2001 Fiat Brava 1.2 SX review from UK and Ireland

There was something wrong with the radio which drained the battery every night. Fixed for £68 (not by FIAT)

I love my Fiat Brava!

I don't know where the FIAT reputation came from for unreliability. If you travel around the south of Italy you will see that average age of the FIAT cars there is about 12 years. Many are 25 years old and still going strong. My father has a Audi which is always going wrong (at stupendous cost), and my mother has a FIAT which goes great!

I was going to buy the VW golf mark III, but was scared off by tales of unreliability and expensive repairs. I also rented a Golf 1.4 for a long journey to Wales and back and they are noisy at speed and handle poorly. I bough mine very cheap (half price after 18 months and 2,500 miles on the clock - it was an ex-rental.

The engine is quiet and powerful for a 1.2. At the legal limit on the motorway it's whisper quiet. Drives about 400 miles for a full tank of petrol which costs about £40. So about the same as some diesel cars, but with cheaper servicing. The steering is the best I have ever experienced in a car. Combinded with the excellent cornering, it makes for a fun drive.

I have avoided the FIAT dealerships for servicing because of all the bad press on pages like these and use independent garages instead which are fine. Parts are cheaper than other brands (I know this as I broke down in my Uno once and a garage fixed it for £35 including parts and labour. It was so cheap I gave them a £10 tip!)

The only bad points - you can't get the 1.2 without the sunroof, which makes things a bit cramped if you are more than 6'2". The seats are too 'sporty' (automotive jargon for uncomfortable) and have too much side support, which makes them a pain after an hour or so. Why does it not have remote locking? Much more useful than a stupid sunroof.