Anyone owns a modern Alfa Romeo here?
Posted by: a529612 on 06 August 2006
Would you recommend it vs the usual German luxury cars like BMW, MB, Audi, etc?
Posted on: 07 August 2006 by Rasher
I don't have one, but I used to. A friend has a 156 sportwagen diesel, and it's lovely (60 mpg on a run too!).
I would say yes, but not bought new as you will write off 20% of the value as soon as you drive it away from the dealer, and then find it's worth only 50% at 3 years. Buy a 3-4 year old one and you'll get a good car for not very much money. It'll need fixing occasionally and eventually you'll sell it for £850, but you'll enjoy having something with character for a while and you'll probably be tempted to buy another, even though financially it doesn't add up. It's not a rational choice, but if you haven't had one yet, you need to put that right. I still love them and I might even get another one soon myself. I've had 2.
I would say yes, but not bought new as you will write off 20% of the value as soon as you drive it away from the dealer, and then find it's worth only 50% at 3 years. Buy a 3-4 year old one and you'll get a good car for not very much money. It'll need fixing occasionally and eventually you'll sell it for £850, but you'll enjoy having something with character for a while and you'll probably be tempted to buy another, even though financially it doesn't add up. It's not a rational choice, but if you haven't had one yet, you need to put that right. I still love them and I might even get another one soon myself. I've had 2.
Posted on: 07 August 2006 by Bruce Woodhouse
I had a 145 in the late nineties and then a 147 for 3 years approx, would have been 2001-2003. Both bought new.
I'd take a very deep breath before buying another.
The 147 looked great, inside was excellent and the interior build quality was very good (unlike the 145 which was made of egg boxes). However it was appalingly unreliable, and far worse was the dealer service. I had a succession of faults, some trivial, some very much not. It needed a new windscreen (leaks), complete rear suspension, 2 x ECU/main computer, and finally a new Selespeed gearbox after 30k miles. These are just the major things I can recall. Throughout its life it had electrical gremlins that would appear and then vanish from week to week. It was recalled twice and even when I sold it would not start properly on cold days.
Apart from the sheer volume of irritations the dealer was terrible. They were at least consistent. Firstly they denied the existence of any fault, then they would have it back, identify a simple remedy and this would fail to work. Then they'd accept the fault was more major and (in general) fix it on the third visit. They could not have been nicer people, or less useful!
Finally you have to remember two more things. Firstly, when you strip away the 'romance' of the brand the 147 was actually not that special to drive. The Focus is a better sorted car. Last of all the re-sale value is terrible. It might now be evident why!
I've since owned two Audi's, and my wife has always had a Honda for 15 years. When you have these cars you realise that the quality is totally different. None of our Hondas has ever had a single fault. Ever. Full stop. One Audi has had a blown fuse. The dealers are polite and interested. They may cost more but you do get trade-in value when you sell.
I love the idea of Alfa, I love the style and 'difference' but they will have to convince me of a very major change to consider them again.
Buy with caution, if you absolutely must buy new then bargain hard and do not even consider it without a dealer close to home.
I'd take a very deep breath before buying another.
The 147 looked great, inside was excellent and the interior build quality was very good (unlike the 145 which was made of egg boxes). However it was appalingly unreliable, and far worse was the dealer service. I had a succession of faults, some trivial, some very much not. It needed a new windscreen (leaks), complete rear suspension, 2 x ECU/main computer, and finally a new Selespeed gearbox after 30k miles. These are just the major things I can recall. Throughout its life it had electrical gremlins that would appear and then vanish from week to week. It was recalled twice and even when I sold it would not start properly on cold days.
Apart from the sheer volume of irritations the dealer was terrible. They were at least consistent. Firstly they denied the existence of any fault, then they would have it back, identify a simple remedy and this would fail to work. Then they'd accept the fault was more major and (in general) fix it on the third visit. They could not have been nicer people, or less useful!
Finally you have to remember two more things. Firstly, when you strip away the 'romance' of the brand the 147 was actually not that special to drive. The Focus is a better sorted car. Last of all the re-sale value is terrible. It might now be evident why!
I've since owned two Audi's, and my wife has always had a Honda for 15 years. When you have these cars you realise that the quality is totally different. None of our Hondas has ever had a single fault. Ever. Full stop. One Audi has had a blown fuse. The dealers are polite and interested. They may cost more but you do get trade-in value when you sell.
I love the idea of Alfa, I love the style and 'difference' but they will have to convince me of a very major change to consider them again.
Buy with caution, if you absolutely must buy new then bargain hard and do not even consider it without a dealer close to home.
Posted on: 07 August 2006 by i am simon 2
I have a 2001 model Alfa Spider 2.0l Tspark Lusso, which belonged to my late father.
It is a joy to drive with excelent handling (with the correct tyres.
I have not had many problems with it, and most of them have come from under use if anything.
I had to have a new air flow meter about 6 months ago. It still drove but the performace was gone, and an engine ecu light was on all the time. At the same time I also had to have new rear break disks as they had corroded badly. This work was all down to lack of mileage. The car is 5.5 years old and only has 14,000 miles on it.
Also the electric hood sticks occasionaly, but this is easily remidied by tapping one of the servos in the compartment behind the passenger seat with a hammer (i carry a hammer in said compartment these days) but this only hapens once every couple of months.
Also I had the thread stripped on the sump plug (for which I replaced the sump) this is done by an over zelous YTS scheme kid in the servie centre, with disregard for the correct tourque setting, as the sump is only alluminium. This is a common problem, so always remind your garage to be careful when doing an oil change.
Otherwise I have not had any problems, and I enjoy the car. Serive and parts are not too exspensive, and if you find an enthusiastic specialit rather than a main dealer for service (once its out of warantee) you get better service and customer care.
If you live in north London I would recomend Veloces in Barnet.
Simon
I have since made an effort to use it more and it runs well.
It is a joy to drive with excelent handling (with the correct tyres.
I have not had many problems with it, and most of them have come from under use if anything.
I had to have a new air flow meter about 6 months ago. It still drove but the performace was gone, and an engine ecu light was on all the time. At the same time I also had to have new rear break disks as they had corroded badly. This work was all down to lack of mileage. The car is 5.5 years old and only has 14,000 miles on it.
Also the electric hood sticks occasionaly, but this is easily remidied by tapping one of the servos in the compartment behind the passenger seat with a hammer (i carry a hammer in said compartment these days) but this only hapens once every couple of months.
Also I had the thread stripped on the sump plug (for which I replaced the sump) this is done by an over zelous YTS scheme kid in the servie centre, with disregard for the correct tourque setting, as the sump is only alluminium. This is a common problem, so always remind your garage to be careful when doing an oil change.
Otherwise I have not had any problems, and I enjoy the car. Serive and parts are not too exspensive, and if you find an enthusiastic specialit rather than a main dealer for service (once its out of warantee) you get better service and customer care.
If you live in north London I would recomend Veloces in Barnet.
Simon
I have since made an effort to use it more and it runs well.
Posted on: 07 August 2006 by Steve S1
By "modern" I assume you don't mean a 156?
My (mercifully) short aquaintance with a 156 led to having to deal with leaks, gearbox failure, numerous electrical problems and a tendency not to start.
When not in a repair shop it was fun to drive and made a nice noise. This wasn't often enough.
I would not have another. The dealer was reasonably polite but ultimately not helpful. Problems were denied, even when car forum evidence suggested that they were well known.
I've had numerous VWs, a couple of Mercs, BMWs and Volvos and an Audi. None of which were any trouble.
Unless you have a season ticket with National Breakdown, or like spending time on the hard shoulder - I'd give Alfas a wide one.
Steve.
My (mercifully) short aquaintance with a 156 led to having to deal with leaks, gearbox failure, numerous electrical problems and a tendency not to start.
When not in a repair shop it was fun to drive and made a nice noise. This wasn't often enough.
I would not have another. The dealer was reasonably polite but ultimately not helpful. Problems were denied, even when car forum evidence suggested that they were well known.
I've had numerous VWs, a couple of Mercs, BMWs and Volvos and an Audi. None of which were any trouble.
Unless you have a season ticket with National Breakdown, or like spending time on the hard shoulder - I'd give Alfas a wide one.
Steve.
Posted on: 07 August 2006 by Aiken Drum
My wife ran an ex dem 2001 156 1.6 t spark until April this year when she changed it for a Merc C160 sports coupe.
The 156 never actually broke down and provided reasonable MPG. We spent an arm an a leg on servicing and sorting out problems with the rear suspension and brakes - all conveniently either not covered by warranty or which manifested post warranty period. Over here the MOT process is a little different to the mainland, and MOT preps cost us a bundle. All in all I was not happy with the dealer/brand imposed maintenance costs.
I always found the steering to be too light for my taste, but it suited her. The wipers were absolute rubbish, the headlights a joke, but the seats were quite comfy. The parrot like frontal aspect of the car was quirky; a feature much improved with face lifts. The car was liked for its reliability, but its looks had not aged too well. As for residual value, forget it. Two facelifts and the arrival of the 159 put paid to that.
It was nice to have owned one, but I would not put Alfas in the same league as Merc and BMW.
The 156 never actually broke down and provided reasonable MPG. We spent an arm an a leg on servicing and sorting out problems with the rear suspension and brakes - all conveniently either not covered by warranty or which manifested post warranty period. Over here the MOT process is a little different to the mainland, and MOT preps cost us a bundle. All in all I was not happy with the dealer/brand imposed maintenance costs.
I always found the steering to be too light for my taste, but it suited her. The wipers were absolute rubbish, the headlights a joke, but the seats were quite comfy. The parrot like frontal aspect of the car was quirky; a feature much improved with face lifts. The car was liked for its reliability, but its looks had not aged too well. As for residual value, forget it. Two facelifts and the arrival of the 159 put paid to that.
It was nice to have owned one, but I would not put Alfas in the same league as Merc and BMW.
Posted on: 08 August 2006 by a529612
Anyone has a 159? Looks like the press loves it and says it's finally a good reason to buy Alfa over the German rivals...
Posted on: 08 August 2006 by Graeme Randell
We imported a 156 from Holland in 1999 for about £15K (when they were £20K new), a couple of months before the UK price drops..
The car was great to drive and nice to own, however we did have several problems. Gearbox was replaced, power steering hose failed rear brake caliper binding. The real problem though, was some of the Dealers, avoid Perrys in the Portsmouth. Once we found Alan Gibson in Basingstoke the whole experience was nicely acceptable.
We sold the car, private, for £6K after three and a half years with 80K miles on the clock. We then had a MINI Cooper for three years, but although fun, it was never as satisfing as the Alfa, and had almost as many problems.
We're now back with a Alfa GT 1.9 JTD (from Perry's(?) 'coz it was £3k off list) and really enjoying it. The only problems are Perry's related (oh and a noisy 3rd gear, which Alan Gibson will no doubt sort at the first service.)
I've no experience of Mercs, but owning a MINI has just put me of BMW's more.
So go for it, as Top Gear says you're not a proper petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa.
Graeme.
The car was great to drive and nice to own, however we did have several problems. Gearbox was replaced, power steering hose failed rear brake caliper binding. The real problem though, was some of the Dealers, avoid Perrys in the Portsmouth. Once we found Alan Gibson in Basingstoke the whole experience was nicely acceptable.
We sold the car, private, for £6K after three and a half years with 80K miles on the clock. We then had a MINI Cooper for three years, but although fun, it was never as satisfing as the Alfa, and had almost as many problems.
We're now back with a Alfa GT 1.9 JTD (from Perry's(?) 'coz it was £3k off list) and really enjoying it. The only problems are Perry's related (oh and a noisy 3rd gear, which Alan Gibson will no doubt sort at the first service.)
I've no experience of Mercs, but owning a MINI has just put me of BMW's more.
So go for it, as Top Gear says you're not a proper petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa.
Graeme.
Posted on: 08 August 2006 by manicatel
Coincidentally, I may be changing my car soon, & as I need something with just a little more room inside.
The Alfa GT looks lovely & could fit the bill nicely. They seem well priced on the Veloces web-site. Or I could spend (on finance) an extra £10k or so using a balloon payment package & get a 2nd hand 911. It seems a weird 2 car shortlist, but I'd like a car that I relish getting into, & as good as BMW's/Audi's/ Golf GTI's et al obviously are, they just don't float my boat.
I sat in an Alfa Brera, & it looked lovely, but its way too low inside for a 6ft tall person.
A nearly new Alfa GT for £16-18k is the head vs. heart decision thing. Alfa owners say that the unreliability is way overstated, but everyone else disagrees.
Mind you, I've got a mate who spent £40k on a Discovery, its been in to the dealers loads of times for breakdowns/reliability issues but he still loves it.
£30k for a 2nd hand 911, with better residuals could be the safe way to go, but every time I see an Alfa GT on the road, I do wonder.
matt.
The Alfa GT looks lovely & could fit the bill nicely. They seem well priced on the Veloces web-site. Or I could spend (on finance) an extra £10k or so using a balloon payment package & get a 2nd hand 911. It seems a weird 2 car shortlist, but I'd like a car that I relish getting into, & as good as BMW's/Audi's/ Golf GTI's et al obviously are, they just don't float my boat.
I sat in an Alfa Brera, & it looked lovely, but its way too low inside for a 6ft tall person.
A nearly new Alfa GT for £16-18k is the head vs. heart decision thing. Alfa owners say that the unreliability is way overstated, but everyone else disagrees.
Mind you, I've got a mate who spent £40k on a Discovery, its been in to the dealers loads of times for breakdowns/reliability issues but he still loves it.
£30k for a 2nd hand 911, with better residuals could be the safe way to go, but every time I see an Alfa GT on the road, I do wonder.
matt.
Posted on: 08 August 2006 by Steve S1
quote:Alfa owners say that the unreliability is way overstated,
Yeah right. In this day and age it shouldn't even be a debate.
Solihull was never a centre for reliability either, although BMW and then Ford have done much to improve things from a very low starting point.
The thing that Alfa and LR have in common is a fantastically loyal following of those prepared to put up with all sorts of problems - for the "character/qualities" offered by them.
There are many brands that would have sunk without trace if they had reliability that was even half as bad.
Get a 911 that hasn't been neglected or abused and you get bomb proof build, zero time on the hard shoulder and a great drive. Not much of a dilemma I would have thought.
Regards,
Steve.
Posted on: 08 August 2006 by manicatel
Steve,
Yes, I guess (know) you're right really. I was just trying to spend less money on cars, (£30k for a 911 vs £18k for an Alfa GT), but having had various Porsches/Mercs/Hondas for the last 12 years or so, poor reliability would probably be a major annoyance.
Kidding myself, really, I guess.
If only Alfa could...................
matt.
Yes, I guess (know) you're right really. I was just trying to spend less money on cars, (£30k for a 911 vs £18k for an Alfa GT), but having had various Porsches/Mercs/Hondas for the last 12 years or so, poor reliability would probably be a major annoyance.
Kidding myself, really, I guess.
If only Alfa could...................
matt.
Posted on: 08 August 2006 by Jack Liebeck
I have a 2002 Alfa 147 2 ltr. I've had it from new. In the 1st two years it was quite niggly, never let me down, just electrics etc. But for the last 2 years it's been great, no problems (apart from failing 1st MOT because suspension bushes were shagged by all the speed bumps in London).
I love it. The interior is fabulous, mine's fully specced. Sat nav (fab), leather etc.
Unfortunately Alfa dealers are awful, but I have for the last two years taken mine to Veloces (mentioned in post above). They are great, don't hesitate doing business with them. They fix little problems for free during servicing! They love the cars and a service costs £180 as apposed to official dealers £450 quote!!!
I have driven loads of cars from many luxury manufacturers and with the 2 litre the Alfa is great to drive, smooth, nippy. Don't ever buy a Selespeed though...
You can't compare an Alfa 147 to a Ford Focus!! It's like comparing a Naim amp and a Sony amp! Perhaps you can compare it to a small BMW or Audi A3. The Ford Focus is dull dull dull and cheap and nasty...
I was at the car show the other day, the Alfa stand was swamped with openmouthed people, the cars are so pretty.
Re. reliability, my cousins BMW MINI Cooper S was sold after needing to go to the garage 37 times in 2 years! I think that those horror stories are just unlucky...
Best
Jack
I love it. The interior is fabulous, mine's fully specced. Sat nav (fab), leather etc.
Unfortunately Alfa dealers are awful, but I have for the last two years taken mine to Veloces (mentioned in post above). They are great, don't hesitate doing business with them. They fix little problems for free during servicing! They love the cars and a service costs £180 as apposed to official dealers £450 quote!!!
I have driven loads of cars from many luxury manufacturers and with the 2 litre the Alfa is great to drive, smooth, nippy. Don't ever buy a Selespeed though...
You can't compare an Alfa 147 to a Ford Focus!! It's like comparing a Naim amp and a Sony amp! Perhaps you can compare it to a small BMW or Audi A3. The Ford Focus is dull dull dull and cheap and nasty...
I was at the car show the other day, the Alfa stand was swamped with openmouthed people, the cars are so pretty.
Re. reliability, my cousins BMW MINI Cooper S was sold after needing to go to the garage 37 times in 2 years! I think that those horror stories are just unlucky...
Best
Jack
Posted on: 08 August 2006 by a529612
Does anyone have experience with 159? I've heard Alfa is catching up to the Germans in terms of quality and reliability. The auto press loves it and says it's finally a good reason to own an Alfa.
Posted on: 08 August 2006 by Bruce Woodhouse
quote:You can't compare an Alfa 147 to a Ford Focus!! It's like comparing a Naim amp and a Sony amp! Perhaps you can compare it to a small BMW or Audi A3. The Ford Focus is dull dull dull and cheap and nasty...
Sorry, cannot agree, at least in terms of driving enjoyment. I accept they may not be objects to lust over but have you driven a Focus? In terms of handling and ride the Focus is a better sorted car. The Alfa 147 2.0 I had sounded and looked great but the truth is that the ride was an odd mixture of lumpen bump control and excessive body roll. The steering lacked feel and when pushed it could become very ragged with overwhelming understeer and poor front end grip. It also had a ridiculously large turning circle and for the engine size/output the 2.0 is thirsty. The Audi A3 incidentally (which I've also owned) is no great handler either, but at least it had excellent grip, better balance and traction control that did not intervene far too early (unlike the Alfa).
I loved the Alfa's design and image but I'm not blind to the failings.
The 145 Cloverleaf I had before was actually a better handling car.
Bruce
Posted on: 08 August 2006 by Jay
I've driven a few Alfa's and my favourite, by far, was the Alfa Sprint.
Great looking, practical hatch, great to drive, fabulous steering feel, that amazing connection with the road.
On the pain side you have, crap gearbox, flimsy interior trim, painfully thin sheet metal and tiny pedals. I remember driving with a pair of Doc Martins on. That was an eventful day!
I still remember it though....don't see any around now....hmmm..
Never had the guts to actually buy one.
Jay
Great looking, practical hatch, great to drive, fabulous steering feel, that amazing connection with the road.
On the pain side you have, crap gearbox, flimsy interior trim, painfully thin sheet metal and tiny pedals. I remember driving with a pair of Doc Martins on. That was an eventful day!
I still remember it though....don't see any around now....hmmm..
Never had the guts to actually buy one.
Jay
Posted on: 09 August 2006 by jackliebling
I have driven the Ford Focus, good car, but so dull to look at and and be in, millions on the road. We can't all drive the roads like a race track, so the best option is get a car that makes you feel good. It may not be the greatist handler of all time, but they have character that you cannot buy in a car unless you pay a hell of a lot more money. An Alfa 147 with leather inside will make you feel good everytime you get into it, it's simply beautiful and not made from hollow plastic like Fords, Vauxhalls etc. Alfa owners generally love their cars, no matter the little niggles that may come along with them. And other people reaction when you say you drive one is also quite interesting. Eyebrows lift and the car enthusiast in them comes out.
The 159 seems a very nice car, although perhaps a ford mondeo goes round bends at 70mph with more grip. The feel of the build is very nice.
Re. fuel economy, I average 29mpg in London.
The 159 seems a very nice car, although perhaps a ford mondeo goes round bends at 70mph with more grip. The feel of the build is very nice.
Re. fuel economy, I average 29mpg in London.
Posted on: 09 August 2006 by Rico
I read a number of mentions of the auto press really liking the new alfas. Hmmm, where have I seen this story before? and then there's the "and so much more reliable" or "reliability issues now eliminated". It's all crystal-ball gazing. History shows that although they're usually fun to drive (my experience in a 156 certainly didn't support this), they're a maintenance disaster to own.
Let's not forget, the magazine reviews are the result of press junkets to exotic locations, the journos always write up the new stuff and then slag it with hindsight in a few years time if said screamer turns out a lemon. Opinions are to a certain degree paid for by their advertisers.
If you heart rules your head (not a bad thing in life!), beleive the hype you're questioning and buy what you want. They're about the passion.
cheers!
PS - [ancient history warning - clearly not a feauture of the new-age alfas] yeah, Jay speaking of crap gearbox - the sud (and derivatives the sprint and 33) was like stirring a jar of marbles with a wooden spoon. pedal layout like curved crayola crayons with spacing as narrow as the pedals themselves. There have been more than a few accidents as a result of someone's size nines running afoul, over the years.
Let's not forget, the magazine reviews are the result of press junkets to exotic locations, the journos always write up the new stuff and then slag it with hindsight in a few years time if said screamer turns out a lemon. Opinions are to a certain degree paid for by their advertisers.
If you heart rules your head (not a bad thing in life!), beleive the hype you're questioning and buy what you want. They're about the passion.
cheers!
PS - [ancient history warning - clearly not a feauture of the new-age alfas] yeah, Jay speaking of crap gearbox - the sud (and derivatives the sprint and 33) was like stirring a jar of marbles with a wooden spoon. pedal layout like curved crayola crayons with spacing as narrow as the pedals themselves. There have been more than a few accidents as a result of someone's size nines running afoul, over the years.
Posted on: 09 August 2006 by Bruce Woodhouse
Jackliebling wrote
We are not really in disagreement here, I totally agree the Alfa made me feel good, at least when I drove it out of the showroom. As it rained that night and water dripped onto the seat the feeling did not last that long of course... I still have affection for the marque, and I send for the brochures every time they launch a new model, just in case they can seduce me again.
My point is that an Alfa purchase really is heart over head. If you analyse the actual nuts and bolts the 147 (and the 156) is not actually a special drive and makes little financial sense to run or re-sell, espcially if you buy new. I also fail to see why Alfa cannot build a reliable car-almost everybody else can. The quality of their electrics is an industry joke. I should point out that my brother is a senior production manager for a mainstream manufacturer and part of his job is to take competitor cars to pieces and look at the build etc.
Incidentally I do not drive on a race track, but as I live in a rural area handling and ride are important-I can see thay may matter less in London!
Alfa is a brand I'm glad exists, I'm just happy for others to keep it afloat for a while.
Bruce
quote:We can't all drive the roads like a race track, so the best option is get a car that makes you feel good. It may not be the greatist handler of all time, but they have character that you cannot buy in a car unless you pay a hell of a lot more money
We are not really in disagreement here, I totally agree the Alfa made me feel good, at least when I drove it out of the showroom. As it rained that night and water dripped onto the seat the feeling did not last that long of course... I still have affection for the marque, and I send for the brochures every time they launch a new model, just in case they can seduce me again.
My point is that an Alfa purchase really is heart over head. If you analyse the actual nuts and bolts the 147 (and the 156) is not actually a special drive and makes little financial sense to run or re-sell, espcially if you buy new. I also fail to see why Alfa cannot build a reliable car-almost everybody else can. The quality of their electrics is an industry joke. I should point out that my brother is a senior production manager for a mainstream manufacturer and part of his job is to take competitor cars to pieces and look at the build etc.
Incidentally I do not drive on a race track, but as I live in a rural area handling and ride are important-I can see thay may matter less in London!
Alfa is a brand I'm glad exists, I'm just happy for others to keep it afloat for a while.
Bruce
Posted on: 10 August 2006 by Steve S1
quote:Alfa is a brand I'm glad exists, I'm just happy for others to keep it afloat for a while.
Well put. My Alfa ownership days are behind me for the reasons given, but give me a track day and someone else's reliability problem - I'm all smiles.
Many fleets ban Alfa ownership - purely because of the problems they continue to have. Every new Alfa model for the last 20 years has been the one that is going to be different.....
Bruce is right, there is no excuse for unreliability these days, and even less excuse for their shockingly bad dealers.
Steve.
Posted on: 10 August 2006 by Rasher
You wanna talk about reliability?
I bought a new Lexus 5 years ago. I've had:
5 replacement stereos - the CD mechanism fails.
Replacement folding door mirror motor (replace the whole thing - £250).
Replacement flywheel at 30,000 miles (must have been a manufacturers fault, but not according to them). Cost me £700.
Corrosion to the wheels - wheels replaced under warranty once, but they are bad again now.
Binding brake caliper to the front - they replaced both calipers and both discs even though everything else was fine, but it's "Lexus policy". £450.
The dealer was great at first, but now they couldn't give a shit about me.
I would not buy another.
Lexus: Reputation for unbeatable reliablity! Yeah, right!
I would take my chances with another Alfa, and I might just do that.
An Alfa isn't just another family car, there has to be a little bit of enthusiasm just to consider one, and then the usual considerations of economy, reliability, resale value etc, are not why you are buying one. If it's on those terms that you consider one, then you are missing what Alfa Romeo are about. It's a proper historic Italian marque that still survives (under Fiat - same as Ferrari). You either "get it" or you don't.
I bought a new Lexus 5 years ago. I've had:
5 replacement stereos - the CD mechanism fails.
Replacement folding door mirror motor (replace the whole thing - £250).
Replacement flywheel at 30,000 miles (must have been a manufacturers fault, but not according to them). Cost me £700.
Corrosion to the wheels - wheels replaced under warranty once, but they are bad again now.
Binding brake caliper to the front - they replaced both calipers and both discs even though everything else was fine, but it's "Lexus policy". £450.
The dealer was great at first, but now they couldn't give a shit about me.
I would not buy another.
Lexus: Reputation for unbeatable reliablity! Yeah, right!
I would take my chances with another Alfa, and I might just do that.
An Alfa isn't just another family car, there has to be a little bit of enthusiasm just to consider one, and then the usual considerations of economy, reliability, resale value etc, are not why you are buying one. If it's on those terms that you consider one, then you are missing what Alfa Romeo are about. It's a proper historic Italian marque that still survives (under Fiat - same as Ferrari). You either "get it" or you don't.
Posted on: 10 August 2006 by andy c
HI,
driven various BMW's, a couple of Alfa's, Lexus 200IS, Audi A3 & A4, and ended up with a MB C200 Sports Coupe - the one with the glass roof and 163 bhp.
Had a couple of issues with it, incl the wheels, which started blebbing, ending up in the garage replacing the lot twice. The third time it happened I kicked up a fuss, and now have the sport rims on, which look brill and have a better profile. Only other gripe is the CD player, which works but sometimes doesn't come on when you turn the ignition on! You have to 'reboot' the CDP! The garage are looking at that when it's next service is due.
Handling - I picked the car I liked driving the best. I've been fortunate enough to have been in a position thru work
to drive some cars at speed, and the Merc is rock steady. The Alfa's didn't 'grip' into corners, and felt slightly unstable IMV. Didn't get on with the styling of BMW, and the Lexus didn't float my boat either. I would, however, go and lok at a quattro again when I am ready to swap again.
my 10 bob's worth
driven various BMW's, a couple of Alfa's, Lexus 200IS, Audi A3 & A4, and ended up with a MB C200 Sports Coupe - the one with the glass roof and 163 bhp.
Had a couple of issues with it, incl the wheels, which started blebbing, ending up in the garage replacing the lot twice. The third time it happened I kicked up a fuss, and now have the sport rims on, which look brill and have a better profile. Only other gripe is the CD player, which works but sometimes doesn't come on when you turn the ignition on! You have to 'reboot' the CDP! The garage are looking at that when it's next service is due.
Handling - I picked the car I liked driving the best. I've been fortunate enough to have been in a position thru work
to drive some cars at speed, and the Merc is rock steady. The Alfa's didn't 'grip' into corners, and felt slightly unstable IMV. Didn't get on with the styling of BMW, and the Lexus didn't float my boat either. I would, however, go and lok at a quattro again when I am ready to swap again.my 10 bob's worth
Posted on: 10 August 2006 by JamieWednesday
I have a Mondeo ST220 (my 2nd one actually). I still have an Alfa in my garage too!
I have to say the Mondeo is the most complete car I've ever had. It's fast, roomy, very comfortable with leather recaros and has all the toys you could want. Neither 220 has ever let me down and I've had no issues apart from one particular crappy service but it's easy to find another Ford garage. I've just come back from a 3000 mile jaunt around France and it was absolutely terrific in the proper Grand Tourer sense.
Just before I went away, Clarkson said on Top Gear that he feels they're underated and that sometimes when he's driving them he wonders why you would want anything more (in the real world) which equates with my own feelings (although he may be contractually obliged by a discount on his GT). Ok it's a Ford, but it's waaaaay cheaper than the opposition esp. if you shop around and I found it better than the all the other usual suspects (BM, Merc, Saab etc) when I was shopping around for a new car, which is why I got another one. The only car that matched it IMHO was the A4 2.0 turbo FSI and that was a Quatro too...
I have to say the Mondeo is the most complete car I've ever had. It's fast, roomy, very comfortable with leather recaros and has all the toys you could want. Neither 220 has ever let me down and I've had no issues apart from one particular crappy service but it's easy to find another Ford garage. I've just come back from a 3000 mile jaunt around France and it was absolutely terrific in the proper Grand Tourer sense.
Just before I went away, Clarkson said on Top Gear that he feels they're underated and that sometimes when he's driving them he wonders why you would want anything more (in the real world) which equates with my own feelings (although he may be contractually obliged by a discount on his GT). Ok it's a Ford, but it's waaaaay cheaper than the opposition esp. if you shop around and I found it better than the all the other usual suspects (BM, Merc, Saab etc) when I was shopping around for a new car, which is why I got another one. The only car that matched it IMHO was the A4 2.0 turbo FSI and that was a Quatro too...
Posted on: 10 August 2006 by a529612
Do Alfas always have great exhaust note that you won't find easily on an everyday car?
Posted on: 11 August 2006 by i am simon 2
My Alfa Spider 2.0L has quite a nice exhaust note for a straight 4, I imagine that the bods at Alfa tune it sound nicer than the average car. I imagine most other manufacturers find a balnce of cost vs quietness.
The Alfa V6 is one of the sweetest sounding engines INHO, but that said all V6s sound quite good.
Best engine noise has to be a Ferarri 355 going at full tilt.
Simon
The Alfa V6 is one of the sweetest sounding engines INHO, but that said all V6s sound quite good.
Best engine noise has to be a Ferarri 355 going at full tilt.
Simon
Posted on: 11 August 2006 by Bruce Woodhouse
quote:Best engine noise has to be a Ferarri 355 going at full tilt.
I can feel a whole new thread coming on
I personally like the 'warble' of a V8 rather than a real screamer. I once had a Triumph Stag that sounded splendid (withe the original 3.0 V8) and my neighbour has just bought a new Jag XK that makes a great noise for a modern car. Like a very large and angry wasp.
My Alfa's sounded OK nice but the 4 cylinder boxer engines of the previous generation were more characterful with a nice off beat thrum.
Modern cars have to pass drive-by noise tests at certain speeds and throttle settings. Goodness know how my Caterham passed. Perhaps not a truly great noise, but plenty of it!
Bruce