Advantages: Out of the Norm Styling & Performance
Disadvantages: Getting Old Now

...WHAT IS IT? The 147 is Alfa Romeo's compact hatchback, produced in three and five door forms and competing in the Ford Focus / Vauxhall Astra market. This is actually an interesting, diverse and most popular market sector now, outselling all other types of car. The competition is fierce and many of the alternatives, such as the Honda Civic, are new and bang up to date. In 2001 the Alfa 147 was voted European Car of The Year. WHICH SPECIFIC MODEL? The actual car that I am reviewing here is right at the top of the Alfa 147 tree. It is a five door 1.9JTD 150 Lusso. The 1.9JTD 150 has the most powerful two litre version of the now ubiquitous GM (Vauxhall / Saab) engine in it, which was co-developed with Fiat, parent company of Alfa Romeo. IN WHAT CAPACITY AM I REVIEWING THIS CAR? OK, hands up, this is not my own car... Read review

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Advantages: Looks distinctive. Great engine. (Engine available elsewhere see end note)
Disadvantages: Wind noise, rattles, cheap interior, very poor visibility.

...or not, the whole experience every year splits the cars into two sharp groups, those that are any good and those that are not. Driving here there are remarkably few cars on sale that fall into a middle ground, maybe the only exceptions being the people carriers which are totally unsuited to the hill route, but that is another issue…… ……I'm going to keep you guessing just a little longer as to which camp the brand new Alfa Romeo GT 1.9 JTD falls into. By the time we got around to visiting the Alfa Romeo stand we had already driven a truly amazingly diverse range of cars, from a 6.0 litre W12 Volkswagen Phaeton right through to a 1.3 litre Fiat Panda, all of which you can read about elsewhere. Firstly, what exactly is an Alfa Romeo GT 1.9 JTD 1.9? Well like all other Alfas it is a badge engineered Fiat. It does not look like any... Read review

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Advantages: Looks great, fun to drive, economical, still feels and sounds sporty
Disadvantages: Short power band, no power in low revs,

...The Alfa GT has a range of fantastic engines, with the 1.9 JTD being the base model, but that doesn't mean it should be overlooked. It provides the most economical figures and when not driven hard will make the most of your last few drops of diesel. When you want to have fun on tight and twisty roads, the 1.9 JTD provides a short but surging boost of power, which often provokes the traction control light to flash desperately on the dash. The gearbox suffers from being too spaced out and with the engine reaching the redline at 4500rpm, you will spend a lot of time changing gears when pushing the Alfa hard - but in a way this makes the back-road drive a more engaging experience. The front seats are inviting and provide a racing feeling but the rear headroom is none existent so choose your passengers carefully! Certainly... Read review

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Advantages: Great spread of power, environmentaly friendly
Disadvantages: Price, and high insurance.

...I am in the process of looking for a new car. This weekend I test drove an Alfa Romeo 147 1.9JTD 16V(140 BHP). This review will be split under several headings, and each heading will be rated out of ten - ten being fab, 1 being bad. First Impressions: 10/10 This car is pure style to look at from the outside, the car body has a slight concave shape in the doors and all along the side - this gives the car an immediate sense of style and sensuality. The car exudes confidence and individuality from its' external apperance. The front of the car with its' very prominent grill and headlights endowes this car with some serious road presence and again, even more style. This car appears to be designed by the human hand and not a cold hearted clinical computer. I test drove the three door version - nicely weighted door handles and a great... Read review

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Advantages: turbo diesel - way cheaper than petrol! v comfy, all extras
Disadvantages: its gold!!! problem with power steering motors

...2001 fiat punto - 1.9 turbo diesel my first ever car!!! only ever driven little vans before, so this is like luxury. mine is a top spec model, so air con, sunroof, heated windscreen, great sound system, city mode etc. only costs £40 to fill up, for now anyway! extremely easy to drive, very comfy. have never used the city mode yet as i've never needed to, very nippy car and if you put your foot down its great once the turbo kicks in. good sized boot (i use the car for work) and 5 door. even though its a small car it still feels quite roomy, way better than corsa's etc. interior's a manky grey colour, but its comfy so who cares! only problem we've had is with the power steering. a motor stopped working on it, so that was £300 to fix, but its not a new car. apparently this is a common problem.... Read review

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Advantages: Big and Spacious. Surprisingly Cheap to Run. Occupant and Pedestrian Safety.
Disadvantages: Awful Hand Brake. Poor Seats. Uninspiring to Drive. Poorly Equipped.

...- original even, and go for a Ford S-Max - all the space, all the pace, and more importantly, a much more interesting car to drive. Regrettably the Passat would not be a good choice for that 1200 mile "ultimate test" journey of ours, thanks to the seats and driving position. FINAL SCORE: 122 / 170 - 71.7% Putting that score into perspective are the following cars based on identical scoring criteria: ALFA ROMEO 147 1.9JTD Lusso (5 Dr) - 67.8% FIAT PUNTO GRANDE SPORTING 130 Mjet - 75.9% HONDA ACCORD i-CTDi Saloon - 80.0% HONDA CIVIC 1.8i VTEC SE - 78.2% HONDA JAZZ 1.4 SE CVT-7 (Automatic) - 74.7% SAAB 9-3 TiD Vector - 68.2% VAUXHALL ASTRA TWINTOP 1.9 CDTi DESIGN - 78.8% VAUXHALL MONARO VXR - 71.1% VW PASSAT TDi 140 S ESTATE - 71.7% VOLVO S60 D5 SE - 70.6%... Read review

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Advantages: High specification, stylish design, good value used car, sporty performer
Disadvantages: lack of storage space

...I bought my 156 2.0 JTS Veloce as a one year old pre registered car with 10,000 miles and at the time did consider the Diesel JTD 150 version but in all honesty the heart and soul of an Alfa is not a diesel unit and never will be. The 2.0 JTS is a work of art, pumping out 178 Bhp and willing to rev round the clock if desired, which is frequently when I go out. The engine has that beautiful Alfa rip and burble when getting the foot into the pedal it is difficult holding back a smile driving down the country lanes, where the car is very much at home. I can't fault the handling, the turning circle is not too great but who cares it is quick and responsive when asked, point in the direction you want to go and obliges without a fuss. The driving position is superb, it is clearly designed for the driver, it looks good, everything is at hand... Read review

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Advantages: Fuel economy, speed, comfort
Disadvantages: Red interior!

...Just got a new Punto 1.9 JTD - what a wonderful car. The fuel economy is excellent, we can get upto 70mpg on a straight run. It is vey nippy, the acceleration is a dream and it is very comfortable. It easily seats 5 people, and my husband (who is 6'2") has loads of head room. It is almost like a large car to drive. One thing about price - I got 2,000 pounds off list price by getting an internet quote and taking it along to the dealer. They are desperate to sell cars, and will compete with internet quotes. We love our new Punto!!... Read review

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Advantages: Loads of room
Disadvantages: Not found any so far

...Well, I have just purchased an 18 month old Stilo Multiwagon 1.9 JTD Dynamic. I am basing this review on first impressions. I wanted a car which I could fit two dogs and four adults in and as I don't have a huge amount of money, I decided to look in the fiat garage. I found this and was surprised at the space that it had. It's like the tardis, looks small but has tons of space inside. You can comfortably fit four adults in without knocking elbows and the dogs enjoyed the ride as well. The car rides well, although I haven't tried the "city" option on the power steering, it's responsive and as you have a higher ride position, you can see things clearly and due to the adjustments available on the drivers seat, you can easily find a comfortable driving position. Even my parents who are quite difficult to please with car... Read review

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Advantages: Cheap, Small, Powerful
Disadvantages: Small, Comfort

...I was forced into buying a new car when my old car, a Citroen ZX, finally died, after I had owned it for a couple of years. Personally I think it was the previous owner (my mother) who ran it into the ground. As such I needed to go and find a new motor. After turning down the thought of getting a Vauxhall Corsa after the salesman said to me “All girls like Corsa’s” (good way to sell cars) I found my way to our local Fiat dealer, there on the forecourt was a 1.9JTD Eleganza. To cut a long story short, I went, I saw, I drove, my dad haggled, I bought! Cost I bought this car in April 2003, it was sat on the forecourt, already with a number plate and tax disc. The milometer read 12 miles when I first saw it and 22 when I bought it after a little test drive. The cost was £8995, which we whittled down to £8750. I... Read review

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