I may be interested in an Alfa 156 Sportwagon.for my wife

Its a late 2005 1.9JTD 150BHP Ti spec.

Does anybody have any first hand experience of them? Are they as bad these days as they were once made out? Is the 1.9 any good, or is the 2.4 better?

Its on 100k miles , and had the belts and pump done at 72k.

I have lots of pics of it , and it looks in amazing nick both inside and out. But I still have the niggling Alfa stories in the back of my head.

But it does LOOK good:)

If you want to chuck your money away i'll pm you my account and sort number

Never knew they do diesel versions.. :| The one thing that was good about the alfa was the noise/engine..

In short.. +1 with the above..

What models have you guys owned?

What are the common issues with the ( Fiat? ) Multi jet JTD engine?

thanks for the replies/........

Ian...dont do it mate.

Gorgeous cars, cant take that away from it, but mate had one and cost him ££££££ in servicing, repairs.

Would recommend you guest into an Alfa site & see what info they have.

Have a read of this.....

Honest John 156 review

Would recommend you guest into an Alfa site & see what info they have.

Yes , have done. Just wanted any first hand info. Seems the modern ones have less issues than most Skodas. Or the owners are more passionate / dont moan so much.

Maybe.

A mate bought a 2000 (is that X reg?) 156 SW about 4 years ago and he's had nothing but expensive trouble with it. New ignition system, shock absorbers, cv joints, window motors went, etc, etc, Having said that, it had done 80,000 miles when he bought it so some was just wear and tear. It's petrol as well so I can't comment on the diesel. They do look good though and he says that when it's running OK he loves it

At the same time he bought that I bought my Skoda and I've only had to replace the N75 valve and clean the rear wiper mechanism (cue extreme failure of everything over the next month for being smug)

Looking at your pics, it'd be worth a gamble surely?

They're Italian, so will be expensive for repairs and parts.

A mate bought a 2000 (is that X reg?) 156 SW about 4 years ago and he's had nothing but expensive trouble with it. New ignition system, shock absorbers, cv joints, window motors went, etc, etc, Having said that, it had done 80,000 miles when he bought it so some was just wear and tear. It's petrol as well so I can't comment on the diesel. They do look good though and he says that when it's running OK he loves it At the same time he bought that I bought my Skoda and I've only had to replace the N75 valve and clean the rear wiper mechanism (cue extreme failure of everything over the next month for being smug)Looking at your pics, it'd be worth a gamble surely?

yes , at least it would look good sitting on my drive waiting to be fixed.

Trying to find out if these late model ones are a FIAT Multipoint engine?...anyone confirm?

Edited 20 August, 201015 yr by biomulv

a friend of mine had a alfa diesel as a courtesy car, and virtually eveything was broken on it, and that was only 2 yeas old!! alfa's have an terrible record for electrical issues and general reliablility

Although since they hired an ex-Audi quality control man, things seem to be looking up. Hardly any issues being reported for the MiTo it seems. Even Honest John has nothing listed in the "bad" section yet. Time will tell I suppose.

I had one as a rental car in spain, the car was virtually brand new. I hated every minute of it, and couldnt wait to give it back. It was economical, but its designed for looks rather than function. The exterior mirrors are awkward and difficult to use due to their shape, the climate control needed a degree to operate as it has so many buttons. Its suprisingly small inside as well, with no rear legroom and feels very claustrophobic up front.

Here is an interior pic,

You can see how small the available space is, and how the mirror design makes them awkward to use.

Al

Lot

Frigging

Aggro

Mate had same version as a company car, saw him more often than not in a courtesy car. I wont list all the faults takes up too much space.

Wow that does look cramped... :S

Very cramped! :S

Edited 20 August, 201015 yr by Mike Wrightson

Erm..... We have an Alfa Romeo franchise and we wouldn't try to sell that car on the forecourt because single time we sell one it costs us £800-£1100 in the workshop.

If you have your heart set on one buy it from a reputable garage with a service department and a watertight warranty.

Or buy it very cheap and be prepared to spend a fair bit on it. The engine/gearbox will be fine it's just the other bits.

Keep the S60.

Erm..... We have an Alfa Romeo franchise and we wouldn't try to sell that car on the forecourt because single time we sell one it costs us £800-£1100 in the workshop.

If you have your heart set on one buy it from a reputable garage with a service department and a watertight warranty.

Or buy it very cheap and be prepared to spend a fair bit on it. The engine/gearbox will be fine it's just the other bits.

Keep the S60.

I agree on the engine/gearbox http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/171717-to-those-who-said-it-was-a-mistake/

and with the other!

the alfa mito is basically a grande punto and last winter loads of them "blew up" in temps under -10c, but no grande punto's "blew up" seems in the mito (same engine) they leave the water drain from the windscreen to empty above the alternator, and then the cold night freezed the alternator solid, they start it up and the drive belt smokes and then snaps due to the frozen alternator! :no: how can they miss that sort of design fault? fiat didn't.......

but to be honest, i would still have an alfa, whether it blew up or not, I think they are fantastic cars, I had a lancia thema turbo, and that blew up twice, but it still remains the best car I ever had

Edited 21 August, 201015 yr by sharkrider

I agree on the engine/gearbox http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/171717-to-those-who-said-it-was-a-mistake/

and with the other!

the alfa mito is basically a grande punto and last winter loads of them "blew up" in temps under -10c, but no grande punto's "blew up" seems in the mito (same engine) they leave the water drain from the windscreen to empty above the alternator, and then the cold night freezed the alternator solid, they start it up and the drive belt smokes and then snaps due to the frozen alternator! :no: how can they miss that sort of design fault? fiat didn't.......

but to be honest, i would still have an alfa, whether it blew up or not, I think they are fantastic cars, I had a lancia thema turbo, and that blew up twice, but it still remains the best car I ever had

Thanks for the comments.

Has helped me absolutely none what so ever , as I keep looking at the pix of the Alfa.

The S60 is very very good , probably one of the best cars I have had. Love it every time I drive it, albeit I drive it very little. The wife has her heart set on something different though.

I keep thinking , surely they cant be THAT bad , can they.........

It seems they might be... :'(

to be honest, make your own decision, I like alfas, although I have never owned one... remember the top gear with the 146 cloverleaf (may not have been the 146, but the focus size one) with the classic (best) V6 giving about 250 bhp in a fwd hatch... they tested it against much better competition (renault sport megane, focus RS ect) and all three said the alfa was worst, and all hree said the alfa was the one they would choose

Edited 21 August, 201015 yr by sharkrider

to be honest, make your own decision, I like alfas, although I have never owned one... remember the top gear with the 146 cloverleaf (may not have been the 146, but the focus size one) with the classic (best) V6 giving about 250 bhp in a fwd hatch... they tested it against much better competition (renault sport megane, focus RS ect) and all three said the alfa was worst, and all hree said the alfa was the one they would choose

That's an Alfa 147GTA. I sold mine about a month ago to buy the vRS. The GTA has been the best car I've ever had, by miles (vRS included, sorry). The cockpit is compact - it surrounds you and is the closest thing to an automotive "cuddle" I can think of. I kept mine for nearly three years and apart from one failed air-con hose (chafing), it's been absolutely flawless. But it was a 3.2 V6 and really quite small so I very reluctantly sold it. Loved every minute of driving it, quirks and all.

To the OP:

That's a great looking car, last of the line with the facelift exterior. Hope it's a decent price.

You'll hear all sorts of opinions from people and when you ask them what model they had, they go quiet and then you'll get things like "A neighbour of mine...", "My mate at work..."

Well I've had two of them. A 164 3.0 V6 24V and my 3.2 147GTA. Does anybody really believe that they are produced to poorer production standards than FIAT, Ford or any other modern manufacturer? The old ones rusted - so did escorts, metros, VW of the same period. Dodgy electrics - yes with management systems made by BOSCH (ask certain BMW owners about the Motronic systems - can't remember the version; somewhere arount 1990 and the Air Flow Meters, etc). All cars have their weaknesses and idiosyncracies.

Check you fit the car and that you like the instrunentation and controls. The major gauges are quite deep set and not terribly visible in certain light.

Check it's big enough - the Sportwagon isn't huge or I'd be in one instead of the vRS!

Look for a complete history and that things have been attended to properly. The water pump change is a good sign - do it every 40k. You dont hear much complaint about the use of the same JTDm (m = "modificata" not multipoint) engine in the Vectra. This engine exists in several versions, some are 8 valve and some 16 valve. The later 16V ones had 140 or 150 bhp out of the box and these can readily be remapped to around 200 bhp if that's your thing. But we all know bhp isn't what it's about but the delivery of torque is what matters.

Check the air bag light - if it's on, this is a common problem and no big deal. The electrical connector under the seat comes loose. Once reconnected will need a garage to reset using the Alfa version of VAGCOM - called Fiat Examiner.

Don't be frightened off by a history done by an independent garage - unfortunately you don't give your location but there are quite a few really top rated independents like A & M in Southampton area, Autolusso (Hemel Hempstead) and Alfa Workshop (Royston) half way up and Alfatune in St Helens amongst loads of others. There are some dodgy ones though - not named in public here. I used to take mine the 250 mile round trip to Autolusso for all my work.

Leather interior a decided bonus but drivers seats wear quite a bit (model dependant).

Honest John has a lot of scare monger stuff - can't see anything there that can't be found on any number of cars.

Expect to have to change front suspension wishbones - the ball joints don't seem to last and thay can't be replaced on their own. Quite cheap to buy at about £30 or so a side. Lowers are more pricey, roughly double, maybe a bit more. All plus fitting and VAT. This is no worse than the Mk 1 or 2 Mondeo, another much-maligned car but a truly excellent drive.

If the car has integrated Sat Nav (Connect or Connect+) it will also have an integrated voice operated phone and steering wheel controls - just shove the SIM into the slot on the dash. Don't pay a penny more for this system - the design dates from 2000 or 2001 and is really awful.

Xenons are an option on these cars. Don't know if they are any good. Changing font bulbs can be a work up but I don't know about this specific model.

No ISOFIX as far as I know.

Clean the bonnet latch mechanism really carefully and lube it properly unless you want to be wearing a different kind of bonnet to the usual (the Clio does this too...).

There must be loads of other things but I forget. Did I mention that it looks drop-dead beautiful inside and out? Oh yes, I did.

Summary: try it out, check its past. Get onto the Alfaowner forum and check it all out. Top recommended independent garage Autolusso (Ned Kirkham is the proprietor - tell him I sent you) - other top independents are available, NFI at all in any of the links above.

HTH a bit.Sorry, just read your first post again and should have noticed the Ti alloys. Ti spec - great. 16V 150 hp engine. If you don't buy it I might!

Edited 22 August, 201015 yr by mudhut

Erm..... We have an Alfa Romeo franchise and we wouldn't try to sell that car on the forecourt

Meridien Milano have put my old 2005 147GTA on their forecourt.

Edited 22 August, 201015 yr by mudhut

oOOPS , Double post in error:)

Edited 22 August, 201015 yr by biomulv

That's an Alfa 147GTA. I sold mine about a month ago to buy the vRS. The GTA has been the best car I've ever had, by miles (vRS included, sorry). The cockpit is compact - it surrounds you and is the closest thing to an automotive "cuddle" I can think of. I kept mine for nearly three years and apart from one failed air-con hose (chafing), it's been absolutely flawless. But it was a 3.2 V6 and really quite small so I very reluctantly sold it. Loved every minute of driving it, quirks and all.

To the OP:

That's a great looking car, last of the line with the facelift exterior. Hope it's a decent price.

You'll hear all sorts of opinions from people and when you ask them what model they had, they go quiet and then you'll get things like "A neighbour of mine...", "My mate at work..."

Well I've had two of them. A 164 3.0 V6 24V and my 3.2 147GTA. Does anybody really believe that they are produced to poorer production standards than FIAT, Ford or any other modern manufacturer? The old ones rusted - so did escorts, metros, VW of the same period. Dodgy electrics - yes with management systems made by BOSCH (ask certain BMW owners about the Motronic systems - can't remember the version; somewhere arount 1990 and the Air Flow Meters, etc). All cars have their weaknesses and idiosyncracies.

Check you fit the car and that you like the instrunentation and controls. The major gauges are quite deep set and not terribly visible in certain light.

Check it's big enough - the Sportwagon isn't huge or I'd be in one instead of the vRS!

Look for a complete history and that things have been attended to properly. The water pump change is a good sign - do it every 40k. You dont hear much complaint about the use of the same JTDm (m = "modificata" not multipoint) engine in the Vectra. This engine exists in several versions, some are 8 valve and some 16 valve. The later 16V ones had 140 or 150 bhp out of the box and these can readily be remapped to around 200 bhp if that's your thing. But we all know bhp isn't what it's about but the delivery of torque is what matters.

Check the air bag light - if it's on, this is a common problem and no big deal. The electrical connector under the seat comes loose. Once reconnected will need a garage to reset using the Alfa version of VAGCOM - called Fiat Examiner.

Don't be frightened off by a history done by an independent garage - unfortunately you don't give your location but there are quite a few really top rated independents like A & M in Southampton area, Autolusso (Hemel Hempstead) and Alfa Workshop (Royston) half way up and Alfatune in St Helens amongst loads of others. There are some dodgy ones though - not named in public here. I used to take mine the 250 mile round trip to Autolusso for all my work.

Leather interior a decided bonus but drivers seats wear quite a bit (model dependant).

Honest John has a lot of scare monger stuff - can't see anything there that can't be found on any number of cars.

Expect to have to change front suspension wishbones - the ball joints don't seem to last and thay can't be replaced on their own. Quite cheap to buy at about £30 or so a side. Lowers are more pricey, roughly double, maybe a bit more. All plus fitting and VAT. This is no worse than the Mk 1 or 2 Mondeo, another much-maligned car but a truly excellent drive.

If the car has integrated Sat Nav (Connect or Connect+) it will also have an integrated voice operated phone and steering wheel controls - just shove the SIM into the slot on the dash. Don't pay a penny more for this system - the design dates from 2000 or 2001 and is really awful.

Xenons are an option on these cars. Don't know if they are any good. Changing font bulbs can be a work up but I don't know about this specific model.

No ISOFIX as far as I know.

Clean the bonnet latch mechanism really carefully and lube it properly unless you want to be wearing a different kind of bonnet to the usual (the Clio does this too...).

There must be loads of other things but I forget. Did I mention that it looks drop-dead beautiful inside and out? Oh yes, I did.

Summary: try it out, check its past. Get onto the Alfaowner forum and check it all out. Top recommended independent garage Autolusso (Ned Kirkham is the proprietor - tell him I sent you) - other top independents are available, NFI at all in any of the links above.

HTH a bit.Sorry, just read your first post again and should have noticed the Ti alloys. Ti spec - great. 16V 150 hp engine. If you don't buy it I might!

Thanks very much for the post.

At last one from someone who has owned an Alfa. You are right , whenever I have asked what model / engine they had you get no reply.

I was hoping someone , somewhere might have owned had a late model 156 JTD, but afraid not.

Yes , its a late 2005 TI Spec , Which seem rarer than the proverbial.....

I have found others more local that are more expensive than this would work at that are the lower specs.

It does not have Xenons or the Connect Sat Nav.

I have no issues using the independents ( I am Near Edinburgh BTW ) and the car has a FSH atm. Although , other than the belt and pump being done at 72k, I dont know what else has been replaced.

I need to iron a few things out , but I am actually swaying towards it. The only downsides atm are I would need to change my private plate , buy 2 car seats as they dont fit the Alfa and the 3 hrs drive to see the car.

And, yes I joined that forum a little while ago