Currently driving around in a B5.5 Passat 1.9 Tdi sport estate. Perhaps the ultimate MTBer’s car in that it’s cheap to run, has a huge boot, and it’s comfortable on a long run. But… It is a pretty dull car to drive, I’m 35 in a couple of weeks, insurance costs me naff all as a result and… Well I’ve got an Alfa shaped itch to scratch!

So… A 156 as a car for lugging bikes about. I know they’re a “lifestyle” estate, but it would usually only be 2 of us in the car with 2 bikes, and enough gear for a long weekend away. The Passat swallows all that with plenty of space to spare of course, but would a 156 Sportwagon manage?

There’s another reason for looking right now too. The Passat is a good car, but about to need a lot of money spending on it (cam belt, clutch, aircon etc.) which if I got done, if then feel I needed to keep the car another 2-3 years to get my money’s worth on. Judging by eBay right now, the car is worth £1200 as is, and about £1700 with the work done, so it wouldn’t actually pay me to spend £1k getting the work done to increase the cars sale value by only £500. I could find £2500 all in I reckon to buy a new(er) car including the money from selling the Passat, and don’t mind it being a little less economical as I do a lot less miles these days than I did. In fact, I’m considering possibly getting a 2 litre petrol maybe, though more probably a 2.4 JTD diesel in good condition.

The other option is of course a small loan/finance and spend maybe £4k on a nice 159 Sportwagon, but for now I’m trying to be sensible.

So as a once confirmed petrolhead who these days is just after a slightly more interesting bike lugger, would an Alfa Sportwagon do the job ok?

I could get two bikes in mine with the rear seats folded down and the bikes piled on top of each other. Didn’t leave much room for a weekends kit though and we needed to be careful about damage to the bikes.

What sunglasses do you wear?

I had a v6 156 it was a brilliant car when it wasn’t broken (which was a lot) if you get one get it with a comprehensive warranty they live up to their reputation!

Petrolhead+3-4k+bikes=Subaru legacy (spec b)

I have a 156 1.9d estate, the boot is not that big, though with the seats folded down you will fit two bikes in with a wheel off each of them. There will not be much more space available for anything else though.
I bought mine for just over a grand and it has been fine bar suspension bushes and a bit of rust on the sills.

The ride is a bit boring and when sat in it I could be plodding along in any number of diesel cars, they are nice to look at though.
Touch wood I have not had too many problems with mine and all the scare stories have proven not to be true so far.

I had one. Looks great but problematic. Don’t do it unless you have an independent Alfa specialist close by. The biggest problem I had was with garages that didn’t know what they were doing with it.

They’re very similar under the skin to the 147. So…

The front wishbone bushes go regularly.
The rear suspension arm bushes go regularly.
The cam belt needs doing every 36000 miles on the petrols.
The variator and balance belt need changing every 72000 miles on the petrols.
A service at an Alfa specialist cost £200 or so. Without Alfa specialist history they depreciate like a brick.
The interior is great – the grab handles are a bit cack (peeling soft touch paint) but the rest of it leaves a MK4 Golf in the dust.
The handling isn’t great, but it’s better than a lot of cars.
The CD player will run your battery down if you don’t leave a CD in it.
The petrol engines are awesome, but not massively powerful.
You need to check the oil at least every second tank of petrol – 1l per 1000 miles is common. If anyone selling a car tells you it doesn’t use oil, RUN, DO NOT WALK! They have never checked the oil.
They are very short geared – 5th (top) in the Alfa is geared the same as 4th in our other car. You buzz down the motorway at 3500 rpm. That said, as a result they accelerate very briskly for their power output.
They are small inside – we went from a Golf to a 147, and the 147 is more Polo than Golf sized inside.
Petrols do 27.5 to the gallon when being driven quickly.
The 1.6 is not worth having, get the 2.0. Economy is very similar for both engines.

So, you basically have two options. You either buy a really good one, with full history and keep it up. Or you buy one at the bottom of the market and take your chances. If you buy a good 3.2 GTA it will not depreciate at all if you look after it.

Don’t buy a diesel and don’t buy one without leather. It’s not moral.

Judging by eBay right now, the car is worth £1200 as is, and about £1700 with the work done, so it wouldn’t actually pay me to spend £1k getting the work done to increase the cars sale value by only £500.

You don’t spend money on a car expecting to get it back, but on ensuring it will not let you down.

I could get two bikes in mine with the rear seats folded down and the bikes piled on top of each other. Didn’t leave much room for a weekends kit though and we needed to be careful about damage to the bikes.

Good to hear. Used to doing this anyway, got several old bedsheets for laying between bikes. May look into carrying bikes on the outside of the car for the purposes of weekends away in fairness.

What sunglasses do you wear?

Oakley Gascan’s. No Gucci or Armani I’m afraid, though could be tempted again by some Arnette’s.

Petrolhead+3-4k+bikes=Subaru legacy (spec b)

I need a car I can afford to drive, not just buy! Sub 20mpg at best doesn’t bear thinking about…

Besides, I’m only the faint pastiche of a petrolhead that I once was, I just want something a bit more interesting/special than the Passat.

I have a 156 1.9d estate, the boot is not that big, though with the seats folded down you will fit two bikes in with a wheel off each of them. There will not be much more space available for anything else though.
I bought mine for just over a grand and it has been fine bar suspension bushes and a bit of rust on the sills.

Suspension bushes have been noted, have heard that’s the common thing to look for evidence of having been done recently.

The ride is a bit boring and when sat in it I could be plodding along in any number of diesel cars, they are nice to look at though.

That’s the point. It won’t be as special as a Porsche or a Ferrari, but it will be a fair bit more special feeling than a Passat. From what I’ve seen, the Alfa’s are all pretty well specced as standard too, and a lot came with Leather which also to wear well too.

I had one. Looks great but problematic. Don’t do it unless you have an independent Alfa specialist close by. The biggest problem I had was with garages that didn’t know what they were doing with it.

Independent specialist isn’t a problem. I can get the work done pretty cheaply if I need to, by a trusted expert. Obviously I’m not looking for it to need working on every week, but I understand that suspension and petrol cambelts aside, they’re actually a huge amount more reliable than old Alfa’s.

So, you basically have two options. You either buy a really good one, with full history and keep it up. Or you buy one at the bottom of the market and take your chances. If you buy a good 3.2 GTA it will not depreciate at all if you look after it.

Don’t buy a diesel and don’t buy one without leather. It’s not moral.

Looking at late 156’s with FSH for around £2-2.5k with relatively low milage. The alternative is I’ve seen one for £1k with 130k miles on that looks in good condition, but is private and not quite a full history, but suitably cheaper to buy.

GTA is out of the question, even if I could afford one, I need a car I can drive rather than just polish. Won’t be buying a 4 pot diesel, but the 5 pots are very appealing to me. But then a 2 litre petrol with low miles in VGC is also very appealing. Leather is a given!

You don’t spend money on a car expecting to get it back, but on ensuring it will not let you down.

Indeed

But… I can sell the car for £1200 with impending cambelt (£300) service and clutch & flywheel (£700) due soon, OR I can spend the £1k to get the work done, then if I sold it I’d probably only get £1700, which means I’d be £500 out of pocket…

Hence I’m debating getting another car sooner than later, as if I keep the Passat, I need to spend money on it fairly soon, and if I spend the money on it, it would then make sense to keep it for a while…

Betterthe devil you know but as a landy driver i know your heart can rule your head. Just please no what sunglasses for my bland diesel eurobox thread if you do buy it .

Just please no what sunglasses for my bland diesel eurobox thread if you do buy it .

Although I did end up with some nice glasses, I find it funny that what started out as a tongue in check thread has created such a legacy 😀

The 159 is better in the engine and interior department, but earlier than suggested replaced of the water pump / belts and bushes remain the same. FWIW, I get a 2 x 26er or road bikes in mine straight in with height to spare with some fairly slack packing of the boot, and 2 x 29ers with the front wheel off. You’d have to pay a bit more though.

156 2.0JTS owner here. 32mpg.

Did anyone mention cambelts – 3 years/36k intervals and not a cheap job. Make sure it has had it done or plan to budget for it.

I’ve had a fair few issues with it but I went into it with eyes open.
Thermostat
Rear wiper motor
Intermittent stereo
Climate control erratic
Upper and lower wishbone bushes
Airbag warning light

I do like the looks of it and it drives fine but I feel like I’m living on the edge a bit awaiting the next major failure.

Alfa 156 Sportwagon’s… Any good as a Mountain Biker’s car?

I’m confused, does the Alfa have a car and you’re asking if that car is any good? Can a car own another car? Or is Alfa Sportswagen and ItalianoGerman gentleman with a coincidental name? If so, we’d need it know what kind of car he had in order to assess how good it is.

The JTS engine is quite a bit torqier at low revs than the twin spark, which might be handy if you lugging loads.

I like the petrol engines more as they feel more like the heart of the car – diesels ‘roll on’ a bit too much for my liking.

The entrance to the loading area looks a bit small on the 156 sportwagon, hence I got a GT.

But that can be a squeeze for 2 bikes and at least with the sportwagon you have the option of using the roof.

My first 156 had some issues but my 2nd (v reg) was very good – in the end I gave it away free when the clutch was on the way out, he did it up and it is good to see it still living a good life.

On my 3rd Alfa, will probably be getting a 4th…

Not a bad car at all, nice enough place to be. As said, not a proper estate but can fit 2 people, 2 bikes and a weekends race/camping kit in there, just – saying that I used a tow bar mounted rack most of the time.

I’d say the pick of the engines would be a 20v 2.4 jtd found in the face lifted car, 10v 2.4 jtd isn’t a bad lump either. The big, torquey 5 pot adds a bit of extra weight at the front so handling not quite as crisp as the 4 pot petrols but not that bad. Add a map and you’re looking at 200bhp and silly torque figures.

2.0 petrol though a nice engine feels a bit underpowered in the 156, the 2.5 v6 isn’t much better than the 2.0l, sounds great but doesn’t make up for the extra weight and running costs.

As for reliability… my last one was great, ate front tyres and suspension but apart from that was thrashed for a good 50k without fault. Font suspension is all quite easily DIYalbe though ARB bushes are a bitch of a job so check for those have been done recently. If not and there is clucking from the front end I’d walk away.

Long time (12 years and counting) Alfa owner here, started with a 156 V6, moved to a 147 and now a 159.

Firstly, the petrol engines use oil and you need to be 100% happy that the previous owner has checked the oil regularly. The 150bhp petrol unit is very likeable, with a pleasingly rorty exhaust note and a responsive throttle, however you will need to watch a couple of things:

1) Crank sender units can die, they’re a cheap fix though and easily sorted.
2) Do not under any circumstances fit an aftermarket air filter. The (Bosch) air mass meter is very sensitive and they do die with modified cars – I know from bitter experience, however as soon as I reverted to stock filters the air mass meters stopped dying.

Bushes do wear, it’s cheaper to buy the suspension links from Shop For Parts for buttons and stockpile them. Rear track rods and front upper wishbones will go floppy first, so keep an eye on them. Replacement isn’t an onerous job.

As for cambelts, there was a big scare about ten years ago with pretty much every brand when they decided to halve the cambelt service intervals from 72k to 36k. Ford, Vauxhall et al all revised their replacement schedules.

My experience of the diesel engines is pretty limited, my 159 is a 1.9 JDTM and is plenty swift enough for me and will easily return 40mpg without really trying. It’s long geared, with six ratios and I can only assume that the 156 will be the same. The 2.4 five pot has enough power to be “interesting”, but I daresay it’ll have a petrol-like thirst.

Betterthe devil you know but as a landy driver i know your heart can rule your head. Just please no what sunglasses for my bland diesel eurobox thread if you do buy it .

I know what you’re saying, and if I needed a car to last me another 3/4 years at relatively minimal cost (once cambelt and new clutch are on), I’d just keep the Passat. It’s been an awesome car to be fair, it’s just a little dull that’s all! I also keep putting off buying a works van, which will happen sooner or later, just don’t want to commit to it just yet as cash flow is tight. In reality I will only need a car for the next 6-12 months until I get a van as a primary mode of transport anyway, and the Alfa seems like an ideal semi practical mild indulgence for the meantime…

So far I’ve spoken to a couple of places on the phone, and I’ve found a low mileage, 10V 2.4JTD with plenty of bells and whistles, a full service history and bills for very recent cambelt change, for £2k. Importantly to me, it’s black (silver is boring) and has a nice leather interior too.

Got to be said the pick of the engines for me is definitely the 2.4JTD. I’m used to diesels anyway, I like a bit of lazy grunt. I do like a good react petrol engine in the right application, but I’m thinking a 1.5ton estate car isn’t really that application, and even though I’m only on about 8-10j miles per year, 32mpg plays 42mpg is going to save me £40 a month at the pumps roughly and the diesel is more likely to hold any value too.

Thanks all so far for your tips and advice. I’m about 90% sold on getting one, I’m looking at it more as a mildly practical alternative to a coupe so it doesn’t need to be super practical. I’m sure I’ll miss the Passats ability to just throw a bike in wheels still intact, but it’s not a huge effort to remove one wheel to be fair…

But… I can sell the car for £1200 with impending cambelt (£300) service and clutch & flywheel (£700) due soon, OR I can spend the £1k to get the work done, then if I sold it I’d probably only get £1700, which means I’d be £500 out of pocket…

or a buyer will look for a greater discount as it needs all the work doing, which they can easily check…

or a buyer will look for a greater discount as it needs all the work doing, which they can easily check…

Indeed, and I won’t hide. Thing is, B5.5 Passats still fetch good money, and are particularly sought after by home mechanics. The clutch isn’t as bad as I first feared either, probably needs doing inside the next 20-30k. Cambelt is due inside 4k though which is a £300 job.

Sat in an Alfa and maybe it was the owner, but everything looked like it had popped out like a jack in a box.

Build quality was terrible but ride was nice.

Mark, I recently bought my missus a nice, black 147 Collezione.

Really nice car, dealer changed belts before I picked up and I religiously check oil. Have also discovered a local independent Italian marque specialist (AlfaTech, Ledbury). I certainly ‘borrow it’ for a quick spin more often than her old car!

Go for it!

2.4jtd 20valver on my drive. Done about 120000miles in it over the last 4yrs. Nice place to be rapid(ish). Wish bones and turbo hoses are the only things it ever really needs

Different story, but I just had mine in local garage for a checkup of something.

The guy’s brother is an Alfa fan (I’ve seen an original Spider parked there), He looked at mine and went oooo, nice. After a chat he concluded; early Italian cars don’t necessarily have the quality of the same year germans, and all aging cars have parts that wear out. But would you rather have the looks of a 159 or a Passat?

The 156’s are starting to suffer from rusty floorpans as well which is usually terminal. I’d still have my 1.8 SW if it hadn’t been written off by some dozy driver running into me. The 147 I replaced it with was a much better built car and my current MiTo is amazing for a small car (155hp).

The 156’s are starting to suffer from rusty floorpans as well which is usually terminal. I’d still have my 1.8 SW if it hadn’t been written off by some dozy driver running into me. The 147 I replaced it with was a much better built car and my current MiTo is amazing for a small car (155hp).

Looks like we have similar experience. I also had a 156 then a 147 and also now have a Mito 😀
The Mito is OK but I bought it for economy and the diesel engine is a bit agricultural at lowe revs and startup but easily get 60+ with mixed driving. I had no issue with any of my Alfa’s as long as you are “mechanically sympathetic” and service them early etc.
I take issue with the comment above about oil usage. My 156 never used a drop between services and being wary of this when I bought it I used to check it every couple of weeks without fail. The 147 used a bit.

The oil question is quite interesting. My missus has had her 147 for a couple of months now, I checks the oil every couple of weeks, have bought a 5litre tub of fully synthetic to top up. And not needed to add a drop yet. It doesn’t appear to be using any at all. What’s wrong with it?!

Hi Surfer. I have the 1.4 TB MiTo, its currently averaging 41mpg which I’m quite happy with.

My 147 used a lot of oil, can’t remember how much the 156 used. Some don’t use oil but to be fair most do! There is even a sticker on the windscreen reminding you to check it regularly.

The MiTo doesn’t use any.

They are starting to get old with the various generic/any manufacturer age problems ontop of any Alfa foibles. If you want an interesting ‘estate’ go for a Impreza Sportswagon, Legacy or a Forester 8)

Bought a 2005 1.9JTD Sportwagon in 2011. Earlier this year it ticked over 100k miles.

In the time I’ve had it it’s had;
– Clutch
– Various suspension bits
– Cambelt (5-6yr interval on the diesel)
– Battery
– Glowplug
– New gas struts for the boot hatch
– Undersealed (preventative rather than essential, I plan on keeping it for a while)
– Will need new discs in the near future.

The only time it’s let me down was when the battery died so hardly unreliable, it’s mostly par for the course for a 10yr old car. Although the drive home was a bit of a challenge when the clutch suddenly packed in…

It has a few glitches;
– Can’t open passenger window from drivers control panel (but can close it)
– Random engine warning light every couple of months (same error code each time, but changed part and it still does it. Doesn’t seem to cause any problems)

It doesn’t use any oil at all, I think the “1 ltr per couple of tanks” is a petrol engine thing (I do check it regularly).

My main gripe is that, as a diesel, it’s pretty smokey when you’re keen on the fun pedal.

From a bike perspective, with the seats folded I easily fit my bike in with the front wheel off, but where the rear suspension sits it’s fairly narrow. With the bike in there’s not a lot of extra space for luggage.
I had a towbar fitted for taking more than 1 bike out.

What you tend to hear by Alfa enthusiasts on here is if you check this, sort that, get this done and keep an eye on this, they are great cars. If that isn’t a warning sign and it doesn’t put you off then go for it. They are very good looking cars I’ll give you that, but that’s not enough for me. Plenty of reliable old barges out there to carry bikes.

If you want an interesting ‘estate’ go for a Impreza Sportswagon, Legacy or a Forester

Problem with that is unless you go for a wrx/sti/gtb you end up with is a fairly slow, thirsty estate car with too much grip. Don’t get me wrong, I’d still like a hot Subaru one day… when I don’t have to commute.

What you tend to hear by Alfa enthusiasts on here is if you check this, sort that, get this done and keep an eye on this, they are great cars

Prettu much goes for any second hand car over of 5-7 years old or more doesn’t it? Point me at a car of that age that doesn’t have a weak spot/wear and tear issue with upwards of average mileage on it?

Alfa’s around 2007 – 2012 borrowed heavily from GM and other manufacturers which Alfa themselves stated was a mistake – they raided the cheaper parts bin to quickly try to compete with Audi & BM on price. Their CEO at the time later admitted they should not have done so, and if it wasn’t for the pretty shape the 159 basically would have been a flop.

What we now recieve as second hand cars is a solid chassis, classic looks and low quality parts in hidden places. Just budget to replace them.

The petrol twinsparks seem to use more oil when they’re revving away. When the wife drives it around town, it doesn’t use much oil. If it’s getting more work with me driving it, it does use a drop. I suspect the silly expensive 10w60 grades recommended for it will help reduce oil consumption.

As for better or worse than any other car, based on a sample size of 1 of each, the petrol MK3 Golf is astonishingly easy to live with in comparison. Nowhere no near as quick, nice to look at or sit in, but it never used a drop of oil and the only real weak points on the car were that the breather system needed a clean out at services, as would the throttle body. And the window regulators pack up occasionally. But servicing jobs were much quicker and cheaper, cam belts cost about £150 to change vs £400 or so on the Alfa. The Golf suspension is much simpler, less problematic and much cheaper to repair when bushes eventually do give trouble.

Alfas are great cars but you will repair it more often than the equivalent VW. And the repairs will be more expensive. But then the equivalent VW is a MK4 Golf estate :|p

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/alfa-romeo/159-sportwagon-2006/?section=good

If you are an Alfa enthusiast and can spend the time on them then fine. I don’t want a hobby if I did I would buy a Landy.

Had to go to Huddersfield and back yesterday, a 300 mile round trip in my Passat (and boy wasn’t the traffic nice!), which gave me mixed emotions… Firstly, the Passat is bloody comfy over long distances. Secondly, lack of aircon sucks in hot weather (and it’s not just a re-gas, the system has a leak which would need fixing!). Thirdly, it is bloody economical… Got almost 58mpg over the entire journey, only brought down by stop/start traffic at the M6/M5 interchange for several miles on the way home.

Looked at this whilst I was in Huddersfield though…

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alfa-Romeo-156-Sportwagon-2-4JTD-Veloce-/261818366279?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3cf5973947

The car was about as good condition as a 12 year old car can be! Very impressed with it. Hasn’t wanted for anything, huge history with it, sailed through all MOT’s etc. It’s due a cambelt soon, which he offered to do for only £150 over asking price (to include water pump etc. too), but I just can’t my head round that colour! It’s bloody awful… Even on a Mondeo it would be dull, but an Alfa NEEDS a strong colour IMO. Good car for someone that doesn’t mind the colour though!

If I can, I’m going to look at a black one with red leather in the next couple of days. There’s a 56 plate 159 2.4 JTDM SportWagon not far from me too, private sale, asking price of £3k… Looks to have all the bills with it etc. Might take a look at that tonight if I can.

Smoke test will find the leak in minutes if it’s only a leaky pipe. My Honda Aerodeck was fixed in an hour with a regas cost about 100 pounds.