{"id":37502,"date":"2019-07-08T06:00:38","date_gmt":"2019-07-07T21:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?p=37502"},"modified":"2019-10-20T18:33:34","modified_gmt":"2019-10-20T09:33:34","slug":"abarth-mt-testdrive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/abarth-mt-testdrive\/","title":{"rendered":"Test Drive of the Abarth 595 Manual \u2013 A Stylish, Great-Sounding, and Easy-to-Drive Car That Checks All the Boxes!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Abarth<\/h3>\n

The other day, early Sunday morning on the Royu Driveway, I had the chance to meet in person for the first time a follower I usually interact with on Twitter. This person owns an Abarth (manual transmission), and to my surprise, said, “If you\u2019d like, would you like to try driving it? It\u2019s a manual, but it\u2019s easy and fun to drive.<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

\u2026No, no, no, no (-_-) I really appreciate the offer, but I thought it would be terrible if I scratched such a precious car, plus it\u2019s a manual\u2026 so I initially declined. <\/p>\n

You drive a BMW 320i manual every day, so I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll be totally fine!<\/p>\n

They insisted, so I gratefully accepted and got behind the wheel.<\/p>\n

The Abarth I test drove this time was a “2018 Abarth 595 (MT, LHD)<\/strong>.” The body color was “Grigio Campovolo (such a beautiful standard color)<\/span>,” and it was equipped with a Clarion navigation system and lowering springs on the base grade.<\/p>\n

When I asked the owner why they chose the Abarth 595, they said, <\/p>\n

I was looking for a new car that was left-hand drive, manual, and practical for daily use, but at the time, the only options were basically Abarth or Peugeot Sport.<\/strong> I considered Peugeot too, but in the end, I decided to buy from a dealer I\u2019d dealt with before, so I went with the Abarth.
\nThe reason I\u2019m particular about left-hand drive and manual is because I want to get used to it for when I eventually get a Cayman GT4.<\/strong>
\n\u2026Though I ended up falling in love with the Abarth itself (laughs).<\/p>\n

When I was considering buying a manual car back in April, readers of this blog also recommended, “Abarth is great!<\/strong>” and since I often see them around my neighborhood, I had been curious about them for a while.<\/p>\n

By the way, the Abarth emblem is a “scorpion<\/strong>,” which is said to be based on the founder Carlo Abarth\u2019s zodiac sign.<\/p>\n

First Drive of the Abarth<\/h3>\n

The Abarth 595 I test drove had a body color reminiscent of Porsche\u2019s Crayon\u2014very beautiful. And above all, the compact body size was incredibly cute.<\/strong> I thought it was the kind of size and design that women would love.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

For reference, the Abarth 595\u2019s dimensions are “Length: 3,660 mm, Width: 1,625 mm, Height: 1,505 mm.” It looks like it would be easy to drive even in the city.<\/p>\n

Opening the driver\u2019s door first surprised me\u2014the door felt much more solidly built than I had imagined. Since it\u2019s a compact Italian car, I had the preconceived notion that “it might look nice but be roughly put together inside.<\/strong>”
\n(I\u2019m really, really sorry for that impression\u2026)<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Also, the interior was stylish<\/strong>. As expected from an Italian car. The seats were neither too hard nor too soft, with solid construction. Despite being so compact, it can comfortably seat four people.<\/strong> That\u2019s really impressive!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This Abarth is a left-hand drive manual. Usually, manual shift levers are located near the handbrake (like this)<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

but in the Abarth 595, the shift lever is positioned higher up on the center console.<\/strong> This placement allows you to quickly grab the shifter the moment you take your hand off the steering wheel, making manual driving easier.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I gave it a try a few times, and sure enough, it\u2019s in a spot where you can grab it smoothly with just a slight hand movement,<\/strong> which felt very natural. Also, since it has a 5-speed gearbox<\/strong>, the reverse gear is where a 6th gear would normally be.<\/p>\n

After receiving a quick rundown and adjusting the seat, I was ready. Since it was my first time driving someone else\u2019s manual car<\/strong> outside my family\u2019s, I was a bit nervous as I started the engine.<\/p>\n

Wow\u2014the engine made a pretty sporty and nice sound! <\/p>\n

Next page \u2192 Impressions of driving the Abarth in 2nd gear, feel of the shifting, and engine sound\u2026<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n


\nNervously releasing the clutch and pressing the accelerator, I was relieved to get moving smoothly. Starting on a hill near the Higashi Rokko Observatory and heading onto the Royu mountain road, I managed a hill start without any trouble. The owner said, <\/p>\n

Your shift from 1st to 2nd gear was smooth and skillful!<\/p>\n

(laughs) With a 1400cc engine, it\u2019s not a powerhouse, but it climbed the mountain road in 2nd gear with surprisingly strong performance.<\/strong> The handling felt natural, and as the owner mentioned earlier, the shifter\u2019s position is just perfect.<\/p>\n

Combined with the compact body size, there\u2019s a joy that feels like you\u2019re fully in control of the car.<\/strong> At this point, the owner suggested, <\/p>\n

Try accelerating while pulling in 2nd gear!<\/p>\n

So on a straight stretch, I pressed the accelerator hard and enjoyed a very pleasant engine sound.<\/p>\n

The exhaust note was refined and had a nice, stretching quality.<\/strong> It wasn\u2019t a loud, aggressive roar, but a sound truly worthy of being called a “tone<\/strong>.” I prefer the stock sound over modified mufflers\u2014
\n(Once, when I rode in a supercar with a modified muffler, I couldn\u2019t help but say, \u201cIt sounds like a cow giving birth!\u201d Sorry for that\u2026) <\/span>
\nthe factory sound is just better.<\/p>\n

If the stock sound is this satisfying, that\u2019s more than enough.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Another feeling I had while driving the Abarth 595 was a sense of “partnership.<\/strong>” Some cars give you that feeling, others don\u2019t, but even in a short test drive, I felt a strong attachment to this car.<\/p>\n

I could see myself not only using it for daily shopping but also taking it on longer trips to explore new places. I imagined how fun it would be to drive on brick-paved roads in old Italian towns<\/strong>\u2026<\/p>\n

When I asked about highway driving, the owner said, <\/p>\n

It\u2019s actually pretty amazing. It has a solid planted feel, and I usually drive at around 100 km\/h with no issues. But maybe because of that, the fuel economy is about 9 km\/l, which is a bit poor.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hearing 9 km\/l, I was a bit numb to the number after seeing the fuel economy of the GT3 and Panamera Turbo, so I wasn\u2019t sure if that was good or bad\u2026 haha.<\/p>\n

They also encouraged me to “try matching the revs on downshifts!<\/strong>” but since I\u2019m still practicing rev-matching on my BMW 320i and usually end up with a loud “screech!!” and a harsh jolt, I decided to skip it this time.<\/p>\n

Later, I backed up in a parking lot halfway along the Royu and returned the way I came. Thanks to that, I didn\u2019t stall even once and finished the test drive safely. Phew.<\/p>\n

Wanting to Try More Cars<\/h3>\n

Though it was only about a 10-minute test drive, I really felt that the Abarth 595 manual is an easy and fun car to drive.<\/strong> The shifter was easy to engage, the clutch was light, and it engaged smoothly deep in the pedal travel, so even a manual beginner like me could drive it without stress.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I also discovered that manual cars feel easier to drive with left-hand drive than right-hand drive.<\/strong> Since I\u2019m right-handed, it feels more natural to operate the shifter with my right hand. So maybe my next manual car will be left-hand drive (getting ahead of myself, haha)<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Also, since the Abarth is stylish both inside and out, it seems like it would be popular with wives and women too. So, unlike my husband\u2019s more technical reviews, mine ended up a bit more impressionistic\u2026 sorry about that (-_-)<\/p>\n

I\u2019m truly grateful to the owner who kindly let me drive their car. Thank you so much!<\/p>\n

Lately, when I go to Royu, more and more blog readers and followers approach me and say, “Please try driving my car! Feel free to feature it on your blog!<\/strong>” I\u2019m very thankful for that.<\/p>\n

Actually, besides Porsche, I\u2019m also very interested in the Roadster and Supra\u2026 I wonder if anyone would let me test drive theirs at Royu sometime.<\/p>\n

\u2026Okay, I\u2019m getting carried away, sorry (lol).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Abarth The other day, early Sunday morning on the Royu Driveway, I had the chance to meet in person for the first time a follower I usually interact with on Twitter. This person owns an Abarth (manual transmission), and to my surprise, said, “If you\u2019d like, would you like to try driving it? It\u2019s a manual, but it\u2019s easy and fun to drive.” \u2026No, no, no, no (-_-) I really appreciate the offer, but I...","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":12531,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?p=12503"},"categories":[72],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"Test Drive of the Abarth 595 Manual \u2013 A Stylish, Great-Sounding, and Easy-to-Drive Car That Checks All the Boxes! - \u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f - \u30aa\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\u30ba\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Test driving the 2018 Abarth 595 manual (LHD) revealed a stylish, compact, and fun-to-drive car with a great exhaust note and surprisingly practical features. 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