Abarth 124 Spider 12 month review 

You are the first reviewer of this car that actually talked about the stuff that most people are thinking about when purchasing this car. Also I like that you talked about what you actually liked and disliked about this car as a daily drive car, and not just read the spec sheet and then top it by saying its fun or I like it/dislike it. So overall the best review I have seen of the abarth 124 spider. This is why I am subscribing to your channel. Please review other cars in this way. thanks.

Excellent review and I enjoyed the stories. I also like the way you would pause for quite some time - i found myself thinking about what you said. You really seem to know what you are talking about too so…great stuff.

We currently have both cars mentioned, my Audi TTS leaves our 124 Abarth standing both off the line and point to point. However the Abarth is a fantastic car and I love driving it and sound is unbelievable. Good review

I have got the Abarth Spider for 6 months now. Everyday it puts a smile on my face. What is also special is the positive reactions I am getting from strangers... This is the first car that does that. I would buy it again if I had the choice.

Awesome review. Helped me make up my mind. Started looking at a late model Camaro SS, dropped to a standard LT V6 'vert due to its "bruteness" and expensive upkeep. Drove okay but seemed huge and a little clumsy. Sitting in the dealer's show room and looked out at it with the top down. Was ready to leave immediately. So bland, no shape, boring. Down to the MX 5 and 124. Drove a 124 Lusso and MX 5. Really interested in the RF but to all your points, not nearly as interesting as the 124. Looked at all the 124 models and it was no option other than the Abarth. Did some more research and found the GT. REAL shame it has not make it to our side of the pond (US, Pennsylvania)! Maybe someday! Also found an upgrade kit for the 124 from Euro-Drive Lite, supposedly 200HP at the flywheel, $650-$700 USD. Plan on checking that out! Thank you so much for the review. I'm sold! (Now to sell my GMC Sierra 1500 standard cab/short bed. Back to a sports car!)

Thank you for this great video. I am on my way to pick one up.

Very helpful real world review. Thank you

Everybody forgets the Lotus Elise when comparing to other cars.

Hard to read speedos are a feature in Italy. Plausible deniability when you argue with your local Carabinieri.

Good video There are 16 of like minded Abarth owners going down to snake pass in June if your interested

I so want one of these. Have a 595 at the moment which I bought crashed damaged for a bargain. MultiECUScan will switch off that annoying hazard light. Shame they don’t have the digital speedo like my Fiat 500X

Amazing review, thank you so much

Just one question. What about the roof quality? Also, is it full compatible with the MX5 one?

are there differences between the model years 2016-2018? I cant find the answer to this anywhere...

Great video-I like your presentation. Come visit us in the USA!

recommend to all to increase your playback speed to at least 1.25; normal is just too slow and drug out. Interesting argument as to why to choose a Abarth 124 over an MX-5. However, I'm not sure how UK car market behavior translates across the pond. Did you try out the GT-86/BRZ? I know they are hardtops, but did you even consider them? How do you think they compare to the Mazda/Fiat twins. Additionally, you can point the camera at the road instead of you since the mic would still pick up your voice, you wouldn't be tempted to keep looking at the camera while driving. Mounting it on the other headrest would have been better than where you put it on the windscreen (image stabilization is your friend...)

I think they should have supercharged the engine instead of turbo to eliminate the turbo lag ......Having that instant power on tap for such a light weight car would be so much better than waiting for the turbo to spool up.

My god ! I just went thru a oil change procedure on a Fiat 124 . OMG ! What a PITA for all you DIYers out there ! www.124spider.org/threads/diy-changing-engine-oil-and-filter-with-photos.14017/

I thought the review is gonna be 12 months long

Nice review, but just don't say Porsches aren't true sportscars.

Wish you won’t talk so much and get a bit more to the points.

First 6 minutes is just waist of time and the rest is the same.

I must have watched every English speaking RU-vid review of the Abarth 124 Spider and this is by far the most comprehensive and compelling review of this gem of a sports car.

Great review, I'm on the fence between the 2019 Mx5 And 2019 Abarth. Your video has put me closer the the Abarth. I will got test drive one here in California. Thanks.

Ah, watching this only now in 2024 when I’ve had my Abarth for nearly 4 years. Such a liveable sports car and understated fun. Still gets quite a few looks and stands out as most people have no idea what it is. Fully agree on the steering, best electric steering but definitely falls short of a decent hydraulic one, making me constantly wonder about how a Lotus would feel like. Strangely, my gearbox is another qualm with the car, pretty notchy and 1st is sometimes hard to get in. It’s my spare car but definitely not a garage queen as I don’t hesitate to use it if I don’t need more than 2 seats or too much luggage space (still surprisingly spacious for such a little car).

For a non-professional road tester you gave us an excellent appraisal of this fine car. Packed with real-world info and a rough road test route to boot, but £33K's is a bit on the steep side for me and many others I would suspect. I'm told that every body panel is different to the MX5. Thanks for the gearbox insight.

Maybe I'm weird but I don't mind a bit of lag, think it makes it more fun.

One of the best vids as retrospective on time with this car. Shopping for one and debating manual vs automatic. Gr8 vid!

Fab review thanks. Last year i sold my R8 and bought a 595 Abarth as a stop gap untill my next "fun car" i kept the 595 way to long as it was so much fun lol. So ive been looking at Boxsters, Caymans, Aston Martin Vantage and mustangs. But i keep coming back to the Abarth 124 as you say you have fun at safe, legal speeds... I would buy another TVR if someone came up with a one piece folding roof, like the 124.... But back looking for a reasonably priced.... Abarth 124 😊

Having driven one of these briefly I can tell you I prefer it over something twice the price...like an M4 for instance... :)

Thanks very much for the most informative review I have found for this car. I am just about to buy a new one, now that they have reduced them new down to around the 22k mark. Unfortunately, it looks like I am going to struggle to find a manual version which I think I would prefer, the only ones I can find new are all automatic. I am taking one for a test drive in a couple of days.

i just got mine two days ago.. 2017 124 lusso edition

Great review, thank you! Took the automatic for a test drive yesterday, loved the car, exhaust note and general feel, but not the automatic gearbox. I'm now on the search for a manual. Thanks again.

Nice review! I’ve started tuning my Spider now... 😈 what do u think!? 👍

I'm picking one up at the end of the month, I'll flash my headlights if I see you! haha

You missed out on one of the other british alternative to this car... a Lotus Elise! Lovely car to drive but so, so impractical haha.

Thanks for a balanced view. Now I am interested in getting one. Fiat in the US is suffering reputation wise again. Between your review and Mr. Clarksons's, I am sold.

Nice review mate. I bought a BMW m240i a year ago. Going from a Skoda Fabia vRs. And I do love my bmw however I'm unable to use all its power on Sydney roads. It isn't the biggest car but it feels much bigger and heavier than my little Skoda. So in the end I'm not getting the thrills and driving enjoyment from it, unless I'm driving like an idiot. Regrettefully I have to say the Abarth is the car I should have bought. I miss a small car you can rev out everywhere.

I bought a demonstrator too, 3 months ago. Number is 1311 ;) Thanks for the review, could not agree more. Do you have problems with your Record Monza exhaust? Mine is already rusty, everything else is perfect. The warning blinking when braking hard is really annoying yes. All Fiat / Alfa / Jeep cars have it. Both my Giuliettas had it, my 3.2 159ti had it and both my Jeeps have it.

I bought my wife a white Abath, but I amended the rims to silver...I own a new Carrera GTS cabrio, which costs 4 times as much , and I can vouch...the Abath is awesome

My only problem with getting one is daily driving during the winter without a garage.

I know this video is 3 years old. But that thing of when you brake hard and the hazards turn on, it was heavily criticized by many people but all manufacturers are doing it. Lol

Best review. I bought a new 2018 a few days ago. Waiting for it to be delivered. I drove the 2019 as well but for some reason I liked the 2018 Abarth more. Not sure why.

Hi thinking of buying one, your review has made my mind up will go to my local dealer this weekend to have a test drive. Thanks for a great review the best on RU-vid

Great review thanks for sharing your experience and perspective

Nice review! Would like to have a beer with you and talk cars!

In 1st week of March 2017 I did a back to back test of the 2017 Fiat 124 Abarth Vs a 2016 Mazda MX-5 Club both Brembo but MX-5 also BBS wheels. The 124 Abarth was 1st in all White looking good with the black aero bits. Nice interior but no Recaro seats however the Red tach was a nice touch in the cluster. The immediate thing I noticed was the heavy clutch in this sports car. Just felt like it did not belong in this car. The shift gates were pretty tight. I had a hard time telling if I was in 1st or 3rd gear from a stop. Stalled the car twice & I've been driving manual transmission cars for a long long time. The other thing I noticed was the lag the tubo gives. You wait for the turbo to spool up. Overall I was let down on how I felt about this 124 Abarth. I want a daily driver roadster & that clutch / turbo lag had me sending emails to the Fiat dealer with my thoughts. Next day was the 2016 MX-5 Club with the Brembo / BBS also in White with black aero bits. More curves exterior wise a different look to it but I liked it. The interior was alright but I really liked the shifter knob. Driving the MX-5 the 1st thing I noticed was the super light clutch with an instant throttle response from the naturally aspirated engine. It was easy to drive this car fast / or do the stop go traffic. The MX-5 also felt more athletic & nimble in the corners. The overall feel of this roadster was really great. So good I bought this car & now for 3.6 years it has been my daily driver in 4 season Illinois. When the cold weather hits the winter tires go on & its great handling in snow ! Have to say Mazda did a great job on the MX-5 overall. Love this car !

Thanks for this vid. I’ve been back and forth on wether to buy one, this video made it a yes. Just sold a 5l mustang, my dream car, but as you said, on public roads it became frustrating rather than exciting. You want the noise, you couldn’t make the noise without being way over the speed limit every time.

Going on three years and I still love driving my 2019 Abarth 124 Spider.

how would you say this car compares to the classica or the lusso?

Owning an Abarth 124 Spider myself, I can relate to most of your points. Mine is also 1 year old and I absolutely love it! I think it will be my daily driver for quite some time. As for the speedometer problem (it is really annoying), check out Ameridan's website: 21stcenturyfiat124spider.wordpress.com/. He has a couple of tweaks for the infotainment system, including a speedometer on your screen. Cheers and I wish you many safe miles!

Thanks.......this was confirming my first conclusions about this gem!

Abarth is a great looking and well engineered alternative to mx5 - great choice

great video. i'm close to buying one. just a few questions if u please. how does the clutch feel and where does it start to bite. also i'm 5,11 and worried i might be too tall

Interesting, review, not convinced I'd buy this over the mx5 though, even my 91NA turbo mx5 would win the day over this, can't beat those early miatas for bang for bucks, this is a nice cruiser...and the more power always good, cheers from new Zealand...

Thx for the video. Just some thoughts: Could you please do some timestamps in the description like 22:28 Thing i hate MOST about my Abarth 124 Spider It's a lil bit time consuming to scrub thru the whole video which seems a bit tooooooooo long u know. Try to pinpoint the facts and your feelings after 12 months. Cause this is why we came here. ;-) You don't need to tell us loooooong stories about everything. There are too many videos to watch. ;-) Oh and btw: Your wheel is on the wrong side. :D

Thanks for this detailed review. I am very interested in buying a 124 Abarth for all the reasons you mentioned, but haven't seen many reviews from people who have owned one for a while. Your review is exactly what I have been looking for and has helped make my decision. Cheers!

Great review! Looks like such a fun car. Driving here in California I really wish my car had the hazards turn on with hard braking. Had some close calls on the freeway here where traffic comes to a complete stop and driver's behind you don't notice.

Informative. I want one now. Thanks

I knew of the 124 and wanted a 124, but seeing one in the flesh for the first time left me a little stunned. These cars are *very* good looking. I was picking up fall leaves from the gutter on a bit of a curve in a city street and was stooped over a bit when I looked up and saw a 124 coming straight on. My heart leapt a bit as I thought, "What is that? It's gorgeous." Great review, mate. Some people got it, some people don't got it. You got it.

I bought a Classica and upgraded the exhaust to a 2.5 inch cross pipe and 2.5 inch mid pipe. The car has more hp and torque than the Abarth, but doesn't have all the other bells and whistles. I'm done with any other upgrades. Great cars, fun as fook to drive.

You're very charismatic lol

Really enjoyed that video, thanks. I've had a chimaera & am considering an abarth so ur video was really helpful. Informative and entertaining

Kudos good sir! Nicely done!

Great vid. Subbed. Getting an abarth 595 with auto box in Modena yellow it arrives in 2 weeks can't wait. Keep up the fantastic work gonna watch vid about your tvr now

The hazard warning is to alert a vehicle behind you that you are breaking hard, it's there to help stop them running up your arse...

Nicely done! A very through description of this cars strengths and weaknesses from an owner instead of the tester reviews others have posted. So far only the price has kept me from buying one, but your review brings me closer than ever to purchase.

10:00 for the negative stuff thank me later.

Great review with many interesting details!

I heard you can chip these out to 200 HP? any comments?

I like this better than the Miata but I'm worried it's going to be discontinued. It's no longer on the Italian site. Sales haven't been strong.

i am searching for exactly same color combination, beautifull piece, congratulation :)

You sir, are on the money with everything you've said 👍

I'm enjoying mine immensely (though not often enough during the winter)

Thanks for the review. Looking for one used with some low miles...

That braking thing is odd, and first time ive heard of it. Mine doesnt do that ofc. Maybe UK safety Reg?

One thing that looks annoying on the 124 is how the infotainment control is directly in front of the shifter. Perhaps I’m wrong but it looks as though you’d be apt to hit that button and switch things on the infotainment while resting your arm there to shift.

Yeah everyone has the mx-5 already and this car has a great stylish look and is quite similar

Great review thankyou, honest response works for me!

Did you test drive the Lusso or Classica? I wonder what your thoughts on those editions are. Nice video.

So in what ways is the ABARTH better than the Audi TT? I’m considering a used manual Audi TT with the 3.2l V6. Was your TT manual?

Thanks, great video review. Would love to see the next video without the jelly wobble.

West Lothian at it's best! Good review - thanks

My long legs make it a no no for me sat in the Fiat 124 at a local dealer,but the newer Mx5 with 2 steering wheel adjustments is better if you got long legs like me. But loved the Abarth one since it's launch,worth it for it's exhaust over a MX5,but i dont like how many Abarth badges it has,great owners review.

A good well rounded review. I like the fact you mentioned HP on twisty roads. When my sport suspension was fresh on my supercharged 2.0 2000 Golf, my car's not that fast btw, I use to keep up with some really modified cars on the twisties.

Kool Fun Factor with exclusive style

for the ultimate Fiat Spider check out roadstersalon.com

Quite right about the old sports updated, desire. I have a 1989 944t and it's glorious every time I drive it, but I'm also constantly fixing it and wondering what will happen in an accident without airbags, no cruise control, working AC, etc etc. It's time for a new owner for her...and I'm debating the 124 vs mx-5 vs nothing for a bit.

1st rate review. Well done 👏👏👏🇦🇺

Very informative thank you

Fantastic car👍🏻

Great review!!👍👍👍

I want one now at age 18 but have nowhere near enough money, look to get one second hand when I'm 20

Great review. Cool.

Hey mate, I’m around 6ft3, do you think space inside this car would be an issue for me? Cheers

I enjoyed this review and found it very informative. So much so that I am seriously considering buying an Abarth 124. Perhaps you would answer a query for me? Sometimes I have to use a smallish car ferry, the sort that has drop down ramps fore and aft. I drive down the slipway, then up the ramp onto the deck. I think it's very similar to the Colintraive ferry, but with probably slightly bigger approach, break and departure angles. Have you had any problems with the Abarth grounding its spoiler, diffuser or exhaust in any similar situation - sleeping policemen/speed bumps perhaps?

The problem with this car if any problems then it’s difficult to get the parts compared to the mx5 parts you can find easily anywhere.

Lots of cars when you break hard the hazards come on

Very sorry will buy mine

Thank for the great informative video. I’m here in San Diego to test ride a 2017 fiat 124 spider Lusso. Love the unique color and tan leather seats and the price. The only doubt it’s an automatic transmission. I prefer 6 speed manual. Thinking it might be sluggish, but it does have manual mode for a occasional spirited ride… Going to be difficult for me. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks