RE: Shed Of The Week: Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon
Discussion
Limpet said:
No, I think not. Tis' a sad looking thing, I know you can't be picky at this price point but it's a crap colour too which surely doesn't help its case.
I had two 156 saloons, one a petrol 1.8, the other one a 2.4 jtd. I have owned a number of Alfas over the years and still have a S4 Spider which I have loved. The 156 is IMO one of the most attractive mass produced cars since the dawn of motoring that was ruined by unreliable engines and badly underdeveloped, brittle suspension. Never again for me.
Being a person that only ever runs sheds every time I feel the need for change buying an alfa is always possible , I have owned a 164 and a 145 in the past .
The 156 wagon to me is the best looking of the 156 range , having never owned a diesel , I could be very tempted by a JTD version .
I think it would be a 147 if I went for another Alfa .
The 156 wagon to me is the best looking of the 156 range , having never owned a diesel , I could be very tempted by a JTD version .
I think it would be a 147 if I went for another Alfa .
I had a 147 with the 1.6 TS motor and it was a nice thing to thrash around, though you could hardly call it quick.
The 1.6 is going to be a bit overwhelmed in a 156 Sportwagon.
Main problem with this car is going to be the running costs.
Belt, pulleys and waterpump every 36,000 miles is a bit of a stinger. There are eight expensive plugs to change. And there is the variator to think about.
Then there is the front suspension. Top arms, bottom arms, drop links and ARB bushes are all expensive consumables.
My 156 JTD is on its third set of top links at 90,000 miles....
They are expensive to tax for a 1.6 and not terribly economical.
As much as I love Alfas, and the 156 in particular, I am struggling to get excited about this one. It is a crap colour with a dull interior and the wrong engine.
Still, at least it is a Veloce, so it should handle nicely. And the wheels are nice.
The 1.6 is going to be a bit overwhelmed in a 156 Sportwagon.
Main problem with this car is going to be the running costs.
Belt, pulleys and waterpump every 36,000 miles is a bit of a stinger. There are eight expensive plugs to change. And there is the variator to think about.
Then there is the front suspension. Top arms, bottom arms, drop links and ARB bushes are all expensive consumables.
My 156 JTD is on its third set of top links at 90,000 miles....
They are expensive to tax for a 1.6 and not terribly economical.
As much as I love Alfas, and the 156 in particular, I am struggling to get excited about this one. It is a crap colour with a dull interior and the wrong engine.
Still, at least it is a Veloce, so it should handle nicely. And the wheels are nice.
Frimley111R said:
Amazing how little extra space the estate version had. Nice looking for an estate though.
Isn't this the estate car that famously has less boot space than the saloon?Anyway, I'm running a 156 2.0 TS Sportwagon Veloce as a daily at the moment. I love it but I really wouldn't want any less power.
Nice shed. If anyone's interested we've got a 2.4jtd sportwagon sat on our drive not doing anything that we'd let go for less than shed money. I'd admit it would be a bit of a project as it needs a few bits and pieces doing to it but it was a top spec dealer demonstrator so is in veloce spec, tan leather with factory sat nav, roof rails, tow bar, cruise etc etc.
Axionknight said:
My God that is ugly, a face only a mother could love.
I agree! Never got on with the Alfa Romeo look myself, though a couple look OK from the rear.This one reminded me of the Guild Navigator from Dune (the David Lynch one from 1984): https://youtu.be/8R62mKqTm0c?t=270
Gliaviate said:
I had two 156 saloons, one a petrol 1.8, the other one a 2.4 jtd. I have owned a number of Alfas over the years and still have a S4 Spider which I have loved. The 156 is IMO one of the most attractive mass produced cars since the dawn of motoring that was ruined by unreliable engines and badly underdeveloped, brittle suspension. Never again for me.
My take on the 156 is that the 2.4 20v diesel and the V6 are stonking engines and pretty bombproof.The Twin Sparks are good engines, but with hopelessly short and expensive service intervals which are often ignored, with predictably catastrophic results.
The suspension is a disaster. The ride is pants and, with the heavier engines, the top arms start creaking every 30,000 miles. The bottom arms last a bit longer before they start knocking, then the ARB bushes give up. And that is a miserably time consuming and expensive job.
And the brakes are poor, the turning circle awful and the ground clearance inadequate.
I think they are fantastic looking cars, with magnificent interiors. If you get one with a tan, red or grey leather interior then they are a very stylish place to be.
I have probably covered 100,000 miles in my 156s and they have been completely reliable. But they have needed lots of expensive maintenance along the way.
If you only cover low mileages and you know how to use a spanner, then they are probably the most stylish motoring you can get for the money.
If you are able to set aside the style and the snorty engines, then a Focus is a much better car in every way.
Pat H said:
If you are able to set aside the style and the snorty engines, then a Focus is a much better car in every way.
I agree, our new Focus 1.0 Ecoboost is the same when compared to my 1750 TBi 159. It is painful to say but true, know which keys I usually take though and they don't have a blue oval on them.Gorgeous, love Alfas.
It's such a PH cliche but I feel I have to own an Alfa one day and I have always hankered after a 156 of some descriptions. I wouldn't care about the engine, as I would feel the urge to waft around in it and just relax. Saying that, I'd not say no to a 3.0 V6 166, hmmmm.
It's such a PH cliche but I feel I have to own an Alfa one day and I have always hankered after a 156 of some descriptions. I wouldn't care about the engine, as I would feel the urge to waft around in it and just relax. Saying that, I'd not say no to a 3.0 V6 166, hmmmm.
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