I'm not sure why i feel the need to write all this, but I'll do it anyway and hopefully those interested will have a read...
As some of you may or may not know, the Abarth has been in for a little warranty work in the Manchester based Abarth dealer known as Bauer Milletts, so let me start by saying, what a transformation! The way the car feels (and looks) now compared to how it went in is incredible. They had the car just over 2 weeks, i expected it to be longer as is usually the case with Abarth what with parts etc, but i don't mind, the Alfa Mito was a nice car to be given too, not your average low spec courtesy car.
They've done everything i wanted them too, all the major issues have been sorted. Chris McDonald is very thorough, he sat down for 10 minutes, went through every fault i listed and explained how and why that fault was there and how they fixed it. Turns out the gearbox was slightly misaligned causing some bad feedback, now it's been straightened out (so to speak) it genuinely feels much smoother. The steering no longer pulls or darts around like it used to, helped a lot i know by the 4 new tyres, but mainly due to the tracking that's been done. They even painted the whole bonnet and replaced my Scorpion decal! It's a perfect match and is much better than the patchy job attempted by the other garage. They even arranged a taxi to pick me and my friend up from the garage and also wrapped my old wheels in bubble wrap and helped me load them into the car.
An absolute professional service from the day she was dropped off to the day i picked her up. Can't thank you guys enough!
I would recommend them to anyone, and to echo others views too, the showroom is a masterpiece on it's own, well worth a day out just to go there! So thanks again Bauer Millett, in particular Mitch and Chris McDonald, not to mention all the other technicians that worked on my car!
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So after having a 155 BHP MiTo for 2 and a bit weeks, what did the A500 feel like after that? First of all, it felt smaller, tighter but undoubtedly more responsive, especially the steering. The clutch felt heavy in comparison but the stubby short shift style gear knob felt great, such a short distance to change gear unlike the one armed bandit in the MiTo!
The second most obvious thing was the suspension, it felt so hard compared to the boat like MiTo, not in a bad way though. On the way home I'd almost forgotten how much progress can be made on the twisty bits in the A500 thanks to the suspension, there's no lifting off or braking required, no bracing your back during the body roll! Admittedly the Alfa had more torque and power, but on paper it was fractionally slower to 60. I do think that above 70/80 the Alfa would over take though, the extra power and the 6 speed box keeps it pulling pretty hard in every gear. I have a feeling though that the A500 would be so much faster in the bends!
Then there's the exhaust sound, it's pretty loud, and the backfires, i missed those! Another thing I'd forgotten, those Pirelli's Zero Nero's, what a racket they make compared to the Toyo's i had before, there's a definite rumble as you trundle. In general terms, it felt like a raw little go kart, something i knew all along but had forgotten in the 1000 odd miles i racked up in the super smooth Alfa. The A500 is less practical, less comfy, noisier, less refined, less powerful and generally harder to live with every day for various reasons. But despite all this, it's still a very fun car, to drive, to own and to be in! It's far less serious than the MiTo and the Punto Abarth of which the MiTo is based, and in my opinion, both the interior and exterior are leagues ahead of most rivals, looks wise. It certainly has it's flaws like any car, but personally, i wouldn't change it for anything currently on sale! It's just too much fun!
Below are 2 pictures of the A500 with her new wheels/tyres on! Was immaculately clean on pick up, but she got a little dirty on the 140 mile drive home!
Thanks for reading people, keep those 500's looking clean now!
Questions and comments welcome!
Questions and comments welcome!