Topic: Comparison Test: Funky Front-Wheel Drive Turbos

[Mike]

This comparison is a clash between three absolutely different rooted approaches to the theme. But most interesting for me is the blank field of reliability statistics for a long term. Plus which one is the weidest of the bunch?

I am not sure what you mean by blank field of reliability stats for long term? these are new cars so there are no reliability stats, but maybe that is your point?  Because with other comparisons tests done here, reliability was not a factor either....

I think his fact was that none- of these cars have long-term reliability on them.  All are fairly new platform/body combinations in Canada

[Northernridge]

  This is a clever comparison and quite entertaining. You guys get full marks in the, "let's do something interesting" category.

Meanwhile, I was cheering for the FIC but noted that yet another FGC won.

[Mike]

This is a clever comparison and quite entertaining. You guys get full marks in the, "let's do something interesting" category.

Meanwhile, I was cheering for the FIC but noted that yet another FGC won.

 

Surprised you didn't say "WHERE WAS THE FGC B 200?" 

[Northernridge]

This is a clever comparison and quite entertaining. You guys get full marks in the, "let's do something interesting" category.

Meanwhile, I was cheering for the FIC but noted that yet another FGC won.

 

Surprised you didn't say "WHERE WAS THE FGC B 200?" 

I'm still learning but I think I'm supposed to disapprove of the B Class and deny its pedigree.     MB-FGC protocol police are everywhere.

[Mike]

This is a clever comparison and quite entertaining. You guys get full marks in the, "let's do something interesting" category.

Meanwhile, I was cheering for the FIC but noted that yet another FGC won.

 

Surprised you didn't say "WHERE WAS THE FGC B 200?" 

I'm still learning but I think I'm supposed to disapprove of the B Class and deny its pedigree.     MB-FGC protocol police are everywhere.

right, right, my mistake.  FWD Mercedes, 

[Fobroader]

This is a clever comparison and quite entertaining. You guys get full marks in the, "let's do something interesting" category.

Meanwhile, I was cheering for the FIC but noted that yet another FGC won.

 

Surprised you didn't say "WHERE WAS THE FGC B 200?" 

I'm still learning but I think I'm supposed to disapprove of the B Class and deny its pedigree.     MB-FGC protocol police are everywhere.

Now youre learning, point, laugh and stick your nose in the air when the peasants in a B class drive by 

[opg210]

Loved the test! Great idea and execution. I imagine it would be hard to rank anything but the VW first from an all round perspective. But on the other hand like Neil Young said (to paraphrase) I could have stayed in the middle of the road and been much more successful but life's so much more interesting in the ditch.

Long live interesting vehicles...

[alfaandy]

 First off let me say that I am the owner of a Fiat 500 Sport and it is hands down the coolest car I have ever owned! What I dont get is all the negative comments about the Fiat's "cramped interior space and cargo capacity". Of course its small!!! Its a small car, it was designed that way. Nobody walks into a Fiat dealer looking for a car with massive passenger or cargo space. They know what they are getting into, provided they did their homework. And its actually pretty roomy for me and my lifestyle, I was surprised at how much I could actually fit into the hatch,especially with the rear seats folded. Its quite good. For all those naysayers out there, I say blah blah blah! Stop complaining! If you dont like it, dont buy it! Thats what a test drive is for. Thank you

[dragonfly]

 Hey...the bug cost 7 grand more, fer crapsakes!!!...However...Just last week I pulled into the local quicki-mart and next to a new beetle...I was quite taken by it's quality and good looks..It was a base model with black steel wheels with baby moons with the VW logo (tres retro)..A fine looking car, indeed...I've only heard bad things about that 5 cylinder boat anchor though...gutless AND bad on gas...Too bad...Really pretty car..Inside and out.

  Loved the baby moon discs...Nice article...Jack

[opg210]

First off let me say that I am the owner of a Fiat 500 Sport and it is hands down the coolest car I have ever owned! What I dont get is all the negative comments about the Fiat's "cramped interior space and cargo capacity". Of course its small!!! Its a small car, it was designed that way. Nobody walks into a Fiat dealer looking for a car with massive passenger or cargo space. They know what they are getting into, provided they did their homework. And its actually pretty roomy for me and my lifestyle, I was surprised at how much I could actually fit into the hatch,especially with the rear seats folded. Its quite good. For all those naysayers out there, I say blah blah blah! Stop complaining! If you dont like it, dont buy it! Thats what a test drive is for. Thank you

Well said, always good to hear from a real owner too.

[aquadorhj]

Hey...the bug cost 7 grand more, fer crapsakes!!!...However...Just last week I pulled into the local quicki-mart and next to a new beetle...I was quite taken by it's quality and good looks..It was a base model with black steel wheels with baby moons with the VW logo (tres retro)..A fine looking car, indeed...I've only heard bad things about that 5 cylinder boat anchor though...gutless AND bad on gas...Too bad...Really pretty car..Inside and out.

  Loved the baby moon discs...Nice article...Jack

Very True.  but then, it has been as reliable as a boat anchor as well.  our daily driver, 07 or 08 Rabbit is just near 100k km and nothing has gone wrong with respect to the engine.    pisssssssses me off everytime i drive it cuz it's slow, but reliable nonetheless.

by the way, I would take FIAT in this group.  small, funky style, hatchback AND it's louder than my M3!!

[kenm]

Another good comparison review, Mike.  Although a big fan of hot hatches, none of these vehicles really floats my boat- I just can't get over the "form over function" nature of all three.  Personally, I think I'd look at a FWD Juke for a "value" funky FWD tubo- about $23K all-in right now IIRC (with incentives).  Interior may not be as nice the Veloster turbo, but likely more fun (and probably a lot more usable year round with the increased ground clearance, although the cargo area is similarly small).

I was also thinking Juke FWD M6. $20k (plus freight / PDE) for base model, or $23,678 for well featured SL model; and it beats all contenders on "weird" factor.

[dirtyjeffer]

I was also thinking Juke FWD M6. $20k (plus freight / PDE) for base model, or $23,678 for well featured SL model; and it beats all contenders on "weird" factor.

i drove a top trim Juke AWD and it was a blast...yes, it was small, but likely not too much smaller than my current Rio5 (if at all)...essentially, a Rio5, jacked up, with a turbo engine and AWD...handling would likely be more refined, etc, but it was a neat vehicle to boot around in...i really like it.

[dirtyjeffer]

This is a clever comparison and quite entertaining. You guys get full marks in the, "let's do something interesting" category.

Meanwhile, I was cheering for the FIC but noted that yet another FGC won.

 

Surprised you didn't say "WHERE WAS THE FGC B 200?" 

I'm still learning but I think I'm supposed to disapprove of the B Class and deny its pedigree.     MB-FGC protocol police are everywhere.

right, right, my mistake.  FWD Mercedes, 

i'm hoping we will see the new A-Class come here, perhaps even an AMG model...looks pretty sweet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_A-Class#Third_generation_.28W176:_2012.E2.80.93.29

[Rupert]

I think that the 500s engine is quite a break away in valve operation, is it not. Don't believe this has been mentioned with respect to reliability and what it means for future designs. This engine is also used in the Dart which is a much bigger mainstream car; so in a much smaller package one would think that the longevity is there.

[fraggle_rock]

As an owner of a 2012 Abarth and former owner of a 2011 GTI, you couldn't pay me to go back to the VW.  It was an ok car... competent... but boooooooooring.  The Abarth is quirky, no doubt... but it gets more interesting to drive every day and brings a smile to my face.  The GTI was a snooze fest... I don't know how to explain it other than saying it was "too refined" if such a thing is possible.  So "mature", it had no character.  Not to mention the rattles, bad stereo, and electronic gremlins I experienced.

And hey, the Abarth was about $10K less expensive (admittedly not fully loaded like the GTI was).

Obviously if you're hauling a family, this isn't the car for you... but it's a blast.  More fun and more character than my 2006 Cooper S. 

[Erik]

really?  a bug?   i don't know anybody who would buy that car.   it's just sooooooooooooo ugly!!!!!

Tons of them around Toronto. So someone must like them.

Yah, they are all women.  The coolest cars I see the most, in this class, is the Mini Cooper and the 500 around downtown.

Nah, the coolest is the first gen Honda Insight!

[Erik]

i wish i could say the crx but honda butchered the idea with the crz.   

I still have to drive one of those. They are supposed to be fun.

[aaronk]

As an owner of a 2012 Abarth and former owner of a 2011 GTI, you couldn't pay me to go back to the VW.  It was an ok car... competent... but boooooooooring.  The Abarth is quirky, no doubt... but it gets more interesting to drive every day and brings a smile to my face.  The GTI was a snooze fest... I don't know how to explain it other than saying it was "too refined" if such a thing is possible.  So "mature", it had no character.  Not to mention the rattles, bad stereo, and electronic gremlins I experienced.

And hey, the Abarth was about $10K less expensive (admittedly not fully loaded like the GTI was).

Obviously if you're hauling a family, this isn't the car for you... but it's a blast.  More fun and more character than my 2006 Cooper S.

Great comment and glad to hear from an owner, especially one who can compare first-hand GTI vs Abarth, a comparsion I've been running through in my head for quite some time but with no seat time to back up assumptions. I would have guessed the Abarth would be more entertaining, how do you find power delivery? Do you miss the torque of the GTI? Any other driving impressions and on-road differences you notice?

[fraggle_rock]

I had the DSG in the GTI, which I think was my first mistake.  It was a great transmission, but I missed the hand/foot engagement of a full manual (although rev matched downshifting in corners while braking was pretty hot).

The Abarth has a busier ride... but I was accustomed to that from my Mini days.  The Abarth is smoother than the Mini despite the semi-independent rear suspension.  The Mini was at least as bad due to run-flat tires (these things are the devil, imho).

I don't miss the torque of the GTI.  If it was faster, it was only marginally so... and it did it so smoothly that you couldn't tell you were going fast anyway.  I turned 40 this year, so I'm not a kid, but the Abarth makes me feel like one.  The GTI was pleasant... but it didn't make me excited like the Mini or Abarth.  Apparently I like my cars to have personality (who knew?).

The Abarth is not perfect.  I thought I might grow to hate the exhaust sound, but it's fairly quiet while cruising... we'll see if the cold winter weather makes it noisier.  The back end twitches like mad under heavy breaking (threshold  breaking).  The suspension can get upset if you hit a bump mid corner.  I wish we got the track day in Canada like in the US.  I think I will try autocross for the first time next year... so that should be an interesting test of my abilities (and maybe the car's... heh).

The 2012s had no heated seats, which my butt might miss.  But the Bose stereo is a billion times better than the Dynaudio in the GTI (biggest waste of money I ever put into a car option).  I've been into home audio for 25 years and I'm pretty picky.  Bose doesn't cut it in the home, but in the Abarth it's more than acceptable... at least it doesn't make my ears bleed like the Dynaudio.  The GTI had a practical back seat (if that matters) and could hold 4 adults.

At 2200km, I'm still discovering the Abarth... but it continues to grow on me.  And I literally giggle and smile every time I start the ignition.  Something I can honestly say never happened in the GTI.  Not once.