To buy or not to buy - that is the question

"MUSASHI66" (musashi66)
08/28/2015 at 17:23 • Filed to: None

In my younger days, I was a bit....reckless when it come to spending money on cars. When I was 19, I bought a $4000 Ford Taurus SHO, and I loved it; until it pretty much fell apart at 90k miles. I traded it for a $600 per month Toyota Tundra - hey, I made $2200 take home, I lived with my parents, and I worked so much, I couldn’t even spend my money. I kept changing cars - 2003 Civic Si, 2004 VW Touareg, two motorcycles, until I realized that I should not be spending that much on cars, and I started to think more rationally. I owned two Outbacks, managed to squeeze in one more motorcycle, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, then my current car, Honda Pilot. In hindsight, I haven’t changed much.

Pilot takes me from A to B with no issues - to be expected from a brand new Honda with 20K miles on it. It also fits both my dogs easily. Recently it did develop a funky whining noise that only happens when the car hasn’t been started for 3-4 hours minimum, when I am between 10-40 mph, and only when I am pressing the gas pedal. I have to go to the dealership, but they’ll have to keep it overnight...but I digress.

I want another car - wife flat out won’t let me have a motorcycle again (she is perfect otherwise, so I let it fly). I want something fun again, something that is not a box on wheels for transporting large dogs, something not full of dog hair. Something just for me, something with a proper manual , something that growls when I hit the gas, and something that puts a grin on my face when I drive it. Something that is cheap as it will be just for fun, and something that is reliable as I simply don’t have the time to deal with repairs. I would be OK with $250 per month total for the car and insurance, and only one car hits all the items above - 2012/2013 Fiat Abarth 500

I know that Miata is supposed to be the answer for everything, but I never felt much like owning one. It just doesn’t do it for me. Honda S2000 does, but they have too many miles on them, or they are way too expensive. I’d love a Z3M Clownshoe, but I am too afraid of the repair bills. I could finally buy my dream car - BMW M5 E39, but I am dreading the maintenance.

So, Abarth it is. Do I settle and buy locally - this !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! one? Do I spend !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! than I want and get options I don’t want to get the color and the wheels I like? Should I fly to Dallas and buy a super cheap one with !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! title? Fly to Dallas and buy this !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , that hits all my check marks, but is still my third color choice?

What are you willing to do to drive the car you want? I am in Denver - I can’t find my perfect car - any color but black, cloth seats, wheels like in the photo, and no other options (I guess I don’t mind the upgraded stereo or stripes package).Have you ever found that car that checks all the boxes, but it is 1000 miles away? What did you do about it? I hate the thought of buying used, sight unseen.

I know that I should just wait for the one I like and buy it when it becomes available. After all, this is a third car, simply for fun, and I have zero need for it - but the want it strong.

To buy or not to buy - that is the question.

DISCUSSION (14)

thereisnospork > MUSASHI66
08/28/2015 at 17:34

do it. -completely unbiased opinion

dogisbadob > MUSASHI66
08/28/2015 at 17:36

Kinja'd!!!

You can get them in white with white wheels, and they sound awesome, but the reliability is still open to discussion.

mazda616 > MUSASHI66
08/28/2015 at 17:49

I like the Abarths but Fiat’s reliability is a concern. They’ve consistently scored in the bottom on all reliability surveys. Of course that could be for dumb reasons like people don’t understand the stereos, but who knows.

MUSASHI66 > mazda616
08/28/2015 at 18:30

Abarths don’t seem to have that reputation. Most have very low miles - majority of 2012/13 have under 25k miles. Forums don’t have any major complaints either.

MUSASHI66 > thereisnospork
08/28/2015 at 18:32

2 out of three comments are telling me to be concerned about reliability. Have you had any issues?

thereisnospork > MUSASHI66
08/28/2015 at 19:09

I’ve put a little less than 15k on my stock 2014 and she has been mechanically trouble free. I do perhaps burn a little more oil than I’d like for a newer car, about a quart every 3-5k, but on the other hand I do a lot of <5mile trips. I follow the forums somewhat and I haven’t come across any other common mechanical issues, even with tunes and such I haven’t heard of much breaking.

There is a fairly common issue with the front badge digging into the paint which I have, but most people to my understanding haven’t had any issues getting it redone under warranty. Some people have also had the side skirts start to separate from the car at the rear, but like the badge I don’t believe they’ve had trouble getting them reglued. The paint is somewhat vulnerable to chips though, a clear bra or preemptive plasti-dip would probably be a decent investment.

MUSASHI66 > thereisnospork
08/28/2015 at 19:49

That is about what I gathered on forums as well, and I can live with those issues. Thanks!

smobgirl > MUSASHI66
08/28/2015 at 21:58

No issues on mine either. 33,000 miles so far. I think some of the 2012s had turbo issues but none yet (fingers crossed...and it's still under warranty anyway).

MUSASHI66 > dogisbadob
08/29/2015 at 00:27

Abarth models seem to be doing well, other than some trim issues on early models.

Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast > thereisnospork
08/29/2015 at 09:47

(EDIT Sorry meant this to reply to the OP)

Love the Abarth!

I was looking for a small fun car and was SOOO close to pulling the trigger on one last year. Alas, after being on the fence the whole searching process I had to make a very hard decision that I was just too big for the car. :/ I’m 6’3” 210, all legs and wide shoulders. I had to force myself to admit that I needed about 10% more space in every direction to really be comfortable on anything close to a long-ish trip.

I went with a different small fun car, but definitely have a soft spot for this little hatch. :)

As far as your situation goes, the 500/Abarth in general came with a ton of customization options to make the car your own. It might be hard to find one with everything the way you want it because there are so many combinations. Fortunately it looks good in all the colors, has a nice cloth or leather seats, and attractive base or upgraded wheels, and same engine/transmission regardless, so all of them out there are nice if you are flexible on a few features.

Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast > MUSASHI66
08/29/2015 at 09:49

Love the Abarth!

I went with a different small fun car, but definitely have a soft spot for this little hatch. :)

MUSASHI66 > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
08/29/2015 at 10:53

I’d like any color but black, cloth seats and upgraded wheels, like the ones in the photo. Not an uncommon configuration, but most seem to be built with leather, and I am not a big fan. I love the idea of red interior - if it came in red alcantara, I’d be all over it. I simply can’t find one in Denver or Colorado. They want too much money, or for the one priced almost right, it has wrong color,wheels and seats. One day.... What other small car did you get? Does it make you feel like abarth? I haven’t just gone out for a drive in forever, and Abarth might change that.

Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast > MUSASHI66
08/31/2015 at 15:22

Sounds like how I would spec mine! I liked the grey color but was flexible there, and the upgraded wheels as the only option I would get too. No stripes for me. Also, no sunroof (ate too much headroom for me) and cloth seats. I didn’t really like the leather. Not sure if it was actually real leather.

THESE are the seats I wanted!:

Kinja'd!!!

Like my username suggests, I liked the Abarth (and regular 500) because they gave a great sensation of speed, performance, and driver feedback without actually delivering breakneck/dangerous speeds.

It’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. :)

So, I found a slightly larger slow car, which like the Abarth has just enough power to use ALL THE TIME, without being overly reckless. I landed on a 2013 Sonic RS.

It has all the right things upgraded over the base car, except the engine, to keep the driving experience engaging at all speeds. What really does it for me is the Sonic RS’s close-ratio transmission. Like the Abarth, you really have to keep stirring that thing to keep the little turbo in it’s narrow torque/power peak. That means lots of shifting :) The RS is nice because has an extra gear over the Abarth to help with some of the longer highway trips. I’ve had the car about a year and I’m really falling for the Sonic.

About 6 months ago I added a new exhaust to help give it a little more rumble to the driving experience. It’s nowhere near the Abarth in the sound depart (what is?) but it’s just aggressive enough for me.

Here’s a clip of fellow Opponaut Jayhawk Jake’s Sonic RS with an aftermarket exhaust. :) It’s not as agressive as the Abarth but still nice and low and throaty. Not nasally at all, which is surprising for small 4-bangers.

I might eventually look to stiffen up the suspension a bit. Though the RS is definitely stiffer than a base Sonic, it still rolls a little more than the Abarth. I do like the Sonic’s steering feel more than the Abaths. That being said, I have gone for many, many recreational drives in the Sonic. I love going out early on Sat or Sun and having the roads to myself. Then you can really wind these little engines out and lay into the suspension limits without every really breaking the speed limits, Haha!

Love slow sporty cars! :)

MUSASHI66 > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
08/31/2015 at 15:42

I love those seats . I am glad you found a car you like - I am not sure I’d want anything but the Abarth at this point, although a Cooper S seems like a nice choice too. The way thing are going, I will just wait until I find the perfect car in Denver, and one will come sooner or later. If not, when my lease is up in 14 months or so, it will be a fun decision - get a car I don’t care for that fits the dogs and is cheap and an Abarth, or a larger car I care for that fits the dogs too, and that provides some excitement. I might have to test drive the Forester XT and see if the pupps fit...