Abarth 595 Hatchback 1.4 Tjet 145hp 3d Owner Review

Got an Abarth 595 (145bhp) 1.4 in August of 2017. I chose the 145 model as higher models suffer with bad torque steer which this model doesn't. Pros The car sounds wonderful. Though I don't recommend harsh acceleration when the engine is cold, but if you do, the car turns into an AK47. The car is very light, meaning you only really need clutch to move away in traffic. Fantastic gear stick positioning resulting in a short throw and quick changes. Extremely agile and grippy. Very easy to expedite those gaps in traffic. It beats 90% of traffic at the lights. The car has a great following meaning usually when you see another, the driver will give you a wave or a honk and a thumbs up. Great styling inside and out. Little modifications such as sportier exhausts are readily available and are inexpensive. People compliment the car on occasion and are curious about how it sounds so good. Car gets great economy on Shell V Power and also performance. Lastly, people looking confused and stumped watching what they think is a Fiat 500 pull away on the outside lane. Cons Horrible MPG when pushing in sport mode or if air conditioning is running in stop start traffic. Exterior paint is very thin so scratches easily. Bumpy ride in town. Small seats. Horrible turning circle, prepare for 5 point turns everywhere. Twice I have accidently hit the accelerator instead of the brake as the pedals are so close together. I am a size 11 shoe so that may be a factor. Also, right hand drive variants don't necessarily get a footrest. You can only fit your little toe on what they call a footrest and still your foot is on the clutch. This makes long journeys horrible with cramp in the calves and joint pain in the knees. Not very aerodynamic so motorways feel like a fight against the wind. I have driven in terrible wet conditions with a heavy load and the car wanted to swap ends on occasions on the motorway. Bad blind spot present when looking out of the left rear window as the passenger seat gets in the way. Car can be jerky in first when pulling away. The car cannot read out sms messages properly which results in you looking at your phone instead. Dash gets dusty easily if you opt for a darker colour. Traction control is switched off automatically so you have to activate it yourself each time you turn the key. Some funky smells occur if you push it too hard. Some Italian features also include strange noises occurring once then going away, a warning light that pops up them disappears immediately. Lastly, speedbumps are your enemy. The with of the car may be awesome getting into tight gaps but speedbumps are unavoidable. Who cares about the cons. The car is hilarious if you love driving. Not very good if you want more than 1 passenger often or a family. Even after a year, I look forward to my next drive in it for sheer fun and amusement. My girlfriend has a Golf R32 and the Abarth is on another level of amusement. You forget about the cons pretty easily as the pros outweigh them ten fold. Test drive one. You'll fall in love with this Italian beauty.