Alfa Romeo

You're not a petrolhead until you've owned an Alfa.

Advantages: Fantastic driving experience, high quality finish, that growl
Disadvantages: Bad image regards reliability, some niggles

I purchased my Alfa 147 in 2005 after falling in love with the noise she makes. Nothing has the same growl as an alfa. When I bought my 147 she was already 3 years old, and is nearly 6 now. I spend a lot of time driving each week for work, around 300 miles a week in fact, so I have experience of her on all kinds of roads and journeys. The first thing to be mentioned when I think of my car is the ride quality. I'm informed by passengers that she is ...
...headturner. Now, everyone hears alfa and still hears alfasud, the notoriously unreliable, shoddily built alfa of yore. Build quality has improved hugely. I've even had kids inside mine and they didn't reduce it to it's bare component parts and they were in there a full 45 mins. I have had very few issues over the last 3 years, a new rear suspension bushel was needed, and I have a weeping power steering cable. Maintenance on her is pretty regular ...

Dinah93 19.11.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Alfa Romeo 147 1.6

Nice but niggly problems

Advantages: Great looks, good engine, good handling etc, bargain second hand!
Disadvantages: The usual Alfa quality issues on minor bits and pieces...

...has started leaking... Typical Alfa I guess - this is my 8th and engines and main mechanicals have always been good, just the bits on the egdes that fail Aircon is not great in globally warmed UK summers (though I guess Alfa don't want to waste engine power on it).. But it looks wonderful - you must get the facelift version (rated Ice Cool by Top Gear). The engine (2.0 JTS) is good and Alfaish and steering and handling up to usual Alfa standards. ...

buchanan 15.06.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Alfa Romeo 156 2.0 Twin Spark

My 146 Ti

Advantages: Design
Disadvantages: Servicing Costs

...master key! (ive been lucky). Alfa Dealers are poor and expensive for servicing, most of them cant solve a simple problem. If their laptop cant find it, theyll say its fine even when its blantently not. The engines have a cam variator which wears out, this will make it sound like a diesel, especially warm starts. Its not damaging to have this, but really annoying and expensive. The Exhaust pipe was dear too. Thats all the major expense ive incurred, ...
...has 165,000 miles and has never let me down, passed 3 of its 4 mots i put it in for (it failed one year on a bulb and lambda sensor) And despite being peppered with stone chips, refuses to rust anywhere. The interior is still like new and all the electrics work, everything, even the headlight washers. Doesnt leak or burn a drop of oil. Have I just been really lucky? I love the mental high ratio steering and all or nothing brakes, light clutch and ...

Alex1972 01.08.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Alfa Romeo 146 2.0

Alfa Romeo 147 1.9 JTD

Advantages: Engine, Looks, Leather, Options on my car
Disadvantages: Safety, Reliability Record, Dealership Record

Alfa Romeo 147 1.9 JTD 3dr Lusso You probably just don’t understand Alfa's and until you sit in one-you never will… Just bought an Alfa Romeo 147 1.9 JTD 3dr Lusso and on first impressions I’m delighted. It’s Navy Blue in Colour which sets the car off great against the Cream Leather, its a top of the range model and comes with SAT NAV, Cruise Control, Telephone, full heated Leather Upholstery, trip computer, 16inch Alloy wheels etc. The options ...
...buying, yet decided on the Alfa 147, because it put the biggest smile on my face, it was the nicest car to sit in and felt the best to drive by a long way. The Golf mk4 GTi felt its age, and although the Golf mk5 1.6s that I drove was nice it was very basic compared to the Alfa and more expensive. The Astra 1.8 (new shape 06) was nice to look at but a rather dull drive, and the focus was dull to look at but a nice drive. But as I said earlier, I ...

Azz4711 26.10.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Alfa Romeo 147 1.9 JTD

I am the Alfa male. (My 100th review on Ciao)!!

Advantages: Simply an awesome car and driving experience.
Disadvantages: The running costs will put some people off owning one.

...VW Golf VR6 and several Alfa Romeo`s, with the Alfa Romeos being my favourite cars by a mile. The Alfa Romeo I am Writing about today is the 156, 2.5 V6 24 valve, I have just sold this particular car on in order to buy the newer model of Alfa Romeo but I am missing it badly. Even though the new Alfa is breathtakingly good it just does not seem to have the character and raw power of my old faithful 156. The Alfa Romeo 156 is a very stylish 4 door ...
...and had the hand stitched Alfa logo on them and looked very nice. The other stunning feature of the interior of these cars is the dash board, it is black in colour regardless of the exterior colour of the car and a black dash always looks best. The instrument dials all slope slightly towards the driver so the passenger cannot read the dials and it makes the driver feel very in touch and in total control of the vehicle and everything inside it. The ...

thebigc1690 23.03.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Alfa Romeo 156 2.5