Alfa Romeo 156 2.0 Twin Spark

Every now and then someone dares to "think outside the box". Someone dares to come up with something that will be immeasurably better than what went before, by simply combining 2 seemingly incompatible technologies. We see it all the time; who would have thought a mobile phone and a camera would go together? Not me, I thought it was just a silly fad that would never catch on. Shows what I know? But then there are some almightily cock ups. Imagine the excitement in the early 90's when someone said "wouldn't it be handy if you could take your home phone with you so you can call your boss from a ... more

~ ~ Alfa Romeo have come a long way in the past few years. I can remember a time not that very long ago that they had such a bad reputation, especially in regard to body rot, that the standing joke was that if you left one out overnight in the rain, the next morning you’d have to sweep up the pile of rust with a brush and shovel. No one ever doubted the ability of the Italian manufacture to build a motor car that would shift you around the place at a very rapid rate of knots. The only question in people’s minds was if it would do so without breaking down somewhere along the way. ~ ... more

Two years ago I decided to take the plunge and buy something different, and the Alfa had to be the choice. I purchased a 9 month old, low mileage "Lusso" 2.0ltr saloon version. Having still got the vehicle, how`s it stacked up? Read on for a few home truths after 30,000 trouble-free miles..... Initially the style of the car was a great attraction, not to mention the Alfa pedigree of "exclusivity" and relative scarecity (relatively speaking there are few dealers specialising in this marque). The cars lines are unmatched, being very sleek and aesthetically pleasing from all angles - and that ... more

Buying an Alfa 156 is one of the best decisions I've made in a long time! Fair enough, I'm only about a month into it, but so far everything I've been told about the superb Alfa driving experience is true. I bought my 156 from a car supermarket, and still feel like I've got a hell of a deal when I look at how much car I've got for not much money. It's just over 2 years old, and regularly elicits amazed comments from friends when I give them lifts and they find out how much the car cost. The interior, while not by any means the height of luxury, is still way more impressive than practically any ... more

I recently trialed the new Alfa Romeo Estate (?) as an alternative to my current company car since I am looking for somothing slightly larger to accomodate all the kit required when my wife and I take our daughter on holiday with us. Torn between a 4x4 and the dull estates on the market I though the Alfa Romeo was an attractive and sporty alternative. In true Alfa Romeo style, the car accelerates like a beast, from 0-62mph in 8.9 secs! The handling is good, although a little on the hard side. While I was instantly impressed by the performance and luxury of the car (apart from the lack of cup ... more