New wheels.. big blouse content

[mwmackenzie]

looks cool, love the wheels

[Coopers]

I looked at one of these as a change to my elise but after a comical px for a grey Abarth ss with a few extras i laughed and realised what I was doing.

Also after sitting down in Edinburgh Abarthdealer and over hearing conversations between service and sales about 'issues' and how they could levy them back onto the customer i felt somewhat put off considering the high service i got from next door with my elise.

But as a second car or just a fun commute it would be right up there.

Can i ask the OP what did you make of the service costs and the intervals i've heard (read) all sorts of things.

[gorrie]

Hi Coopers... yeah there is certainly some major confusion over the servicing requirements on these, mainly because the service schedule in the handbook is 'open to different interpretation' by different dealers... so can be a lottery for customers. Also, the Abarth recommended service menu pricing is comedy (well... not if you are paying them it's not). They really need to get with the times and offer one of these TLC type service plans which are becoming more common.

However... a couple of owners have contacted Abarth UK directly to try and clear confusion up & received pretty conclusive advise.
In order to maintain warranty you need:-
1st Service at 18K miles, which is not an 18K/1yr thing... basically, it's whenever you cover 18K. This includes spark plugs, and ranges from £250-£350 depending on dealer. Abarth Glasgow are £250.
2nd Service at 36K miles, again, not a time factor... and that ranges from £350-£420. Glasgow are £350.
There are also 1 or 2 items (such as pollen filter) which Abarth UK advise are changed annually (and these are denoted in the handbook)... but price should be negligable for that... and in reality, I don't think a lack of pollen filter change will really void a warranty claim on the engine.
If you do the above, then you should have you warranty intact.

Just keep repeating the 1st/2nd every 18K. Glasgow told me that they are in the middle of putting a 3yrs service offer together & expect it to come in around £500-£600. No idea as yet what that will cover, because the main services are not limited by time??

For us, I'd imagine my wife will cover about 12K per year... so, 2 services over 3yrs coming to £600 if we use Glasgow. I can handle that.

I don't think I'll be going to Edinburgh. Their turnover is smaller so got to assume they will therefore see less in the workshop, so have less experience.

There is also a 'low mileage' service which they can do for customers who do mainly city driving and cover less than 6K per year... it's an annual thing & is just a glorified oil/filter change @ half the price of a full service. That won't really come in to play for us.
Oh, and if you have an SS version, they recommend and oil/filter change every 6K with the full service remaining at 18K.

They really should have simplified this though... too many "if this this... then do that".

[ed]

[Dominic]

Loving your work Gorrie ...far more stylish than the new mini...

Just flogged my Panda 100hp, after 2 completely reliable years of ownership - Barely depreciated, too...Small Fiats are where it's at!

Our 1.2 has done 30k without skipping a beat - despite me thrashing the tits off it for 26k of those miles. Oh and an autotest.

Pretty indestructable these days

Not sure if Louise's mum would agree.... she has had nothing but problems with her Panda; bought brand new a couple of years ago. Louise recently spent some time on the hard shoulder of the M8 awaiting the AA with one of her colleagues, in her new Fiat. I'm not convinced they are so indestructable these days.

[Lazydonkey]

All brands, no matter how reliable, will have the occassional problems dom so there will be one that slips through the net - but a family friend is a (painfully honest) Fiat dealer and has sold hundreds and hundreds of the Polish built pandas and 500s with hardly any issues. Can't speak for the others in the range but the polish built cars are very very good.

In the past he's actually advised us against buying cars from him so he's not just thinking about his profit line

[Doc883]

The servicing seems a tad expensive for such a wee car, especially when compared to what you get with the TLC from it's major competitior Mini. Our 2.0 diesel S-Max auto costs less than that. Noticed some major re-building works just along from Murray's in Edinburgh and pretty sure I clocked an Abarth sign (Arnold Clark) ?

[douglasgdmw]

Loving the car. Ideal excuse to rent Racelands for the evening and have a blast around the outdoor track

We thought about one of these a while back when we went to the Geneva show when they were launched. However we noted our interest at Edinburgh Abarth dealer and heard diddly squat.

Cheers
DMW

[Mr Momo]

Momo... I also saw that Grey SS at Sighthill. Looks very cool... even with the cloth seats. The white alloys suit the grey & red, but not sure about the other colours.

I only got a test of a 1.2 from Sighthill... no sniff of the Abarth being taken out... but placed the order anyway.... (ironically, I now hear that the grey one is going to be hooned around the track this weekend at the Knockill Speedfair)
Posted up on the Abarth forum about lack of test drive, and hey presto.. I had an offer of a test drive in Glasgow.. so went & did a deal with them instead.
Don't expect any discount if you are buying new.. just be warned. You may haggle some Mats, or 50% off some dealer fit stuff.. but Abarth are not allowing dealers to discount cars apparantly (no-one on the Abarth forums have had any discount as far as I can see).

Have you tried Abarth in Glasgow? Jaclyn is the person to deal with. They have an SS demo car plus a non-SS demo (which is for sale). They have a 6mth old red base model with only 1300miles for a decent price.
If it's black you want, then they also had 2 black A500's in stock this morning.. I'm sure 1 had the 17" multispokes, and the other may have had the 17" Petal alloys.

Got my test drive tonight - less bouncy than I thought, bags of grip/no roll, good seats, steering a little vague (nice RS4-style wheel). gearbox a bitch notchy c/w Panda 6spd. Don't have to thrath the nuts of it to go anywhere at speed. Looks like a bit of a Qcar in town

Have you got the Abarth group site details ? I think I'll get over there.

[gorrie]

http://www.abarthisti.co.uk

[Sanjøy]

MD has one in the carpark

[Fluoxetine]

Got my test drive tonight - less bouncy than I thought, bags of grip/no roll, good seats, steering a little vague (nice RS4-style wheel). gearbox a bitch notchy c/w Panda 6spd. Don't have to thrath the nuts of it to go anywhere at speed. Looks like a bit of a Qcar in town

Other than the 'box, how did it compare in general to the 100HP?

Obviously it's faster / has bags more torque - But I found half the fun of the Panda, was keeping it on the boil, and maintaining momentum at all costs...

It was a little 'Elise-like' - Fun could be had at sane road speeds, as it had more grip than power

[Stevoraith]

The servicing seems a tad expensive for such a wee car, especially when compared to what you get with the TLC from it's major competitior Mini. Our 2.0 diesel S-Max auto costs less than that.

Thats exactly what I thought! Service intervals for my 330d work out about the same (approx 17k or 2 years) and I've just booked it in for an oil service for a little over half of what you've quoted as the cheapest service!

Even the most expensive 'inspection 2' which is only needed every fourth service is only about £350! I guess that shows that it's an urban myth that BMWs are expensive to run.

Oh, and cracking looking little car btw!

[Mike Scib]

Service intervals for my 330d work out about the same (approx 17k or 2 years)

I would of thought you would have to service it once a year regardless of mileage? (Well to keep a FBMWSH)

Nice car by the way . So when we having a "super mini" car track day?

[Lazydonkey]

Spotted in centrex - looking good