I've put my Pug in the classifieds as I'm toying with the idea of getting something else, namely an Alfa Romeo - either a 156 2.5 V6 or a 166 3.0 V6.
I know the reputation but they are just soooooo pretty.
My budget would cater for a 2000 model and I would make sure the all important belt change had been carried out - along with a clutch if possible..!
So, am I mad?
|
mad? absolutely, but why let that stop you. I had a 156 2.0, had two expensive problems, bits fell off, would never have another one - but driving it was fun.
By all accounts the 2.5 is loads better, dont get anything with the word selespeed on it and you will be fine.
Biggest headache for me was parking it - the turning circle was absolutely awful!
|
|
|
|
didn't a certain Mr J Clarkson rave about one of these in one of his books - ' I know you got Soul' IIRC??
|
|
|
>> So am I mad?
My first reaction is to say yes, you probably are.
But................ One way or another, you will look back on your time with the Alfa and say, that was......er............interesting
|
Everyone has to have owned an Alfa once in their life to get it out of their system. I have two Alfasuds in the late 1970s and early 1980s. A hoot to drive, great character, but annoyingly irritatingly unreliable, especially about little bits that simply would never happen in a Japanese car.
But do I regret it? - NO!
Would I buy one now? - extremely unlikely!
|
Agree with all the comments here. You might swear at it but you won't regret it.
If I was looking to change now, in spite of everything on the market, I still can't think of anything I'd like more than a 156/9 Sportwagon.
|
|
|
I have two Alfasuds in the late 1970s and early 1980s. A hoot to drive great character but annoyingly irritatingly unreliable especially about little bits that simply would never happen in a Japanese car.
Would never happen in a Japanese car now, perhaps. But would never have happened in a Japanese car in the 70's?
It's fair to say that Alfa did have a problem in the 70's and early 80's with rust and reliability, but it's ridiculous that people still hark back to that 25 years later!
What didn't rust back then?
|
|
|
|
Alfa 145 Cloverleaf. Owned from 2002 when it was 4 years old, until 2005, doing 35k miles and taking the car to over 100k. Broke down once, cost £100 to fix.
Fiat Coupe (I know, not an Alfa, but same group, and same largely unfounded reputation). Owned from 2005 when it was 6 years old, until 2007. Did 25k miles (including a 2000 mile faultless trip across Europe) taking the car to 115k when I sold it. One break down, cost nothing to fix.
Alfa 156 GTA. Owned from Feb 2007. Nothing gone wrong with it so far.
there's not another car you could buy for the money which is a gorgeous and full of fun as an Alfa, and if you do your homework and make sure you buy a looked after example (na dmake sure you look after it yourself) it'll be no less reliable than any other marque.
|
|
We had a dreadful Alfasud in the 1970's - never again. Even though the latest ones are undoubtedly better, once bitten...
|
We had a dreadful Alfasud in the 1970's - never again. Even though the latest ones are undoubtedly better once bitten...
I had a dreadful Ford Escort van in the 1970s and have never had a Ford since (although I'm thinking about it). It is not really logical to condemn something on the experience of a car from over 30 years ago.
|
|
|
|
|
|
I'm overjoyed that somebody has asked this because I've been toying with this for the past few weeks. I'm torn between buying something sensible, nicely kitted out and well understood (Mondeo, for example) and taking a leap of faith in going for a 156. Thing is, nothing depresses me more than an unreliable car but I spend enough time in mine each day to want to wring as much enjoyment out of it as I can. I had a look at one owned by a colleague which immediately displayed at least three typical (and potentially costly) 156 faults, and that didn't exactly fill me with hope. I'm not overjoyed with the idea of changing the cambelt and tensioners every 36k either, but sometimes you just have to take the hit I suppose
|
|
Get the v6 and you don't have to. You also get the nicest sounding engine this side of supercar territory.
|
|
You also get a very thirsty engine with the V6.
|
Do it only if you plan on keeping it.
If you're the kind of person who changes cars frequently (every twelve months) then walk away or be prepared to take a hit in depreciation.
Look after the car, fix problems as they occur (when they are small, manageable and least costly) and you should get a good few miles/years out of one. Look for a car with lots of accompanying paperwork. The more paperwork, the better as it proves it has been looked after.
|
|
Buying a 2000 model will mean you won't suffer much from deprecitaion I would have thought. As Bazza says, the belt changes on the v6 are not as frequent as the twin sparks, which are now 36k miles. Look for clonking which could mean worn anti roll bar bushes, fairly common on v6s that age. Economy wise I get around 28-30mpg out of my 3.2 v6 which isn't bad I don't think. Engine wise they are a solid, well proven and sonorous unit, one of the best out there and won plenty of awards when it was in produciton. Ive done around 40k miles in mine in 2 years, with a worn antiroll bar bush and a blocked aircon drain pipe the only issues.
|
|
|
"The more paperwork, the better as it proves it has been looked after."
A bit like, you mean?
tinyurl.com/3djapc
DB
|
|
Looks good though I'd be tempted to take some baby wipes and clean the gearstick before driving as she claims it has more toys than Anne Summers shop :(
|
|
|
|
You also get a very thirsty engine with the V6.
i have a 3.0v6 gtv and it is very good on economy. 24mpg around town and 35 on a good run.
fantastic engine and sound. nothings gone wrong at all with it and ive had it from new in 1999.
|
|
If you buy a 166 make sure it has the autochanger and the sat nav unit installed absolutely superb to drive in any engine form and if you get thrown out of home you could always live in the boot.
|
|
|
|
|
You also get a very thirsty engine with the V6.
Maybe, but you won't care, believe me.
|
|
How is yours going Bazza? Still pretty I'm sure but has it done anything untoward?
|
|
Sorry, never mind. I see from yr earlier post that it hasn't.
|
Absolutely delightful Lud, thanks for asking. It makes me grin every time I look at, hear or drive it. Gets a lot of admiring glances too, not that I care about such things of course...
I took her for her MOT this week as it happens, passed with an advisory that the rear pads are getting a little thin.
|
|
|
|
|
|
I had a look at one owned by a colleague which immediately displayed atleast three typical (and potentially costly) 156 faults and that didn't exactly fill me with hope. I'm not overjoyed with the idea of changing the cambelt and tensioners every 36k either but sometimes you just have to take the hit I suppose
Define the three typical 156 faults? As for the tensioners & belts, everyone thinks it fine that VW are now 40K but slag off the Alfa because it's 36K!
As I've said before a lot of things people criticise in the Alfa they don't blink an eye in something else, such as rear bushes etc.
Don't forget the JTD 2.4 either, mine was damn quick & it has 72K change intervals.
|
Define the three typical 156 faults?
Not necessarily the three, but three that I know tend to pop up quite a lot. The first was a damaged variator with a nasty telltale rattle from cold - worrying because of the implied lack of care in past services. The next was an unspottable water leak that tended to half empty the expansion tank every few hundred or so miles, and the third was the airbag light coming on unexpectedly and staying on. I gather that these final two can go together quite often due to the leak being from the heater matrix (hence not easy to spot unless you consider that as a potential source) and dripping onto the airbag ECU? I don't know what consition the suspension was in as I didn't get the chance to have a spin in it, but the rest of the car is great - a metallic turquoise 2.0TS, sport pack, and with my favourite phone dial alloys.
I gather my local alfa club meet just down the road at a pub in Quorn, so I was wondering whether or not it was worth going along and having a look around, talking to a few people and maybe seeing if any club cars are coming up for sale? I don't think I'm going to get this one out of my system so it's more a case of when rather than if, but with only a couple of grand to play with I'm hoping I can add it as a happy chapter rather than a disaster :)
|
The first was a damaged variator with a nasty telltale rattle from cold - worrying because of the implied lack of care in past services. The next was an unspottable water leak that tended to half empty the expansion tank every few hundred or so miles and the third was the airbag light coming on unexpectedly and staying on. I gather that these final two can go together quite often due to the leak being from the heater matrix (hence not easy to spot unless you consider that as a potential source) and dripping onto the airbag ECU?
The variators fail at various mileages not the end of the world as it's recommended you change it with the cambelt. Doesn't imply lack of care generally, it can mean lack of oil changes but not always.
The water leak is a bigger issue, don't know of standard water leaks & certainly rare for heater matrix to die. Airbag ECU light intermittant will be under seat wiring. If it goes on & stays on then it's could be the ECU at £200 AMHIK!
|
|
|
|
|
|
I'm no Alfa fan, but for what its worh, I've driven both and in my opinion the 2.0 Twin Spark is nicer and more fun to drive than the 2.5, which I thought was dissapointing.
|
|
|
|
perhaps it's just me, but does anyone else find the off-centre position of the front number plate on Alfas very irritiating.
|
Not just you, there are lots of people out there who can't deal with anything different, anything with flair.
They usually drive Mondeos ;)
|
They usually drive Mondeos ;)>>
Hey, steady on, Bazza - my Mondeo's plate may be centrally placed, but it's worn at a jaunty angle ;-)
|
|
|
Not just you there are lots of people out there who can't deal with anything different anything with flair. They usually drive Mondeos ;)
Riiiiiight, so now "flair" is having an awkwardly-placed number plate.
I totally agree that Alfas have genuine character (in a way that a lot of so-called characterful cars do not), but the number plate is not part of that character.
|
The number plate is a small symptom of a desire to be different. It's a very small part of it, but then so is every other small part of the look of the car.
My point was just that someone who finds a tiny thing like an offset number plate vexing, seemingly doesn't like 'the different' in any form.
On top of that, it was a light hearted comment, you should perhaps try to take things less seriously.
|
The number plate is a small symptom of a desire to be different. It's a very small part of it but then so is every other small part of the look of the car. My point was just that someone who finds a tiny thing like an offset number plate vexing seemingly doesn't like 'the different' in any form.
The reason I don't like it is the statement it seems to make is "I'm so concerned about having this front grille like this that I'll insist on doing it, even though the appearance car is more compromised by the offset position of the number plate." Nothing wrong with being different with styling, just not when it ends up damaging the car overall.
|
Damaging?
The Alfa heart harks back to the very start of the marque, so it actually is rather important. And I'd argue the point that having the offset plate 'damages' the car.
Since I got told off for it above, I'm not goinmg to claim that the offset plate in itself makes the car look better, but it certainly doesn't make it look any worse. The fact that it's a gorgeous Alfa makes it look better though...
If you don't think this looks fantastic, then I'm afraid there's no helping you:
img482.imageshack.us/img482/1843/dsc01285vq2.jpg
|
|
|
|
|
flunky ?
You can;t see it from the driving seat !
|
flunky and jase1: do you feel unsettled when everything isn't completely symmetrical?
Do you find yourselves tidying and centring and rearranging things?
Life must be SUCH HELL!
|
flunky and jase1: do you feel unsettled when everything isn't completely symmetrical? Do you find yourselves tidying and centring and rearranging things?
actually I tend to be pretty untidy. Though I guess there is little in life with as much symmetry and shape as a car (for aerodynamic/stability reasons you wouldn't really want one side different from the other), so while a desk strewn with papers is nothing unusual, in a car it looks a little odd.
Can anyone think of any cars that are not symmetrical about the line down their middles?
|
Can anyone think of any cars that are not symmetrical about the line down their middles?
AMC Pacer, Nissan Cube.
Wasn't there an old Renault with a split rear axle which meant that one rear wheel was slightly further forward than the other as well?
I don't dislike the number plate on the Alfas, I just don't think it adds any character to the car. If it did, well I could just stick the number plate onto the left hand side of the Primera's front and it'd have character too.
|
>> Can anyone think of any cars that are not symmetrical about the line down their >> middles? Nissan Cube.
Now *that* is a car with flair.
Wish Nissan sold them in the UK, would be nice to see a few on the streets of London
|
Alfa Romeo - Mad?
yes everybody should have one car that they can curse once in their life
i like a car that works,no more no less with no tears no tantrums and buttons that when pushed actually are attached to something
|
One of the finest engines I've ever controlled with my right foot - apart from the Honda VTEC - was the Alfa Romeo three-litre V6.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
|
|
I hate threads like this - I immediately start trying to persuade Mrs Barchetta that a 166 3.0 would be a really practical choice as a replacement for the Astra, and just having a quick look on mobile.de for what´s available.....
|
i friend bought a v6 166 a few weeks ago and what a car.
very nearly as fast as my v6 gtv and makes the same lovely noise. his is fsh and fully loaded.
looks great in alfa red with black leather interior and only 25k on the clock
|
Wasn't there an old Renault with a split rear axle which meant that one rear wheel was slightly further forward than the other as well?
Renault 14- we had one (might have been 2) as our family car when I was a kid, and I remember the axle being mentioned in adverts at the time.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_14
As car 'enthusiast' (my parents paid for a weekly Motor magazine subscription), I tried to persuade my Dad to get the 1.4TS, but he went for the 1.2TL. Still, it made a change from the succession of Escorts (going back to a brown 1.1 Mk1 G reg) that preceeded it.
John
|
I've just bought a 156 aftr years of Nissans. Know what - I love it. I expect a few niggles along the way - but so what. When something drives as well, and turns as many heads, and draws so much positive comment - who cares.
I believe with Alfas in look after them they will look after you. I had mine serviced and the mechanic commented it was in fine mechanical fettle, no impending doom. So maintain the way you should and just get out and enjoy it. The car has character and charisma in spades . . . . . . . Find a good independent garae with the tooling and diagnostics and you're sorted.
The only car ever I look back at before closing my front door when I get home. Nuff said.
|
|
|
