How bad of an idea is buying a 2013 500 Abarth in 2025?

Give it to me straight...

I fell in love with the 500 Abarth when I saw Jeremy Clarkson hooning one on TG over a decade ago, but never really was in position to own one since I always needed something ultra-reliable and family friendly.

Now, I work from home and I don't put a ton of miles on my car. I have another reliable car in the household that is a family hauler. I have the opportunity to pick up a 2013 with around 100k miles for well under KBB, in fact well under $4k. The service history is solid BUT the belt has not been done yet, I'm guessing the prior owner traded it in instead of dealing with it.

I test drove it and it drove really well, it pull strong and engaged all gears nicely. The only thing that I could see that did not work is the boost gauge, but it definitely was making boost.

I can deal with small stuff but my big concern is major engine failure.

Would I be crazy to buy one of these for cash as a fun little beater?

What is the typical labor cost of doing the belt/water pump/tensioner on these?

What are things I should look out for, and is there anything specific to this car I should do preventively to minimize risks of common failures?

(For reference, I'm pretty familiar with owning/modding/maintaining turbo vehicles... I've owned many of them, it's just the Fiat-ness of the 500 that scares me a bit).

Posted Dec 10, 2025, 2:59 PM UTC

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