I’ve test driven supercars and big trucks, motorcycles and classic rides. However, I don’t think any car I’ve experienced drew as much attention and compliments as the 2014 Fiat 500 Abarth.
There’s something perfectly impractical about the car that makes it so appealing. It’s too small to carry more than a couple people comfortably, even with that ambitious little back seat. It’s too fast to be anything but a genuine driver’s car, meaning the casual motorist will most likely end up with the standard and popular Fiat 500. It’s too flashy and too noisy to be a proper hatchback for everyday use. It’s that absurdity, that impracticality and that defiance of commonality that makes the Abarth so appealing It doesn’t fit in any average hatchback category because it’s in a very private club.
The 2014 Fiat 500 Abarth has muscled its way into the company of classic, affordable performance cars. That current crop includes the Volkswagen Golf, the Scion FR-S, the Subaru Impreza, the BMW Mini and the Ford Fiesta ST. Each of those cars is sought out by drivers who enjoy driving and want a thrill every time they get behind the wheel. And, with the exception of the Fiesta, they stand along in those manufacturers lines to fill that very purpose.
Like the Fiesta ST, the Fiat 500 Abarth is a finely tuned version of a much more mild mannered car. Abarth is Fiat’s tuning company of choice, as AMG tunes up Mercedes-Benz and Nismo locks down Nissan. This Fiat 500 variation comes out of the Abarth shop hyped up with a tiny, but tightly squeezed 1.4 liter, four cylinder, 16 valve, turbocharged 160 horsepower engine.
I drove last year’s version of the Fiat Abarth, and I loved that car, too. I enjoyed the throaty, grumbling, “rally car wannabe” exhaust note and that high-pitched, sucking “whoosh” of its turbocharger kicking on when the driver accelerates. It’s all part of the sensory experience.
Still, the most important part of said sensory cascade is the 500 Abarth’s tight and responsive ride. With its unique blend of quickness, handling and tiny dimensions, I once again spent the weeklong test drive of the 500 Abarth avoiding traffic, maneuvering around average drivers in lesser cars.
The fun of driving the Abarth helps for the most part to make up for its size restrictions. At 6’3”, my knees took a beating on the underside of the dash inside the driver’s compartment – and the roof polished my scalp a bit. But, I put up with it gladly because it’s the limited size and tight balance that delivers the smiles while you’re pushing it at speed.
The unique interior adds to the 500 Abarth’s charm with leather matched to the Fiat’s exterior and dash switches and trim uniquely designed for this car. The trim package includes CD/AM/FM/Satellite, cruise, etc.
Perhaps the most pleasant feature for the 2014 Fiat 500 Abarth is its price tag – holding firm at $22,000. With the additional rush to snag the car abated following a year on the market, you might actually get one for that. That’s a good thing because you still won’t have more fun driving than in this car.
