Alfa Romeo

solosuperia

One of the Herberts down the pub last night told us he was buying an Alfa Romeo.
This prompted a "marmite" response.....
As the pros and cons were batted around the bar I made the comment "On the whole Alfas tended to be very good looking cars"
Someone replied "Whores are good looking but would you marry one?"

Posed the question........ Have Alfas improved their reliability enough to make them a sensible buy.
Don't think I'll follow that by asking about marrying a whore.

laurentian

I had a SAAB. Unreliable, poor dealership service, never worked properly.

The lease was up for renewal and, always having fancied an Alfa and figuring it couldn't possibly be worse than the SAAB, I thought I'd take the plunge and got a GT (Cloverleaf Q2 for those interested).

Fantastic car! as relialble as anything I've ever had and more fun than all of them put together. The engines tend to be a bit "generic" now so "tried and tested"- you'll probably find basically the same engine in a Vauxall or a Ford or something else. The only issue was a cosmetic one with the interior finishing whereby a few things tended to come loose or fall off (mainly trim) I would collect in a plastic bag and present to the staff when it went in for a service for them to replace!

I'd have another Alfa tomorrow.

mpatts

Yes they are now OK.

Also, good discount with British Cycling membership - which takes the sting away from the depreciation!

I too had a saab, it was dreadfully unreliable.

edhornby

my wife's dad has a 157 estate and it's been good for him (disclaimer, he's italian and biased) but he's done a lot of miles in it and it's not been a liability for them, I would say that similar experiences for Laurentian have been the only issues, like non-essential features that don't work quite right and some interesting trim fitting.

I normally buy cheap cars and have previously avoided cheap italian cars but if I had to replace the Kia I have I wouldn't discount an alfa

t4tomo

I ran a GT coupe for a couple of years bought it a 3 years old and sold it at 5 years old.

generally much more reliable than old and certainly dont have the turn to a pile rust issue that plagued the alfasuds etc.

I did have a clutch go -they only last about 60000 miles sothing to do with it being a pull action rather than a push and I had the water pump go which as its driven off the cambelt results in destroying the cam-belt and your valves and a £700 repair bill. alfa recommned chaning cambelt at 72000 miles - my local dealer always insisted on cghanging cambelt and wtater pump at 60000 and my let fly at 56000.

Aside from that the occasional warning light popped on and off but was due to faulty sensors rather than a fault per se and the leccy windows played up once but I maanged to reset them myself with dealer / interweb advice.

Positives - lovely cabin and well finished - no bits fell off mine - a hoot to drive - the Q2 slip diff system is fantastic gives loads of grip (plus good for the snow) and the engines are fab - the diesel feels like a lively petrol unitbut with more torque and delivers 40+ mpg. The V6's are great but more thirsty!

I'd avoid the biggest wheels though - the ultra low profile tyres are very prone to side wall pinch punctures if you hit a pothole.

arran77

Find yourself a low mileage one with a good tight box and you should be ok - this is relevant to Alfa's as well

Giraffoto

I had a 147 with the Selespeed gearbox for six years. It wasn't just the most reliable car I ever owned, it was the most reliable car I'd ever heard of. Lovely looking car, all black and shiny, very comfy seats and one of those CD changers where you have to change the discs in the boot. Even though a car is just an appliance, I liked it more than my fridge or my washing machine.

y33stu

I also had a GT for 2 years. Bought it when it was 3 years old, it had only done 19,000 miles. Within 6 weeks it was back in the garage having a new clutch, gearbox, and some suspension something or other. Luckily all covered under warranty.

The only other issue I had was in the snow, as the GT is quite low, driving over hard, frozen snow caused the clutch pipe to sever = no clutch. Again, they fixed it under warranty.

Would i buy another alpha?? Yes.

veronese68

Yes, they are as reliable as most other European cars now. I had a 156 estate for years and the only things that went wrong reliability wise were a crank sensor and MAF sensor. Both of which are Bosch parts and are common to many VAG, BMWs and others using Bosch engine management. Other than that it was routine servicing and wear and tear. Modern cars are much of a muchness. Now I've got an Audi A4 as the Alfa had monster miles on it and the Audi didn't and was cheap. I really miss my Alfa.

e999sam

Check this out.
http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/overall-results/1206902

napoleond

MrsNapD has had a Mito for 3 years now, the 1.4 turbo multiair. Despite the engine size it sounds ACE! Very addictive. Best car we've had as a family. Due for a new one in December, will likely get a giulietta.

VTech

One of the most iconic brands ever. Without which we wouldn't have F1 as we know it, nor would we have many of the safety functions found in modern cars.

crescent

I had a 156 for a couple of years and absolutely loved it. I sat in one at a motor show in 2003 and decided I had to have one. Bought a pre-registered on a few months later. Mine didn't break down in the time I had it but you definitely have to keep on top of the maintenance more than other makes, in particular checking oil levels regularly. In every other respect, economy, running costs etc it was comparable to any other European saloon car. The only thing that really let it down was the depreciation which, ironically, was based on a perceived lack of reliability which never manifested itself in mine.
One thing you can be sure of it, it makes you feel special everytime you sit in it and drive it. It's one of the few cars that I always looked over my shoulder at when I parked it.
I would have another one but only if I wasn't worried about having to sell it on at a later date.

francis666

No such thing as an unreliable modern car anymore.
Since European testing legislation covering almost every facet of a modern cars production, is there really such a thing as unreliability?
OK you can get the odd "Friday afternoon" job, but all cars are tested to the point of destruction (literally)
20 years ago: Fiat, Citroen, Alpha, Skoda and a few others were considered a joke (I owned a 2.5 GTV, Alfa Sud Cloverleaf and Alfa Veloce Sprint, back then).

Whats the difference between whore and marriage?
One is honest about wanting money and sleeping with other people and if you have a lot cash, they always get better looking. you work it out?

metronome

I had a 147 a few years ago. Awesome car. I'd still like to own a 147 GTA. I saw one a couple of weeks ago for the first time in years. They still look and sound ace.

pinno

arran77 wrote:

Find yourself a low mileage one with a good tight box and you should be ok - this is relevant to Alfa's as well

Speaking from experience?

You have to change the cam belt every 45 to 65k. It will cost between £450 and £750 to do. If you buy a second hand one around the 50k mark, make absolutely sure it has been done because to have any peace of mind, you would have to do it as a precaution.
BTW, there is a specialist in Huddersfield that do cam belt changes and they are very reasonably priced - better than main dealers and worth the xxxmiles to get there.

debeli

Alfas are OK, as are BMWs, Kias and Fords. These days, cars are just cars.

The myth of Alfadom is based in part on the one-time scarcity of its products in the UK (and other markets) and to a tiny degree on its racing heritage as a manufacturer. Now it is the 'sporty' side of the mass-market FIAT badge, while Lancia does the 'upmarket' thing for the same brand (badged as Chrysler in the UK, bizarrely).

The motoring press also played their part, by drooling about the V6 motor that powered surprisingly few Alfas registered in this country (a few 75s, the Six, the Alfetta GTV6, the 90, the 164 and 166, some barmy hatches and a few others).

These days, the Mito (very pretty) is bought because it is pretty and perceived as 'high end'. And it is pretty. But it carries much of the DNA of the Corsa and the Grande Punto (among others) without some of the practicality.

Cars have become white goods - which is an excellent thing in many ways. Few are memorable to drive. Almost any airport rental car bacomes forgettable once parked. Alfas are the same. They are airport rental cars, but red ones.

arran77

pinarello001 wrote:

arran77 wrote:

Find yourself a low mileage one with a good tight box and you should be ok - this is relevant to Alfa's as well

Speaking from experience?

It's just common sense to avoid a box that lots of other people have been crunching to get it in.

dowtcha

Last Alfa was the 75 which stop production in 92.

tlw1

pinarello001 wrote:

arran77 wrote:

Find yourself a low mileage one with a good tight box and you should be ok - this is relevant to Alfa's as well

Speaking from experience?

You have to change the cam belt every 45 to 65k. It will cost between £450 and £750 to do. If you buy a second hand one around the 50k mark, make absolutely sure it has been done because to have any peace of mind, you would have to do it as a precaution.
BTW, there is a specialist in Huddersfield that do cam belt changes and they are very reasonably priced - better than main dealers and worth the xxxmiles to get there.

my mate just bought a 2nd hand one and didn't bother changing the cam belt.........

he has just bought a new engine.

veronese68

I did the cam belt on mine myself as soon as I bought it to be sure, turned out the previous one was half a tooth out so I'm glad I did. I still have the cam locking tools I really should stick them on the Bay I suppose.
I bought the Bosch parts I needed from a mainly northern motor factors that does a lot of exhausts. They were very helpful and the prices were good, but I've heard some of the staff are a bit strange.

tlw1

Veronese68 wrote:

I bought the Bosch parts I needed from a mainly northern motor factors that does a lot of exhausts. They were very helpful and the prices were good, but I've heard some of the staff are a bit strange.

I hope we gave you a decent discount!

lesfirth

All the above about cam belt early changing is dead right but change the water pump at the same time. When that fails its the same result as the cam belt going. Other than that what are you going to buy that isn't boring. They are great cars.

AlexMac1973

I had a 147 for 4 years, most favourite car I've ever had the pleasure to sit in. I once went to an owners meeting and a guy who had a GTA couldn't figure out why my interior was better than his, and mine was only a 1.6ts.

I had to sell it because the wife couldn't get on with the clutch when she passed her test. So I traded it in for a Focus ST 170 . I still miss driving an Alfa, I will buy another one eventually, I've got my eye on either a 147 GTA or a Brera.

It's like most cars, if you take care of it will run for miles without any troubles.

I'd have another one in a heartbeat.

veronese68

matthew h wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

I bought the Bosch parts I needed from a mainly northern motor factors that does a lot of exhausts. They were very helpful and the prices were good, but I've heard some of the staff are a bit strange.

I hope we gave you a decent discount!

Oh yes indeed.

joelsim

You buy an Alfa with your heart, not your head.

I had a 147 Lusso a few years back from new, and whilst I loved it, I did spend a disproportionate amount of time getting it fixed, I think about 12 times in 4 years I had to take it for work.

And it lost of a packet too, a £17k car that was sold for £6k.

Nice car though and I would love another.

Pross

I've got an 11 plate Giulietta which has done about 82,000 miles and (touching wood and going round in circles) it has been completely reliable. It does have a few Italian quirks which are a bit frustrating, the main one being that the shape of the glass on the dash board means it reflects the sun badly and you can barely read the display. But mechanically it has been fine, it's a diesel engine and I think the engine is VAG? I was told by a dealer (so it may not be true!) that they closed their previous factory and opened a new one that basically sorted out their reliability issues.

tlw1

Veronese68 wrote:

matthew h wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

I bought the Bosch parts I needed from a mainly northern motor factors that does a lot of exhausts. They were very helpful and the prices were good, but I've heard some of the staff are a bit strange.

I hope we gave you a decent discount!

Oh yes indeed.

not too good though - my profit share is at stake here

proto

Pross wrote:

.............. But mechanically it has been fine, it's a diesel engine and I think the engine is VAG? I was told by a dealer (so it may not be true!) that they closed their previous factory and opened a new one that basically sorted out their reliability issues.

The engine is a Fiat (Alfa's parent) JTD motor, used in lots of vehicles in various configurations. Fitted to Fiat, Alfa, Opel/Vauxhall, Saab, and some Suzukis.

veronese68

matthew h wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

matthew h wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

I bought the Bosch parts I needed from a mainly northern motor factors that does a lot of exhausts. They were very helpful and the prices were good, but I've heard some of the staff are a bit strange.

I hope we gave you a decent discount!

Oh yes indeed.

not too good though - my profit share is at stake here

Well, err...
Actually you probably made so much profit you should do a customer visit. I know some good pubs we could have a 'meeting' in.

tlw1

Veronese68 wrote:

matthew h wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

matthew h wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

I bought the Bosch parts I needed from a mainly northern motor factors that does a lot of exhausts. They were very helpful and the prices were good, but I've heard some of the staff are a bit strange.

I hope we gave you a decent discount!

Oh yes indeed.

not too good though - my profit share is at stake here

Well, err...
Actually you probably made so much profit you should do a customer visit. I know some good pubs we could have a 'meeting' in.