Thought i'd make a quick thread on here as I'm still on quite a high after my insane 145 mile drive through the beautiful Welsh Elan Valley today with two other Abarth 500's. Where do i start? I was gobsmacked by the beauty of the Welsh countryside as it glowed a warm orange as the Autumn leaves change, but i was also gob smacked by the A500. I've not driven roads as challenging as these for a while, and playing piggy in the middle, i was following an A500 with 160 BHP, i was surprised by how well the A500 performs on tight twisty roads. The grip was immense and the "chuck ability" factor was beyond belief. You can confidently throw the A500 into any bend at any speed and there's little tyre noise or body roll. The standard suspension setup on this car is, in my opinion almost perfect. The SS setup has been criticized by many, even the guy who was responsible for tuning the 500! I would strongly advise against the SS springs, unless you want the A500 to hop around with a choppy bouncy ride.
Despite the leading A500's driver having years of rally experience, and extra BHP, me and the other A500, both younger drivers, kept up with no trouble at all. A Grey, White and Black Abarth 500 convoy turned quite a few heads! For miles around all you could hear were popping exhausts, a bit like the Cambrian Rally i went to on Saturday, only not as loud!
Despite Fiats claimed estimate of 135 BHP for the standard A500, many people who have had them tested found them to be running at anywhere between 140 and 155 BHP standard. I can't emphasize enough that this kind of HP in a car this small and light is more than adequate. In fact, it's perfect on the kind of roads we've been driving today, i can assure you, whether it's 135 or 160 BHP, all of them were put to good use today. The roads were tight, twisty with more ups and downs than a roller coaster, and pretty empty too. I can see why EVO magazine test their cars here this time of year, A500 included!
The rate at which it picks up speed is pretty thrilling too, and even at high speed, the steering feels weighty and firm, as does the ride. The flashy hazards only add to the drama, they're quite useful actually, especially in a convoy as you can tell how hard the car in front is braking. And despite all this spirited driving, we still returned between 32 and 35 MPG for the day. I'm trying to think of any negatives to say, but honestly, there aren't any. Obviously there are much better "drivers" cars than the A500, but there are other factors too such as price, economy, styling, luxury, exclusivity etc which all play a big role in choosing a car. For me, the A500 is top trumps! I really enjoyed today, i hope you all enjoy my review, although i don't think I'm quite a motoring journalist just yet!
Despite the leading A500's driver having years of rally experience, and extra BHP, me and the other A500, both younger drivers, kept up with no trouble at all. A Grey, White and Black Abarth 500 convoy turned quite a few heads! For miles around all you could hear were popping exhausts, a bit like the Cambrian Rally i went to on Saturday, only not as loud!
Despite Fiats claimed estimate of 135 BHP for the standard A500, many people who have had them tested found them to be running at anywhere between 140 and 155 BHP standard. I can't emphasize enough that this kind of HP in a car this small and light is more than adequate. In fact, it's perfect on the kind of roads we've been driving today, i can assure you, whether it's 135 or 160 BHP, all of them were put to good use today. The roads were tight, twisty with more ups and downs than a roller coaster, and pretty empty too. I can see why EVO magazine test their cars here this time of year, A500 included!
The rate at which it picks up speed is pretty thrilling too, and even at high speed, the steering feels weighty and firm, as does the ride. The flashy hazards only add to the drama, they're quite useful actually, especially in a convoy as you can tell how hard the car in front is braking. And despite all this spirited driving, we still returned between 32 and 35 MPG for the day. I'm trying to think of any negatives to say, but honestly, there aren't any. Obviously there are much better "drivers" cars than the A500, but there are other factors too such as price, economy, styling, luxury, exclusivity etc which all play a big role in choosing a car. For me, the A500 is top trumps! I really enjoyed today, i hope you all enjoy my review, although i don't think I'm quite a motoring journalist just yet!
