SHED Estate "what car?" to replace Alfa 156 V6

SHED Estate "what car?" to replace Alfa 156 V6

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Discussion

Mr E

21,583 posts

258 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
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Our 9-5 was excellent. Full bore in 3rd gear from about 40mph was genuinely startling. The Alfa wouldn't have seen which way it went.

Alfa interior looked much nicer. Saab seats were more comfortable. Alfa had a better gearbox and *that* engine. The Saab was probably a more complete and useful car.
Ours was cosmetically scruffy at the end of it's life, but only let me down once (and even then, it just started leaking coolant; it didn't actually fail to get us anywhere).

I'm embarrassed to say I was forced to trade it in rather than sell it (I simply had no time to deal with a sale).

drummerian

Original Poster:

127 posts

159 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
quotequote all
Mr E said:
Our 9-5 was excellent. Full bore in 3rd gear from about 40mph was genuinely startling. The Alfa wouldn't have seen which way it went.

Alfa interior looked much nicer. Saab seats were more comfortable. Alfa had a better gearbox and *that* engine. The Saab was probably a more complete and useful car.
Ours was cosmetically scruffy at the end of it's life, but only let me down once (and even then, it just started leaking coolant; it didn't actually fail to get us anywhere).

I'm embarrassed to say I was forced to trade it in rather than sell it (I simply had no time to deal with a sale).
Is that the estate?

I think my main problem with the saloon alfa is that it is hard to use all of it's space (no folding rear seats). I think even folding seats in a saloon would give me much more useable space (which I think they do in the Saab)

Mr E

21,583 posts

258 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
quotequote all
Both were estates

Zad

12,695 posts

235 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
quotequote all
Mondeo V6 estate. Preferably the 3.0 ST220, but the 2.5 has plenty of grunt and a really nice induction noise. Drives better than all the above FWDs too.

drummerian

Original Poster:

127 posts

159 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
quotequote all
Zad said:
Mondeo V6 estate. Preferably the 3.0 ST220, but the 2.5 has plenty of grunt and a really nice induction noise. Drives better than all the above FWDs too.
A lot of love for the mondeo! I will have to go see one, can't help but feel it may feel a bit 'ordinary' on the roads after having the alfa (maybe that's me being too picky!)

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
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The mondeo 6 isn't a patch on the busso. Possibly more power but nowhere near as nice and silky IMO. Alfa 6 speed is a nicer unit too.

drummerian

Original Poster:

127 posts

159 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
quotequote all
OpulentBob said:
The mondeo 6 isn't a patch on the busso. Possibly more power but nowhere near as nice and silky IMO. Alfa 6 speed is a nicer unit too.
if i could find a 156 sw in spec then i'd have it away! Can't get enough of the noise and the currently slipping clutch only allows me to hear it even more wink

Zad

12,695 posts

235 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
quotequote all
To my ears, there's only one mainstream V6 that beats the Mondeo on sound. Yeah. You guessed it. biggrin

Anyway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu7kgDjJXno

I suppose its cheating that the microphones outside the cabin so you hear the induction better, but you'll hopefully see/hear for yourself.


anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
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That a diesel? wink

drummerian

Original Poster:

127 posts

159 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
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I haven't really managed to shortlist a single model here now! Will have to get cruising for something nearby either Volvo, Saab, Mondeo, Alfa.....or maybe even something else again!

drummerian

Original Poster:

127 posts

159 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
A tempting possibility:
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

Not ideally located for me so will have to see if i'm down South any time soon to view.

martin mrt

3,768 posts

200 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
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I'd also recommend an ST220 Estate.

A boot measuring in square acres, lovely recaro interior, cheap to fix, reliable, chain driven V6 and not at all common on the roads.

Nice steer too, a very underestimated car


drummerian

Original Poster:

127 posts

159 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
martin mrt said:
I'd also recommend an ST220 Estate.

A boot measuring in square acres, lovely recaro interior, cheap to fix, reliable, chain driven V6 and not at all common on the roads.

Nice steer too, a very underestimated car
A quick looks doesn't turn up many for SHED money though. Will certainly have a look!

Maldini35

2,913 posts

187 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
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Another vote for the Saab 9-5.

Go for the 2.3 Turbo or above. Lovely mid range shove as has been mentioned and another 30-40bhp is buttons if you crave a bit more.

Great interior and surprising characterful to drive too - not great dynamically but still fun.
One of the safest cars on the road in its' time. I always found the iron girder like B pillars very reassuring whenever I reached for the seat belt.

I even like the styling.

Hmmm maybe I need another one.

drummerian

Original Poster:

127 posts

159 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
Maldini35 said:
Another vote for the Saab 9-5.

Go for the 2.3 Turbo or above. Lovely mid range shove as has been mentioned and another 30-40bhp is buttons if you crave a bit more.

Great interior and surprising characterful to drive too - not great dynamically but still fun.
One of the safest cars on the road in its' time. I always found the iron girder like B pillars very reassuring whenever I reached for the seat belt.

I even like the styling.

Hmmm maybe I need another one.
Just waiting for one to come up wink Looks like a lot of car for the money

andy-xr

13,204 posts

203 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
Maldini35 said:
Another vote for the Saab 9-5.

Go for the 2.3 Turbo or above. Lovely mid range shove as has been mentioned and another 30-40bhp is buttons if you crave a bit more.
Hmmm maybe I need another one.
This isnt a car you'd buy for economy though, or is it? What's the 2.3T like on a run?

drummerian

Original Poster:

127 posts

159 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
andy-xr said:
This isnt a car you'd buy for economy though, or is it? What's the 2.3T like on a run?
Not so worried for me as I do so little miles a year.

otolith

55,899 posts

203 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
Manual Aero is reasonably economical if you want it to be. Automatic less so. Long term average for our manual is 29mpg. With the cruise set to 70mph, it will get close to 40mpg on a run. Obviously with 250bhp under your foot, economy plummets if you start using the performance, but you can make adequate progress driving it gently and get decent fuel consumption in return. Or you can clog it in 3rd biggrin

drummerian

Original Poster:

127 posts

159 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
otolith said:
Manual Aero is reasonably economical if you want it to be. Automatic less so. Long term average for our manual is 29mpg. With the cruise set to 70mph, it will get close to 40mpg on a run. Obviously with 250bhp under your foot, economy plummets if you start using the performance, but you can make adequate progress driving it gently and get decent fuel consumption in return. Or you can clog it in 3rd biggrin
way better than I see from the Alfa then.....especially with a slipping clutch!

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
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klunkT5 said:
andy-xr said:
I keep looking at Volvos but they seem to sit at mega money for the age vs miles compared to other stuff out there. An average V70 is twice the price of an Ford/Vauxhall/Citroen type similar car and I'm not sure they're twice the car.
They are twice the car, Superbly engineered, Well built and dont rot like the above do, I would go as far to say the build quality is slightly better than German stuff of the same era. I was in the motor trade for 30+ years and have owned, Worked on and driven alot of cars, I have 2 850's (855's), A TDI for lugging stuff and economy (Audi AEL engine BTW) and a T5 on a classic policy, Though all this is just my opinion.

Edited by klunkT5 on Monday 30th March 20:16
Easily twice the car, I have been really deeply impressed with my V70. A 53 plate 130k Mondeo would be a knackered dog, my T5 is like new. Brilliant 5 pot engines, superb interiors and solid build. Same goes for a Saab 9-5.