General Fiat Stilo Abarth questions

HellFire · May 2, 2004

Hi,

This is my first post so hello everyone!

I'm getting myself a Fiat Stilo abarth (manual), could people shed light on what their experiences of this car have been? good reliability, fast (a key question

)?

What options are available on it, cos as far as I can tell, everything is pretty much a standard option on it!

Whats the difference between the Abarth and the GT?

Finally, whats the best price you have seen them at brand new? (I must have a manual gearbox) I have seen it for £11,299 (prior to delivery).

Chris.

janevj · May 3, 2004

I think that the difference between the abarth and GT is the transmition ... abarth has selespeed and gt has manual

FIAT STILO 1.6 3dR Tiziano Red
Sub=Pioneer TS WX20LPA
AUTOMOBILE SK

HellFire · May 3, 2004

So other than that everything else is the same?

sedge · May 3, 2004

you dont get connect nav+ with the GT whereas you do with the selespeed

sedge

Mikas · May 3, 2004

Originally posted by HellFire
I'm getting myself a Fiat Stilo abarth (manual), could people shed light on what their experiences of this car have been? good reliability, fast (a key question )?

The Abarth Selespeed has this nice toy called Selespeed, that gives driving pleasure a new meaning.

...But it also has the Connect Nav+ system that includes GPS, Mobile phone, trip computer, radio and CD player with MP3 support.

It has 6 airbags, cruise control, light, rain and parking sensors.

I think the manual gearbox version doesn't have all this toys.

As for the speed, it depends on what car you are used too.
My previous car was a Punto GT and I miss the acceleration. The Abarth is more of a 'cruiser' as someone said.
But don't get me wrong, there's plenty of pleasure driving it, and too bad you're not considering the Selespeed gearbox that represents a big part of the fun.

Michael

Freelancer · May 3, 2004

As said earlier... the Manual Abarth doesnt come with the Connect Nav+ and those other few items, cruise control, light, rain and parking sensors!

but other than that its the same car..... as for options you can opt for an MP3 upgrade, 17" alloys, radio controls on stearing wheel etc etc just goto here http://www.showroomatfiat.co.uk/vip/overview/FIAT/STILO%203%20DOOR/new.asp and look at the options you can get.

I have just got an Abarth Manual a week ago... and it has grin-ability

stamped all over it... I did have a Stilo 1.8 Dynamic before this one and I have to say "yes I know StiloBoy its early days"... it doesnt seem to have inherited some of the niggly faults the first version had.... suspension creek noticably! the suspension seems far stiffer to me and without that little bit of body roll my last one had.

as for Fast well yes it is rapid but in as said before a cruseing way..... the noise from the exhaust is just perfect, it growls at you.

pictures of it are somewhere in this forum, go back a page

as for price £11,299 is good considering the full list is £14295,

2.4 Abarth ( Manual ) Black ... nothing else to say really.

pjp · May 3, 2004

Is there really an Abarth manual available in the UK ? Or is it a GT ?

Paul

Stilo Abarth 3dr, Broom Yellow (Nov '03)

HellFire · May 3, 2004

I heard that the selespeed was annioying, and isnt as good at 0-60's/moving that bit faster...How come the manual doesnt have all the options that the selepeed has, and why cant these be options?

Also, wouldnt the GT version be faster since it didnt have all that extra weight?

Chris.

Mikas · May 3, 2004

Originally posted by HellFire
I heard that the selespeed was annioying, and isnt as good at 0-60's/moving that bit faster...How come the manual doesnt have all the options that the selepeed has, and why cant these be options?

I guess these new version was made like this to make it's price even more competitive.
AFAIK, one should be able to place an order with all the missing extras.

Also, wouldnt the GT version be faster since it didnt have all that extra weight?

The selespeed is not particularly fast, I agree on that. But far from annoying, there's lots of fun driving with it.
I expect the manual version to be a little quicker than the Selespeed, but until now, I was unable to get any figures regarding this subject.

Michael

Freelancer · May 4, 2004

Originally posted by pjp
Is there really an Abarth manual available in the UK ? Or is it a GT ?

Paul

Stilo Abarth 3dr, Broom Yellow (Nov '03)

There was confusion over wether it was being called the GT or Abarth.. but according to Fiat, My Dealer and the DVLA its an Abarth with a manual gearbox, it has the same Abarth basge on the rear end.

the GT from what I remember is available in Italy in 1.8ltr and JTD guise!

on the speed of the Manual Abarth.. well Fiat have been their lazy self and not changed the data specs.. but I would imagine its slightly quicker ( if in the right hands ) than the Selespeed.. must put mine up against a selespeed to find out

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2.4 Abarth ( Manual ) Black ... nothing else to say really.

janevj · May 5, 2004

well they sure lowered the price with the manual version ... i'm sure what they were trying to do is to make luxury selespeed with all those toys and "pure" racer with no toys as a standard equipment.

FIAT STILO 1.6 3dR Tiziano Red
Sub=Pioneer TS WX20LPA
AUTOMOBILE SK

Freelancer · May 5, 2004

To be honest janevj they really havnt lowered the price.. they have just removed these items........

CONNECT NAV+ 1,400.00

CRUISE CONTROL 200.00

ELECTRONIC TELEPHONE CONTROL ON STEERING WHEEL 0.00

COMFORT PACK (RAIN, PARKING & DUSK SENSORS) 400.00

Total 2,000.00

once removed from the Selespeed the Manual is the price you see of £14295 ish... by getting the Selespeed the cost of those options is only £1850 ... so in the end if you want a manul with those toys its more expensive.

I agree janevj I think they wanted a GTI type car with a manual gearbox as TBH it was missing from the range to start with.

2.4 Abarth ( Manual ) Black ... nothing else to say really.

pjp · May 6, 2004

I've been saying the exact same thing for ages - it's ridiculous that a manual car with the same spec as a selespeed version costs more!!

Paul

Stilo Abarth 3dr, Broom Yellow (Nov '03)

benzario · May 7, 2004

I have just got an Abarth Manual a week ago...... I did have a Stilo 1.8 Dynamic before this one ... the noise from the exhaust is just perfect.

Hi. You sound like just the guy. I am thinking of swapping my 1.8 for an Abarth manual, but being a mean man don't want to make the petrol companies or Mr Brown any richer.

Whats fuel consumption like ??

For comparison, I usually do better than manufacturers figures (eg regular 40mpg from my much loved, hard driven and missed Volvo 480 turbo with comparable performance to the Abarth) yet for some reason my previous love/hate Fiat 20v Turbo stuck around 22mpg (25 if I tried really hard) and the Abarth is basically the same engine, deturbo'd and bored out.

Seeing as I've had a couple of years of 38mpg with the 1.8 I am reluctant to go back to crying at the pumps just for that much missed 5 pot growl (lets be honest the performance is only average. How can Volvo get the heavier S40 to accelerate faster, to a higher top speed whilst using less fuel)

Cheers, benz

benz

benzario · May 7, 2004

Originally posted by pjp
Is there really an Abarth manual available in the UK ? Or is it a GT ?

Paul

Stilo Abarth 3dr, Broom Yellow (Nov '03)

Seems the latest 'thinking' is that the 3dr manual is an Abarth. the 3dr slushbox is an 'Abarth selespeed' and the 5drs are 'Prestigio' and 'Prestigio Selespeed' respectively.

As to specs, according to my dealer, they change weekly and he doesn't know what's going to be on them until they turn up (eg puddle lamps, rear roof lamp, bootf power point have gone - the climate control comes and goes - I am looking at 2 brochures for the 3dr manual, both with the same ref no, 1 says climate control standard, the other says it is an option)......pointless asking Fiat UK

benz

Mikas · May 7, 2004

Originally posted by benzario
Hi. You sound like just the guy. I am thinking of swapping my 1.8 for an Abarth manual, but being a mean man don't want to make the petrol companies or Mr Brown any richer.

If you mind the mpg average, don't.
And I suspect that if you don't usually ride above 100mph, you wouldn't notice any big diferences from your 1.8.
In my opinion, what makes the Abarth a really special car, besides it's engine sound, is all you don't want: The Selespeed extras... mainly the selespeed gearbox itself. It gives driving pleasure, a different meaning.

Michael

Freelancer · May 8, 2004

Originally posted by Mikas

Originally posted by benzario
Hi. You sound like just the guy. I am thinking of swapping my 1.8 for an Abarth manual, but being a mean man don't want to make the petrol companies or Mr Brown any richer.

Click to expand...

If you mind the mpg average, don't.
And I suspect that if you don't usually ride above 100mph, you wouldn't notice any big diferences from your 1.8.
In my opinion, what makes the Abarth a really special car, besides it's engine sound, is all you don't want: The Selespeed extras... mainly the selespeed gearbox itself. It gives driving pleasure, a different meaning.

Michael

benzario.... Michael has it on the money, if you just amble around town its not far off the 1.8 figures, I drive alot in towns so alot of stop start so was getting around 32mpg with my 1.8, doing the same in the Abarth I am getting 28mpg, but I know I can get better because at present lets just say I'm enojoying the car to its fullest

to specs, according to my dealer, they change weekly and he doesn't know what's going to be on them until they turn up (eg puddle lamps, rear roof lamp, bootf power point have gone - the climate control comes and goes - I am looking at 2 brochures for the 3dr manual, both with the same ref no, 1 says climate control standard, the other says it is an option)......pointless asking Fiat UK

As for Specs, I can tell you what mine has........

3D 2.4 Abarth Manual Gearbox
Puddle Lamps
Climate Control ( in silver facia colour like CD and Air Vents )
White Dials
Beaker instead of ashtray in front
ASR & ESP

missing items from the mark 1 Stilo.....
rear curtosey light
rear center armrest
rear ashtray

I am really glad I decided to stick with the Stilo over either the Focus ST170 or new Astra!

2.4 Abarth ( Manual ) Black ... nothing else to say really.

benzario · May 8, 2004

Mikas and Freelancer,
Thanks for the info. 28 round town sounds pretty good. if I can get 30 o/all won't complain - 22 was a bit offputting.
Not quite the adrenalin rush of the turbo coupe but then I'm slowing down myself and the Abarth is certainly more relaxed cruising at speed, the 1.8 is a bit low geared for me.
I guess it'll be an Abarth then (full retail unfortunately, but a couple of grand extra on the p/ex, a bit more if he can get hold of a pre-reg with leather)

Cheers

benz

pjp · May 8, 2004

Originally posted by benzario
Mikas and Freelancer,
Thanks for the info. 28 round town sounds pretty good. if I can get 30 o/all won't complain - 22 was a bit offputting.
Not quite the adrenalin rush of the turbo coupe but then I'm slowing down myself and the Abarth is certainly more relaxed cruising at speed, the 1.8 is a bit low geared for me.
I guess it'll be an Abarth then (full retail unfortunately, but a couple of grand extra on the p/ex, a bit more if he can get hold of a pre-reg with leather)

Cheers

benz

28 round town sounds good alright - I was getting 28mpg when I was running in, but its now down to 24mpg average according to the computer with an average speed of 30mph - my journey to work is a short run in town then all motorway. I have heard of other people getting around 16mpg driving purely around town.

The gearing on the Abarth is also very low - 70mph is about 3500rpm

Paul

Stilo Abarth 3dr, Broom Yellow (Nov '03)

benzario · May 8, 2004

Ouch!! Thanks Paul. the heads really having a go at the heart now

benz

General Fiat Stilo Abarth questions

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