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It's Butttercup I feel sorry for...
General TwinAir Thread (including MPG)
- Thread starter grimwau
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General TwinAir Thread (including MPG)
It's Butttercup I feel sorry for...
Buttercup is spread all over the bodyshop floor having advanced wire worm eradicated. Hasn't been too much of a loss this year with the weather being so carp, but I am hoping to have it finished so I can get some use this summer.
Cheers
D
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I take it that buttercup is the Rally Cinq in the photo gallery ?
I hope it's going to get a nice 1.4L engine
not unless you hoping to get a TA off a crashed car from a salvage 'yard' ?
I take it that buttercup is the Rally Cinq in the photo gallery ?
I hope it's going to get a nice 1.4L engine
nope, Buttercup is a 1979 Opel Manta Centaur convertible.
The rallycinq has a full race 1108.
Cheers
D
Have recently acquired a new standard Abarth 500 to replace a mercifully brief acquaintance with a 500 Twin air. For those who seriously want a TA I suggest a thorough test drive and make sure you can live with the sound this engine makes. In my opinion its very raucous when accelerating and hates 4th gear at 2000 and 5th gear at 2500. Above 3000 revs the engine does smooth out but if travel around at 40 or 50 mph in a high gear the engine vibrates. Noticeable more on inclines.
By contrast the 1.4 turbo engine of the Abarth is sublime - being far more flexible and refined along with with better handling, ride and looks of the A500.
Any one considering a TA should also try A500. Little difference in the MPG but the A500 is a much much better car.
By contrast the 1.4 turbo engine of the Abarth is sublime - being far more flexible and refined along with with better handling, ride and looks of the A500.
Any one considering a TA should also try A500. Little difference in the MPG but the A500 is a much much better car.
OP
OP
Are you sure you didn't buy my old car, lol? Word for word that is why I changed my TA for an A500.
Little difference?
Just to clarify this. looking on fuelly there is 1, I repeat 1!!!!!! Abarth 500 which is doing over 40mpg average whereas the best twinair which is barely run in is doing an average of 49mpg and constantly doing over 50mpg now.
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I haven't owned either of the 2 cars but have had extensive drives in both. I ended up buying another 1.4 as an interim car and still happy with it...
How long did you have the TA for and did you actually own it ?
Did you trade in the TA for the A500 ?
What was your real world difference in mpg between the 2 ?
Yes I did own the TA for about 6 weeks. Driving the Abarth and the TA in the same manner I achieved an average of 40mpg for the TA and 37mpg for the Abarth. I rest my case. The mistake I made was trying to convince myself that I could live with the TA,s engine following a test drive, hence my previous advice.
Nice to see responses have been provoked!
Nice to see responses have been provoked!
Yes I did own the TA for about 6 weeks. Driving the Abarth and the TA in the same manner I achieved an average of 40mpg for the TA and 37mpg for the Abarth. I rest my case. The mistake I made was trying to convince myself that I could live with the TA,s engine following a test drive, hence my previous advice.
Nice to see responses have been provoked!
To be honest though, if you're asking a small petrol engine to provide most of its power most of the time then you're asking for trouble in terms of fuel economy. I can't help but think that a diesel would have been a more cost effective purchase for yourself.
Also, 6 weeks isn't really enough to let an engine run in and start to deliver its power properly and give proper economy figures
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Mine's just clicked over 1000 miles after a South of England driving holiday, and the engine is really starting to loosen up and feel a lot lighter on its feet. There are some bloody steep hills in Cornwall, but the engine coped very well considering its size, and the thrummy engine note only added to the charm.
I found the car relaxing and torquey where it needed to be, my economy averaged at 42, which really isn't bad considering I didn't drive on any motorways, and did push it very hard on some very quiet A roads (all part of the running in process, officer!) so I'm delighted.
I don't agree with it struggling in 4th or 5th gear, I find its torque curve is very diesel like, with a real peak in torque from around 1800rpm up to about 3500 where it pulls quite hard in the lower gears, and certainly holds its own at higher speeds. Granted, some very long steep hills need a little run up in fifth, to ensure the engine is in that torque peak, but it's is only 875cc so I can't expect it to pull like my 2.5l Alfa V6, for example.
Overall, I'm very happy with the car, I gave the brakes a good cooking (intentionally!) at around the 750 mile mark, and found they've really benefitted from it, with excellent brake feel and good stopping power. The original fit wipers judder like mad though, and need to either get better after a thorough de-grease/clean or be binned off for replacements!
I found the car relaxing and torquey where it needed to be, my economy averaged at 42, which really isn't bad considering I didn't drive on any motorways, and did push it very hard on some very quiet A roads (all part of the running in process, officer!) so I'm delighted.
I don't agree with it struggling in 4th or 5th gear, I find its torque curve is very diesel like, with a real peak in torque from around 1800rpm up to about 3500 where it pulls quite hard in the lower gears, and certainly holds its own at higher speeds. Granted, some very long steep hills need a little run up in fifth, to ensure the engine is in that torque peak, but it's is only 875cc so I can't expect it to pull like my 2.5l Alfa V6, for example.
Overall, I'm very happy with the car, I gave the brakes a good cooking (intentionally!) at around the 750 mile mark, and found they've really benefitted from it, with excellent brake feel and good stopping power. The original fit wipers judder like mad though, and need to either get better after a thorough de-grease/clean or be binned off for replacements!
TwinAir Newbie
Member
What a lovely way to run your car in.
I haven't really taken the TA anywhere exciting apart from a half day round Dorset, if you call that exciting!
It did include Zig Zag Hill though!
I haven't really taken the TA anywhere exciting apart from a half day round Dorset, if you call that exciting!
It did include Zig Zag Hill though!
TrevC
Established member
It's a bit unfair comparing the TA with an Abarth. I'm sure the A500 is a fine drive, but I couldn't afford one (not new anyway). One of the things that sold me on the TA was the engine note, and I still love it after 5000 miles. I can get the mpg down to low 40s by hard driving, but driving "normally" it gives mid to high 40s and driven for economy (or on a motorway run) it's low to mid 50s. Granted it doesn't pull as smoothly from low rpm as a 4-cyl, but putting it in Eco for town driving improves this. Best advice is to drive whatever you're thinking of buying for as long as you can and be objective. From what I've read (and also seen on internet video tests) it's worth taking an Abarth down a bumpy road as apparently the ride is very firm.
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So to recap the last 34 pages, has anyone actually managed book MPG over a tank from a T/A?
TwinAir Newbie
Member
No and we never expected to either. The TA is not alone in having the official figures out of whack with reality, though I agree that the discrepencies are pretty bad.
However we didn't get the TA just because of economy, in fact it didn't really come into it.
We got it as it was a relatively inexpensive fun car with a great deal of personality.
As to whether we'd have preferred the Abarth, that car didn't come into our reckonning.
Mrs J did not want a hot hatch with associated increased costs and frankly unwanted attention from other people wanting to 'race her' as she found was the case when she previously had hot cars.
We're very pleased with the TA, even though it has been recalled, and look forward to driving it with the knowledge that it doesn't shout its abilities with exterior badges.
I'm not knocking the Abarth, it's simply not for us.
In your opinion... And of course you can't please all of the people all of the time. I haven't driven an Abarth, but I wouldn't compare it as an alternative to the TA. My opinion is that the TA is a brilliant engine, it does everything I want, and yes it probably takes a little getting use to and a change in driving style, but once you master that, it is great proposition. I think if you want to make a valid comparison you need to compare apples and apples, which I think is against the 1.4.
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I don't really get why there is such a discrepancy on the T/A though. I've recently bought a Skoda using VAG's 1.2tsi, officially 49mpg, and am already seeing 45mpg on a steady run with 1200 miles on the clock. This time of year book mpg should be possible with a car with 10k on it, IMO.
There are people who aren't getting great figures from the 1.2 and mj as well.
Having previously owned a Mini JCW for several years it became too expensive to run. The 500 fitted the bill as it was small desirable and surprising well built and stylish and a lot lot cheaper and good to drive. BUT I still wanted some go. So the TA seemed to be ideal. The test drive proved that the acceleration was astonishing for such a small engine. Initially then the perfect compromise. Only living with the TA day to day did the engine begin to irritate along with the S/S system. A change was needed.
So the Abarth is with me and I love it. I don't miss the TA but I can understand why owners like theirs. My Abarth is not adorned with garish stripes etc. Bog standard car in Bossa Nova white riding on 16 inch standard wheels which I personally prefer over the 17 inch upgrades which I have been given to believe ruin the ride and handling.
Can anyone suggest a cure for the noisy wipers?
So the Abarth is with me and I love it. I don't miss the TA but I can understand why owners like theirs. My Abarth is not adorned with garish stripes etc. Bog standard car in Bossa Nova white riding on 16 inch standard wheels which I personally prefer over the 17 inch upgrades which I have been given to believe ruin the ride and handling.
Can anyone suggest a cure for the noisy wipers?
