, quite sporty and very comfortable. As an everyday car it would be very good. As a petrolhead though, it did feel ordinary, good at everything but hardly the sort of car id write a forum post about. And my biggest problem, is why buy a coupe when hot hatches are so good? In terms of driving theres no reason to have a small, low coupe as a modern hot hatch can drive as well as if not better, and seat 4/5 adults and carry a lot of luggage and when your not in a hurry, just be a good hatchback. The TT was good but in my eyes, not justifiable.
The next car was very much however; a new Honda Civic Type R. I don't know how I justified this to my mate but after a test drive I was glad I did. Its a Truly fantastic car and a huge jump up from what the Abarth was in terms of performance. Theres only a second or so in the 0-60 (officially at least) but the civic is in a total different league. The Honda Civic is a great car, practical, smart, comfy and i think good looking too. With the type R you get that and so much more. Our demo car was in black and looked both subtle(ish) and also menacing. The route we drove showed off its handling well but i was very surprised with the ride - much more comfy than you would imagine, and more so than a certain daily driver fiat I use. However, I've read in +R mode the car is undriveable on the roads, and I'd have to agree. I couldn't believe how much movement the case was picking up, it was as if every bump was magnified before being transmitted to the cabin. Back in Regular mode however, the car settled down. When my Abarth comes up for a change, the next civic type R will be high up on my shopping list.
A few other cars didn't make the grade - Lexus RC 300h looked great and its interior does feel special but i think Lexus forgot to add any "dynamics" to that car. why anyone would buy one is beyond me, as a cheaper BMW/Audi diesel is quicker, more economical and just as nice inside. The Kia Pro ceed GT didn't go down great either, despite the good reviews on EVO, my mate wasn't keen. On a side note however, the huge 7 seat Kia Sorento looked great, and I was rather taken by it. Its hard to think of a car more opposed to my Abarth but should I ever get 5 kids I know what ill get With the Peugeot 308 GTi we had a much bigger problem - finding one. The only one within 40 miles was being used by the car dealership's manager, and no, he wasn't interested in letting it out for test drives. Ive encountered this before, trying to get a certain car model can be a nightmare. A hot GTi and the regular car its based on aren't really comparable, despite being told that a 1.6 diesel 308 they had was "just as good to drive"
A chance look in a BMW garage bought up a massive find too - a new M240i coupe, in black, auto. It looked just like any common 2 series, but with huge brakes and a 4.6 0-60. it was going for 40k, but had a 7k discount with a further 2k if bought on PCP. Thats a 31k coupe with a 0-60 from a not to distant Ferrari, loaded with every piece of kit anyone could want. A look on auto trader shows this isn't an anomaly either, theres a huge amount of M235i's and M240is going for reasonable money on a PCP. If I were looking for a new car, id forget all my prejudices about not wanting to buy german like everyone else and have a long hard look at whats available...
As it is, he still hasn't decided. Me? Honda would have it buy a huge margin. Its great to see not only Honda are making "great" cars again but also something so focused - its not an automatic, comfy, subtle, rapid hatch, its a hardcore sports car with 5 seats and a good boot. Its just a great drivers car and long may they continue.
So my next service is due, and I'm reckoning the front tyres are due for a change soon, not sure whether ill go with the standard michelin's or try something new. Any ideas?
Been a while since I wrote anything significant on here so thought its about time. Since I've last wrote, had some dramas with the windscreen, helped my mate look for a new car and just about to get it in for its second service.
Windscreen
Couple of weeks ago I noticed cleaning my car what I thought was pretty stubborn dead fly on my windscreen, which on closer inspection seemed to be a very small but pretty deep little chip, about eye line on the passenger side. Damn, I've seen the Autoglass adverts, going over a bump or hot/cold will surely shatter that, especially with my cars "rather firm" ride. So, I left the car stationary for a week until i could get an appointment with Autoglass to get my windscreen repaired. When I applied on the website the 130 quid bill was a shocker but it then said that the car was covered by insurance so I only had a 25 quid excess to pay; not great but soon this debacle would be over.
Unfortunately, the adverts and the reality didn't quite match. On the adverts its all smiles and a bit of glue into the chip and all is well. In actual fact, the Abarth's windscreen had to go through a pretty rough diagnosis to see if the chip can be repaired, including scrapping the chip with a screwdriver, pressure vacuumed and then glued. All of the above meant the chip soon became a 5 cm crack on the windscreen, meaning not only a full replacement needed but 75 quid too.
Fast forward to next week when my windscreen was ready to be repaired and I was initially impressed by the skill needed to replace the windscreen, including a wire cutter that would peel through the windscreen glue and remove the glass, but after the 3rd time the wire had snapped I was getting pretty impatient. Fiat's aren't known for been made out of lead and diamonds so can't see how the windscreen would be too hard for apparently the biggest glass repair company to remove but, hey at least it ESSENTIALLY FOR MY SAFTEY, a windscreen is structurally important to the car and its crash structure.
Auto glass' technician didn't agree, and said that theres no point repairing a chip, and even with a crack the glass should be strong. If anything, the adverts are just to scare customers into getting a chip repaired, which usually cracks the screen, meaning they need a new screen. Chips, aren't even an issue, and go go years without breaking. Whether or not this is accurate, it is a bit of a p*ss take to hear I'm spending 75 quid on something even the technician doesn't agree with. It was nice to see how the car could be taken apart and a new screen replaced but my advice to anyone with a chip on their screen would be approach this with caution - I'm sure a crack should be repaired asap but I'd chance a chip windscreen again to avoid spending much time and money on something I don't particularly see as beneficial.
Car Shopping
Not for myself unfortunately, but seeing as this is the 11th mate I've helped buy a car for (combination of car knowledge and always free on the weekends no doubt
) its good to chat about what "normal" people look for in a car. Crazily, most people aren't looking for 4 pipe exhausts, race suspension and stripes on their car (their loss).My mate in question's 8 year BMW 320D has just expired (engine needing replacement because literally everything has broken) and he had a budget of 400ish pound a month or £35,000 for a coupe/sports car. The default choice was the Audi TT of which he's owned the MK1 a few years back and was keen to try the new one. My Impressions of the TT? its really not bad. Disregard any image perception you might have, and viewed as a car, the base 1.8 180bhp manual we drove was quick enough, quite sporty and very comfortable. As an everyday car it would be very good. As a petrolhead though, it did feel ordinary, good at everything but hardly the sort of car id write a forum post about. And my biggest problem, is why buy a coupe when hot hatches are so good? In terms of driving theres no reason to have a small, low coupe as a modern hot hatch can drive as well as if not better, and seat 4/5 adults and carry a lot of luggage and when your not in a hurry, just be a good hatchback. The TT was good but in my eyes, not justifiable.
The next car was very much however; a new Honda Civic Type R. I don't know how I justified this to my mate but after a test drive I was glad I did. Its a Truly fantastic car and a huge jump up from what the Abarth was in terms of performance. Theres only a second or so in the 0-60 (officially at least) but the civic is in a total different league. The Honda Civic is a great car, practical, smart, comfy and i think good looking too. With the type R you get that and so much more. Our demo car was in black and looked both subtle(ish) and also menacing. The route we drove showed off its handling well but i was very surprised with the ride - much more comfy than you would imagine, and more so than a certain daily driver fiat I use. However, I've read in +R mode the car is undriveable on the roads, and I'd have to agree. I couldn't believe how much movement the case was picking up, it was as if every bump was magnified before being transmitted to the cabin. Back in Regular mode however, the car settled down. When my Abarth comes up for a change, the next civic type R will be high up on my shopping list.
A few other cars didn't make the grade - Lexus RC 300h looked great and its interior does feel special but i think Lexus forgot to add any "dynamics" to that car. why anyone would buy one is beyond me, as a cheaper BMW/Audi diesel is quicker, more economical and just as nice inside. The Kia Pro ceed GT didn't go down great either, despite the good reviews on EVO, my mate wasn't keen. On a side note however, the huge 7 seat Kia Sorento looked great, and I was rather taken by it. Its hard to think of a car more opposed to my Abarth but should I ever get 5 kids I know what ill get
With the Peugeot 308 GTi we had a much bigger problem - finding one. The only one within 40 miles was being used by the car dealership's manager, and no, he wasn't interested in letting it out for test drives. Ive encountered this before, trying to get a certain car model can be a nightmare. A hot GTi and the regular car its based on aren't really comparable, despite being told that a 1.6 diesel 308 they had was "just as good to drive" A chance look in a BMW garage bought up a massive find too - a new M240i coupe, in black, auto. It looked just like any common 2 series, but with huge brakes and a 4.6 0-60. it was going for 40k, but had a 7k discount with a further 2k if bought on PCP. Thats a 31k coupe with a 0-60 from a not to distant Ferrari, loaded with every piece of kit anyone could want. A look on auto trader shows this isn't an anomaly either, theres a huge amount of M235i's and M240is going for reasonable money on a PCP. If I were looking for a new car, id forget all my prejudices about not wanting to buy german like everyone else and have a long hard look at whats available...
As it is, he still hasn't decided. Me? Honda would have it buy a huge margin. Its great to see not only Honda are making "great" cars again but also something so focused - its not an automatic, comfy, subtle, rapid hatch, its a hardcore sports car with 5 seats and a good boot. Its just a great drivers car and long may they continue.
So my next service is due, and I'm reckoning the front tyres are due for a change soon, not sure whether ill go with the standard michelin's or try something new. Any ideas?
Might be worth holding off until the new Civic type R comes out which will no doubt be faster but judging by concepts etc actually looks a heck of a lot better than the current one.
What about some sort of Golf Gti/clubsport/R for your friend.
Tyre wise I wouldn't mind giving the Pilot sport cup 2's or supersports a try? I know they do 215/45/17
What about some sort of Golf Gti/clubsport/R for your friend.
Tyre wise I wouldn't mind giving the Pilot sport cup 2's or supersports a try? I know they do 215/45/17
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