USED Abarth 595 - Beautiful on the outside, but… | ReDriven used car review

Okay look, we know these are cool, there's no doubt about that, but what goes wrong with them? What do they like to drive and live with now that they're all used? And should you buy one at all? Let's find out. Now making sense of the entire kind of Abarth range can be a bit confusing, so how about we simplify this thing and all of its siblings. Firstly, it's basically a hotted up Fiat 500, which in itself is one of Italy's most popular budget friendly city cars. But the thing is, these aren't made in Italy, they're actually made in Poland. Now in Abarth form, they've been available here in Australia since 2011, they're technically still a current model, and depending on the year model and trim spec, are available as either a hard top hatchback or a soft top convertible. Now it's really important to know that Fiat, or Abarth, have like honed and improved and evolved these things over their entire lifespan, and in fact they're actually separated into different series. For example, this car is a Series 4. Actually just on the different models, this is where things can get a bit confusing. See, Abarths come in primarily three flavours, 500, 595 and 695, and all feature variations of the same turbocharged 1.4 litre engine, with generally speaking, increasing power outputs the higher up the food chain you go. And depending on the model, as far as swapping cogs go, you can have a five-speed manual, a five-speed automated manual, an automatic, or if you've got money to burn and lap times your priority in life, there's a Compizione transmission as well. And then we come to the trim specs, which honestly are just far too convoluted to fully detail in this video, but as a basic overview here in Australia, the 500 comes in two flavours, the 595 in five flavours, and the 695 in six flavours. And internationally there are even more variants than that, but it's pretty much safe to say that no matter how you want to embrace like Italian four-wheeled charm and romance, there's going to be an Abarth to suit. Now if you do need all the specific details of all of those variants, go to redriven.com and check out the completely free Abarth cheat sheet. It's basically like the ultimate used car buyer's guide for these things. Now pricing-wise here in Australia, the really base model early spec with lots of kilometres on them, you're going to be looking at around about $15,000. At the other end of the spectrum, really high spec 695s, recent ones, low kilometres, all the bells and whistles, kind of high 40s. But if you'd like to see just how affordable one of these can be for you, click the driver link down there. That way you can customise a finance package that perfectly suits your needs, the entire process is done easily online, and you can have the cash in your account in no time. Plus, if you do all that via that link, we're going to give you $150 with a free fuel. Now another fun fact about the Abarth, if you don't think that this is an incredibly good-looking thing, well, you're wrong. And it's won a whole bunch of design awards to back up that fact. But like, come on, like ignoring some of the potential issues these have, which we'll cover soon, I promise. It's just, look at it, it's fantastic. And especially when it's been lowered just the right amount, exactly like this one, I just love it. I feel like it's somehow, it's somehow both, like, friendly and aggressive all at the same time. Like, even the sticker pack, normally, like, graphics like these just ruin the looks of the car, they look stupid. But on this, it just somehow enhances the whole thing. Oh, I should mention as well, there was a facelift and update in 2016, but to tell the difference between pre- and post-update, you'd have to be an absolute Abarth anorak of some sort. But no matter if it's pre- or post-facelift, I just, I'm quickly falling in love with the looks. I'm already in love with the looks. It's stunning. And the other thing that makes me incredibly happy is this interior. Look, I know the marketing might try to lead you to believe that this is like a premium little hatchback, but it is based on a very small Italian Econobox. And some of the materials, yeah, you can tell it's built on a budget, but they have done a really good job at making some cheap materials look more expensive than they are, until you touch them. See, I don't know what this texture is called, but it's almost like Fiat went and found the most aggressive and scratchy plastic they could, and went, let's just line the entire interior in it. And then there's the seating position. Like, what the hell were they thinking? Obviously, this car is targeted at those wanting hot hatch, or a car that has hot hatch aspirations. And these are the optional gorgeous-looking Sebelt seats, which are comfortable, but they sit way too high. It means that you end up, it feels like you're sitting on the car rather than in the car. Like, there should at least be the option to lower the seat height. Actually, some of the owners claim that the optional leather seats, they think they're more comfortable, and they do have a height adjustment, and they're also heated as well. And look, there are lowering kits available for these seats. How legal they are is going to depend on where you're watching this from. And secondly, like, these are kind of a race-style seat. So you think you'd be able to take your little Italian hot hatch to the track, but then there's a problem with that. As soon as you put a helmet on, this happens. Your head smashes into the roof. So you end up with a very, very sore neck, and not, like, in a cool Formula 1 way. It's just annoying. But then, like, overall ergonomics-wise, look, it's interesting. God, I wish the steering wheel telescoped out a little bit more, because it's just a little bit too far away. But then, where the gear shift is, that's perfect. All the controls are at really, really good areas. But I drove one of these for quite a few weeks in Italy. Not one of these, but a normal 500 for quite a few weeks in Italy recently. And yeah, I don't know, maybe I've just got a really odd body. But after a few hours, I just, I was getting sore in weird places. Because, yeah, you sit in a slightly odd position the whole time. Now, just back to the materials and the interior kind of vibe. Obviously, like any car, the higher up the food chain you go, the better the materials get. And this particular car, which is a 595 Compizione, great materials. Like, okay, you've got the, you know, scratchy plastics and stuff. But then on this, the belt seats, Alcantara and leather. This is, I'm not sure if this is leather, but it's nice and soft touch. Some cool carbon fiber treatments all over the place. The dashboard, that's a cool kind of, cool vibe for texture and feel. So yeah, it's cool. The 695 by Posto, the interior in that, that's amazing. Now, as far as wear and tear in this particular car goes, it has a bit over 65,000 k's on it. Excellent for wear and tear. Like, there's still texture on the steering wheel. The Alcantara up here, like all Alcantara at this age, it kind of gets that weird kind of smooth. I don't know, this isn't Alcantara anymore. But the seats, like the bolsters are still really strong. The materials are still really good. Because there's so many hard, scratchy plastics, then your interior is aging really well. Like, even the way everything feels, like in some of the cheap models or earlier models, it feels pretty dodgy. Like the buttons feel all wrong and switch gear feels wrong and there's movement everywhere. But in this, like, everything's bloody solid. It's great. Now, practicality up front, it can be controversial. We'll get to that in a second. But what have you got? You've got a little spot here for, I suppose, bits of old pasta and risotto. I nearly said ristretto, risotto. You've got okay-sized door bins. Little cubby hole here, specifically designed for your AirPod Pro case. You've got, oh no, that's not a cubby hole. You've got a decent-sized glove box there. Door pockets, obviously, over there. And then we get to the controversial part of the practicality. Yes, there's a spot for your phone just here. But you've got cup holders. Now, some owners claim that these cup holders are just simply not big enough because they don't hold like a large coffee. Maybe you shouldn't be drinking a large coffee. You should be a wanker like me and drink small pretentious coffees like double ristretto or macchiato or espresso. They fit perfectly. Anything larger than a real man's coffee just falls over. Drink a real coffee. Now, in the backseat, I'm exactly 13 centimetres taller than celebrity Abarth owner and Italian performance car aficionado, Jamiroquai frontman, JK. This is my driving position. And clearly, this is not a location really appropriate for normal-sized adults. Now, before any of you Abarth fans start yelling at me going, well, of course, there's no room in the backseat. It's a tiny little car. Here's a shot of me in the backseat of a Suzuki Alto Works. Look at the amount of space I have. And then look at this. And here's a fun fact. The Alto Works is noticeably smaller than this car. So maybe Fiat should have consulted with some Japanese designers and engineers before designing this area. Because if they'd spoken to them, maybe this could actually be usable. But besides me losing all feeling to my legs and feet right now, some highlights in the backseat. The backs of these, sexy. All this gloss carbon fibre, very cool. And the little pull handles to try to wedge yourself into the backseat kind of looks like a fire extinguisher pull handle on a racing car. Also, the seats, funnily enough, are actually comfortable, especially with the headrest up. That is so much better. But then my head's squashed against this. Hmm. Now, as far as wear and tear and practicality back here, no wear and tear because no one's foolish enough to sit back here. But me and practicality, no. Why would you need it? Actually, there is one practicality thing, but I couldn't see it through my leg. You can, if you're good at yoga and are flexible, can maybe reach a couple of cup holders down there. For most normal people, not gonna happen. Then the annoyance with practicality continues to the boot. Firstly, let's get rid of the world's smallest parcel shelf. So room in the boot, considering the size of the car, is kind of okay. But the issue here is a Honda Jazz Slash Fit is only slightly larger than this and it has a way bigger boot. And look, yes, these seats, they do fall down, but they don't fold completely flat. You've got this bloody load lip here and then things slide all over the place. Again, Honda Jazz Slash Fit with its magic seats, so much better for practicality. Why didn't Fiat talk to those guys and go, hey, let's engineer this thing to be genuinely usable. If this was like a little van, it'd be possibly the ultimate car. So look, if you approach the tech and features with relatively low expectations, you're gonna be sort of pleasantly surprised. As you can see, these include everything that you'd expect. But if you go to like a more recent and higher spec model, you'll also get all of this stuff. And then depending on which model you're looking at, there are all of the optional extras like this stuff. But then there's stuff like rain sensing wipers, automatic headlights, parking sensors, a reversing camera that even some of the more recent models don't get. And that's pretty disappointing for a car that sometimes asks around 40,000 bucks. Plus on some of the earlier models and I suppose like cars of that era, some of the infotainment systems, they have Bluetooth like for phone calls, but then it doesn't stream music. It's stupid. Now, actually just on the whole phone connectivity thing, on the early models, if you want like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, you're gonna have to bin the standard system and fit an aftermarket system because the early ones don't have it. But then later models that have the five inch screen, they can have Android Auto. But the problem is, because like Fiat's Uconnect system is Microsoft based, it can have all sorts of issues connecting with Apple products. So your iPhone or even an old school iPod can be a complete nightmare. But then from 2018, when they upgraded to a seven inch screen, they do come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. Although in saying all of that, no matter what generation of infotainment system you're looking at, according to the owners, they're all pretty ----. We're talking Bluetooth issues, like sometimes connecting, sometimes not, sometimes dropping out. Same with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The way it works, just trying to get into sub menus, all that sort of stuff, just a nightmare. This is a common complaint across all of like Fiat and Chrysler's Uconnect systems. They're just ----. Now, safety wise, you might be thinking, because it's a tiny little car, surely it must be a death trap. But just like plenty of K cars from Japan, these things fare surprisingly well in crash tests. In fact, ANCAP awarded the Fiat 500 that this is based on a full five-star rating. But look, to take you through the safety features that you can expect in one of these, it seems only right that we cut to another voiceover that celebrates the heritage of this car. So we're going to do this next voiceover in Polish. So look, it goes pretty much without saying that these things are brilliant to drive around, you know, built up areas and cities. Although the turning circle is that of a container ship, so that's a negative. But like aside from that, no matter where you drive this thing, I feel like the engineers went, how about we take the driving experience of driving in Italy and just like put that into the Abarth because that's what it's like to drive. Now, if you haven't done that, driving in Italy is bonkers. It's crazy at times, but at the same time, it somehow makes sense. And if you're anything like me, you absolutely love it. And in this thing, like the sense of speed is immediate. Like this is bloody quick, or more importantly, it feels bloody quick. Like it feels so light and like nimble, but so much so that it's, it almost feels nervous, like all the time. And then like all the control surfaces, like the steering wheel and the gear change and the pedals, like they feel energetic, but they also don't feel very refined. And that combined with like the stupid sitting position and pretty firm suspension means you don't completely trust what is going on in here. But then all of that results in this thing just having like so much personality. And like, let's be honest here, it's a personality that is incredibly vocal and what a voice. It's just a shame that like, yeah, some of the interior rattles a little bit. And then there's annoying things like the indicators. When you're like entering a roundabout, they turn themselves off way too quickly. And then when you try to turn them back on again, the sound and feel of like crunching plastic together is just horrible. And then of course, there is the horrible issue that we now have to tell you all of the other stuff that can go wrong with these. Now, before we get deep into this, we have made a full review video of the Fiat 500 that this is obviously based on. If you are in the market for one of these, go watch that video after this one because yeah, you might learn some stuff that you need to know before buying one. Okay, let's start with the exterior. Apparently, according to some owners, these things like to undress themselves. The sexy body kit can come loose. Luckily, most people catch it before anything kind of flies off it. But if you are buying one, just, you know, touch everything and make sure it's bolted on. Okay, next up there are reports that some of the badges can like blister or even fall off. This mainly only happens in really hot climates like here in Australia. Okay, now next up with some of the convertible soft top models. Some of the rubber seals and even the fabric itself is aging and it's starting to crack and leak and degrade. In fact, if you're buying a soft top, maybe hit it with a hose or a bucket of water before you buy it and just see if any water leaks inside. Actually, in saying that, even some of the hard tops with the sunroof, there are reports that these are sort of leaking a bit as well. The seals can kind of go in them. So again, yeah, any above, just make sure it doesn't leak. And to make all of that worse with the sunroofs and the soft tops, apparently some of the mechanical components are starting to age and get brittle and break as well. But according to the owner's groups, getting replacement parts here in Australia is nearly impossible. Now the paint itself, it's really susceptible to like light scratches, chips, all that sort of stuff, swirls, all that kind of thing. And red and black models, those colours can fade if they're not garaged and cared for properly. There are reports that some of the very cool graphics, they can fade and start to peel off. But the problem here is genuine OEM replacements are bloody expensive for what they are. Then we come to all the typical Fiat 500 issues, like the door handles that can get really loose or apparently just self-destruct. Apparently some of the door lock actuators and just the wiring involved in locking and unlocking the car can fail, leaving you either stranded inside or outside the car. This little flex point in the boot here, this can kind of start rubbing the wrong way and wear through and even affect some of the wiring inside. It needs to be adjusted and fixed, otherwise lots of this stuff doesn't work. Apparently the door mirrors are a bit on the fragile side. According to many owners, the non-xenon headlights, not these ones, are rubbish at being headlights and the bulbs can kind of wear out prematurely. And then there are just reports of really inconsistent build quality. Like on some models, the panel gaps are fantastic. On other ones, not so much. Then there's the whole gamut of like sporadic electronic issues. Basically, if it has electricity running to it somewhere, it can have issues. Make sure it works. Then the wiper blade motors, they can fail and even the actual washing jets, they can get clogged and also fail. Luckily, having excellent and perfectly fitting wiper blades can solve the whole keeping your window clean issue. Actually, just on that, if you want, say, 15% off and free express shipping on some of the very best wiper blades we've ever used, hit the wiper tech link down there. Honestly, guys, trust us. They're amazing. Okay, now inside, like the exterior, there are just plenty of reports of weird electronic gremlins happening. But not only can it affect the functionality of some of the buttons and functions, sometimes it can even drain the battery. Okay, next up, check for any signs of drink spillage around the USB port. Stupid that they put a USB port vertically right next to the very small cup holders. The problem is if it does get wet, a replacement part can be upwards of 200 bucks even more. And just replacing it's just a faff. Now the HVAC systems or the air conditioning, these things can have some issues. Sometimes it's just really minor little issues like sensors or, you know, actuators, stuff like that. But one of the big problems is the blower motor itself can just completely fail. The drama is to replace it, you've got to pull the entire dashboard out. That is so labor intensive. And obviously will be expensive. In fact, guys, this is really important. If you are test driving one of these or looking at one, try the air conditioning at all the fan speeds, try heating and cooling. If you hear any squealing or any weird noises from inside the dashboard, do not buy that car. Actually, just on the whole HVAC system, some owners have complained that the temperature display, it can flash. That can actually mean that there's a problem with the vent motors. But the good news is it can generally be fixed by just a reset from the dealer. The boost gauge up here, sometimes it doesn't work when it's really cold. To fix it, just turn the car off and on again. The airbag sensor, it can show a fault. But to fix it, just turn the car off and on again. Then there are just plenty of reports of weird build quality issues, like squeaks coming from inside the doors and just plastic rattling and shaking everywhere. Actually, just on this whole build quality issue, it does feel like no two Abarths are actually built to the same quality. It's a bit of a gamble. Some of them, like Lincoln that owns this particular car, this car has had no dramas whatsoever. But then you read plenty of horror stories from other owners. Yeah, it's a bit of a gamble. Actually, just on this car, Lincoln that owns this car is just over there. Hey Lincoln, thanks heaps for the car, man. Legend, thank you. Actually, just on owners, we generally have pretty good luck when it comes to reaching out to owners groups and forums. But Abarth owners, you guys might just take the cake as the best we've ever dealt with. I cannot get over the response you guys have given us. Everyone has been so, so, so helpful. Your knowledge is incredible. Abarth owners groups, legends. Thank you so much. And speaking of amazing support, thank you for watching this video and supporting Redriven. Guys, we want to make you a promise here. The more of you that support us by hitting that subscribe button, the bigger and better videos we can make for you. And we cannot thank you enough. Legends, thank you. Okay, now, mechanically, what can go wrong with these? Well, I'd love to tell you, but I can't because I'm not a qualified mechanic. But Jim is. Now, it is said that Italian sports cars often have questionable reliability. But actually, these things, not too bad. The early ones were very much less reliable. And over the years, every time they did a bit of an evolution, they got more and more reliable as they went on. Now, engine-wise, the most common serious issue we see is turbo failure. Now, sometimes that can be attributed to oil starvation. The oil supply lines get a bit blocked up. And that can be attributed to ridiculously long service intervals. If you have one of these, you have to service it every 10,000 Ks. And if you're giving it the beans occasionally or tracking it, do it every 5,000 Ks. The timing belt interval on these is 120,000 Ks or every five years. Look, to be safe, I'd recommend do it every 100,000 Ks or four years. We have seen in cases where the water pump actually fails, which is driven by the timing belt. The water pump fails and then takes the timing belt out before the timing belt is due. So just to be safe, do it. Now, the rest of the cooling system, aside from the water pump, we do occasionally see the expansion tank split or the fitting break off and that leaks. And thermostat housings are a bit leaky as well. But really no more common a problem than other European stuff. Now, the manual transmission in these is okay. Although one problem they have is the clutch master cylinder push rod that can break or fall out. And sometimes the slave cylinder can fail as well. And if the slave cylinder fails, that's actually a concentric slave. It's inside the bell housing. So the gearbox has to come out to fix it. A little bit expensive. Now the auto, well, it's an automatically shifted manual. They're not too bad. And they're not as unreliable as the internet would have you believe. They do occasionally have clutch actuator and gear selector complications and they have their fair share of software glitches too. But not really considered unreliable. Definitely not as reliable as the manual and definitely not as cheap to repair as the manual either. Yeah, look, just read between the lines there, guys. The manual is way better. Other than that, the drive shafts or the CV shafts, they're a little bit of a weak point. And especially if the car's been tuned and the rear wheel bearings can fail prematurely, especially if it's got wider wheels on it. Look, just on the tuning and modifying thing, these are a pretty popular tuning platform, but that's where these things become unreliable. I mean, all cars become less reliable when modified, but these things, if you lean on too hard, they do tend to break. But with a bit of common sense and a healthy budget, you should be okay. Okay, so after all of that, should you buy one? Well, let me ask you a question. When it comes to your partners in life, what sort of relationships do you prefer? See, if you were like a safe, long-term committed relationship sort of person that prefers any disagreements to be resolved diplomatically and any passionate behavior maybe swings to the more vanilla levels of spice, God no, do not buy in a bath. But if you prefer a feisty partner that prioritizes passion and emotion over logic and responsibility, even if they occasionally threaten to leave you and steal your wallet and your dog, and you prefer that kind of relationship because when it's a good time, yeah, it's a really good time, then yes, please buy in a bath. Look, yes, it's a ridiculous car that makes very little sense, but like a lot of Italian delicacies, yeah, look, it might be bad for you, but it just makes the whole world a better place. But I've got a question for you. Do you buy one of these or do you get, I don't know, like a Suzuki Swift Sport, maybe a Suzuki Alto Works, or do you go super sensible and get like a Honda Jazz or a Mazda 2? All the links for those videos are down there and let us know what you'd buy in the comments down there. See you next time. No matter how much you want to embrace like... Even though some people buy these thinking it's like a premium... Controversial. Sometimes connects, sometimes doesn't, sometimes drops out. Apple CarPlay, Android...