02 Alfa 156 - A good buy

garlad

Thinking of upgrading a 99 1.6 Golf to above coz they seem to be cheap enough. Any thoughts?

Eoin

I'm afraid you will get more than enough thoughts on this topic - the whole Alfa debate comes up every few weeks here, and it just ends up in an endless argument.

Can I recommend you go to this thread, where there are links to about 5 or 6 previous threads on it.

road_high

There's a good reason why theyre cheap; my cousin had one before.Granted its a lovely car to drive, but he had loads of problems with it and it worth nothing in the end!

You say 'upgrade' from a Golf;I think DOWNGRADE would be more appropriate here.Good luck.

Eoin

mfitzy wrote:

There's a good reason why theyre cheap; my cousin had one before.Granted its a lovely car to drive, but he had loads of problems with it and it worth nothing in the end!

You say 'upgrade' from a Golf;I think DOWNGRADE would be more appropriate here.Good luck.

Here we go again...

Garlad, like I said - you should check the threads in the link I posted, you'll get loads of pages with the obligatory remarks like the one above. You'll also get some comments from people who have owned one for a good amount of time (I owned both a mark iv golf and a 156).

This has been done to death on this forum, and you won't get anything new in this thread that hasn't been said before, though I fear it's already too late for this thread.

garlad

Thanks for the links eoin.
Another case of "should have searched first".
Will go read now!

yellow012

mfitzy wrote:

There's a good reason why theyre cheap; my cousin had one before.Granted its a lovely car to drive, but he had loads of problems with it and it worth nothing in the end!

You say 'upgrade' from a Golf;I think DOWNGRADE would be more appropriate here.Good luck.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzz:rolleyes:

bmoferrall

@eoin_s
I reckon you should be appointed a sub-moderator (with appropriate weapons at your disposal) to police all Alfa threads, and spin-offs thereof. Any ensuing carnage should be swept into the system bin and the offenders publicly flogged for their sins. :cool:

ciarsd

bmoferrall wrote:

@eoin_s
I reckon you should be appointed a sub-moderator (with appropriate weapons at your disposal) to police all Alfa threads, and spin-offs thereof. Any ensuing carnage should be swept into the system bin and the offenders publicly flogged for their sins. :cool:

Gets my vote also - motion passed

Eoin

bmoferrall wrote:

@eoin_s
I reckon you should be appointed a sub-moderator (with appropriate weapons at your disposal) to police all Alfa threads, and spin-offs thereof. Any ensuing carnage should be swept into the system bin and the offenders publicly flogged for their sins. :cool:

What a horrible thought! How about if any Alfa threads automatically get sent to the Thunderdome and we can have our handbags there. I'm just surprised that a certain doctor hasn't posted that he would prefer a ferrari

garlad wrote:

Thanks for the links eoin.
Another case of "should have searched first".
Will go read now!

No worries - you just happened to pick one of the most contentious debates on this forum!

Anan1

eoin_s wrote:

No worries - you just happened to pick one of the most contentious debates on this forum!

And just so you don't stumble on it by mistake, the other is SUVs.;)

Eoin

Anan1 wrote:

And just so you don't stumble on it by mistake, the other is SUVs.;)

For the ultimate thread, wait until someone posts about importing a hybrid Alfa SUV from the UK...

Squirrel

Anan1 wrote:

And just so you don't stumble on it by mistake, the other is SUVs.;)

And to a slightly smaller extent, Golfs -vs Foci.

If you can find a good clean 156 you'll be laughing. If you buy one without giving it a very good going over chances are you'll end up crying. Do your homework on them before buying. Lovely looking car, nicer than the 159 IMO

Hotwheels

The 156 is an excellent car..Buuutttt
1 make sure it has a full service history
2 T-belt needs changing every 36K
3 Alfa's like oil, has it always been topped up..
4 get an Alfa specialist to look it over...
5 see 4...

A well cared for Alfa will give you many miles of happy motoring
And IMO my 159 looks better than my 156
Good luck with the car...take your time looking for the right one....

bmoferrall

Delete me please!

bmoferrall

Hotwheels wrote:

And IMO my 159 looks better than my 156

How long have you had the 159 Hotwheels? How's it going so far?
How does it compare to the 156 - better, worse, in what respects?
Any pics?

crosstownk

I drove the 159 for a weekend and I have to say it's much more refined than the 156. Typical 156 performance and suspension but just a bit better. It also feels like the 159 is considerably bigger than the 156. Great fun to drive. I'd nearly buy one if it wasn't for the reliabilty aspect.

bmoferrall

crosstownk wrote:

I drove the 159 for a weekend and I have to say it's much more refined than the 156. Typical 156 performance and suspension but just a bit better. It also feels like the 159 is considerably bigger than the 156. Great fun to drive. I'd nearly buy one if it wasn't for the reliabilty aspect.

I passed a 159 on the road for the first time recently and was pleasantly surprised - looked very striking and imposing. Definitely looks better in the flesh, though I reckon it needs a darker colour for best effect.
The extra bulk and size is a big turn off for me - almost shifts it into 166 territory. The performance figures for the 4WD 3.2 V6 are especially disappointing. I guess Alfa are trying to broaden its appeal somehow, though its rarity on the roads so far suggests they may not be succeeding. Maybe they've pitched the prices too high?

For all that, I think we can be thankful that there are manufacturers (Citröen being another notable example) still trying to inject some real flair and diversity across their range (notwithstanding the wretched 'corporate-nose' affliction) - God knows our roads could do with brightening up. BTW, the 8C competizione is apparently going into limited production.

Hotwheels

How long have you had the 159 Hotwheels? How's it going so far?
How does it compare to the 156 - better, worse, in what respects?
Any pics?

Have my new lady since end of March...Just back for the 4800K check and all is well... 159 JTDm 1.9 16V
It's a vast improvement on my 04 156, for a big car it corners amazingly flat and is a real joy to drive, just leave it in third on twisty bits and away you go..
we did a quick check on fuel consumption and it's doing about 47-49MPG in mixed driving. The car cruises effortlessly at 100-120Kmph:)
Steering, ride, breaking all is vastly improved, there's 3yrs free servicing included with it, and the T-Belt is down in the book for changing at 150Km or every 4 years, which ever comes first...
IMO I think it looks much better then my 156, but like it, it's a real joy to drive...
I was a confirmed petrol head until I drove a 156 JTDm last year, now that I've gone over to the dark side there's no turning back Just plant it and your gone, for effortless overtaking...
I'll post a few pic's when I have her all nice and shiny

Owen

Our local dealer are advertising a 159 for almost 40 Grand? For that money, I'd buy an Audi, Lexus or Beamer. Not an Alfa, the 156 was one of the fastest depreciating vehicles on the road.

bmoferrall

Cheers Hotwheels. If you don't mind me asking, did you get it for list price?
The 3yr servicing is a nice bonus. Any idea how sales are going with the 159? They seem rare enough at the moment.
How's the quality of the interior? Any squeaks/creaks/rattles?

Hotwheels wrote:

...and the T-Belt is down in the book for changing at 150Km or every 4 years, which ever comes first...

I thought they'd switched to chains...or is that just the petrol models?

IMO I think it looks much better then my 156, but like it, it's a real joy to drive...

Not convinced yet that it's better looking, but I am warming to it. What colour did you choose?

Long may she run :cool:

Hotwheels

Hello bmoferrall...

No I did not pay full price for the car, I got a good deal from Lismard...It took a while to find a good Alfa dealer, I found these folks good, they had been looking after my 156 and gave very good service...It ended up as a straight deal as my other baby was written off by and other road user..:mad:

I went for black as before, IMO dark colours suit Alfa's

Nope no rattles or anything like that, the build quality is very good IMO and some of the roads round me are rough in spots, any rattles and I'd find them driving....

The Chains are fitted to the 2.4 JTDm and the 3.2 GTA, 1.9's have the Belt

She is a flyer on the roads (within legal limits ) leave it in third and plant it and away she goes...good thing I have the limiter set to 120Kmph, as you'll get there very quickly:D Much to the supprise of other road users...:D
Overall it is a vast improvement on my 156..and like all Alfa's loves the twisty stuff...Pictures are below...

159 Pix here

bmoferrall

Hotwheels wrote:

Pictures are below...

Very nice Hotwheels. Black is definitely the best colour for the 159. Spoked alloys suit it better too.
Are they 16in or 17in?

Another size up would really finish it off nicely :cool:

Hotwheels

Left it on the 16's...I had a demo out on 18's and found them a bit harsh on rough stuff...16's work very well, and The Pirelli's work very well in the wet...

bmoferrall

Hotwheels wrote:

Left it on the 16's...I had a demo out on 18's and found them a bit harsh on rough stuff...16's work very well, and The Pirelli's work very well in the wet...

Don't mind me, the car looks fine. I'm just besotted with this pic (think these are 19in!):

17/18in are a big compromise on our roads - you're better off in the long run with 16in.