Advantages: Awesome sound & presence, acceleration, handeling and great fun
Disadvantages: Expected V6 fuel economy, price & availability of some parts.

...I've owned my Alfa 155 V6 for around 6 months now and have enjoyed every moment. There is nothing like it on the market especially at the silly prices they go for. It is recommended that you buy one with service history although, mine had none with the car. I bit the bullet and asked a local (non-Alfa/ unless you are minted!) garage to run a full service on the car which cost around £250. It was good to know nothing major was wrong with the car and it adds to the peace of mind when you overtaking an HGV on an A Road at 70 miles an hour, I would imagine :-) As you would expect out of an old big engined V6 you can kiss goodbye to fuel economy if you drive it like it wants to be driven. However on the plus side, I drove about 150 miles to get the car in my '52 plate focus 1.6 and got better fuel consumption out of the Alfa... Read review

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Advantages: Looks, performance, that engine sound
Disadvantages: No traction control, M.P.G. interior build quality, rear seats

.... With the interior the centre console is aluminium grey as are the speedo and rev counter surrounds and you get kick plates down the sill with 'Alfa Romeo' in sliver plastic with a black background. In 1999 the 6-speed box was introduced and offered with 17" telephone dials alloys and some were fitted with the rear spoiler (avoid the rear spoiler ones, it realty is a 'spoiler' and does spoil the look of the car). 2001 saw the release of the special edition GTV cup which was linked to the racing series in Italy, these where only available in red and had a numbered plaque on the dash. Very limited and the most collectable and of course the most expensive, saying that I've never seen one for sale. 2003 saw the phase 3 version which had the 3.2 V6 and a new nose job but this was the last and production ended this year (2005) to make way for the new GT... Read review

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Advantages: Lively glorious sounding engine, fun to drive, high specification, Used car market affordable
Disadvantages: depreciation, thirsty! rear view visibility limited Poor customer service from dealership

...rust what so ever! ALFA ROMEO 146 The Alfa 146 was launched in the UK in early 1995; with the introduction of the flat-four cylinder “Boxer” engined cars, which have the most glorious roar from that sweet purring engine. My first car was a Boxer 8v 146. These were the first batch of 145’s and 146’s with limited engine sizes and power. The fascinating thing about 'Boxer' engines is that they sounded glorious, even when not revved! Later on in 1996/97 Alfa Romeo developed the latest generation of twin spark 16-valve engines in 1.6, 1.8 and a special sports 2.0L version called the “Ti”. The same twin spark engines were first used in the larger Alfa 155’s that some of you might be familiar with. I will call twin-spark (ts) for short. These were vastly improved engines and were more efficient, for example a 1.6 Boxer produced only 103bhp... Read review

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Advantages: Acceleration, comfortable (relatively speaking), unusual
Disadvantages: Fuel bills

...the problems for them. Not what a true petrol head is in my opinion. The ride is quite good, if a little hard, but what do you expect from a car designed to be the flagship sports model? It's comfy enough for me going to work everyday and doing 400 miles a week in so for crusing it's definitely alright. By now you've probably gathered I love my Alfa so what are the downsides? First off. Petrol. To fill up it costs £55 (todays the 14th Dec 2006) and that will do about 300 miles. 270 if you're constantly giving it plenty or 320 if you drive like your dead. I normally average about 25mpg which is a cross between motorway driving and town stuff. If you treat it gently and cruise you'll get 30+mpg out of it but once you've got that V6 soundtrack going it isn't easy to back off. Flat out you'll be doing 6mpg! Frightening isn... Read review

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Advantages: Fairly roomy at front, big boot, powerful, handling
Disadvantages: Turning circle, juddery wiper motors, cost of spares

...This is my second 155 2.0, I like the handling, and when you want to press on a bit, the sound of that engine is truely addictive!! The brakes could do with a bit of beefing up, they struggle to halt the car after a while playing on the back roads with lots of braking. One time I was actually STANDING on the pedal because of brake fade. The steering is very precise, quick rack, 2.2 turns lock to lock, although the QE2 could turn a tighter turn!! The momo steering wheel is a delight to hold, the thick rim is just right for a comfortable grip. Turning circle is nearly embarrasing, if you are not used to it, you find you have to reverse and have another cut, not good in a multi story car park during rush hour. The boot is pretty big, although rear seats that fold down would be so useful rather than a ski hatch (why anyone... Read review

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Advantages: looks, reliability, performance, roadholding
Disadvantages: accessibility

...There is only one way to view this car, and that is the way that a dog might look at an escaped lunatic. Having nearly driven mine into a wall, my local Kwik Fit Fitter sheepishly said that it was the fastest car he had ever driven. Well, across the 30 yards of workshop front where "time is money guv", maybe, maybe not, but it gave him a severe shock. This review is written for those, men or women, whose hearts pump a high concentration of petrol. Hardware will precede software. This is not blokey technical geekery,but a reflection of the car on which the review is written, a car with a mechanical heart, a car built around its heart, a car that is the Alfa 75. The baby of the "second generation" 75s alongside its beefier sister the 3 litre V6, this was the first outing of Alfa Romeo's now legendary Twin Spark engine... Read review

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Advantages: See opinion
Disadvantages: See opinion

...does it drive like? Put quite simply, it goes like hot s**t of a shovel. The performance figures quoted by the manufacture say that this car will shift you from 0 to 60 mph in just a tad over 8 seconds, and take you to a totally illegal top speed of 134 mph. And let me tell you that this is just what the 156 tries to do at every possible opportunity. So much so, in fact, that it can prove VERY difficult to keep yourself from constantly breaking the law, as this car simply sits up and begs you to give it some “welly”! The 2 litre Twin Spark that I drove has a revised version of the old four cylinder engine from its predecessor, the Alfa 155, that develops 155bhp, but the car is available in all sorts of different versions and formats, from the basic 1.6 litre right up to the truly amazing 190bhp 2.5 litre V6. (God alone... Read review

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Advantages: Aesthetically pleasing, stylish, spacious boot, security, quick and knee tremblingly superior!!!,
Disadvantages: can be expensive to run....thats it really!!!

...The Alfa Romeo 156.…Where to start? The first thing you notice is it's elegant curves and aesthetics which makes the 156 an attractive semi sports car. There is something however that many (including myself) notice though about the rear doors, there is no handle or at least no visible handle. This little touch of Italian design is something of a puzzle to some and absolute genius to others. It is only a shame the same style could not be incorporated to the front doors which would finish it off a treat! Inside there is a surprising amount of space in the front with just enough in the rear to make it a comfortable ride. With the fabric interior and its colour scheme of grey and black with the Alfa Romeo motifs on the front seats creates a nice touch. The front seats are slightly contoured for ultimate comfort and style and to some... Read review

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Advantages: Beautiful to hear, beautiful to look at.
Disadvantages: Fuel economy, Back seat room, Lack of folding rear seats

...I recently passed my driving test (2nd attempt at age 35). To me this milestone (for a soon to be first time father) wasn't about practicality, fuel economy or any other of the usual considerations you should make when purchasing probably the second most expensive item you own. This is because I'd already seen the car I wanted...The Alfa Romeo 156 TwinSpark. I'd looked at the Which reports and many many other publications and if I was honest with myself (and my wife Emma...sorry dear) I should have purchased a Ford Focus. A car which has great styling, a good reliability record and reasonable servicing. But no...as I say, the decision had long since been made, and I positively drooled at the sight of 156's whenever I saw one. So after a long search I found the model I was looking for...a shiny Black 1.6 litre (Insurance being... Read review

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Advantages: Everything, excellent handling, excellent looks, excellent performence........ excellent everything.
Disadvantages: Not a lot! - Apart from the Insurance!

...I bought my Alfa Romeo 146 Ti just over two years ago. Its a P Reg now so is getting on abit and I keep thinking to myself I better get a new car, but I just cannot bring myself to sell it. I went out looking for a new car just over two years ago and had in my mind I were going to get a Vectra or Laguna or something along those lines, that were until I saw the 146 sitting on the forecourt. As soon as I saw it I fell in love with it and once had took it for a test drive, well, that were it! Within half an hour the cheque were wrote and the car were paid for! Now I keep thinking about getting a new car but just think to myself - but I dont want to get rid of my Alfa! The Alfa 146 has absolutely everything, brilliant performence, excellent handling, is very comfortable, definatley looks the part and it definately gets you noticed... Read review

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