Some buying advice
Had a Bravo 1.4 SX for four years and apart from a sunroof leak it's been 99% perfect.
There have been a few niggles - the rear washer pipe coming off (nothing serious, ten minute job to fix)
Sunroof - pipe down the A-pillar was blocked.
Mechanically it has been superb. It has only failed to start twice. Once when it was left out in extrememly bitter cold conditions for four weeks without being started, and once when someone adjusted the seat too harshly and knocked the fuel cut-off switch!
Opinions on owning a Bravo do appear to be split. There are some unhappy people, mainly those with old ones that have had to face a bill for the cambelt going out to lunch and those faced with a bill because the previous owner lost the red key. But a lot of people are unhappy because if the car does have a problem they are faced with one of the most inept dealer networks in the UK. They can't cope. However, there's lots of happy owners too.
There are a few flaws with the Bravo - interior build quality isn't up to Golf standards but it was 3-4 grand cheaper even when new, and a whole lot cheaper on the used market. The tyres don't last that long, the ride is a little on the firm side and there's the odd electrical fault here and there. Also, When cambelt change comes up on the HGT, you really need to drop the engine in order to change it. Fiat recommend changing belt at 72,000 miles. Personally I'd do it 36-40K. A Fiat dealer will charge you close on to a grand for doing the cambelt on an HGT. Find a good Italian car specialist or local garage who will do it for half the price.
A few final pointers: take it for a drive, make sure you can live with the performance of the car, driving position and ride etc. Check all electrical items are working. And most importantly of all MAKE SURE IT HAS THE RED KEY! Otherwise you'll be forking out a £1000 for ECU changes, locks, ignitions etc etc.
regards,
Paul
