Fiat 500 Abarth Manual Review: Saved By the Stick?
Flamboyant and flawed, Fiat 500 Abarth offers a charming drive despite its quirks.
The Fiat 500 Abarth is one of the best sport compacts on sale today. Why? Because in so many ways, it is objectively worse than every other car it competes against for public affection.
What?
Exactly.
Almost a year ago to the day, I got my first feel for the Fiat 500 Abarth. And it was there I first experienced some of the faults and flaws that endeared it to me so deeply. Being taller than it is wide, and not much longer than either measure, the 500 Abarth offered a uniquely Italian take on handling and vehicle dynamics. It was skittish under braking, and the center of gravity was roughly at eye level, an impressive feat considering the very high and upright seating position.
Then there was the turbo lag from the small engine, and the interior gadgets that seemed to work only on Thursdays. It was all very odd, and I loved it. I loved the hilarity of it all. Pull back the rag top, let the exhaust do its magic and laugh as every bit of breath in your being escapes you.
Another 500 Abarth came my way, and I couldn’t say no.
The biggest distinction between the two: the transmission. That first Abarth had the 6-speed automatic, which was…fine. But I’m a diehard manual transmission guy, and this one had a stick. It’s a no-brainer choice.
As is the way with many Fiat 500 Abarths rolling around, this one was a tri-colore. Its Celeste Blu body was punctuated with white mirrors and Abarth stickers, and perched atop optional matte bronze 17-inch wheels. Flamboyant color schemes are a definitive part of the 500 Abarth experience, and Fiat pulled no punches with this one.
After hopping into the Abarth, I immediately flipped through the vehicle settings until everything was at maximum sportiness. There is no other way to drive a 500 Abarth. The turbo boost gauge was ablaze, like a red hot coal, with 24 PSI on the far end calling my name. The exhaust came alive, with a huff, snort and pop. Maximum Abarth, and maximum attack.
The canyon roads beckoned, and I embraced the sirens’ song. Well, at least, I tried to until I immediately stalled the car trying to go up steep exit way. Oh yeah, the engine has no grunt off the mark, and the throttle response has to go through approximately 3,000 computers and sensors before action happens. That’s right, I remember that from before.
The Fiat 500 Abarth is decidedly old school, offering explosive power in small bursts. You have to work for it. Another lovable quirk in the 500 Abarth’s all-out charm assault.
After getting used to the clutch with no resistance or feeling, and the wonky throttle response, it was on. Latigo Canyon Road is a continuous assault of winding pavement, of increasing and decreasing radii, and of elevation change. It’s excellent. Going uphill on the first stretch, I was reminded that the Fiat 500 Abarth’s 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-four cylinder engine is as wacky as its styling. Below 3,000 RPM nothing is happening. From there, the turbocharger surges, immediately force-feeding 24 PSI of boost through the MultiAir four-pot, exploding the little Fiat forwards. That wave of turbo power crashes at 5,500 RPM, which leaves the little Fiat out of juice, really quickly. With a 2,500 RPM window of power, it’s a peaky powerplant. This quirk, too, was exactly as I remembered it.
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