i guess im asking the wrong place but does someone know of a method to get back into an instagram account?? I was dumb forgot my login password. I love any help you can give me!
I might be a bit biased, cos my first car was Fiat 500... and I loved that thing. I had it for 7 years and 6 and a half of that I was just waiting for the right moment to buy the Abarth. To me and the whole Abarth community these cars have a spirit like no other... Never heard of dedicated large ST communities. But abarth people... they get together, meet ups, forums, youtube, shows, track days... To me the STs and GTIs are mostly (not always) for boy racers who wanna be "baller", but Abarth is for people "f*** I LOVE this car". I love the fact that they are quite rare, that we wave at each other and people smile and chuckle when they see the car on the street. I don't know how it is in UK, but here when ST or GTI drives by with windows down and loud pumping music... most of the bystanders are more like "what a wan**r". To put it simply (imo) - STI and GTI drivers "I love myself, look at me", Abarth drivers "I love this car, have fun with me" Greetings from Czech Republic... Waiting for next Abarth videos...
Eugen Proschek I totally understand where you are coming from, and I also totally understand the Abarth following too. I had a great week with it and absolutely loved it. It has a comparatively small following here in the UK, but from the people I’ve spoken with, the Abarth community here is very similar to your description. However, ford have a gigantic following here in the UK. There is a plethora of Ford shows with some of the biggest having over 4000 cars on show, and over 18,000 guests 😱 That said, I still 100% believe the Abarth has more character and feels more special, but the Fiesta is the all round better car.
I've owned 3 Fiats...one of which was an Abarth and 2 Puntos. I then went onto a Polo GTi which was fun but didn't have that wow factor...then I went to an Audi S3...it was faulty from new so has just gone back but even though it was outrageously quick, it was lifeless so I've gone and ordered an Abarth 595 Comp because they are just truly special. Clarkson used to say all car fans need to own an Alfa once in their life...I think that's no longer the case and actually all car fans need to own an Abarth. A true petrolhead won't worry about being told they own a "girls car" and crack on embracing the Abarth quirks, sound and uniqueness.
I own nowadays a Fiesta ST200, although i am an Italian and of course Fan of italian cars. Here in Germany every car has a large community. I think BMW M, Ford RS/ST and of course VW GTI are the biggest by far. Here are car meets of thousands of cars. Those VW GTI drivers are handled as posers - although they are at every brand. For me, as living in the triangle between Spa, Zolder and the Nürburgring, the track performance and the fun to drive the car is more important for my daily. But as i said - the communities here are huge. Germans say about themselves “there is nothing more important than my car“ - and this is really what many of them live.
Eugen Proschek Haha yeah, when my esseesse was new I noticed other abarth drivers either waving at me or reving their cars in a friendly way. I had a street race with a totally random black abarth and it was hilarious, both cars were identical in performance, they were side by side the whole time. I then imagined, how would that look like to the people walking on the street lol.
My current car is an Abarth 595 Turismo. Its purist style and personality are quite unique. My car came with Koni FSD Shocks and Record Monza exhaust from the factory! I love the sound and handling! Doesn't matter what car you choose, as long it puts a smile on your face when you drive it! :)
The Fiat wins on styling by a long way, but the 500's handling isn't even in the same league as the Ford. Do you want something pretty to look at or one of the best handling hot hatches around?
When your mum owns a Fiat 500 1.2 (2010) and adores it so much, there was no way on Earth I was going to chose an Abarth - stigma 100. Got my ST tinted goggles on, own a MK8 and it's awesome, 6000miles+ and still makes me smile. Each to their own!
Abarth always loses at being an actual usable car but the way it makes you feel is something else. The car has a lot of character and it's silly fun in tunnels. It also is a bit of an underrated performance car as it may surprise you how well it does against much more powerful cars.
id suggest driving an Abarth to anyone that says its just a fiat 500 or similar... other than the body there really is nothing comparable to the standard car.
The build quality. I had one. Things just fell apart. Door handles, centre caps, heater trims, electrical issues. But I damn well loved that car more than any other I have ever owned
@@celtos255 I have an A class 180d now. It's a company car from work but it's do damn slow. 0-60 in like 10 seconds. It's nice place to be but it is way too slow. I'm due to hand it back in in 12 months and I'm considering getting a new comp
Abarth all the way! This guy was off by a million miles. Anyone who ever drove an Abarth, was always always and I repeat, ALWAYS smiling and laughing because the car farts are powerful and you feel like your flying on the road nude. You are one with the Abarth.
Reading the comments on this is hilarious, how is everyone saying the fiesta is dull when none of you have drivin it 😂. I suggest you watch Chris Harris’s review on it to understand the masterpiece it is!
Own a 595 Comp. Way more fun that the pretty boring alternatives from Ford, VW, Peugeot etc. It's a little hooligan, uncivilized and just makes me smile every time I drive it
I could not fit in the Abarth comp.. The seating position was too high.. In the Fiesta ST I sit as low as possible and I am glued to the floor 👌 But I agree that the styling of the Fiesta ST is pretty dull.. But the driving experience is what its all about, and I love driving my ST, feels like a porsche!!
Drove the ST and the Abarth back to back and bought the Abarth. Looked better, seemed faster imo. ST is so dull, a car I’d have for a year and get rid,
@@0210mick they hVe the car for a couple of days. I borrowed a demo ST from Ford when I was looking at hatches and lost count of how many ST’s I saw. Just felt like another fiesta tbh
@@carreragt8516 Oh please...The only thing where the Abarth is better than the Fiesta is the exclusiveness. The Ford beats an Abarth on a twisty road or race track. Also the price of the Abarth is ridiculous and you get a weird outdated interior. And its tiny. If you dont care about all those things i guess it's a good choice...
The Abarth is definitely more fun and has more character, but I find the ST is more comfortable and drives much better with the addition of the slip diff. Both great cars. In the end I bought the ST and the wife bought the Abarth. Now we get to drive both :)
abarth more fun 🤣. I had an abarth essesse. The only fun is starting and hear the exhaust note. Stop. The handling isn't good. The steering feedback is awful. Seeting position like a camper. Now I have ordered a new ford fiesta st MK8.5 full optional and I have no regret. The abarth is an amazing looking machine, perfect for city, the noise is good when idle. But not a sportive car at all. It' the perfet wife car. Yes it is.
Here in Belgium, we get reductions when we buy a car, so the Fiesta ST I bought was cheaper (Full options) than those Abarth Competitione I wanted to buy at first. I get more car for less money with the Fiesta ST, but the Abarth steers very well aswell and is fun to drive aswell. I only had problems with the seating in the Abarth, for me too narrow... And u get alot more options with the ST than with those Abarth. So now the conclusion: I like the Abarth alot, but for me the absolute winner is the Fiesta ST
Fiesta might be the better drive but I’d still have an Abarth on the basis they’re more unique and not every mans car, look less like something that sits in a Mc D’s car park most of its life and it sounds better. Great review dude.
Started watching when i suggested the Fiesta ST for my cousin to get as a first car, watched all ur vids since coz they are so addictive! when are you going to be the presenter of Top Gear? keep going! loved the style with JB Tokens!
JB CTR my order took forever as I had to wait for Australian Standards to check the vehicle at customs. The car also came on a boat container from Poland where I think they are made. There was a mistake with the wheels, the dealers charged me for standard wheels and were unaware until the Abarth arrived. I must have the only one in Queensland. In Melbourne apparently there are loads due to the Italian influences down there. I also put a black chequered roof on the beast.
Fair review! However I feel If you drove an Abarth fitted with the performance pack (Mechanical LSD and carbon fibre Shell seats) with an upgraded straight through exhaust I feel your final verdict would’ve been 99% more Abarth!
@@markpattison9554 i have driven booth and bought the abarth it had much more character and was so much more fun to drive then the st i couldn't stop smiling all the drive its absurd that it only have 185 hp and yet the sound it makes is one of the best i have heard in my life that car is so much fun
When you say that Abarth have been using the same recipe for years and not bothered changing the car much , a certain German car company does the same with a car called the 911 . Nice video enjoyed it 👍🏻
Test drove both... Ordered the 595 Comp. ST just has a "chav" reputation, bad radio, boring overall, didn't sound as nice. The 595 felt like you were in a rocket propelled shoe box, the ST felt "tame"
I'm no YT troll and I would like to say well done in terms of video production. Furthermore, it's almost irrelevant in terms of the result of this 'test' too; it's actually the criteria you are basing your review on that pisses me off. Rule #1 is (if possible) compare cars of the same price not £4-5k difference, which is in this case is around 20% OTR! To resolve this you could have got a Comp with the Performance Pack on it (as it's £3k), which includes a fully mechanical Quaife LSD, Carbon Fibre Sabelts and light weight Supersport wheels. This would also change your view on the handling dynamics of the Abarth when comparing it to an ST with an LSD! Having driven both and being the owner of a Comp with Performance pack (and 230 bhp), the driving experience is night and day. On that note, I do not understand how you can say that the ST is a more exciting package...the only thing more boring than an ST is a Golf GTi. That is not me saying that the ST and GTi are not good cars quite the contrary, but wow your choice of terminology is misguided. I quite like the ST, especially ST200 but it's sterile and more common than any other 'hot' hatch in the UK so you feel even less special driving one, whereas driving an Abarth you can park next to a 911 and people are only interested in the Abarth - not many cars in history (under £50k) have ever achieved something like this so it's special to drive and look at.
You might not be a troll but saying that about the Fiesta is just unfair. Numerous magazines have called it the most fun car for the price and on a track it demolishes any stock abarth.
@@0210mick certainly not a troll just very frustrated that very few people are realising what the Abarth is all about..i own one and it’s not a great ‘car’, but it’s the best car i’ve driven and owned and i’ve driven some very good cars including a Fiesta ST200 - let me tell you i was not impressed, very disappointed actually as i was thinking of chopping mine in for one. the fun factor, the pure silliness and numerous imperfections are what makes it a special car. there is absolutely no comparison both subjectively or objectively with these 2 cars. no one expects an old Fiat based on a Panda to be better than an all-singing double LSD road going rally homologation hatch... look at the Countach - absolutely awful car but brilliant at the same time
@@technotim22 At least one thing we agree about is that comparing these 2 is a bit silly to start with. Different size, different price (where i live at least) and just totally different intentions. In my country hot hatches are quite rare apart from golf gti's and you dont see alot of ST's but i can imagine they are more common in de UK. One thing you know with the Abarth is that you have somethong rare that's for sure and i guess that's one of the reasons people want one.
Production value of your vids are second to none great vid as always! Wish the fiat didn’t have such a girly reputation cos I don’t dispute how good it potentially is!
Abarth has a personality, ford just looks like a shrunken focus. To be honest i was shocked when you said it was £5k more than the abarth i expected it to be cheaper!
I bought my ST last month in Belgium for 19000 euro's brand new but a standard ST not thé full option ultimate edition. But the Abarths over here are expencive as fuck. 24000 for a pista with 160hp. I rather pay 5000 less and get 200hp
Did you know that with generation 3 of the Abarth Fiat introduced a new function into the ecu to keep sure that the engine noise emission will stay within legal law? This function observes your driving and cuts down the power dramatically for around three seconds if the ecu thinks it would be too loud if you get the requested power right now. No, this is not a joke. Unfortunately not. :-(
You say that you had the abarth for 3 days and found it to be a bit understeery? Most Abarths have a habit of 3 wheeling round roundabouts if driven quickly and will wag their tails quite easily with a bit lift off during mid corner just like the st. As for image, styling and fashion is done best by the italians, with the vast majority of Abarth owners being men its hardly a girls car. Then there is the community that stretches worldwide for our funny little Italian monsters, which is like no other for friendliness, helpfulness and generally just sharing the joy and smiles the Abarth provides. With how easy the abarth is too get well over 250bhp out of it makes for an incredible package when considering it weighs a shade over a ton. In summary the actual comparison test in principle was a good one, but the tests didn't answer the main questions any prospective buyers would have. For instance as hot hatches, a back too back performance overview, and the feelings each car evoked when driven would have been better than infotainment comparison and percieved image. Don't get me wrong the fiesta is a lovely modern car with all the amenities and performance you would expect on this model level. It is just too competent and capable it gets a bit dull and tiresome a bit like the engineered pops and bangs. Ps i have been a lifelong ford fan and have owned many different performance fords over the years but now a converted abarth owner, mainly because i can't afford a cossie.
The Situation Good point ! I mean i was having a shit at the time, you popped up in my notifications and i thought why not entertain myself briefly and knock out a reply, but good point “bro”. As i said, truly truly devastated. I’ll try be funnier next time just for you.
I'll save you reading the comments... It's a bunch of fiesta st owners justifying that they bought a fiesta st 😂 and then calling the abarth a wife's car cause they hurt that most ppl prefer it (I see alot more on road than the st imo)
What a ridiculous review . The ST has a worse exhaust, the breaks fade when pushed, worse infotainment, over-steers unexpectedly..... So the winner is.......the ST 🤦♂️
It's much better than the 595. It's faster, has a great exhaust and brakes, the infotainment is miles better. I don't know how you can say that it understeers since the LSD keeps it locked to the ground. The exhaust in the 595 sounds better but it's all show and no go, it has shit brakes and absolutely no handling, it's also common knowledge that it tends to roll over even at relatively low speeds. No one buys these here in italy
@@ilpatongi what the fuck are you talking about. the brakes on the abarth are just the best in the class, handling wise on tight tracks has better times than the new fiesta.
Gruvve what a stupid comment the abarth also comes with a lsd and it’s no common knowledge that they roll over and how is the fiesta faster with same bhp but 200 kg heavier ?
@@lewismcdonald9691 The ST200 has more power and considerably more torque over a wider RPM range than the 595 Competizione. If you look at the dyno results the Fiesta most always makes a bit more than claimed power, and the Fiat quite a bit less.
Wildeheart They both modify well to be fair, so if we are comparing apples to apples then a simple map will also make the Fiesta much quicker too. Mine is now producing around 260hp with just a map 👌🏼 (Dyno video on my channel if you are interested!)
Nice! Yeah of course, I was kinda suggesting that the only advantage to me of the fiesta was power so a map option swayed it for me. The Abarth just produces so much more smiles per mile in its delivery in my opinion. Cheers man
Get a mini cooper s r53 2004-6 spend a couple of grand modding it to 215bhp put on a set of pilot sport 4s and you have a beast hot hatch, that handles like a go kart. Got £5k? And the supercharger whine.
Wow, the ST sounds so shit compared to the Abarth. No character whatsoever. Abarth the best sounding exhausts on 4 cylinder cars. Ford fanboys with their hatred of anything different LOL
Lol that st sounds rubbish/fake weak & it looks like a normal fiesta. Abarth also has a limited slip diff in software. Also has a convertible model & gets all the looks, people saying how great it looks when parked. I love the boost gauge pod right where you can see it, which also has a shift up at the red line. St,s are common now & abarth is very rare where I live near a city hence the attention it gets, its retro & real pocket rocket like the old Vw lupo gti.
I love Abarth,but there are too much in the city! The Abarth is the same from the 2008,exept some little restyling.. I think the new Fiesta ST is better! More power (200 hp VS 180) ,more modern (sync 3,panoramic roof,fulled and more..) Only,Abarth,sound better with the Monza,but we can buy an aftermarket exaust system for the Fiesta ST..And yes,i like the Revo mod for the Fiesta ST..😍
Very nice review, I basically agree with you. Some months ago I was uncertain about which of these two funny cars buying and what probably pushed me towards the Fiesta ST was that It was a really brand new car! The 500 Abarth is gorgeous but It deserves a real big upgrade! I mean it's still a very very good car but the base is the same car of the last 10 years!
Interesting that you would discount Apple Car Play in the Fiesta, because it isn’t made by Ford, but would use the Abarth’s TomTom satnav as a decider in round 2.
seems like in the comments everyone got paid by abarth lol. To be fair they are great cars, but the quality is even worse than Ford´s and even tho the sound and the speed is rather similar, you will get a way better driving experience with the Fiesta. Also Abarths are very bad in terms of driving security. In crash test they lack about everything while Fiesta got 5/5.
@@JBCTR thanks mate. Seen a few of your fiesta ones already, but as its these 2 cars we're comparing, this was great. Tbh at the moment the fiat dealer has offered us the most amazing package yesterday! Going to drive the fiesta today. It'll come down to what our son prefers to drive. 👍
@@JBCTR Omg that fiesta is incredible to drive. I've got an Audi S1 and the ST puts just as much of a smile on your face while driving!! No brainer on comfort added to performance. 👌
I think the interior on the Abarth is better. I've owned a couple of STs and they both had annoying interior rattles. The Abarth's materials feel sturdier too, leather on the doors etc.
Owned a 595c Turismo with a Squadra tune and a Monza exhaust But disliked the high seating position, the numb gear changes, The overal quality. The stupid angled infotainment screen that rendered it useless with the top down. But seating position was my biggest gripe, sat so high it felt like a van. Now jus ordered a ST comp not drove it yet. Wait for it to be delivered for first drive.
To be honest I was specting, at least a test drive, a comparison between two little high performance cars should be about driving, 0-60, brakes, suspension and even fuel consumption. Who cares what interior or screen you like more? it should be a non-bias comparison, just that, an impartial comparison between two really good little high performance cars.
I am having the unfortunate dilemma of becoming a little too used to my 6C Polo GTI and because my wife now has a large family car I can now be a bit more immature (as its only really me driving the car) and am thinking of swapping for an abarth 595 competizione. However the Polo is fast and capable and just so damn good that I think I might regret it! On the plus side the Abarth has all the mods from the factory that i would do to the Polo if I could....dilemma!
Joe Marano I have a 19 plate Golf GTI and my Wife has a 19 plate 140 bhp Abarth. I would argue that the Abarth, while much less capable, is more fun to drive (Don’t tell the Wife)
They're both great contenders, But based on Bang for your buck, Abarth wins my vote. With a few mods you can make it pop and bang like a firecracker if you want, but i think it would do most peoples head in after a while lol, I would personally prefer the pops n bangs when demanding it. Just preference really lol
Ground is still wet... but hey... you managed to park where there were no muddy puddles...LoL... oops... made that statement a bit quick... only took 0:59 seconds for muddy puddles to make it into the video. Do you go through a lot of boots...? Doing well mate... nice reviews and honest info.
I’m glad you agree with the pops and bangs being too much on the fiesta. Reminds me of the 17 year olds who get them mapped into there 1L eco boosts, makes you look like a complete tool
When looking at two peppy little cars known for giving giant smiles-per-mile, the infotainment and what complete strangers think of me are the last things on my list of things to rank. I've never used the radio in my Abarth; I'm having too much fun listening to the music this car makes. It's worth noting one of the reasons this vehicle suffers in reliability ratings was the terrible infotainment system being unreliable. This is a known issue as FCA shares this system across multiple platforms. The Abarth interior is ergonomically silly, typical Italian goofiness, with window switches on the center console just above the shifter, and while they painstakingly take efforts to scrub "Fiat" and "500" badging from all the performance trim levels inside and out, they leave the "500" badge on the dash insert on the passenger side because they didn't want to manufacture another dash mold to accomodate special trim badges. You sit very high up and the distance of the pedals and steering wheel make you think it's designed for a gorilla. These are the love-hate things that come with owning Italian. The Fiesta ST is objectively a better handling car. It was the competitor on my short list of choices but the Abarth makes driving an experience like no other, and as irrational as it is to discard performance, ergonomics, resale value, and other typical metrics for selecting a car, the driving experience sold it for me without question. Each trip is a challenge in making it snap, crackle, and pop. You want to heel-and-toe every corner and red light. All tunnels are an excuse to open the throttle. The first thing you do when starting up the car is hit "sport" mode. Anyone who's ever driven this car laughs at the outlandish experience. The Abarth is like the unsuspecting uncle that gets obnoxious and tells funny stories once you feed him a few beers. You can have lots of fun with it and still remain within legal speed limits. It also doesn't need a "sound symposer" that channels engine bay noise into the cabin with pipes like the Ford, which is probably due to Ford's better sound insulation to reduce road noise. The Italians simply used a tried-and-true formula--stuff the minimum amount of old cardboard and socks into the Fiat body panels to make cabin noise respectable, but it still lets the exhaust growls wonderfully if you want to play. It's worth noting my opinion on exhaust note is based on the North American model, which sounds more aggressive than the Euro-spec Abarth 500 Essesse, our closest trim comparison. We have no muffler/silencer and the Multiair head gives us a very aggressive intake valve lift and duration profile on heavy throttle application. I don't know how our NA Abarth compare to the 595 Competizione with the Record Monza, but I suspect ours is still more raucous. I suggest everyone experience a test drive even if they have no plans on buying one.
Everybody is different and has differents opinions, like for example myself, Abarth is better 🦂 sorry, better looking and as I see, a lot of people underestimate the Abarth
Feel a little bit of bias here. I own an Abarth so naturally I'm biased but I don't think the fiesta looks better... He mentioned the Abarth has a certain stigma but he must have forgot the 7,000,000 Fiesta ST's that are currently on the road *yawn*. No way the fezza turns heads compared to the Abarth. It's identical to the ecoboost aside from some badges. The looks and comments I get are far more than I ever had in my ST. Also, Sabelts are a much better seat than the Mk8 Recaro's. The Mk7 seats were probably better. For what it's worth I do like the Mk8 a lot more than the Mk7 but it still has a whiff of chav.
Oh and for your rating, Abarth also has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Now something subjective from now on... In terms of interior the Abarth one has lot of weird and stupid stuff, but I find it fun... Fiesta eeeh too ford, too boring imo. Exterior styling Fiesta better..?! As you said the Abarth look is now 10 years old and still looks better. I you compare the 500 to 595 it shows!, but ST compared to Fiesta is still too much Fiesta... And I think you should include price in to the rating... Abarth is more fun for the buck, but Fiesta is more practical for the buck.
Fiesta looks sportier,modern and clean...also sweet blend of ride and handling. And wondering how its called dull ...even fiat style also arguable at some points..
The 500 Abarth only has 2 usable seats as the rear are only suitable for children but I wouldn't put my kids back there as the rear seat area is the crumple zone in a rear ender. For that reason, I bought the Abarth 124 Spider instead and haul the kids in the SUV.
Just ordered a Abarth competizione for my partner. I tried getting her to test drive the Polo GTi and Fiesta ST, she point blank refused calling them both dull and boring. I am 6ft 4 and found the Abarth a little small and cramped but it made me smile.
If you compare the Pro Abarth comments, Which are always very happy and uplifting and makes you want to buy one. And those Against the Abarth. Who are mostly just angry losers whining about something like *it doesn't look normal whaaa* or just straight up insulting people. I know what car fandom I'd rather be a part of. Also makes me want to buy one even more if just to piss some tasteless sod off.
Lymbo So many ways to finance them nowadays! PCP finance is pretty low interest and so are bank loans. I can’t really give financial advise so you’ll need to look at your personal situation at the end of Uni 👍🏼
PCP is decently low interest yes, but these cars are at the peak of demand so the actual deals are crap by comparison to other cars. Personally, I'd get one pre owned or ex demo and loan whatever you don't have saved at the time. That way you're also not tied down by mileage (though at 6p a mile it's not really a big deal) and you also own the car, which is a big plus for mods...I'm only leasing my one because of Privilege Scheme benefits, no way would I be paying the asking prices for one currently as a regular customer.
you mentioned youve had it 3 days, in this case id much have preferred a commentary done while driving, while your experiencing each car, not you standing there awkwardly waving your arms, think carwow
You have to compare same with same. Abarth is unique and has no competitiors. Abarth carries emotion, herritage, love in detail and style. There is no better or worst, real Abarth-Drivers like it how they are.😉 And...definetly, it makes more fun to drive!😎
buckleyjteams jut the stigma. Where I live everyone works for ford and I know so many men who are from ages 20-50 that just got the new ST coz they work for ford. So we ain't all boy racers just the young ones like me
TheBbapache I think any young guy with a hot hatch is basically that, a boy racer. Although in my experience I've seen St owners are always so eager to race my abarth when compared to GTI owners. The absolute worst are RS owners while Pug GTI owners are the most mature. I always wanted a 208 GTI but could only afford a standard 208, then got my abarth and I guess it is the better choice out of those two but god damn, the 208 GTI just looks like such a masterpiece driving down the road as if the car was saying to you, "I'm better than you and I don't need to prove it, you just know it" lol
I'd prefer the ST out of the two. But I wouldn't personally buy either. They are both overpriced. Anyone that spends over £20k on a Ford Fiesta needs their heads looking at imo. You could pick up something like a couple of year old M140i or Audi S3 for that money. I respect the car but I think Ford have missed the sweet spot on price that the mk7 ST had. That's what made it so popular in the first place.
No offence but that is a ridiculous idea. Audis have the 2nd worst engine problem rate of all car brands and bmw not far behind. Add to that the parts cost more than double what fiat or Ford cost, and the mechanic prices are double too because of the way German luxury brands build everything so compact. You’d end up paying another 50% of the car’s value over five years if you’re lucky. These are not good cars to buy out of warranty with high mileage.
Abarth for all its quirks has a the superior "smiles per gallon"
i guess im asking the wrong place but does someone know of a method to get back into an instagram account??
I was dumb forgot my login password. I love any help you can give me!
@Victor Ryker Instablaster :)
I might be a bit biased, cos my first car was Fiat 500... and I loved that thing. I had it for 7 years and 6 and a half of that I was just waiting for the right moment to buy the Abarth. To me and the whole Abarth community these cars have a spirit like no other... Never heard of dedicated large ST communities. But abarth people... they get together, meet ups, forums, youtube, shows, track days... To me the STs and GTIs are mostly (not always) for boy racers who wanna be "baller", but Abarth is for people "f*** I LOVE this car". I love the fact that they are quite rare, that we wave at each other and people smile and chuckle when they see the car on the street. I don't know how it is in UK, but here when ST or GTI drives by with windows down and loud pumping music... most of the bystanders are more like "what a wan**r". To put it simply (imo) - STI and GTI drivers "I love myself, look at me", Abarth drivers "I love this car, have fun with me"
Greetings from Czech Republic... Waiting for next Abarth videos...
Eugen Proschek I totally understand where you are coming from, and I also totally understand the Abarth following too. I had a great week with it and absolutely loved it. It has a comparatively small following here in the UK, but from the people I’ve spoken with, the Abarth community here is very similar to your description.
However, ford have a gigantic following here in the UK. There is a plethora of Ford shows with some of the biggest having over 4000 cars on show, and over 18,000 guests 😱
That said, I still 100% believe the Abarth has more character and feels more special, but the Fiesta is the all round better car.
I've owned 3 Fiats...one of which was an Abarth and 2 Puntos. I then went onto a Polo GTi which was fun but didn't have that wow factor...then I went to an Audi S3...it was faulty from new so has just gone back but even though it was outrageously quick, it was lifeless so I've gone and ordered an Abarth 595 Comp because they are just truly special. Clarkson used to say all car fans need to own an Alfa once in their life...I think that's no longer the case and actually all car fans need to own an Abarth. A true petrolhead won't worry about being told they own a "girls car" and crack on embracing the Abarth quirks, sound and uniqueness.
I own nowadays a Fiesta ST200, although i am an Italian and of course Fan of italian cars. Here in Germany every car has a large community. I think BMW M, Ford RS/ST and of course VW GTI are the biggest by far. Here are car meets of thousands of cars. Those VW GTI drivers are handled as posers - although they are at every brand. For me, as living in the triangle between Spa, Zolder and the Nürburgring, the track performance and the fun to drive the car is more important for my daily. But as i said - the communities here are huge. Germans say about themselves “there is nothing more important than my car“ - and this is really what many of them live.
ThisIsBarcode
Yes but it looks like a pikachu on wheels 😝
Eugen Proschek Haha yeah, when my esseesse was new I noticed other abarth drivers either waving at me or reving their cars in a friendly way. I had a street race with a totally random black abarth and it was hilarious, both cars were identical in performance, they were side by side the whole time. I then imagined, how would that look like to the people walking on the street lol.
My current car is an Abarth 595 Turismo. Its purist style and personality are quite unique. My car came with Koni FSD Shocks and Record Monza exhaust from the factory! I love the sound and handling! Doesn't matter what car you choose, as long it puts a smile on your face when you drive it! :)
The Abarth any day. The ford is so dull and unconvincing. The Abarth and 500 are special, so retro, charismatic, stylish, Fiat and Alfa for me.
Alfa and Fiat are very different things.
The Fiat wins on styling by a long way, but the 500's handling isn't even in the same league as the Ford. Do you want something pretty to look at or one of the best handling hot hatches around?
@@ferrumignis Nah they are not that different. the 595 is lighter so if you know how to drive the 595 will do better in most circumstances
When your mum owns a Fiat 500 1.2 (2010) and adores it so much, there was no way on Earth I was going to chose an Abarth - stigma 100. Got my ST tinted goggles on, own a MK8 and it's awesome, 6000miles+ and still makes me smile. Each to their own!
Really good video, St is the better car but I’d probably choose the abarth as it has more character
Abarth 100%
Yea me too. Its just more fun and looks unique
abarth for sure.
Abarth always loses at being an actual usable car but the way it makes you feel is something else. The car has a lot of character and it's silly fun in tunnels. It also is a bit of an underrated performance car as it may surprise you how well it does against much more powerful cars.
Two different target. St is faster, abarth, like mini is iconic and stylish
id suggest driving an Abarth to anyone that says its just a fiat 500 or similar... other than the body there really is nothing comparable to the standard car.
You would be right, the standard 500 doesn't roll over.
The build quality. I had one. Things just fell apart. Door handles, centre caps, heater trims, electrical issues.
But I damn well loved that car more than any other I have ever owned
@@Alanphuphalee how unfortunate, so far 3 years owning ours and all has been perfect.
@@celtos255 I have an A class 180d now. It's a company car from work but it's do damn slow. 0-60 in like 10 seconds. It's nice place to be but it is way too slow. I'm due to hand it back in in 12 months and I'm considering getting a new comp
@@Alanphuphalee very nice. The abarth is my partner's, I have a golf edition 40 for myself.
Abarth all the way! This guy was off by a million miles. Anyone who ever drove an Abarth, was always always and I repeat, ALWAYS smiling and laughing because the car farts are powerful and you feel like your flying on the road nude. You are one with the Abarth.
Reading the comments on this is hilarious, how is everyone saying the fiesta is dull when none of you have drivin it 😂. I suggest you watch Chris Harris’s review on it to understand the masterpiece it is!
@McMoto250 Long stories mean nothing if you're an abarth fanboy
Own a 595 Comp. Way more fun that the pretty boring alternatives from Ford, VW, Peugeot etc. It's a little hooligan, uncivilized and just makes me smile every time I drive it
Yep, I had a Cupra 300 and sold it to buy the new Esseesse. I will never regret it❤️
I agree with the VW but the ford is far from boring amd faster around corners as well.
I could not fit in the Abarth comp.. The seating position was too high..
In the Fiesta ST I sit as low as possible and I am glued to the floor 👌
But I agree that the styling of the Fiesta ST is pretty dull..
But the driving experience is what its all about, and I love driving my ST, feels like a porsche!!
Drove the ST and the Abarth back to back and bought the Abarth. Looked better, seemed faster imo. ST is so dull, a car I’d have for a year and get rid,
Agreed. I've got an Abarth. ST is so boring
So numerous magazines calling the fiesta the most fun car for the price mean nothing right.
@@0210mick they hVe the car for a couple of days. I borrowed a demo ST from Ford when I was looking at hatches and lost count of how many ST’s I saw. Just felt like another fiesta tbh
@@carreragt8516 Oh please...The only thing where the Abarth is better than the Fiesta is the exclusiveness. The Ford beats an Abarth on a twisty road or race track.
Also the price of the Abarth is ridiculous and you get a weird outdated interior. And its tiny. If you dont care about all those things i guess it's a good choice...
@@0210mick never said it wasn’t the better car, just that it’s boring and dull.
The Abarth is definitely more fun and has more character, but I find the ST is more comfortable and drives much better with the addition of the slip diff. Both great cars. In the end I bought the ST and the wife bought the Abarth. Now we get to drive both :)
abarth more fun 🤣. I had an abarth essesse. The only fun is starting and hear the exhaust note. Stop. The handling isn't good. The steering feedback is awful. Seeting position like a camper. Now I have ordered a new ford fiesta st MK8.5 full optional and I have no regret. The abarth is an amazing looking machine, perfect for city, the noise is good when idle. But not a sportive car at all. It' the perfet wife car. Yes it is.
I don't agree with the styling point, the Fiesta has a rather boring and anonymous style
yeah, but unfortunately most people are boring and tasteless and that's why they any granny looking hatch over the Abarth ://
Rather a sleeper hatch than a dorito with mini cooper lights
Here in Belgium, we get reductions when we buy a car, so the Fiesta ST I bought was cheaper (Full options) than those Abarth Competitione I wanted to buy at first. I get more car for less money with the Fiesta ST, but the Abarth steers very well aswell and is fun to drive aswell. I only had problems with the seating in the Abarth, for me too narrow... And u get alot more options with the ST than with those Abarth. So now the conclusion: I like the Abarth alot, but for me the absolute winner is the Fiesta ST
Fiesta might be the better drive but I’d still have an Abarth on the basis they’re more unique and not every mans car, look less like something that sits in a Mc D’s car park most of its life and it sounds better. Great review dude.
ThisIsBarcode Cheers mate 👌🏼
Started watching when i suggested the Fiesta ST for my cousin to get as a first car, watched all ur vids since coz they are so addictive! when are you going to be the presenter of Top Gear? keep going! loved the style with JB Tokens!
x Milkyy Hahaha! I think Top Gear is a long way off! They’re great fun to make so I am glad you are enjoying them. It’s nice to hear 😃
I own an Abarth 595 Comp.
Test drove both and easy decision for me.
Performance Abarth wins hands down.
Steve James Which colour did you go for?
Ah, a red one with race wheels. You told me in another comment ;) those race wheels would be a must have for me!
Steve James there’s no way a bloke like u drives an abarth hahahaha
JB CTR my order took forever as I had to wait for Australian Standards to check the vehicle at customs. The car also came on a boat container from Poland where I think they are made. There was a mistake with the wheels, the dealers charged me for standard wheels and were unaware until the Abarth arrived. I must have the only one in Queensland. In Melbourne apparently there are loads due to the Italian influences down there. I also put a black chequered roof on the beast.
TBGameRz 😂 yes funny when I arrive at the gym and get out.
🥇🇦🇺👏💪
Fair review! However I feel If you drove an Abarth fitted with the performance pack (Mechanical LSD and carbon fibre Shell seats) with an upgraded straight through exhaust I feel your final verdict would’ve been 99% more Abarth!
D S Id love to try it out 😉
the ST looks so booring on the other hand the abarth looks exciting and stylish
Exactly, the Abarth is mental.
Think you need a reality check
@@markpattison9554 i have driven booth and bought the abarth it had much more character and was so much more fun to drive then the st i couldn't stop smiling all the drive its absurd that it only have 185 hp and yet the sound it makes is one of the best i have heard in my life that car is so much fun
The moment he said ‘’the winner is the Fiesta’’, I stopped the video...
That was nearly the end anyway.
Just thought I'd mention that "ST" stands for "Sanitary Towel" LMAO
When you say that Abarth have been using the same recipe for years and not bothered changing the car much , a certain German car company does the same with a car called the 911 . Nice video enjoyed it 👍🏻
Test drove both... Ordered the 595 Comp. ST just has a "chav" reputation, bad radio, boring overall, didn't sound as nice. The 595 felt like you were in a rocket propelled shoe box, the ST felt "tame"
Bought girls car, grats
Tom New Bought the car I like.
JN Photography guess someone had to buy one... short back and sides sir...
I'm no YT troll and I would like to say well done in terms of video production.
Furthermore, it's almost irrelevant in terms of the result of this 'test' too; it's actually the criteria you are basing your review on that pisses me off.
Rule #1 is (if possible) compare cars of the same price not £4-5k difference, which is in this case is around 20% OTR! To resolve this you could have got a Comp with the Performance Pack on it (as it's £3k), which includes a fully mechanical Quaife LSD, Carbon Fibre Sabelts and light weight Supersport wheels. This would also change your view on the handling dynamics of the Abarth when comparing it to an ST with an LSD!
Having driven both and being the owner of a Comp with Performance pack (and 230 bhp), the driving experience is night and day. On that note, I do not understand how you can say that the ST is a more exciting package...the only thing more boring than an ST is a Golf GTi. That is not me saying that the ST and GTi are not good cars quite the contrary, but wow your choice of terminology is misguided.
I quite like the ST, especially ST200 but it's sterile and more common than any other 'hot' hatch in the UK so you feel even less special driving one, whereas driving an Abarth you can park next to a 911 and people are only interested in the Abarth - not many cars in history (under £50k) have ever achieved something like this so it's special to drive and look at.
You might not be a troll but saying that about the Fiesta is just unfair. Numerous magazines have called it the most fun car for the price and on a track it demolishes any stock abarth.
@@0210mick certainly not a troll just very frustrated that very few people are realising what the Abarth is all about..i own one and it’s not a great ‘car’, but it’s the best car i’ve driven and owned and i’ve driven some very good cars including a Fiesta ST200 - let me tell you i was not impressed, very disappointed actually as i was thinking of chopping mine in for one. the fun factor, the pure silliness and numerous imperfections are what makes it a special car.
there is absolutely no comparison both subjectively or objectively with these 2 cars. no one expects an old Fiat based on a Panda to be better than an all-singing double LSD road going rally homologation hatch...
look at the Countach - absolutely awful car but brilliant at the same time
@@technotim22 At least one thing we agree about is that comparing these 2 is a bit silly to start with. Different size, different price (where i live at least) and just totally different intentions. In my country hot hatches are quite rare apart from golf gti's and you dont see alot of ST's but i can imagine they are more common in de UK. One thing you know with the Abarth is that you have somethong rare that's for sure and i guess that's one of the reasons people want one.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣what a rant
Also I'd love a boring golf gti lol
Simple, clean and to the point review/comparison. Keep up the good job mate!
alexbarquin9 Cheers mate 👌🏼
Production value of your vids are second to none great vid as always! Wish the fiat didn’t have such a girly reputation cos I don’t dispute how good it potentially is!
JDM CHP Thanks mate 👌🏼
Haha, stole the words right out of his mouth. I noticed, how he tried his best NOT to make any perceived sexist references on the cars.
Love the abarth. I’d have one tomorrow, only downside is practicality with 2 kids on the odd occasion we all go out in my car
Oh, I get it now. If you have a personality and like fun get an Abarth. The ford is so dull.
Bruh.,, *sigh* Abrath is ugly as fuck. Dafuk is that front bumper and headlights design!?
Drive the mk8 st then it might change your mind. I love both cars but they are different
@@nightflyer404 You sound like an actual child lmao. i guess those are the people who don't like abarths
Having owned both I'd say the Fiesta ST hands down as it's far more versatile and handles much better plus cheaper to maintain properly
Abarth has a personality, ford just looks like a shrunken focus. To be honest i was shocked when you said it was £5k more than the abarth i expected it to be cheaper!
I bought my ST last month in Belgium for 19000 euro's brand new but a standard ST not thé full option ultimate edition. But the Abarths over here are expencive as fuck. 24000 for a pista with 160hp. I rather pay 5000 less and get 200hp
Did you know that with generation 3 of the Abarth Fiat introduced a new function into the ecu to keep sure that the engine noise emission will stay within legal law? This function observes your driving and cuts down the power dramatically for around three seconds if the ecu thinks it would be too loud if you get the requested power right now. No, this is not a joke. Unfortunately not. :-(
You say that you had the abarth for 3 days and found it to be a bit understeery? Most Abarths have a habit of 3 wheeling round roundabouts if driven quickly and will wag their tails quite easily with a bit lift off during mid corner just like the st.
As for image, styling and fashion is done best by the italians, with the vast majority of Abarth owners being men its hardly a girls car.
Then there is the community that stretches worldwide for our funny little Italian monsters, which is like no other for friendliness, helpfulness and generally just sharing the joy and smiles the Abarth provides.
With how easy the abarth is too get well over 250bhp out of it makes for an incredible package when considering it weighs a shade over a ton.
In summary the actual comparison test in principle was a good one, but the tests didn't answer the main questions any prospective buyers would have. For instance as hot hatches, a back too back performance overview, and the feelings each car evoked when driven would have been better than infotainment comparison and percieved image.
Don't get me wrong the fiesta is a lovely modern car with all the amenities and performance you would expect on this model level. It is just too competent and capable it gets a bit dull and tiresome a bit like the engineered pops and bangs.
Ps i have been a lifelong ford fan and have owned many different performance fords over the years but now a converted abarth owner, mainly because i can't afford a cossie.
One has racing heritage and style the other is more at home as ASDA.
It sounds more posh if you pronounce it A-S-D-A.
Just saying.
Some people buy these kind of cars objectively.... Not me though. Abarth it is!
Legend has it he's still walking towards the camera to this date
@The Situation Well shit, some irrelevant internet chad doesn't find my 2 month old comment funny. Devastating.
The Situation Good point ! I mean i was having a shit at the time, you popped up in my notifications and i thought why not entertain myself briefly and knock out a reply, but good point “bro”. As i said, truly truly devastated. I’ll try be funnier next time just for you.
Alot of abarth love on this video
Great review, i Think you right the ST it's the best, but i prefer the Abarth it's more fun by far
Well good video. Personally the 595 looks more exclusive sound better and I like the interior more. I owe one and I never regret it
FORD Fix Or Repair Daily no way. Abarth design makes you smile every time you walk to the car! I am thinking of getting one!
Ford looks sharper and sportier.....with less fancy...but enough agressive for hot hatch..
I'll save you reading the comments... It's a bunch of fiesta st owners justifying that they bought a fiesta st 😂 and then calling the abarth a wife's car cause they hurt that most ppl prefer it (I see alot more on road than the st imo)
What a ridiculous review . The ST has a worse exhaust, the breaks fade when pushed, worse infotainment, over-steers unexpectedly.....
So the winner is.......the ST 🤦♂️
It's much better than the 595.
It's faster, has a great exhaust and brakes, the infotainment is miles better.
I don't know how you can say that it understeers since the LSD keeps it locked to the ground.
The exhaust in the 595 sounds better but it's all show and no go, it has shit brakes and absolutely no handling, it's also common knowledge that it tends to roll over even at relatively low speeds.
No one buys these here in italy
@@ilpatongi what the fuck are you talking about. the brakes on the abarth are just the best in the class, handling wise on tight tracks has better times than the new fiesta.
Gruvve what a stupid comment the abarth also comes with a lsd and it’s no common knowledge that they roll over and how is the fiesta faster with same bhp but 200 kg heavier ?
The Fiesta is in a different league when it comes to dynamics, an area where the 500 has always struggled.
@@lewismcdonald9691 The ST200 has more power and considerably more torque over a wider RPM range than the 595 Competizione. If you look at the dyno results the Fiesta most always makes a bit more than claimed power, and the Fiat quite a bit less.
Is there no apple car play in the Abarth? As a daily driver that is a deal breaker for me.
I have the Abarth, I was looking at the fiesta. A simple remap for £300 will make the Abarth much quicker than the fiesta if speed is your thing.
Wildeheart They both modify well to be fair, so if we are comparing apples to apples then a simple map will also make the Fiesta much quicker too. Mine is now producing around 260hp with just a map 👌🏼 (Dyno video on my channel if you are interested!)
Nice! Yeah of course, I was kinda suggesting that the only advantage to me of the fiesta was power so a map option swayed it for me. The Abarth just produces so much more smiles per mile in its delivery in my opinion. Cheers man
@@wildeheart2996 you mean "expensive smiles".
Abarth easily. Fiesta is the most boring hot hatch going if you can even class it as hot. Fords in general are also really dull.
Get a mini cooper s r53 2004-6 spend a couple of grand modding it to 215bhp put on a set of pilot sport 4s and you have a beast hot hatch, that handles like a go kart. Got £5k? And the supercharger whine.
the ford is boooring af
"The 500 is too cute, not manly, so I'm going for a car called FIESTA!" XD
Don't care what you prefer, but I thought that was pretty funny.
The Ford just does not interest me one bit, looks like any other modern car, few sportys touches but infinitely boring. Abarth all the way.
Wow, the ST sounds so shit compared to the Abarth. No character whatsoever. Abarth the best sounding exhausts on 4 cylinder cars. Ford fanboys with their hatred of anything different LOL
Ernie Flannel You have a ford fanboy here saying I’d like to own one ;)
Nope I like all different manufacturers of cars not only fords.
But the FIAT looks like a upturned skip...
Go and drive the new ST and then say it has no character. And yes I have driven both.
Kyle Taundry I has none. Driven last gen and this gen and for me the Abarth was so much more fun
Lol that st sounds rubbish/fake weak & it looks like a normal fiesta. Abarth also has a limited slip diff in software. Also has a convertible model & gets all the looks, people saying how great it looks when parked. I love the boost gauge pod right where you can see it, which also has a shift up at the red line. St,s are common now & abarth is very rare where I live near a city hence the attention it gets, its retro & real pocket rocket like the old Vw lupo gti.
I love Abarth,but there are too much in the city! The Abarth is the same from the 2008,exept some little restyling.. I think the new Fiesta ST is better! More power (200 hp VS 180) ,more modern (sync 3,panoramic roof,fulled and more..) Only,Abarth,sound better with the Monza,but we can buy an aftermarket exaust system for the Fiesta ST..And yes,i like the Revo mod for the Fiesta ST..😍
Very nice review, I basically agree with you. Some months ago I was uncertain about which of these two funny cars buying and what probably pushed me towards the Fiesta ST was that It was a really brand new car! The 500 Abarth is gorgeous but It deserves a real big upgrade! I mean it's still a very very good car but the base is the same car of the last 10 years!
Interesting that you would discount Apple Car Play in the Fiesta, because it isn’t made by Ford, but would use the Abarth’s TomTom satnav as a decider in round 2.
Stuart Middleton If your purchase a Fiesta, you also need to purchase an iPhone to make use of CarPlay. The Tomtom is part of the car 👍🏼
Why would you choose the fiesta 🤔
seems like in the comments everyone got paid by abarth lol. To be fair they are great cars, but the quality is even worse than Ford´s and even tho the sound and the speed is rather similar, you will get a way better driving experience with the Fiesta. Also Abarths are very bad in terms of driving security. In crash test they lack about everything while Fiesta got 5/5.
Very interesting to watch this as we're currently comparing these 2 cars!
Julie Argent If you want a greater insight in to the fiesta, I have many many videos on my one ;) couple more on the Abarth too 👌🏼
@@JBCTR thanks mate. Seen a few of your fiesta ones already, but as its these 2 cars we're comparing, this was great. Tbh at the moment the fiat dealer has offered us the most amazing package yesterday! Going to drive the fiesta today. It'll come down to what our son prefers to drive. 👍
Julie Argent Sounds like a fun few days. All the best with the decision 😁
@@JBCTR thanks Johnny
@@JBCTR Omg that fiesta is incredible to drive. I've got an Audi S1 and the ST puts just as much of a smile on your face while driving!! No brainer on comfort added to performance. 👌
Nice Abarth Venom scorpion 🦂🦂💪🏼
I think the interior on the Abarth is better. I've owned a couple of STs and they both had annoying interior rattles. The Abarth's materials feel sturdier too, leather on the doors etc.
As someone who is genuinely considering buying one of these cars, that content was fantastic !!
Oliver Barrett I’m glad it was of use :D
Owned a 595c Turismo with a Squadra tune and a Monza exhaust
But disliked the high seating position, the numb gear changes,
The overal quality.
The stupid angled infotainment screen that rendered it useless with the top down.
But seating position was my biggest gripe, sat so high it felt like a van.
Now jus ordered a ST comp not drove it yet.
Wait for it to be delivered for first drive.
Great review, why do you always lunge, lean forward? You always look like you’re walking uphill? 😁
To be honest I was specting, at least a test drive, a comparison between two little high performance cars should be about driving, 0-60, brakes, suspension and even fuel consumption. Who cares what interior or screen you like more? it should be a non-bias comparison, just that, an impartial comparison between two really good little high performance cars.
Abarth should have won
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha:D
I am having the unfortunate dilemma of becoming a little too used to my 6C Polo GTI and because my wife now has a large family car I can now be a bit more immature (as its only really me driving the car) and am thinking of swapping for an abarth 595 competizione. However the Polo is fast and capable and just so damn good that I think I might regret it! On the plus side the Abarth has all the mods from the factory that i would do to the Polo if I could....dilemma!
Joe Marano I have a 19 plate Golf GTI and my Wife has a 19 plate 140 bhp Abarth.
I would argue that the Abarth, while much less capable, is more fun to drive (Don’t tell the Wife)
They're both great contenders, But based on Bang for your buck, Abarth wins my vote. With a few mods you can make it pop and bang like a firecracker if you want, but i think it would do most peoples head in after a while lol, I would personally prefer the pops n bangs when demanding it. Just preference really lol
Ground is still wet... but hey... you managed to park where there were no muddy puddles...LoL...
oops... made that statement a bit quick... only took 0:59 seconds for muddy puddles to make it into the video.
Do you go through a lot of boots...?
Doing well mate... nice reviews and honest info.
I’m glad you agree with the pops and bangs being too much on the fiesta. Reminds me of the 17 year olds who get them mapped into there 1L eco boosts, makes you look like a complete tool
When looking at two peppy little cars known for giving giant smiles-per-mile, the infotainment and what complete strangers think of me are the last things on my list of things to rank. I've never used the radio in my Abarth; I'm having too much fun listening to the music this car makes. It's worth noting one of the reasons this vehicle suffers in reliability ratings was the terrible infotainment system being unreliable. This is a known issue as FCA shares this system across multiple platforms.
The Abarth interior is ergonomically silly, typical Italian goofiness, with window switches on the center console just above the shifter, and while they painstakingly take efforts to scrub "Fiat" and "500" badging from all the performance trim levels inside and out, they leave the "500" badge on the dash insert on the passenger side because they didn't want to manufacture another dash mold to accomodate special trim badges. You sit very high up and the distance of the pedals and steering wheel make you think it's designed for a gorilla. These are the love-hate things that come with owning Italian.
The Fiesta ST is objectively a better handling car. It was the competitor on my short list of choices but the Abarth makes driving an experience like no other, and as irrational as it is to discard performance, ergonomics, resale value, and other typical metrics for selecting a car, the driving experience sold it for me without question. Each trip is a challenge in making it snap, crackle, and pop. You want to heel-and-toe every corner and red light. All tunnels are an excuse to open the throttle. The first thing you do when starting up the car is hit "sport" mode. Anyone who's ever driven this car laughs at the outlandish experience. The Abarth is like the unsuspecting uncle that gets obnoxious and tells funny stories once you feed him a few beers. You can have lots of fun with it and still remain within legal speed limits. It also doesn't need a "sound symposer" that channels engine bay noise into the cabin with pipes like the Ford, which is probably due to Ford's better sound insulation to reduce road noise. The Italians simply used a tried-and-true formula--stuff the minimum amount of old cardboard and socks into the Fiat body panels to make cabin noise respectable, but it still lets the exhaust growls wonderfully if you want to play.
It's worth noting my opinion on exhaust note is based on the North American model, which sounds more aggressive than the Euro-spec Abarth 500 Essesse, our closest trim comparison. We have no muffler/silencer and the Multiair head gives us a very aggressive intake valve lift and duration profile on heavy throttle application. I don't know how our NA Abarth compare to the 595 Competizione with the Record Monza, but I suspect ours is still more raucous. I suggest everyone experience a test drive even if they have no plans on buying one.
Nicely written.
£5k extra at that price point for a boring junior reps car?
Drive the Abarth over 4k revs and hold on tight!!! 🔥 💨
Abarth definitely wins when it comes to exhaust sound
Everybody is different and has differents opinions, like for example myself, Abarth is better 🦂 sorry, better looking and as I see, a lot of people underestimate the Abarth
Feel a little bit of bias here. I own an Abarth so naturally I'm biased but I don't think the fiesta looks better... He mentioned the Abarth has a certain stigma but he must have forgot the 7,000,000 Fiesta ST's that are currently on the road *yawn*. No way the fezza turns heads compared to the Abarth. It's identical to the ecoboost aside from some badges. The looks and comments I get are far more than I ever had in my ST. Also, Sabelts are a much better seat than the Mk8 Recaro's. The Mk7 seats were probably better. For what it's worth I do like the Mk8 a lot more than the Mk7 but it still has a whiff of chav.
Thanks for this honest review! What do you think is the best value for money? Love your videos anyways:-) I bet Abarth got disappointed now.
Just Aviation Value for money, they’re probably on par. You get more with the fiesta, but then it’s more expensive 🤷🏼♀️
Oh and for your rating, Abarth also has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Now something subjective from now on... In terms of interior the Abarth one has lot of weird and stupid stuff, but I find it fun... Fiesta eeeh too ford, too boring imo. Exterior styling Fiesta better..?! As you said the Abarth look is now 10 years old and still looks better. I you compare the 500 to 595 it shows!, but ST compared to Fiesta is still too much Fiesta... And I think you should include price in to the rating... Abarth is more fun for the buck, but Fiesta is more practical for the buck.
Fiesta looks sportier,modern and clean...also sweet blend of ride and handling.
And wondering how its called dull ...even fiat style also arguable at some points..
I have a full extras fiesta st mk8 magnetic grey and it is an amazing car! I think like you, good video!
Carlos Enguix Yup, exactly like mine! Glad you enjoyed the video, and are enjoying the car. It’s epic 😃
Good choice i‘v has the same car like you😎 magnetic grey st3 full option
TomTom doesn't count if you discount apple auto 😂😂😂
How do you know if you have the performance pack because it has launch control and ford performance settings ?
Yup correct!
@@JBCTR any other trim details that are a give away thanks for the reply
Nice vid, I have a corsa vxr if you wanted to do another comparison vid
Lindon Case Drop me an email - ctrjonny@outlook.com - or drop me a message on Insta. I’d be very interested 👍🏼
Still not sure which one to buy..
I think your not going wrong with either one.
The 500 Abarth only has 2 usable seats as the rear are only suitable for children but I wouldn't put my kids back there as the rear seat area is the crumple zone in a rear ender. For that reason, I bought the Abarth 124 Spider instead and haul the kids in the SUV.
Good plan ;)
fantastic choice. I would take the Fiesta ST as a daily and the Abarth as a fun/sundaycar
Good video but please stop walking around so much while you talk, its off-putting
Maybe some of us just can't bring themselves to drive a Ford.
Sound system ?
Just ordered a Abarth competizione for my partner. I tried getting her to test drive the Polo GTi and Fiesta ST, she point blank refused calling them both dull and boring. I am 6ft 4 and found the Abarth a little small and cramped but it made me smile.
Like the idea but considering you had two playful baby hothatches and barely had them moving it was very disappointing just my thoughts
oliver essig Thanks for your thoughts. There are plenty of other videos on my channel of these two cars with everything you are asking for ;)
I love the Fiesta ST
If you compare the Pro Abarth comments, Which are always very happy and uplifting and makes you want to buy one. And those Against the Abarth. Who are mostly just angry losers whining about something like *it doesn't look normal whaaa* or just straight up insulting people. I know what car fandom I'd rather be a part of. Also makes me want to buy one even more if just to piss some tasteless sod off.
Did you finance your st? I want to get one in a couple of years after Uni but idk the best way to afford it
Lymbo So many ways to finance them nowadays! PCP finance is pretty low interest and so are bank loans. I can’t really give financial advise so you’ll need to look at your personal situation at the end of Uni 👍🏼
PCP is decently low interest yes, but these cars are at the peak of demand so the actual deals are crap by comparison to other cars. Personally, I'd get one pre owned or ex demo and loan whatever you don't have saved at the time. That way you're also not tied down by mileage (though at 6p a mile it's not really a big deal) and you also own the car, which is a big plus for mods...I'm only leasing my one because of Privilege Scheme benefits, no way would I be paying the asking prices for one currently as a regular customer.
you mentioned youve had it 3 days, in this case id much have preferred a commentary done while driving, while your experiencing each car, not you standing there awkwardly waving your arms, think carwow
jonyb4 There are another two videos on the Abarth of me doing just that ;)
You have to compare same with same. Abarth is unique and has no competitiors.
Abarth carries emotion, herritage, love in detail and style.
There is no better or worst, real Abarth-Drivers like it how they are.😉
And...definetly, it makes more fun to drive!😎
St, we're just known as boy racers
Is it such a bad thing? End of the day who is having more fun? Think more Jeremy clarkson and less James may ;-)
buckleyjteams jut the stigma. Where I live everyone works for ford and I know so many men who are from ages 20-50 that just got the new ST coz they work for ford. So we ain't all boy racers just the young ones like me
TheBbapache I think any young guy with a hot hatch is basically that, a boy racer. Although in my experience I've seen St owners are always so eager to race my abarth when compared to GTI owners. The absolute worst are RS owners while Pug GTI owners are the most mature. I always wanted a 208 GTI but could only afford a standard 208, then got my abarth and I guess it is the better choice out of those two but god damn, the 208 GTI just looks like such a masterpiece driving down the road as if the car was saying to you, "I'm better than you and I don't need to prove it, you just know it" lol
Let’s compare two hot hatches the music on this one is errrrrrrrrrr really
I'd prefer the ST out of the two. But I wouldn't personally buy either. They are both overpriced. Anyone that spends over £20k on a Ford Fiesta needs their heads looking at imo. You could pick up something like a couple of year old M140i or Audi S3 for that money. I respect the car but I think Ford have missed the sweet spot on price that the mk7 ST had. That's what made it so popular in the first place.
No offence but that is a ridiculous idea. Audis have the 2nd worst engine problem rate of all car brands and bmw not far behind. Add to that the parts cost more than double what fiat or Ford cost, and the mechanic prices are double too because of the way German luxury brands build everything so compact. You’d end up paying another 50% of the car’s value over five years if you’re lucky. These are not good cars to buy out of warranty with high mileage.
Bigger, heavier, softer. If you want luxury, ok. But if you want sportiness, you have to go for the small and nimble.
Abarth over Fiesta anyday