Fiat Bravo Min-Review

I've found out what it is now.

It's a Bravo 1.9 Multijet Dynamic. 5 door. Black, it is.

First impressions: Front end looks a bit like a Quattroporte. If you squint a bit. Definitely Maserati influence in there. Interior is pretty usual small hatch stuff, keep fit windows in the back, but electric mirrors, air conditioning and one of the best OEM fit audio systems I've heard for a while. Some interior plastics are cheap, but they're the ones you don't usually touch. All surfaces you touch are either rubberised or slush moulded. Strangely, the dash is surfaced in a soft-touch fake carbon fibre. Starting it up reveals quite a rough sounding engine. Makes me appreciate how much sound proofing there is in cars the next size up.

Driving: Engine smoothes out nicely as you rev it - usual diesel red-line at somewhere just short of 5k rpm, but it freely revs all the way round, at least in the first 3 gears. Ride is a little harsh, but it's a medium sized hatch - 'they all do that, Sir' Handling is typically Italian, sharp steering and plenty of feedback. lots of grip, but, sadly, the arse is a quite hard to unstick, at least in the dry.

Verdict: Would I buy one? - probably not, but I can't think of any cooking spec. medium hatch I would buy. However, as a car for a family who want something new without spending too much, I reckon Fiat should have a winner on their hands - it looks sharp, the build quality is at least class average and it drives well. £13k is the asking price for one.

Howver, if I was offered a 150bhp version with the Sport pack and a chance to spec things up a bit as a company car, I'd have to say I'd be quite tempted. It's a step down in size, but I don't need a full sized car anyway [1]- we have the Golf GT-TDI and Jetta 2.0TDI-SE on the list for next year, so I'll more than likely be taking a step down anyway. (Especially as our Passat spec. has been downgraded on the back of the interest rate and hence lease cost rises of recent months).

[1] I thought I did, the company tells me I do, but I've resorted to keeping stuff in the garage rather than carry stuff around that hasn't been out of it's stacker box since I ordered it.... and something the next size down is easier to park in some of the stores I visit.
Reply to
SteveH
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Pretending to be something it's not.

Pretending to be something it's not

Pokey and crap

I remember you saying that the Passat was good for having leccy rear windows, and that windy windows are pikey spec

Not heard many OEM fit systems. I'd be very surprised if it's better than any of my last five cars.

Like, all of them...

Like... all of them...

STD

Is that because it's quite rough?

Other manufacturers make small quiet cars

Focus. Corolla. Golf. Megane , there's three that don't.

== understeer.

In the immortal words of SteveH - HFM!

Reply to
Tim S Kemp

Well, it's a bit different in the small hatch class, which is a good thing.

They are, but this is a pikey spec rental.

It's good, even has a standard fit sub, AFAIK.

erm, it's a small family hatch - they're pretty much all like that. Although the C-Max is a lot, lot worse - don't know about the current Octavia, but the MkI Octavia was just one mis-match of differently textured hard plastic.

It's a 4-pot oil burner in a small car, doesn't actually sound like a diesel, though.

It's not loud, as such, but the Passat is very quiet, so it was 'different'.

Well, the Corolla Verso was hardly cossetting, not sure about the Megane, but if the C-Max is anything to go by, the Focus is worse.

The reality of it is that cars in that class are almost by default harsher riding than the next size up, because a longer wheelbase smoothes things out.

It's a FWD diesel. Of course you get understeer.

I've just looked at the prices of the top spec. Bravo compared with the Focus Zetec. The Focus is *£1500* more, and has a steeper depreciation curve.

In new car terms, for the money, the Bravo is very good value.

Reply to
SteveH

Mine wasn't. It was textured padded vinyl

Reply to
Elder

That's predicted depreciation curve.

The reality will be much worse for the Bravo.

The Stilo was meant to be Golf like in that respect and it didn't pan out like that.

Let's not even start on the bold predictions they made for the 156 at its launch ;-)

Reply to
Bob Sherunckle

You mean the predictions that had them making near 3-series residuals until idiots forgot to check the oil and started killing them?

Even today, although you can pick up a rough 156 for peanuts, a good one, from an enthusiast with good history will cost you more than an equivalent car from the mainstream makers.

Dunno why it all went wrong for the Stilo, in 3 door form it looked good, they were as well built as anything else in the class and aren't particularly unreliable. I suppose the downfall was that it wasn't very 'Italian', it was just another eurobox, which was a major let-down after the MkI Bravo / Brava.

Reply to
SteveH

The Megane, as ugly as it is, is actually hugely underrated and it's worth noting the R26 model got round Evo's test track FOUR seconds quicker than a Focus ST... And a similar gap to the Golf GTi. The Astra VXR even with all it's power was still two seconds slower than the R26...

Reply to
Iridium

Have to disagree with you there Steve. And the ipod connection is awkward.

If it has, it ain't much cop.

No, it had one type of hard plastic, and one type of soft-touch for the top bit of the dash.

Have to disagree with you there Steve.

Well, this is a subjective area, I suppose, but I'd say it is nothing more than a *very* average car. I'd not have one, but mainly because it's too small. I'd think you could probably get it for less than 13k though.

But, if you like it, go for it.

Reply to
conkersack

Ahhh yes, that's the power of LSD for you. The megane has one, you'd need to be on it to buy a french car.

Reply to
Tim S Kemp

Don't think you get it, do you? Not all fiats are s**te, but the majority of them are. The bravo/brava series throughout the years has been consistently rubbish, in line with fiat's usual quality of workmanship.

I still firmly believe they don't match the competition yet, which is the reason you'll see people picking up alternative cars of this 'family' type, which wont die just because you don't feel compelled to check the oil every single day like some OCD'd fool. The majority of people have a decent amount of time already consumed in their lives to be bothered about worrying about their car most weeks, which is the reason *nobody* should buy yet another shitey bravo/brava/PUNTO, they're rubbish, full stop.

Reply to
r_trainer

And you're talking out of your arse.

The original Bravo / Brava / Marea range were some of the most reliable cars of their era and class, according to many reliability surveys / indexes.

Fiats don't generally burn oil, BTW, and the only known issue with the Punto is that they can blow head gaskets if you don't replace the water pump when you do the cambelt.

OK, the original Bravo series of cars wasn't built from the best quality materials, but they were launched back in 1995 when Ford was still punting out rot-prone Escorts.

Reply to
SteveH

Zafira's "s**te", Bravo's good.

Who the f*ck is this guy?! I sincerely hope nobody feels you're qualified to actually give such biased opinions on any review of any shitey fiat-owned subsiduary.... Suppose it makes you feel like you're making a difference.

Reply to
r_trainer

Have you driven a new shape Zafira, in poverty trim with the 1.6 engine?

If you had, you'd understand.

Reply to
SteveH

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