Hi everyone, new user here with a quick question...see title.

I have the option of buying a 1999 1.6 16v HSX with 51k on the clock for €2900 (approx £2000)...OR...a 2000 1.6 16v ELX with 53k on the clock for €3900 (approx £2700). I'm leaning towards the HSX because it's €1k cheaper and less mileage (although it's a year older so it's a tough choice!).

Question is, what's the difference between HSX and ELX. I know ELX is at the higher end of the range - full electrics, alloys etc. Would I be missing much if I went for the HSX?

Any input at all would be great since I'm going to see the HSX tonight.

Thanks,
Peter

Comparison below:
http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/newcars/fiat/brava/389335.html
http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/newcars/fiat/brava/322067.html

Hope its not too late for you.

Best of luck

I'm writing from Denmark, so there might be slight differences from UK specs. I've owned af Marea 100 ELX and now own a Brava 80 HSX. I prefer the HSX - the differences I've noticed are few:
- firmer seats in the HSX (great)
- no armrest (who cares?) in the HSX
- alloys on the HSX (I don't care but you might)
- no adjustable setting the windscreen wiper pause in the HSX (I miss that)
- no map pocket by center console (who cares?) in the HSX
... and that's about it
Both models have front fog lights, heated mirrors and electric windows (front only)

BTW: The 80 hp engine is a marvel

TW

Thanks for the replies guys, never saw them before I set off but thanks anyway.

Well I made the trip over to Dublin last night (from Galway - that's about a 6 hour round trip). Nearly died on the way there but that's a different story for another time. Anyway, the HSX was in absolute mint condition inside and out - and felt great on the test drive. It was my wife who had seen the car advertised and phoned about it and I just kept asking her - 'are you SURE he only wants €2900 for it?' Sure enough €2900 was his asking price...'and every penny of it'. The dealer explained that the car was a trade in and he had advertised it before actually seeing it. He knows he probably could have sold it for alot more so he wasn't going to negotiate on price. Having seen the condition of the car it would have been cheeky to make him an offer!

So...I am now a very happy boy! The very proud owner of a 1999 100HSX. If I tell you that all of my driving life I've picked up cars for £100-£400 and basically driven them into the ground then you'll understand why I'm so happy this morning! This HSX is replacing a clapped out 1992 3-door Renault Clio, which we've had since Jan 2001. We've had 2 children since we bought the Clio so this time we had to do it properly - a family sized car with an acceptable level of safety and reliability. Sure the Brava will have its problems but recently I've been working on the Clio virtually every weekend just trying to keep it running until we found something else.

Need to get tax and insurance sorted out today and then we can send the poxy Clio into retirement down at the local scrappies. Can't say it'll be missed!

Thanks again for the replies, glad I found this forum as I'm sure it'll be a valuable source of information in the coming years.

Peter

sounds like a good buy!
In Ireland, as far as i know, the main difference between an ELX and HSX, is that the ELX has a rear spoiler, different alloys, and Marea style centre console
HSX should have leather wheel and knob too.


oh yeah, any dealer would be out of their mind to try and retail a 99 1.6 brava in Ireland! no matter how good condition it was!
trust me, they are impossible to sell!

what colour is it?

Yep - got the leather steering wheel and gear shift. Also has kind of sporty seats with more side support - this might be standard in a Brava, I wouldn't know but they're certainly more hugging than any other car seats I've ever sat in. Also has twin airbags.

It's a dark metallic blue, fully colour coded including the mirrors.

Why are they impossible to sell? Too much competition from private sellers perhaps? The buy&sell seems to be full of 97-98 bravas for under €3k.

Ok, next question...the radio unit is the original Fiat one with cd changer controls. I assume then that I can buy a cd changer for the boot and hook it up. Do I have to get the proper changer to match that head unit or are there several that would suit? Might be a daft question but oddly enough I didn't have a cd changer in any of my previous cars!

It can use a Grundig MCD36 player, only place you can get them now is off ebay nowadays unless someone on the forum wants to get rid of one, due to them no longer being made.
there is another option from a website where you can connect a sony with an adaptor which will work. I dont have the site myself but someone should hopefully post that after this

Thanks Scorg - I'll keep an eye on eBay for the MCD36.

If anyone has details on the Sony changer solution, could you please post here.

Thanks,
Peter

Manufacturer
http://www.autoleads.co.uk/index.html

and a supplier
http://www.bassjunkies.com/?cpage=p...bb&A=shop&cid=98&scid=54&mid=498&source=brand

PeterW said:

Yep - got the leather steering wheel and gear shift. Also has kind of sporty seats with more side support - this might be standard in a Brava, I wouldn't know but they're certainly more hugging than any other car seats I've ever sat in. Also has twin airbags.

It's a dark metallic blue, fully colour coded including the mirrors.

Why are they impossible to sell? Too much competition from private sellers perhaps? The buy&sell seems to be full of 97-98 bravas for under €3k.

Click to expand...

as far as i can remember, the HSX has the following as standard over the SX (in irish spec anyway)


ELectric Sunroof
15" 7 Spoke Alloys
Dimming interior light
Blue or Maroon interior depending on paint colour - mostly blue
Leather Knob and Steering wheel (not 1.2)
2 rear headrests as opposed to 3 on the SX
Most had LaserLine alarm fitted by dealer too

all the bravas has twin airbags by 1999. also all had full colour coding and foglights by then too.

I'd reccomend changing the headunit altogether and getting a more modern cd changer.
also consider a marea armrest and central console. It's simple to do too!

any main dealer giving a warranty will shy away from a nearly 6 year old Fiat. no matter what the condition. too big a risk, 99% will be sold to trade

Thanks for those links polecat - very useful.

@mad_colm - the marea armrest and centre console would be nice if I could pick one up for a reasonable price. As for the cd - I'll have a look around and see what I can find. I've seen the changer on eBay for €149 which seems kind of expensive considering you could probably pick up a headunit and 10 disc changer for less.

yeah, but the standard unit really makes the dash look unique! with the flippy uppy bit! you have to get wiring for it as well cos the HSX wasn't pre-wired for a changer. (some models were), I got mine in Whelans in The Heath. on the N7, before Monestarevan for baout €15. There's a place near me in Kilcock in Kildare that has a few Mareas. He's a bit on the expensive side though!

The Marea armrest and bits really make a difference as the brava hasn't exactly got lots of storage space.

Wow, all confusing, nearly as bad as the ever changing Stilo spec

I always thought HSX was better than ELX, or was it HLX

Anyway, sounds like you've got yourself a nice car!

Colm, don't you think its a case of the industry being partially responsible for Fiats bad rep? I mean a case of chinese whispers?

@mad_colm: my thoughts exactly. While it may not be the best of headunits, I like the way it fits into the dash. I know you can get the surround for putting in another headunit but I don't think it would look as good. Plus you wouldn't have the flippy bit!!! Think I'll stick with the mcd36.
Haven't had time to visit local scrappies yet but would love to get hold of the marea centre console. Could also do with marea door handles as the drivers side ones are starting to perish and crack up. Plus both of my foglight lenses are cracked...can I replace just the lense or do I have to change the whole unit?

@James M: yes it is very confusing but I'm very happy with what I've got. I'm still stunned by the condition of the car and all these gadgets (elec sunroof, mirrors) and the alloys just top it off. And coming from a 1.1L clio, the 1.6 16v is so much fun to drive!

James M said:

Wow, all confusing, nearly as bad as the ever changing Stilo spec

I always thought HSX was better than ELX, or was it HLX

Anyway, sounds like you've got yourself a nice car!

Colm, don't you think its a case of the industry being partially responsible for Fiats bad rep? I mean a case of chinese whispers?

Click to expand...

no. think its a combination of slightly off the mark build quality. younger customers who drive the nuts out of the cars. and them being cheaper mean owners don't tend to service them properly.

ELX was old model. HSX was new model. changed in 1999. found old pricelist

re: the foglights. They cost about 240Euro for a pair of units.
lenses arent available seperately. both mine got cracked. so i replaced them with CT Racing spotlights from Motor Store. coincidentally were same diameter as old lenses and fitted easily. cost 40 Euros.

mad_colm said:

no. think its a combination of slightly off the mark build quality. younger customers who drive the nuts out of the cars. and them being cheaper mean owners don't tend to service them properly.

Click to expand...

This could also apply to several other manufacturers, Saxo's for example plummeted in value cos there were stack registered to young owners with free insurance.

But still, I can't help feeling some guys in the trade use it as an excuse to try and screw you.

I was seriously hacked off with the Fiat dealer over the summer, so much so I fancied trading it in against a skoda vRS, the guy just took the p**s, he offered me £6000 for it, its was only 8months old and has a list of around £13,000

He went on about high mileage (which tbh was only about 1-2k higher than average), although I'm sure if I was on the other end he'd insist it is nothing on a diesel

Anyhow, I just think many of us are sick of being literally shafted at both ends by the trade.