Stroke and kiss it for me and say you'll love it forever
I will! Well, at least as long as I'm agile enough to get down and in!
My mum had a 1750GTV when I was a nipper and I never realised just how small they are. The first couple I looked at had sunroofs, which take up some headroom. I don't know how David Cironi fits in there; He's about six and a half feet tall apparently...
Oh.... I'm presuming they're crap for carrying bikes?I would have to disagree 😀
My old 166 with some bikes: [img]
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My current 159 with some bikes: [img]
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No reason why a 156 would be any different! I've had two 156s but I used a towbar mounted bike rack on them.
JTS's don't use oil like the TS's do but they do suffer with very common injector problems which causes lumpy running. Corrosion is starting to kill 156's now so check the rear floor pan very carefully. Then it's clunking suspension and all the other Alfa stuff. Oh and they often wear the inner edge of the front tyres, tracking should be set to 0 degrees.
"It gives you satisfaction for a mile or two, after that it starts to get tired, really like a beatutiful, oversized girl, beautiful but naked she has lots of secrets and secrets you will not enjoy"...
Thats how id describe my 159, although I got the wrong 1.9jtd. It smelled lovely, the interior was italian complete with oddities and everyone looked at it including me. But it was like that ^^, never did more than 44mpg average, seemed to invoke the dpf clearout every other week. It never felt quite "right" even when cleared by a specialist.
I used to get in it with a satisfied sigh in the garage, then arrive at work thinking "thank **** Ive arrived".
But, K57.. we loved your story and if your honest.. it's left a little of its belligerent character with you ain't it. ..
😀
Had a 159 with the 2.4 engine. Broke my heart to part with it but I had done 90k wonderful miles in it. Looked really hard for another but buying carefully and checking everything is vital. Keep on top of the servicing and address things before they arise and you're fine. Not cheap to run but they are an involving relationship rather than transport. Achingly beautiful if you get the right one. Go for it with open eyes! I will again.
Turn up the volume
First car when test passed was a Alfa sud 1350 , not long sold my V6 156 SP3 after 9 years ownership.
Loved them both but hope I never own another. I would make an exception for those wee Giulia GT's though , beautiful.
I had a V6 156 it was AWSOME when it worked, my advice would be go for it but you need a good warranty or deep pockets for repairs!
Did about 150k miles in a facelift 156 2.4jtd lovely motor, but by the time it had 180k on it it was tired
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Had this for around 18 months, 40k and not a peep other than servicing. Had a 147 Selespeed as well and a 156. All fine as long as you are "mechanically sympathetic" 🙂
I so wanted a GT Blackline a few years ago. But the depreciation was so large that the company lease was twice the car I eventually drove.
I don't have the need for a car like that now, but for me the GT is a lovely car. The Brera beats it for looks, but any passengers will need to remove their legs before travel! And if you do low mileage, it has to be a V6.
I'm on Alfa number three.
My 156 V6 was amazing, if only I had an infinite supply of air-mass meters (my fault, for fitting a sports air filter), wishbones (every twenty K, either front or rear, a service item apparently) and 97RON.
147 2.0 Lusso (see above - plus never, ever miss checking the oil).
And my current 150 1.9D - Vauxhall engine and a bit soulless, lovely to be in, but no Giulia.
Like the rest of the fiat group avoid looking at FARSH cars. The [s]standard of spanner wheeling otherwise unemployables[/s] dealers generally ruin things (can't tell the difference between fine and standard metric threads, plug it into a generic canbus diagnostic tool rather than a proper fiat examiner, fail to replace nylocks with new ones, that sort thing), Find one that's been looked after by a proper, enthusiastic specialist (Alfa aid in Maidenhead are superb, as are alfatech in Whitley bay) and they're amazing.
The one thing I miss about leaving the UK was saying goodbye to my 159 Sportswagon (maybe some family members and friends also). Found my 159 to be more reliable than the mk6 Gold TDi that went before it, now with Alfa's that the luck of the draw but if you have not owned one before I say go for it.
A Sportwagon model, with roof bars and leather seats is a great bike car.
For the price you can pick them up these days, why not.
For me the pick of the bunch would be the 2.0 petrol or a 2.4 5 pot diesel Sportwagons, ideally with the sports pack leather, 17in wheels and skirts. The v6, while sounding lovely doesn't handle as well as the 2.0 or go as well as a mapped 2.4 diesel.
Boot isn't great, though with a Sportwagon you can just about squeeze a couple of bikes in the back if you have to. I had a towbar mounted rack so never a problem. As already been mentioned find good independent locally and you'll be fine. Mine ate drop links and front tyres, front are bushes are a pain to do so buy one that doesn't clunk and ideally has already been poly-bushed.
Apart from snapping an AUX belt mine never let me down and was eventually killed in flood water - though with a set of new glow plugs still struggled on for another 9 months.
Although my current car is probably better in every way I can't say I actually prefer it to the old 156...
it's left a little of its belligerent character with you ain't
Me? Beligerant? Vaffanculo!
Had a lot of cars over the years, but somehow never an Alfa. Always fancied a 147 GTA or 156 V6. Lovely looking cars and great engine. A mate had a GTV V6 which was nice to look at, but the drive wasn't much to write home about. I had a Honda S2000 at the time - and for me the Honda driving experience was a million times better.
Just ordered a company car and hoped the new Alfa would be on it (never had a company car and figured I'd like an Alfa if someone else was paying to maintain it). Sadly my company don't allow you to order an Alfa. Would have made a nice change from all the BMW / Merc / Audi's in the car park. Luckily Jaguar are on the list 🙂
If you are handy with diy car maintenance then I say go for it. Maybe go for the estate version for biking practicality.
Bought my missus a nice wee black Alfa 147 Collezione 18mths ago.
Really happy with it. Just check the oil regularly and keep topped up with quality Synthetic / semi-synthetic.
Go for it.
Do it. I've had this for 5 years now...
It's currently in the garage getting a new clutch $$$$$ but it is 13 years old so I'll let her off.
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Currently on Alfa #2 after changing from the red one (156 2.0 TS) to the grey one (159 ti 1.9 JtDM). Red was much more fun to drive but did need regular oil topping up, the grey one is, IMO, a much nicer place to be when driving as the interior is much nicer.
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I test drove a 147 GTA which was very nice indeed.
Currently contemplating a Guilia to replace the 159 and hoping to get a test drive once they are available.
I've never had one, but do like Alfa's. Surely they can't be that bad?
The E46 BMW is not exactly reliable - they're prone to rust (not many left with their arches intact these days) plus they eat suspension components for breakfast, the cooling system is made of chocolate etc. Plus the six pots can drink oil and still be within tolerance. Mine was a pain the bum.
I've never had one, but do like Alfa's. Surely they can't be that bad?
No, they're not. I think some company (german) car drivers find them intimidating as they remind them of when they were free to choose, instead of having a grey car forced upon them.
It's not really Barbie pink. How overrated are Sony Ericcson cameras?
They are not bad (I've had three, a 156, a 147 and a MiTo - the MiTo was a money pit sadly) but something to bear in mind is that Ford sold 104,000 Fiestas last year in the UK, in its best selling year Alfa sold only 5000 MiTo's. To me that means the Alfa is a far less developed car than the Ford. My current Focus for example is a vastly superior car to any of my Alfas.
Where the Alfa wins big time is that used ones are usually very highly specced (my Focus is better though!!) and they are much cheaper than their competitors.
The Sunderland Nissan factory pumps out more cars every year than the whole of Italy...
Loved my 147 until some git nicked it!!
Would buy another in a heart beat. If you buy an older one just don't worry about warning lights coming on. If they do, switch the engine off and on again and see if the light comes back on.
Love, love, love
I've never had one, but do like Alfa's. Surely they can't be that bad?The E46 BMW is not exactly reliable - they're prone to rust (not many left with their arches intact these days) plus they eat suspension components for breakfast, the cooling system is made of chocolate etc. Plus the six pots can drink oil and still be within tolerance. Mine was a pain the bum.
I drove an E46 330i for 8 years and it never missed a beat or rusted away, whearas my 159 lasted 9 months.
*shrugs*
What about the current line up ? I hear that they are much improved?
bruceandhisbonus - Member
Do it. I've had this for 5 years now...It's currently in the garage getting a new clutch $$$$$ but it is 13 years old so I'll let her off.
Hero.
I had a 156 TS but only a 1.8 - a bit underpowered, think it was 140bhp. Drove a 2.0 JTS as a courtesy car from Alfa Tecnico in Mansfield, could tell the difference before I was out of the gate. Bloody loved it though. Took it from 60k miles (ex-company car when I bought it) to 112k. Had it 6 years, no regrets.
The Sunderland Nissan factory pumps out more cars every year than the whole of Italy.
Yes, but one Italian car posesses more soul than the entire yearly output of the Sunderland Nissan factory.
Yes, but one Italian car posesses more soul than the entire yearly output of the Sunderland Nissan factory.
I won't argue with that!
markcurtains - MemberHero.
I had a 156 TS but only a 1.8 - a bit underpowered, think it was 140bhp. Drove a 2.0 JTS as a courtesy car from Alfa Tecnico in Mansfield, could tell the difference before I was out of the gate. Bloody loved it though. Took it from 60k miles (ex-company car when I bought it) to 112k. Had it 6 years, no regrets.
I know Lewis up there very well.
