Alfa Romeo 156 - Should I take the plunge?

[saintjohnny]

I have a budget of about �2000 for my new car. Not much, I know, so while my head says Fiesta! Polo! My heart is urging me to get an Alfa 156. I have never owned an Alfa before and all i read about is poor reliabilty horror stories! The reviews of the 156 I have read are vague - they all say it is comfortable and looks great, but that there could be myriad problems with it. can anyone advise me if I should just take a leap of faith and buy it? If not, what can I get for �2000 which is reliable and not outdated?

[tufty7]

Well they are stylish cars BUT getting a good one is difficult, They tend to be brought by enthusiasts and you may get one thats really been looked after , Alfa's in general are not for the limited budget drivers as when they do go wrong they can be expensive and if you don't keep an eye on the oil consumption you would be looking at mega bucks . Go with your head and wallet and make a choice , all cars can go wrong ........

[Toureman]

All you get is horror stories on all cars, nobody complains when the care is OK or tell you it is.

[flip_flop]

I'm an Alfa fan, and have been for years - I've had a 146, GTV, 147, 156 Sportwagon and currently have a GT.

Within the next year I will be trading the GT in for a Brera.

During the time I've owned Alfas, and because of the number of different models I've had you'd think I would've experienced some problems.......but no. None. Not a single one.

Modern Alfas have a stigma which is simply undeserved. If they were always breaking down, people wouldn't buy them, it really is as simple as that.

Like any car, just so long as they are serviced and reasonably well looked after, you should be OK.

Servicing/repairs are OK as well - it cost more to have a cam belt changed on my wife's Golf than it did on my GT.

The only thing that has annoyed me is that I lost a key and it cost �200 for a new one!!!! But then again, I don't know whether that is good or bad. Are BMW/Ford/VW keys any cheaper?

Plus, aesthetically (in my opinion) they have by far the best looking range of models of any marque - ten times better than any boring Beemer or VW.

Great to drive as well - very eager engines with a great sound.

[jake-the-peg]

If you've only got �2000 on a new car can you afford the insurance on the Alfa? group 11-16

[david1702198]

the stigma to modern alfa romes is deserved they are S H I T E !!!!end of story!!!

[Toureman]

I new would would get one like the above flip-flop, must be an Alfa expert lol.

[flip_flop]

The thing is, I like opinions like david's who, very mistakenly, believe they are rubbish, because that means they have a reasonable amount of exclusivity.

I love 'em. And as many in the motoring press say, you really can't consider yourself a pretolhead unless you've owned one.

[david1702198]

mistakenly?? no. only speaking from experience of working in a garage where the slightest little fault on one of these bangers costs an absolute fortune to put right. but at the end of the day its only my opinion!!!!people can make their own choices!!but dont say i didnt warn you!!!

[bigboots]

A good alfa is hard to find and if your budget is tight then go for something else, they are great cars and no more expensive than a similar bmw's merc's or audi, they are great to drive and look better than the competition, yes i own a W reg 2.0 TS as i prefer these to the JTS version
this is my opinionn and not shared by all

[david1702198]

toureman who cares what you think, as i said i only gave an opinion on personal experience, what do you want people to do ???lie??

[david1702198]

no im not an "expert" toureman but i have a better idea of what im talking about than you.