They are truly drawers-droppers looks-wise and the GT on the right of this page is no exception. Alfa's are superb to drive and I would love to have one, madness though it be in this country where I live. Truly I would but I don't trust anything that might leave me high and dry at night with a car-napper's 357 in my face.
Yet they seem to be perennial problems on wheels. My mate in Luxembourg has one he bought to impress his new Russian wife and says it spends all kinds of time in the shop mainly for niggling faults, but it's lovely to drive, that is when he gets to drive it.
Why hasn't Alfa recognised this and long ago married their flair for design with some Far East resource who knows how to make things that work right day in day out (Toshiba videos, Sony cordless phones, yada yada etc)?
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They tried - remember the Nissan Cherry europe / alfa Romeo Arna - Alfa mechanicals in a Nissan body
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Quintessentially Italian: beautiful, beguiling, unreliable, and too proud to cooperate with those who know better.
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Perhaps after building the horrible Alfa Arna (Nissan Cherry bodyshell with flat-4 Alfasud engine) they decided to never do it again?
Gareth
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Are you entirely going off the one Luxembourg Alfa, plus the age old 'Alfa's? Oh yes, they rust'?
I frequent an Alfa web-site with over 2000 members, spanning models over 40 years and from around the globe.
Obviously, the majority of people only post when they need help, so you do get problems aired on it a lot, but the overlying feeling is of a group of people very satisfied with their choice of car. They've dared to be that bit different, to move away from the Fords, BMW's, etc which make up 90% of the cars on the road, and have been rewarded with a car which is excellent to drive and to own.
And yes, they're still not perfect, but they've improved a hell of a lot, and they're certainly not even close to being the shoddily constructed, guaranteed to go wrong, rust-box they're painted as. If that were the case, they wouldn't be offering 5-year guarantees now.
My car is a 6-year-old 145 cloverleaf, which I've owned for nearly 2 years. In that time it's let me down once, requiring a replacement temp sensor.
I had a Mitsubishi Colt GTi for 3 years, during which time it broke two CV joints and a cambelt. It also, despite being marginally quicker, wasn't half the fun my cloverleaf is.
Maybe the answer is: Alfa's are a car that don't make sense, until you own and drive one.
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You guys are up early over there.
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bazzabear,
totally agree with your comments on the way alfa?s drive and as nice as they are you get a bit sick of the reliability and high cost of ownership.
I had an N reg 145 cloverleaf in red, stunning to look at, even better to drive but the depreciation and reliability made me swap it for an audi.
Ive just started a new job and if ever I get to have a company car then it will defiantly be an alfa, if someone else is paying the bills then im all for them!
Its not just alfa?s that have bad press but most Italian cars. If only someone from bmw could go join their company and go sort out the electrics etc!
Go onto topgear website, under the ?duffers? section and check out the stories on the alfa 147, amusing reading!
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Well said Bazzabear!
Why is it everyone always harks back to the Arna? It was rubbish, and a million miles away from todays offerings. Ive had my GTA for 15k miles and 13 months and warped discs apart, its been superb.
Go onto the topgear website, under the 'duffers' section of any car, especially the Golf
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I know 4 people with Alfa's and all love the engine and the drive but all have had nightmare problems.
I really like alfa's and would love to own one but the nearest i have to hindsight is my friends....
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Why is it everyone always harks back to the Arna? >>
I mentioned it (about 5 seconds after ajit) because Growler's question was about colaborating with a far-east company!
I've owned two Alfasud Sprints and they were fantastic, no more power than a Golf GTi but much more engaging and entertaining to drive.
My brother has a 156 as company car (there are a few on the fleet) and after 80,000 miles it seems they're not exactly trouble free compared to the usual suspects. Using a lot of oil and troublesome electrics being the most noteable for a new car.
As we know, you either love a car despite its faults or hate it despite its virtues - Alfas are loved!
Gareth
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Some of alfa's faults may not be down to manufacture entirely and down to the standard of dealers. If dealers are monkeys then the cars will end up appearing more unreliable as faults don't get fixed first time and maintenance may not be carried out with due diligence so other preventable problems could ensue.
teabelly
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My father in law had an auxilary drive belt snap on his (company 156) which then jammed the cambelt. To be fair it was the only problem in 50k miles, but the car broke down only two weeks after being repaired (under warranty) due to a failed cambelt tensioner, which should have been replaced when the first problem was fixed. A prime example of the standards of dealers denting the reputation of what is an excellent car.
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"Cuore Sportivo". That's why we love them and live with their faults, real and percieved.
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My father in law had an auxilary drive belt snap on his (company 156) which then jammed the cambelt. To be fair it was the only problem in 50k miles, but the car broke down only two weeks after being repaired (under warranty) due to a failed cambelt tensioner, which should have been replaced when the first problem was fixed. A prime example of the standards of dealers denting the reputation of what is an excellent car.
You're quite right that this is a dealer problem, not a reliability problem. The first problem is that the dealer should have informed him that the mileage limit for the cambelt change, according to Alfa, is now less than 50k miles. (sorry, I can't remember the exact recommended mileage).
I personally don't use an Alfa dealer, so can't really comment, but it does seem the major complaint.
PR's point about the Top Gear pages holds true too, there are as many complaints about other marques as Alfa, and while this thread contains stories of three or four bad ones, I know personally of a few hundred bad ones. So, to me at least, this thread holds no proof that modern Alfa's are any less reliable than others. And they're a damn sight more fun than most.
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>if ever I get to have a company car then it will defiantly be an alfa
Less of an option than you think - a large percentage of fleet managers will not have them on the fleet. due to?
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Well, to give my twopenneth worth, as I always do when the subject of Alfa reliability comes up; my privately owned 156 has been superb for 3 years and 60,000 miles. It's been the most reliable car I've had, and certainly more so than my previous Golf. AND of course its one of the most handsome, beautiful, seductive saloons on the road, and the 2 litre engine is a hoot. Have some courage - buy an Alfa!
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I've had Alfas since 1976, mostly Suds and 33s and they've always been reliable. OK, there've been the usual wear and tear items and the early Suds had a deserved reputaion for rust. I've taken most of them up to 150,000 miles (if I haven't pranged them first!). I've always used specialists rather than main dealers. The only persistent problem I had was with a 75 which sometimes refused to start (an immobiliser problem), but my wife's Celica gave us the same kind of trouble.
I think the odd glitch is a small price to pay for such a brilliant driving experience. Buy one, join the Owners' Club and forget about the tin cans.
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Has anyone else noticed that other manufacturers are becomming more and more alfa influenced in they styling department... especially SEAT along with a few others. I think they've finally caught on that everyone loves Alfa styling, but wants the build quality that these other manufacturers can offer.
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Thats probably got a lot to do with a Mr Walter De Silva. He was head of Alfa design and amongst others was incharge of the 156, then moved onto Seat and now Audi (ie VAG)
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for me, the Fiat Stylo (in 3 door format) has an A3 look, just not so handsome or, presumably, reliable.....?
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To me the new A3 looks a bit like a Volvo V40 from the back.
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Is this the same Mr.Silva that is now at Subaru and responsible for the design of the new Legacy ?
I heard a guy from Alfa was hired.
jd
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As far as I know he is still at Audi, dont know for sure though
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