Who has owned an Alfa

ds20prefecture

and would you buy one again?

el tel

Is it too late to insert a column for those who don't have one but would consider getting one?
I'm thinking ES30 here...

stormin

Yes and I wouldn't touch another

Have owned them, own one now and will again.

maidhc

No

Really I didnt own one, my uncle did. His stories put me off for life...

kdevitt

Would have been worthwhile having an option for No - wouldn't ever buy one, as well as No - would consider one...

You can stick me under the first option if you change it

Alfasudcrazy

Yes and I wouldn't touch another

Love Alfa's always did and especially since the introduction of the JTD engine these cars are now a viable option for an everyday car.:cool:

I still would be reluctant to buy a petrol version though as an everyday car. Alfa petrol classics are fine as they have a cossetted life.:)

jayok

No

Did have one but not again. Not going to flog this to death, nice car, but I had difficulties, changed brand and not going back.

ds20prefecture

Yes and I wouldn't touch another

maidhc wrote:

Really I didnt own one, my uncle did. His stories put me off for life...

This is precisely what I wanted to avoid. Everyone has heard horror stories in the past about makes and models. BMW? Don't they make other peoples bubble cars badly? Time moves on, and so do car companies.

maidhc

No

ds20prefecture wrote:

This is precisely what I wanted to avoid. Everyone has heard horror stories in the past about makes and models. BMW? Don't they make other peoples bubble cars badly? Time moves on, and so do car companies.

Point taken, Toyotas did once rust to pieces within 3years. I really fit into the "NO, and wouldnt buy one" category, because I dont believe Alfas have changed that much (this argument has been exhausted).

kdevitt

ds20prefecture wrote:

This is precisely what I wanted to avoid. Everyone has heard horror stories in the past about makes and models. BMW? Don't they make other peoples bubble cars badly? Time moves on, and so do car companies.

If the person (or people in this case) suffering the horror story is known personally to me, then I think its fair to accept it as fact. Its friend of a friend stuff that I wouldn't bother with. Hence why I think a NO - I wouldn't buy it option would have been appropriate.

I've previously posted about friends problems with Alfas, which have put me off them permanently, but how my missus had a Fiat which had been nothing but reliable despite the stereotyping. I obviously spoke too soon in the case of the latter, because the 14,000 mile Fiat has well and truly lived up to its stereotype and will be making way as soon as possible to be replaced by something that isn't a Fiat.

bmoferrall

Yes and I wouldn't touch another

ds20prefecture wrote:

and would you buy one again?

Well, they'll have to prise the current one from my <chuck_heston>cold dead hands</> first

nobodysfool wrote:

I won't buy one cos they're all muck - my brother's best friend's sister-in-law's uncle's mechanic said so.

To anyone contemplating buying an Alfa, at least take a test drive before you make your mind up.
Any risk involved in buying a (carefully-chosen) second-hand Alfa is more than offset by the driving pleasure it will deliver.

Alfa's are certainly flawed cars but, then, perfection can be dull.
Give me McEnroe over Borg.
Give me Pacino over DeNiro.
Give me an Alfa over a BMW.
Give me the train and a pair of legs over the latest Volvissafordoyota.

Manhandle an Alfa, neglect it and it's a canter away from the nacker's yard.
Take care of it and it might just get under your skin and stir a life-long passion for cars.

Cyrus

Yes and I wouldn't touch another

i have one and would biuy another, ideally with a v6

junkyard

No

Yes, I've had five of them over the years, and no I certainly won't be buying another, In fact I have a 1999 156 sitting outside my garage door with a blown engine at the moment ( not mine thankfully) i even remember patching up the rust on them for a main dealer in the city before they went on show as new cars.:eek:

unkel

ds20prefecture wrote:

This is precisely what I wanted to avoid

No! The poll would have been so much more interesting with options of people that have not owned an Alfa but would or would not consider buying one

Now people that have never owned one themselves are voting as if they had...

Good thing though you decided to make the results public

Perhaps we can close this and do a new one with options for people that have never owned one as suggested above?

prospect

Yes and I wouldn't touch another

I voted yes, and woud buy again.

But, technically i lied

My dad has had 2. A gulietta in the early 80's and currently he has a 166. The 166 has given its fair share of trouble, but weighed against the enjoyment it has given, well its no contest .
So hopefully, all things going well, i will have my very own Alfa in January

stormin

Yes and I wouldn't touch another

I always wanted one of those Giulettas in the eighties. Now that was an unreliable Alfa.

Prospect, that's a good way to start the new year.

unkel

My uncle had a string of Alfettas and Giuliettas in the 70s and early 80s. They all broke down all the time. He had loads of Citroen CXs during the same period too and they didn't fare any better. Rust was a major factor too, but that would have been the case on nearly all cars back then

stormin

Yes and I wouldn't touch another

I don't know if it's true but an italian alfa nut once told me that the problem with rust and alfa was that for years after WWII they were using recycled metal from tanks, planes, debris....pretty much anything metal in the cars.

ciarsd

Yes and I wouldn't touch another

voted yes have one and would buy one again (this is my first one). currently toying with the idea of getting another one but a different model in the new year

gibbon75

Yes and I wouldn't touch another

I was a proud owner of two Alfas.
The first one was a MY1987 33 1.7 litre boxer with four carbs.
Never had any problems with it.
The second one was a MY1993 155 Q4 2.0 16V Turbo AWD (wich is basicly a Lancia Delta EVO 2 underneath the bodyshell).
After my mods it was pushing the 300 bhp barrier.Made many standing launches (and the factory clutch just gave it up after 10 launches:) ) and I was using all those ponies all the time.Never made a glitch...

beer enigma

Yes and I wouldn't touch another

Yes and have this morning just ordered my new 2006 Alfa !

prospect

Yes and I wouldn't touch another

So far 83% of owners are happy to buy another AR!

landser

Yes and I wouldn't touch another

junkyard wrote:

Yes, I've had five of them over the years, and no I certainly won't be buying another, In fact I have a 1999 156 sitting outside my garage door with a blown engine at the moment ( not mine thankfully) i even remember patching up the rust on them for a main dealer in the city before they went on show as new cars.:eek:

if you had five, can we presume that 4 of them must have been good'uns to make your revisit the marque.

i too have a 99 156 outside my house, with no problems to report (mine, thankfully )

i hope to upgrade in the new year to a 02 156, and then, in three years, when the prices have plummetted a 05 159

unkel

Andip wrote:

Yes and have this morning just ordered my new 2006 Alfa !

What are you getting?

ds20prefecture

Yes and I wouldn't touch another

prospect wrote:

So far 83% of owners are happy to buy another AR!

The results at this time show
19 out of 22 former owners would buy an Alfa again.
3 out of 22 former owners would not buy an Alfa again.
12 people haven't owned an Alfa, yet bothered to vote. This implies that they feel strongly one way or the other.
Maidhc who voted "yes but not again" didn't own an Alfa.
Prospect who voted "yes and I would again" also didn't own an Alfa.

Sorry for not having "no, but I would" and "no and I never will" options.

So 86% of former Alfa Owners would buy another, either because they never had problems, or the benefits outweigh whatever problems they experienced.

Given that the poll is effectively of a community of motoring enthusiasts, the 3 votes of non-confidence should be enough to give pause to someone thinking of buying an Alfa. There's no smoke without fire.

At the same time, 19 people is quite a lot to be merely "blinded by love". Most of the owner's advice to prospective buyers has cautioned on the common faults and advised regular servicing with a competant specialist.

Like all polls, it answers nothing definitively but hopefully will give someone considering an Alfa an objective hint of former Alfa owner's faith in the brand.

I've no idea how to close a poll..

beer enigma

Yes and I wouldn't touch another

unkel wrote:

What are you getting?

Alfa GT 1.9 JTD M-Jet Sportivo ....gotta choose a colour by the end of the week...either Stromboli Grey, Moon blue or Radicofani Red

[IMG]http://www.andiplaster.utvinternet.com/images/stromboli grey.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.andiplaster.utvinternet.com/images/moon blue.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://www.andiplaster.utvinternet.com/images/radicofani red.jpg[/IMG]

It's my third Alfa & replaces a 2002 156 2.0TS







"over Hyped Fiat" me Ar** lol

unkel

Andip wrote:

Alfa GT 1.9 JTD M-Jet Sportivo

Excellent choice, good luck with it

prospect

Yes and I wouldn't touch another

Andip wrote:

Alfa GT 1.9 JTD M-Jet Sportivo

B@stard (;) )

Andip wrote:

either Stromboli Grey, Moon blue or Radicofani Red

If this is the dark, charcoal/graphite grey then it has to be your cohice.


Once again, you are a baxtard...... (not seething with jealousy here)


I want one too

nellieswellies

Yes and I wouldn't touch another

I own one and WILL own another one when the time comes.

Feel free to keep bad mouthing them, because its this type of thing that keeps the preception of them being unreliable ongoing. That, in-turn means lower prices in the second hand market.

They are great cars, probably abit overstated on the unreliablity front.

However if you don't look after them they will sulk!

MercMad

Yes and I wouldn't touch another

I owned a 1997 2.0 TS 155 for about 2 1/2 years ! It was a great car. My father in Law bought it new and he ordered a new 156 when they were announced in 1998.

Mine was Northern blue metallic, never let me down and we had two problems with it between Feb '97 AND March '01. The first was the usual Timing Variator which went twice, our Alfa dealer denied there was a problem so I drove to the HQ on the Naas road and explained the situation. The car was sent to a new dealer (Barrables) the next day and fixed perfectly. The other problem was the drivers door internal handle got dodgy !

Uoprated brakes, suspension and a Superchip conversion gave it a bit more performance (see below). The 156 that replaced it was equally reliable with zero faults, though it was nowhere near as fast. I wanted a 166 V6 to replace it but then figured a used Benz made more financial sense ( it didn't ! ).