Used Fiat Bravo (2007 - To Date) review

The Bravo was good value as a new car and very little changes on the used market. The styling will be the thing that sells it to most customers because it really is a pretty car despite the practical five-door bodystyle. Interior space is a bit of a bugbear but the driving experience will impress and the range of engines Fiat offered is amongst the best of all its rivals.

You'd quite like a used family hatchback but you've examined the usual suspects and none of them do very much for you. The Golf is a bit pricey, the Astra's a little dull and the man next door's got a Focus so that's out. You've only just scratched the surface of the tip of the iceberg in terms of the choices available in this densely populated area of the market but to save time, why not go straight to a model that's often unfairly overlooked? It's called the Fiat Bravo.

FIAT BRAVO HISTORY

Fiat has a chequered history in the family hatch sector which, given the big sales volumes being generated by the Golfs, Focuses and Astras of this world, must have been a major annoyance in the boardroom. The old three-door Bravo served alongside its five-door partner the Brava between 1998 and 2001 without any great success, then came the much maligned Stilo. Things looked increasingly bleak for the Italian marque until this five-door Bravo arrived in 2007. Fiat's family hatch failings over the period preceding it might partly explain why the Bravo didn't have more success in the early years. Family hatch customers had become accustomed to passing their local Fiat dealer by when out in search of a new model. The brand had become more readily associated with small cars like the Panda, Punto and 500. The handsome Bravo deserves more attention than it gets. It arrived packing some familiar Fiat engines including a 1.4-litre petrol unit and the long serving 1.9-litre Multijet diesels. The highlight though was the 1.4-litre T-Jet engine which although small, delivered a punch whether in 120 or 150bhp guises. The trim level range was standard Fiat stuff, kicking off with Active and Active Sport before progressing through Dynamic to Sport at the top of the line-up. New diesel engines didn't take long to arrive and by the end of 2008, the Bravo's 1.9-litre stalwarts had been superseded by an economical 1.6-litre Multijet unit offered in 105 and 120bhp states of tune. At the top of the range, a 2.0-litre Multijet diesel was installed with 165bhp. The 1.9-litre engines soldiered on in the range for a while until the remaining stock was sold.

WHAT DO I GET FOR MY MONEY?

It's easy to forgive the Bravo any minor shortcomings when you walk round the car, taking in its beautifully integrated detailing and elegant proportions. Many five-door hatches are about as beguiling as the prospect of an evening spent creosoting your mother-in-law's fence, but the Bravo is different. There really wasn't any need for a sleek three-door version. If size is everything to you, the Bravo may well disappoint. Ford spent millions on making the Focus fit virtually anybody but Fiat hasn't spent that sort of budget on the Bravo and as such, it's far tighter than the Ford in the back although there's a decent amount of luggage space in that curved rump. The interior feels very well built. Bright finish plastics lift the cabin and the controls are easy to figure out without recourse to the manual. It all looks agreeably Italianate as well, even if this is a clever facade. Fiat got the hang of the whole soft-touch dashboard moulding thing and the Bravo's supple, textured finish wouldn't look out of place in an equivalent Audi. ABS anti-lock braking with electronic brakeforce distribution and the latest generation ESP stability control system should prevent the worst coming to the worst. The ESP system includes functions such as anti-slip regulation (ASR) to limit wheelspin in slippery conditions and engine torque regulation which prevents the driven wheels locking up during rapid downshifts. Hydraulic brake assist boosts pedal pressure in emergency situations and there's even a hill-holder function to take the faff out of hill starts. Economy figures naturally vary according to which model you choose, but the diesels really are worth looking out for even if you're not a penny pincher. There's quite a lot to like about a 165bhp diesel Bravo with storming mid-range acceleration which will nevertheless average over 50mpg.

WHAT PRICE AM I LOOKING AT?

The basic 1.4-litre Active Bravo on an early 07-plate will set you back in the region of £7,200 and a T-Jet 120 model of the same age will be roughly £500 more. Try for one of the early 1.9-litre diesel models and an 07-plated Dynamic will be just over £8,200 while a plush Sport model on an 08-plate will be more like £9,600. Insurance ranges between group 4 for the entry-level 1.4 and group 13 for the powerful 2.0-litre Multijet diesel models.

WHAT SHOULD I LOOK OUT FOR?

The engine range is solid and uses technology that has been developed in house by Fiat. The manufacturer has had a shaky reliability record in the past but the signs are encouraging that the Bravo is built of sterner stuff.

HOW DOES IT DRIVE?

Styling will only get you so far if the car drives poorly. Several manufacturers have found this to their cost but the Bravo comes up trumps on that score. It's not too far off the class leaders when it comes to sharp handling through a series of twisties and the selection of engines is, by and large, better than the more obvious Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra offerings. Petrol engines first. The range opens with a 90bhp normally aspirated 1.4-litre unit. Most buyers however, will go for the turbocharged versions of this engine in either 120 or 150bhp guises. These use the latest turbocharger technology to offer punchy performance with decent fuel economy. The diesel engines are the big draw, Fiat leveraging its experience to great effect. The two 1.6-litre MultiJet diesels that arrived later in the Bravo's life are impressive, with either 105 or 120bhp and return excellent economy figures. Both these and the 2.0-litre unit give a smoother power delivery and better refinement than the older 1.9-litre units which were no slouches themselves. The 2.0-litre Multijet diesel has some real muscle to it, getting to 60mph in 8.2 seconds and topping 130mph. With 360Nm of torque available, it's not going to have any problem putting irksome white van men in their place, that torque output superior to something like a Subaru Impreza WRX.

By Steve Walker

PARTS INFORMATION

(approx based on an 1.4 Active inc VAT) An alternator is around £90, front brake pads are around £40 for a set, a rear exhaust section should be about £70 and a headlamp is around £85. Expect to pay around £10 for an air filter and about £20 for a fuel filter.

TOP 5 BRAVO DEALS

The results below show the top BRAVO deals on buyacar

Fiat Bravo 1.4 Dynamic 5dr Hatchback
Price £13,059 Read Bravo Reviews	Save £3,136
Fiat Bravo 1.4 T-Jet 120 Dynamic 5dr Hatchback
Price £14,000 Read Bravo Reviews	Save £2,795
Fiat Bravo 1.6 Multijet 120 Dynamic 5dr Dualogic Diesel Hatchback
Price £15,795 Read Bravo Reviews	Save £3,305
Fiat Bravo 1.4 Multiair 140 Sport 5dr Hatchback
Price £14,866 Read Bravo Reviews	Save £3,029
Fiat Bravo 1.6 Multijet Dynamic Eco 5dr Diesel Hatchback
Price £15,084 Read Bravo Reviews	Save £3,116
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