As long I remember to put it into Sport mode (noticeably sharpens the throttle response) and don't mind winding it out (actually sounds pretty good when you lean on it), our 500 is peppy enough for me. It's kinda fun to fling through corners too, it sticks and despite its tallish stance doesn't lean over much.
Apart from the somewhat too-high seating position (even when the seat is cranked down) and too-light-for-me steering, I rather enjoy blasting around in the 500 Sport. So I'm really looking forward to the Abarth with its tuned suspension and exhaust, upgraded brakes and substantial (60 percent!) power boost -- 160 horses to the non-Abarth's 101. As we noted in our L.A. Auto Show coverage of the Abarth, Fiat will unleash the beast sometime in the first half of 2012. Looking forward to that one hitting our road test schedule...
John DiPietro, Automotive Editor
epbrown says:
03:36 PM, 12/30/11
I've got the 500 Sport currently and I'm keen to upgrade to the Abarth, but if the ride quality is, say, as harsh as a Works Mini, I'll pass and tweak this one a bit. :)
gslippy says:
06:16 AM, 12/31/11
The 500 Sport is pretty gutless, but not a terrible deal at $18k, if you can stand the useless back seat.
The Abarth will be a welcome addition, but if it's priced like the Cabrio ($26k), it won't sell well and won't save the brand.
Fiat needs to bring some other products over to the US, because the 500 jeopardizes the entire adventure, IMO. It's just too small and weak for the US market.
nefariousnigel says:
01:12 PM, 01/ 2/12
The Abarth is a looker and would be a nice deal at 25K if the nail the ride and handling equation and the performance is on par with a Mini Cooper S.
If we get another gas hike in 2012 as all the news pundits are claiming, base 500 will do better.