Hi all,

I'm looking at buying a Bravo, perhaps as early as this weekend (57 120bhp Multijet Dynamic). I know that I love this car both inside and out and have driven two thus far. Any reviews I read either praise all of the above and then finish with a typical "will it be reliable" rhetoric, or just bang on about how you shouldn't buy a Fiat anyway.

I'm tempted to think that a lot of this is just brand snobbery and the Bravo is a reliable car, trouble is as its relatively new and there arent too many around I'm having trouble finding any information relating to reliability/build quality etc... to prove this - I drive 80 miles/day and will likely run the car until it stops so this is important to me. I'm currently in the dilema of whether to spend an additional £2.5k for a similarly specced/aged Civic or Golf, but dont really like either of these cars as much anyway so it seems dead money if the Bravo is reliable. I'd be really grateful of a few things to look out for when buying these and a lowdown on reliability (I did check the FAQ's first!).

The car I'm looking at isnt from Arnold Clark but does have 10 months of an Arnold Clark warranty left on it which I believe is transferrable - does anyone have any experience with these warranties please?

The clasp has broken on the armrest (behind the handbrake) of the car that I'm buying. It doesnt flop about but I noticed it as I knew that the armreest opened via a little button. Is this likely to become worse and flap around over time please? My final concern was when I test drove the car today the salesman was keen to take it over some speed bumps so that I could hear any knocks and rattles for myself which was fair game, however the plastic underside of the car seemed to bottom out at anything over 15mph on not hugely steep speed bumps - is this normal?

Any other general Bravo buying information much appreciated. I'd mostly be using it for daily motorway driving but am also interested to know how they handle compared to others in class (I currently only have a Fiesta). Thanks.

Andysan said:

is this normal?

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Sadly, yes! For the Bravo 2, anyway.
Speed bumps I used to just sail over in the B1 have to be negotiated with extreme care nowadays.

Charnwood Fox said:

Sadly, yes! For the Bravo 2, anyway.
Speed bumps I used to just sail over in the B1 have to be negotiated with extreme care nowadays.

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Hi Charnwood Fox,

Thanks for your reply, I'm OK with that - am happy to take it easy over the speed bumps, rather that than this car have something wrong with it. Dont suppose you have any other tips/comments on living with the Bravo please?

Andysan said:

Hi Charnwood Fox,

Thanks for your reply, I'm OK with that - am happy to take it easy over the speed bumps, rather that than this car have something wrong with it. Dont suppose you have any other tips/comments on living with the Bravo please?

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Yeah dont try and park it in small spaces, its a pain in the arse to work out where its arse is

Secondly the diesel will eat through tyres, although this is common of all high powered diesels.

Even the 2.0Mjet which I have is pretty economical so I would imagine the 120 will be pretty good.

Once you get one you will see that they are not as rare as you think, probably the same for all cars though once you own one and start noticing them!

The radio is a pain as it comes on when you start the car, if you get one with Blue and Me its actually very good. The air-con isnt the coldest but does the job and water comes in the front windows if you open them just after you have cleared your windscreen.

On the plus side I have done 22k in mine, had 2 problems, both of which have been put right and I would quite happily buy one again (at the right price). They are by far the best looking small hatchback especially after being washed and waxed/polished. Mine has never failed to start (its only a year old mind you) and people do pass comment on its looks. Its something a bit different and while thats not always good its what I like.

I would buy one again, but hopefully not for another 5 years!

cant really fault my bravo... get an average of around 51mpg from the 150mjet... its well specced for the price i paid!!

its going next week though... part exchanging against somthing else... i find the seat lacks lower leg support and is quite uncomfy... you sit on rather then in... my new car has alacantra nice long comfy seats... a clutch rest... and an auto box

cardinalbiggles said:

Yeah dont try and park it in small spaces, its a pain in the arse to work out where its arse is

Secondly the diesel will eat through tyres, although this is common of all high powered diesels.

Even the 2.0Mjet which I have is pretty economical so I would imagine the 120 will be pretty good.

Once you get one you will see that they are not as rare as you think, probably the same for all cars though once you own one and start noticing them!

The radio is a pain as it comes on when you start the car, if you get one with Blue and Me its actually very good. The air-con isnt the coldest but does the job and water comes in the front windows if you open them just after you have cleared your windscreen.

On the plus side I have done 22k in mine, had 2 problems, both of which have been put right and I would quite happily buy one again (at the right price). They are by far the best looking small hatchback especially after being washed and waxed/polished. Mine has never failed to start (its only a year old mind you) and people do pass comment on its looks. Its something a bit different and while thats not always good its what I like.

I would buy one again, but hopefully not for another 5 years!

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Thanks very much for your time, pretty much all very positive then with the odd niggle that you get with any car (the drivers seat in my Fiesta is too tall to allow people to properly get in the back and the cup holder is in the way of the gearstick - stupid Americans!).

Cheers, will be sure to post some pics if I take the plunge! Is the general perception of the Bravo on these forums that they are pretty solid?

Andysan said:

Is the general perception of the Bravo on these forums that they are pretty solid?

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As a non-Bravo owner i'd say my perception has been that it's one of the most solid Fiats made, along with the new Panda. It came 40th in the Driver Power Survey for satisfaction a couple of years ago. It hasn't featured since as they hadn't had sufficient responses to make a fair judgement. That could be partially due to low-ish sales volumes (next to no advertising) and/or because the usual dissatified owners arn't dissatisfied so havn't bothered taking part in the survey.

The only range wide faults seemed to be drop links wearing out early, though i believe the part was altered after a while which cured this. The stereo can sometimes go quiet and then blast out for no apparant reason and the leather on the steering wheel can peel. Some cars have had coolant leaks, but it's easily spotted (temp gauge goes right up or coolant in the engine bay) & is down to badly fitted clips or hoses, nothing major.

1.6 & 2.0 diesels can have DPF trouble but the older 1.9 diesels don't have DPFs so are fine on this front. Some cars have stiff gearchanges when cold but this is a Fiat-wide problem, caused by the linkage cables freezing, which is rarely reported now.

I think im safe to say knowone has suffered all of these problems on one car. It's usually just one or two that happen, but usually in the first few months of a cars life. A 57 plate should have had most of it put right if need be.

I'd say in the long term, the Golf might to a tiny bit better and holding together, but if a Golf goes wrong it's usually a massive failure. Fiats usually shed a door handle or air vent but the oily bits will go forever. The Bravo is certainly as good or better built than the current Civic - theyre definately not what theyre made out to be anymore.

If it was me i'd have no hesitation buying a Bravo for the long term.

Hi cardinalbiggles. I've got a 1.9 multijet 120bhp and overall I would say it's good car. Good mpg, pretty quick. I also travel about 80 miles a day and it's been reliable apart from needing a new flywheel and gearbox which was done under warranty although I don't believe it's a common problem just that I was unlucky

I am loving my Bravo at the moment. I went from a multijet 120t to a 07 Civic and then back to a 150 sport Bravo. The civic was more practical but I missed the Bravo, think it is much more fun to drive and looks better. Only thing that pisses me off is when you clear you windscreen with the windows open. The water comes inside the cabin but have learnt to always close the front windows before doing so lol. Havent had any problems with either Bravo I have owned.

3 years and 50,000 miles here.

I dove in early and probably have had the most problems of the forum - but none were enough to stop the car working, and were resolved quickly. Best news is I've not read of others experiencing them so it looks like they were one-off/first batch problems.

So how does the car stack up?

Engine.
The 1.9 120bhp is the final evolution of the very sucessful Fiat diesel engine. It's roots are based on the 1.9TD fitted to the Tipo, transitioning into the JTD used on the Mk1 Bravo, getting more powerful and more efficient until the final multijet. The engines are regarded as pretty much bombproof, with very driver friendly power curves.

Transmission
We dont hear of many gearbox problems. I don't remember if the box on the 120 is 5 or 6 speed, but both are a pleasure to use. The clutch is a dual mass affair so when it does eventually come around to replacement you may need to factor in the cost of a new flywheel.

Suspension and steering.
Depending on the model opinions are that the suspension could be better, and it suffers against cars like the focus due to its non-independent rear suspension. The ride is reasonable smooth, even in the Sport. Ground clearance for the nose can be an issue and straddling a high speedhump may scuff the boltheads of the lower suspension. Steering is very light, and would benefit from more feedback. Otherwise its ok.

Bodyshell.
Very ridgid especially with the very high boot lip. Fiat can't risk getting the now un-deserved reputation for rusting back, so they have for the last 10-15 years been excellent on rust protection. Rear visibility and light in the back is reduced by the thick rear pilars and smallish windows. This does however strenghten the car and give it it's coupe-esk looks.

Seats and interior.
Im my opinion one of the Bravo's strenghts is it's interior. It looks fantastic and apart from the hard plastic on the bottom of the doors the materials used tend to be of good quality. The support from the drivers seat is a bit hit and miss. Some people find it gets uncomfortable. This doesn't seem to be dependent on your height so it must be a personal thing. The handbrake mechanism cover is quite a brittle plastic so in time it could snap - but is very easily fixed.

Electronics and gadgets.
Typically the Bravo is pretty highly spec'd with many standard features being optional on its competition. The radio while being quite ordinary in sound, does blend in very nicely with the rest of the interior, and its integration with the car and the wheel is good. Blue & me if fitted is one of the best integrated hands free systems available. The only niggle with switchgear seems to be the stalks. Indicator stalks which don't stay on when cold, and wiper stalks which need to be pulled firmly. Otherwise electonics seem to be quite reliable.

I've been here since the Bravo launched and I've read the majority of the posts in this section... over 2000 threads. The majority of issues are small, easily fixed and often already fixed for people who buy 2nd hand. Providing your intended purchase has not been abused in the first coupld of years of ownership - I don't seen any reason why you shouldn't get many years of ownership out of the car.

Wow thanks very much for all of the top information guys, that too seems to explain why I never see much in the surveys from Fiat or the Bravo in general. Think its a stonking* looking car, will report back on this weekends potential purchase.


*Local speak for 'good'

cardinalbiggles said:

...

The radio is a pain as it comes on when you start the car, ...

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uhm... i think you can turn that off in the settings menu ?! at least mine doesnt

good luck with your purchase, sure you will love the car

MarkRacoon said:

uhm... i think you can turn that off in the settings menu ?! at least mine doesnt

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Really? Not seen anything, will get a look later on today!

JTD_Liam said:

. The stereo can sometimes go quiet and then blast out for no apparant reason

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I don't usually have Traffic News enabled, and don't have this problem. However, a few weeks ago, going up to the lake district, bank holiday weekend, I put it on. Had a number of instances where the radio got louder with no traffic news. So I turned it off, and the radio volume stayed constant!

Andysan said:

Think its a stonking* looking car, will report back on this weekends potential purchase.


*Local speak for 'good'

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Does that mean you're local to me?

Hellcat said:

Does that mean you're local to me?

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Haha I'd say probably not, I'm black countraaay!

Don't yo say 'bostin' in the Black Countraaay?

Andysan said:

Haha I'd say probably not, I'm black countraaay!

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Ah well it's not as local as you think! The North East is stoking too!

neilshep said:

I don't usually have Traffic News enabled, and don't have this problem. However, a few weeks ago, going up to the lake district, bank holiday weekend, I put it on. Had a number of instances where the radio got louder with no traffic news. So I turned it off, and the radio volume stayed constant!

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I get the increased volume for traffic reports on my Stilo stereo if i press TA, but on the Bravo i think it's something that some people get regardless of the settings on the radio. Usually when first starting the car the radio sounds really faint and then blasts out at high volume, with the CD/Media Player not affected.

I could be wrong but pretty sure i've read a couple of threads about it somewhere.