Lease ending, keep or get Abarth

[davis449]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

i mean A3s and GTIs can be modified and tuned very easily...but honestly i've been down that road before with the MK1 TT and while it's fun----it doesn't change the fact that it results in most people trying endlessly to 'mod' a 'non-sports' car into a sports car. For me, that never seems to really satisfy in the same way as having a more potent package out of the box. Granted i'm not saying an Abarth or a Cooper is a 'sports car' out of the box....they are definitely NOT....however they are more spirited out of the box than a GTI/A3, imo...

The A3 was a fine car....but it was very sane and very boring. Not really exciting in any particular way. Was yours heavily modded? The best thing about the A3 was that after driving it for 2 years as a heavy commuter car....i promised myself i would NEVER EVER buy another boring commuter car again. Now i do the same commute in a 1M----so that promise worked

Yes, mine was heavily modified, but I drove it (and MANY other MKV and MKVI GTI's) from Stock to K04. They were all plenty fun the whole way compared to an Abarth or a Mini Coper S (circa 2005). Not only that, but the GTI is just a nicer car, in general, INHO and I don't feel like a hairdresser driving one...

That said, I haven't had a FWD car since 2000 so I wouldn't buy any of them for a "fun" car anyway.

[ilikebmxbikes]

Originally Posted by davis449

Yes, mine was heavily modified, but I drove it (and MANY other MKV and MKVI GTI's) from Stock to K04. They were all plenty fun the whole way compared to an Abarth or a Mini Coper S (circa 2005). Not only that, but the GTI is just a nicer car, in general, INHO and I don't feel like a hairdresser driving one...

That said, I haven't had a FWD car since 2000 so I wouldn't buy any of them for a "fun" car anyway.

I agree the gti is a nice car but it is rather different than a 500. The 500 is a considerably smaller and better for street parking in the city.

I considered a gti for a bit before I bought my abarth but it was too large and I just don't like the car. That is entirely subjective and entirely my own opinion and again I appreciate the gti as a car but it just didn't attract me.

[Ed P]

I really like the looks, features, price/performance, MPGs, and practicality of the 2015 (Mark VII) VW GTI. It was on my short-list for replacing the MX-5. Only con (to me) was that it was FWD.

But our cars (wife and I) are somewhat shared, and she just didn't like the looks of it at all. Said it looked like a shoe, or a mini station-wagon (ironically, she drives a Ford Edge, which is just a really nice, jacked-up station wagon, LOL).

Anyway, that's fine, since the 228i and 135i were two of the other cars on my short list... so I'd say things worked out pretty well. (finding a 2013 135i M-Sport with 3K miles on it sure didn't hurt either!)

The Fiat 500 though... looks like a fun car for sure, and just too TOO small. Even smaller than the MX-5, in which I was constantly dodging SUVs already!

Seems kinda silly to have 2 of the same car in the household, in any event... but hey, it's a (semi) free country!

[bigjulzz]

IF you decide to take your 1er back, Id surely take your black lines off of you!

[ejm3]

Do people really buy cars primarily on how it sounds?
And if reliability matters to you, a Fiat might not be a good solution.

[angler]

I would keep the one. If not I would buy a mini. The new models are significantly better then the old ones!

[NYHoustonman]

Originally Posted by ejm3

Do people really buy cars primarily on how it sounds?
And if reliability matters to you, a Fiat might not be a good solution.

It's certainly a factor for me, although I wouldn't necessarily sacrifice outright performance for it. Personal preference.

[davis449]

Originally Posted by ejm3

Do people really buy cars primarily on how it sounds?
And if reliability matters to you, a Fiat might not be a good solution.

Have you ever met a R32 (MKIV or MKV) or Audi A3 3.2 owner?

[ejm3]

Originally Posted by davis449

Have you ever met a R32 (MKIV or MKV) or Audi A3 3.2 owner?

Or for that matter anyone who owns a Harley.

[the1andonly]

Originally Posted by bigjulzz

IF you decide to take your 1er back, Id surely take your black lines off of you!

Decided to post in marketplace and see if anybody is interested. Mine is 15,000 under lease miles. Been meticulously maintained. Over $5000 in tasteful cosmetic mods. And YES its the VERY RARE and sought after 128i manual 6 speed no sunroof!!

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1029085

[bigjulzz]

Originally Posted by the1andonly

Decided to post in marketplace and see if anybody is interested. Mine is 15,000 under lease miles. Been meticulously maintained. Over $5000 in tasteful cosmetic mods. And YES its the VERY RARE and sought after 128i manual 6 speed no sunroof!!

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1029085

glws

[Rainier]

Here is the big question, will you need a car for long distance driving? If not get rid of the 1er and save your cash. If you're going to need the second car and take a couple of Long distance drives a couple times a yea then keep it.

I still have (In storage) a MINI cooper S that I love but man does that car suck for anything over 200 miles. You'll have the same problem with the Fiat.

Honestly I get the love for the Fiat, it's a boutique car that is fun, and BMW is missing that these days. A friend of mine pointed out that the interior of my 1 is the exact same as the interior of his X3. Another reason I miss my MINI these days, the individuality of it. Good luck.

[ilikebmxbikes]

Originally Posted by Rainier

Here is the big question, will you need a car for long distance driving? If not get rid of the 1er and save your cash. If you're going to need the second car and take a couple of Long distance drives a couple times a yea then keep it.

I still have (In storage) a MINI cooper S that I love but man does that car suck for anything over 200 miles. You'll have the same problem with the Fiat.

Honestly I get the love for the Fiat, it's a boutique car that is fun, and BMW is missing that these days. A friend of mine pointed out that the interior of my 1 is the exact same as the interior of his X3. Another reason I miss my MINI these days, the individuality of it. Good luck.

The fiat is actually really good for long distance drives. I have driven mine on several long distance drives including SF to LA, SF to SD, SF to Palm Springs and was completely comfortable. The seating position is entirely different than the mini cooper. I wish the fiat had the mini coopers seating position, even at the expense of long distance comfort.

[RoundelM3]

Old saying: FIAT = Fix It Again, Tony. Moving from a BMW to a FIAT is, at best, a questionable move, Abarth version or not. If you want a hot commuter car, maybe; but for all-around driving? Look around and see how many FIATs you see on the road. That should tell you whether it's a good choice for the area you live in. They were terrible cars before they stopped marketing them in the US quite some time ago; not likely that they've improved much since then. Also...is that the kind of car you want to be driving when Bubba Gumbo runs over you in his jacked-up diesel Pickup with the 6-inch exhaust stacks and 36-inch tires? Personally, I'd go for a Mini - but then, we don't plan to replace our 2011 128i M-Sport 6MT Convertible anytime soon.

[Motohip]

Abarth

[MiniBimmer]

Drove the Abarth 500 yesterday. I have now driven all generations of Mini Cooper S, the last two generations of Golf GTI, and can report IMHO that the Abarth does not come close to either of these vehicles.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by MiniBimmer

Drove the Abarth 500 yesterday. I have now driven all generations of Mini Cooper S, the last two generations of Golf GTI, and can report IMHO that the Abarth does not come close to either of these vehicles.

Have driven both the Mini Cooper S and the VW GTI as well and I can't imagine the Fiat is anything like those two.

[ilikebmxbikes]

Originally Posted by EvenEsteban

Have driven both the Mini Cooper S and the VW GTI as well and I can't imagine the Fiat is anything like those two.

Abarth is a very different car. I wouldn't describe it as a performance car by any means. It's just a fun car- if that makes sense.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by ilikebmxbikes

Abarth is a very different car. I wouldn't describe it as a performance car by any means. It's just a fun car- if that makes sense.

Because of it's size I can imagine that the Abarth is very tossable and maybe that's the fun part you're talking about. But what about the ride quality, fit and finish, NVH, etc. compared to the Mini Cooper S and the VW GTI?

[the1andonly]

Originally Posted by EvenEsteban

Because of it's size I can imagine that the Abarth is very tossable and maybe that's the fun part you're talking about. But what about the ride quality, fit and finish, NVH, etc. compared to the Mini Cooper S and the VW GTI?

We just drove home in the Abarth convertible tonight, top down, gorgeous night, fantastic little car, amazing exhaust sound. I've decided to keep the 128i, keep the Abarth drop top, best of both worlds. And I've also owned 3 MINI Cooper Ss...The Abarth is superior in the fact that it feels raw, has a soul, unrefined, like a little volcano, all the things we love so much about the 1 series compared to the 2...Its a fantastic car!

[ilikebmxbikes]

Originally Posted by EvenEsteban

Because of it's size I can imagine that the Abarth is very tossable and maybe that's the fun part you're talking about. But what about the ride quality, fit and finish, NVH, etc. compared to the Mini Cooper S and the VW GTI?

They are all fairly compatible in my book in fit an finish. None are really that great. I don't think I would brag about fit/finish in a gti/abarth. The Mini Cooper will be the nicest out of them but I just wanted a put around car that could be fun, street park anywhere and nothing to worry about keeping prestine. If I really valued fit/finish in a DD a mini/gti/ abarth would not be in my choices.

The abarth really fit my goals with that and I am completely happy with it. A mini is a better car in most aspects but costs more and would be something I would semi feel responsible for taking are of which would sort of put it in the same boat as my 1er.

A mini, a gti and an abarth are all fair choices for what they are. If I cared about a 'performance' DD, it would be the mini but wanting something cheap, that doesn't feel slow, fun to drive and tiny enough to wedge into SF street parking spots- abarth was the clear winner.

NVH / ride quality etc. was not something that I weighed heavily with my abarth. It's either tolerable or not- it's a nice ride, but pretty much any car is comfortable compared to my 1er.

[ilikebmxbikes]

Originally Posted by the1andonly

We just drove home in the Abarth convertible tonight, top down, gorgeous night, fantastic little car, amazing exhaust sound. I've decided to keep the 128i, keep the Abarth drop top, best of both worlds. And I've also owned 3 MINI Cooper Ss...The Abarth is superior in the fact that it feels raw, has a soul, unrefined, like a little volcano, all the things we love so much about the 1 series compared to the 2...Its a fantastic car!

You made the right choice. The key with having a few cars is contrast. Having different vehicles that offer different experiences that compliment each other, not compete.