Talk to me about the Fiat 500 for the girl.
- Thread starter Jonny69
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Indeed. I've been reading a lot on materials selection as part of my doctorate and one of the Ashby books (2009) shows a formula for how each kg saved impacts the fuel consumption and at which point you can justify putting in resources for weight reduction.
My missus has been thinking about something similar recently. I've suggested the Abarth for obvious reasons, but she does a 25 mile commute mostly on motorways and I'm concerned that the economy compared to her Clio is going to disappear. How thirsty are the Abarths when driven at sensible speeds on the motorway?
For 25 miles, who cares!
It depends what Clio she is using at the moment, if its a 182 then its not going to make much difference.
Soldato
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43mpg combined for the Abarth 500. Not sure about the essese.
That doesn't sound too bad.
25 miles each way, most of it motorway miles. It adds up mind even for me doing a similar commute in a TDimobile.
Her Clio's a 1.4 which is pretty reasonable on fuel. Deciding factor is extra urban economy.
(Well, main deciding factor is me convincing her that she'll actually be allowed to drive her own car.)
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Well the Renault still hasn't died and it just passed another MOT with no work needing doing. I stopped servicing it over a year ago and apart from new brakes it's done maybe 12K miles on the last £5 oil I put in with no filter change. I can't actually believe it's got this far 
Anyway, we got a go in a 500 a few months ago that I forgot to post up. They look nice and are quite solidly built. Unfortunately, despite quite a large footprint it's absolutely tiny inside. I like the upright driving position and gokart steering wheel but it wasn't something I'd be able to drive every day. Boot was too small, no space in the back and very narrow inside. We didn't bother with a test drive, so it's well off the shopping list.
Every now and then she'll point at something and say 'that's nice, what is it?'
'It's an Aston Martin, dear. Might be a bit out of our budget'
Anyway, we got a go in a 500 a few months ago that I forgot to post up. They look nice and are quite solidly built. Unfortunately, despite quite a large footprint it's absolutely tiny inside. I like the upright driving position and gokart steering wheel but it wasn't something I'd be able to drive every day. Boot was too small, no space in the back and very narrow inside. We didn't bother with a test drive, so it's well off the shopping list.
Every now and then she'll point at something and say 'that's nice, what is it?'
'It's an Aston Martin, dear. Might be a bit out of our budget'
We found the same too. Cut out the cuteness, for it does have lots and the funky looks of the Abarth with Ess kit, for that looks ace too and you have a basic Fiat. Now nothing wrong with that but the car was coming in around 18K with all the bits I think and that is just silly. I had a look around the new Audi 1 thingy last week. Going to sell loads of them.
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Lol, rumbled?I thought it was for the girl Johnny?
Seriously though, I might drive her car once a month and tend to share the longer journeys down to her folks because for some reason she won't do it in a smelly hotrod. Mine is pretty cramped inside but there was literally next to no space in the 500. At least mine has a massive boot.
Can get a medium suitcase and a weekend bag in the boot of a 500.
Admitedly the back seats aint much cop for longer journeys, but there is plenty of leg room in the front with the front seats all the way back.
A year on now with my girlfriend having one and it has grown on me, its just a shame they don't have more power without having to buy the Abarth version.
Admitedly the back seats aint much cop for longer journeys, but there is plenty of leg room in the front with the front seats all the way back.
A year on now with my girlfriend having one and it has grown on me, its just a shame they don't have more power without having to buy the Abarth version.
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Don't get me wrong, I still like it 
I just think it's very small inside for the exterior dimensions. I've got a feeling I might find that's a trend. Most cars I've looked at have had doors that are approaching a foot thick
I just think it's very small inside for the exterior dimensions. I've got a feeling I might find that's a trend. Most cars I've looked at have had doors that are approaching a foot thick