Abarth 595 Competizione as a daily?
Discussion
Hugo Stiglitz said:
Circa 250 a month is alot to spend on such little mileage a year?
There's no guarantee my mileage won't go up. But I'm not looking at it as £250 a month. It's £250 a month and £5,000ish - so my entire 31 month lease will net out at under £4,500 - I don't get the £5,000 unless I offload the Cooper S, and is £250 that much really in 2021 even if I wasn't? The thing is - if I don't have the Esseesse, what do I get? It's about the cheapest car about that will fit in my garage, I don't want to own anything ancient outright (together with its problems), and I am paying far more each month to keep the Mini doing nothing, which is a worse situation.There aren't exactly that many cars out there available, and if there are there aren't any deals on them - so to find this I consider something of a result.
I used to run a new 535d and an X5 so a couple of hundred groats a month on a motor to do nothing isn't that severe. Owning those things used to scare me but I couldn't stop myself from buying them!
But listen, if the Esseesse is doing nothing, it's costing me even less!
Also I'm due a brake fluid service and needing to take an extended warranty out on the MINI if I keep it. But the semiconductor/car supply issue will sort itself out before long and I'll kick myself if I didn't make some wedge out of the situation when I could. It's pretty rare you come out of a finance deal with a big cheesy grin.
I'm offloading the Mini at something close to the top of the market, and getting the Esseesse in some kind if microcosm where it exists alone at the bottom of the market - all at the same time. So that's why I'm jumping.
I wouldn't like to say publicly at this juncture. Just in case I end up having to ask for advice here on anything prickly and a degree of prudence might be called for. I should say, however, they've been great so far and I've no reason to think anything bad. Feel free to PM me though (I tried you but you're electronically socially distancing) and you are welcome to the info. I've been recommended them by a few people I've tangentially spoken to about my situation, and there are a few leasing companies pretty much the same price on this gaggle of cars, so I just decided they must be doing something right for a few people to mention them unprompted and me barely hear of anyone else.
It's my first lease and I'm a bit of a novice in this area so I can't benchmark it, but I'm cynical, suspicious and notoriously thorough to the point of tedium to start with and then extreme annoyance and they've been well-humoured about it and given me all the info.
From what I understand, either due to an industry standard or just how ALD (who are ultimately running show) operate, there is a 2 week "cooling off" period from when you do you final documents and then if you're lucky it will be a few days after that expires. But it could just as easily be a piece of string job, I suppose - I'll let you know when I get it! You get your final documents to sign on the day you pay your processing fee (although I wanted the weekend to check mine because of my aforementioned pain-in-the-backside tendencies!) so my clock won't start counting down until Monday (tomorrow) assuming there's nothing wrong with the documentation.
But if you want to know anything specific, drop me a line.
As I understand it, there were 40 of these cars available when they first hit websites (although I don't know when this was) and there are certainly no more than 11 left as of about 8 days ago. But equally, it's quite a compromised trim level of a compromised car to begin with that has its origins in quite a compromised car. So how many people will be chasing one is anyone's guess. With the specific situation I'm in, it was worth a punt.
It's my first lease and I'm a bit of a novice in this area so I can't benchmark it, but I'm cynical, suspicious and notoriously thorough to the point of tedium to start with and then extreme annoyance and they've been well-humoured about it and given me all the info.
From what I understand, either due to an industry standard or just how ALD (who are ultimately running show) operate, there is a 2 week "cooling off" period from when you do you final documents and then if you're lucky it will be a few days after that expires. But it could just as easily be a piece of string job, I suppose - I'll let you know when I get it! You get your final documents to sign on the day you pay your processing fee (although I wanted the weekend to check mine because of my aforementioned pain-in-the-backside tendencies!) so my clock won't start counting down until Monday (tomorrow) assuming there's nothing wrong with the documentation.
But if you want to know anything specific, drop me a line.
As I understand it, there were 40 of these cars available when they first hit websites (although I don't know when this was) and there are certainly no more than 11 left as of about 8 days ago. But equally, it's quite a compromised trim level of a compromised car to begin with that has its origins in quite a compromised car. So how many people will be chasing one is anyone's guess. With the specific situation I'm in, it was worth a punt.
SweetBabyCheeses said:
Ruskie said:
Debating one of these on a cheap lease for a couple of years, essesse model. My only concern is being 6ft 3!
Ordered one of these from this batch last week in Campovolo Grey, everything else standard (as I believe they all are). I have upwards of £5,000 profit sat in a highly specced up Cooper S in month 35 of a 48 month PCP and I don't use it any more as WFH - used to do 14,000 per annum now do about 1,300. It works out much cheaper than the Mini on this lease over 31 months (pre-regged so I don't want it after the warranty) and I get the windfall at the start.If I don't like the Esseesse, it'll mainly sit in the garage gathering dust and if I do, it'll go out and get thrashed for fun. But I've gone from being a heavy car user to barely needing one.
But this deal is a bit nuts in the current climate when the price of everything has gone up, and these seem to have been frozen in their own little world. Maybe for good reason - I'll find out when I drive it! But even if the ride is utterly horrendous, it can't be any worse than the R53 Cooper S I ran on run flats for four years, 2008-2012. Can it?!
I wanted something rapid(ish) that would fit in quite a tiny garage, and had been looking at 9 year old MX-5s but prices going up along with the rest of the market made the numbers unpalatable to me - not to mention running an older car I don't know the history of and having to bring the infotainment up to speed and re-leathering a steering wheel (I can't be doing with shiny old steering wheels!). If I'm getting rid of a car I love purely for financial reasons, the net figures have to be worth it.
Then this lease deal sort of came out of nowhere. I opened it and deleted it in the deft manoeuvre muscle memory has become very good at performing and then my brain processed what I had just seen and undeleted it and I thought it was a good deal. After 17 days of chewing it over and looking for anything better, I've decided to go for it. Whether it's good against how cheap they may have hitherto been, I don't know, but it's certainly good next to anything else.
I'm already - before I've even got it - bemoaning the fact Esseesse will have the boggo 500 emblazoned dash, and much mentioned absences of cruise control and heated seats that are just how things are with 595s. But I wasn't in a position to choose. Got to take a bit of pain, and if this is what slumming it looks like I can probably do it.
I'm 5'5/5'6 by the way, so am offering completely nothing to your situation! Sorry.
I'm only about 16 pages into this thread having discovered it the other night, but from what I can see the 595 Esseesse was removed from the range earlier this week as it disappeared from the configurator even though it's everywhere else on the site. Apologies if this has already been mentioned.
Anyway, I'll keep you all posted when it arrives. I'll probably have some questions! For instance "Why?" and "What have I done?" for starters.
I'm looing forward to hopefully being pleasantly surprised, but if not at least it's a collection of nice parts even if they don't gel to formulating a good car!
This is thread is making entertaining reading anyway - cheers folks!
Really look forward to hearing how you get on. Make sure you do a readers car. If you can PM the info for the one you have that would be great, thanks.
Hugo Stiglitz said:
No more essesse's available on leasing now.
Is the competizione a good comparison to the essesse?
The exhaust is a 'Monza' though but it still has the Sabel seats.
Oh no, don't tell me you left that one festering!?Is the competizione a good comparison to the essesse?
The exhaust is a 'Monza' though but it still has the Sabel seats.
Edit: sorry - only just saw you posted that on Monday!
Edited by SweetBabyCheeses on Wednesday 3rd November 04:15
SweetBabyCheeses said:
A Comp PP, mind - given the LSD.
For 2022 they both have LSD?Comp has Monza exhaust, Essesse Ah...Exhaust
Edit - the new lease deals are for no options (at all), no LSD fitted, no Xenons etc. A dealer has brought in a number for funders and all are premade basic Competizione.
Edited by Hugo Stiglitz on Wednesday 3rd November 14:25
Hugo Stiglitz said:
For 2022 they both have LSD?
Comp has Monza exhaust, Essesse Ah...Exhaust
Edit - the new lease deals are for no options (at all), no LSD fitted, no Xenons etc. A dealer has brought in a number for funders and all are premade basic Competizione.
Looks like as of last week, 595 Esseesse is no more anyway and is only the 695 variant. Current configurator on a Comp says a factory LSD is £2,000 on its own or £2,900 as part of a performance pack. I like that my Esseesse will have it as I can use it to back up my choice to unconvinced acquaintances, but many say it's not worth going out of your way for as it's not a massively effective bit of hardware on the 595.Comp has Monza exhaust, Essesse Ah...Exhaust
Edit - the new lease deals are for no options (at all), no LSD fitted, no Xenons etc. A dealer has brought in a number for funders and all are premade basic Competizione.
Edited by Hugo Stiglitz on Wednesday 3rd November 14:25
The Monza doesn't have the branding or bragging rights, but it isn't exactly lacking in fireworks.
Is the dash going to have a gopping great "500" on a sad piece of plastic like mine? If not, go for it
Whereabouts are they, anyway?
SweetBabyCheeses said:
Looks like as of last week, 595 Esseesse is no more anyway and is only the 695 variant. Current configurator on a Comp says a factory LSD is £2,000 on its own or £2,900 as part of a performance pack. I like that my Esseesse will have it as I can use it to back up my choice to unconvinced acquaintances, but many say it's not worth going out of your way for as it's not a massively effective bit of hardware on the 595.
The Monza doesn't have the branding or bragging rights, but it isn't exactly lacking in fireworks.
Is the dash going to have a gopping great "500" on a sad piece of plastic like mine? If not, go for it
Whereabouts are they, anyway?
The diff is a must have. The only people that say it isn’t is those that haven’t driven one with it. The Monza doesn't have the branding or bragging rights, but it isn't exactly lacking in fireworks.
Is the dash going to have a gopping great "500" on a sad piece of plastic like mine? If not, go for it
Whereabouts are they, anyway?
All of them have 500 on the dash as it is a Fiat 500.
ecsrobin said:
The diff is a must have. The only people that say it isn’t is those that haven’t driven one with it.
All of them have 500 on the dash as it is a Fiat 500.
Well it's not an option for me All of them have 500 on the dash as it is a Fiat 500.
Can I live without it if I have to?
I'm very good at balancing power delivery on FWD.
....but is the abarth snappy?
Edited by Hugo Stiglitz on Wednesday 3rd November 20:11
ecsrobin said:
The diff is a must have. The only people that say it isn’t is those that haven’t driven one with it.
All of them have 500 on the dash as it is a Fiat 500.
I know the difference is very stark on a current gen Fiesta ST as have driven with and without back to back, but then again everyone says it's very stark. However, the ST is also very good without the diff, it's just that elevates it.All of them have 500 on the dash as it is a Fiat 500.
The Abarth is regarded as not very good in raw form and I think the diff goes some way to making it tolerable...! Ahhh, the joys of entering into a car agreement where you've never driven it. Can't wait... Not done this before - lol.
If you have the carbon fibre or the alcantara inserts, it does not say 500 on the dash. And aside from not having an irrelevant piece of nomenclature on the car, it is also a bit of a bad bit of plastic in comparison to the options. Not a dealbreaker though at the price.
I have no shame in it being a 500 - it's not as if it's a secret - it's just not right. If the car was still called a 500 Abarth it would be fine - other than the material being a bit shonky!
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