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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: Pedigree. Stylish.
Disadvantages: Insurance costs. Depreciation.

...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 front end is so aggesive! My initial impressions upon driving the car were that of a deceptively spacious interior, affording good driving visibility considering its compact and squat exterior looks. I chose the leather trim incidentally which... Read review

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Advantages: See opinion
Disadvantages: See opinion

...it that much on a motorway or on a good road surface, but some of the Italian side roads leave a little to be desired, and it fairly rattled you around a bit at low speeds in particular. The clutch pedal was another little “crib”, as it seemed to have a huge amount of travel before engaging, but I got used to this fairly quickly, and didn’t notice it too much after a couple of days driving. I’m sure it could be adjusted to suit your own particular driving preference, if you found it a major problem. Price ++++ ~ ~ Here in Ireland an Alfa 156- 2 litre Twin Spark will set you back £22,400 (Irish Punts) which I honestly think is an awful lot of motor car for the money. Prices start at £18,200 for the basic 1.6 TS, and rise to a whopping £27,500 for the 2.4 JTD Sportswagon. (estate). In the UK you get a much better... Read review

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Advantages: cheap when imported , beautifully styled and good standard features
Disadvantages: engine reliability , variator reliability , fuel guage , fusebox covers , suspension squeaks , colour on leather seats , boot accessibility

...I imported my 156 2.0 TS from Rome through a family member when the equivalent outlay would have secured me a basic entry level VW Golf 1.4l with no additional trimmings. The car and I fell immediately in love with eachother and for the best part of one year our relationship was untainted. Once my troubles started it took some time to stabilise the whole debacle. Within 6 months of my 1 year standard warranty which was then the norm for an imported vehicle to the UK, my fusebox cover needed replacing ( what's the big deal you may ask and you'd be right, it cost me a tenner to replace). However, afterwards the fuel guage stopped working apparently requiring the sender unit to be replaced at a cost of £300 for the part alone. Followed shortly by the engine failing for reasons undisclosed by AlfaRomeo UK. I have a squeaky suspension... Read review

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