RE: Shed Of The Week: Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon
Discussion
alpha channel said:
Really? The full leather in my 2009 159Ti (with 65000 on the clock) is as new as the day it left the showroom. Possibly the most comfortable seats my buttocks have ever touched inside a car.
Yes I'm afraid so but do agree the seats are extremely comfortable and supportive even on long drives. I really didn't want full leather but with this car maybe it would have been worth it to avoid this.... 
I'm 78ish KG/6 foot tall by the way so not exactly bursting out of the seats and pretty careful getting in and out!! Shame really as the rest of the interior has worn pretty well (66K miles), be off to the interior trimmers soon I think to sort it out.
Drove a facelift (as in the less graceful front end re-design version) 156 1.9 JTD saloon and it wasn't that bad at all. Considering it was 115hp (I think), it had a great diesel surge to it and apart from the outside temperature gauge reading 45 degrees C...in Scotland...in winter...it was pretty rock solid.
The 1.6 though...I drove a 147 with that engine and it was horribly gutless, wheezy little thing with 5-speeds attached (could it've been a different tune to the 156's?). Having owned a 1.2 16v Stilo, which was on the same platform, I was thoroughly disappointed with the Alfa version. Gearchange was rather rubbery too compared to the Stilo's 6-speeder and the general dash ergonomics and notably more claustrophobic/less ergonomic interior were other come downs from the more logical, more airy Stilo cabin. It's a similar comparison that I'd make between a GTV and a Coupe really having driven both...
I like the 156s though and have been tempted to get a v6 on many occasions, maybe even stretch to a GTA for a practical family car after the Coupe
The 1.6 though...I drove a 147 with that engine and it was horribly gutless, wheezy little thing with 5-speeds attached (could it've been a different tune to the 156's?). Having owned a 1.2 16v Stilo, which was on the same platform, I was thoroughly disappointed with the Alfa version. Gearchange was rather rubbery too compared to the Stilo's 6-speeder and the general dash ergonomics and notably more claustrophobic/less ergonomic interior were other come downs from the more logical, more airy Stilo cabin. It's a similar comparison that I'd make between a GTV and a Coupe really having driven both...
I like the 156s though and have been tempted to get a v6 on many occasions, maybe even stretch to a GTA for a practical family car after the Coupe
muppet42 said:
apart from the outside temperature gauge reading 45 degrees C...in Scotland...in winter
Off topic but that's interesting. Last week, after at least a year of total inactivity (that's how long we've had it), our Golf's external temperature readout sparked into life for a couple of days, and it read 45 degrees too. It's gone dead again now.Blackpuddin said:
Off topic but that's interesting. Last week, after at least a year of total inactivity (that's how long we've had it), our Golf's external temperature readout sparked into life for a couple of days, and it read 45 degrees too. It's gone dead again now.
Looking back at pictures (yes, I took one of this bit of Alfa-ness), it was actually -45 degrees C...it may well be Scotland but it ain't that bloomin' cold in winter ...
I loved my 156 2.0 TS. Silver with red leather and the pepper pot wheels. As others have warned. Don't miss the service intervals. I missed one of mine and failed to check the oil with disastrous and very costly consequences (big ends!). Apart from that, in five years of ownership the car was mostly reliable apart from bits of trim falling off (side skirts and window switches etc). Bought for £19k... P/x value after five years and 60k miles... £3.5k...
I had 2 156's both 2.0twin spark one a saloon and one a sportwaggon both Lusso spec.
Both very reliable and great to drive and very good looking cars - they are expensive to maintain but mine were reliable.
I remember chasing a 1.6 in my 2.0 and tbh it really wasn't much slower and more than able to 'make progress'
I would easily have another...
Both very reliable and great to drive and very good looking cars - they are expensive to maintain but mine were reliable.
I remember chasing a 1.6 in my 2.0 and tbh it really wasn't much slower and more than able to 'make progress'
I would easily have another...
PrancingPanda said:
I loved my 156 2.0 TS. Silver with red leather and the pepper pot wheels. As others have warned. Don't miss the service intervals. I missed one of mine and failed to check the oil with disastrous and very costly consequences (big ends!). Apart from that, in five years of ownership the car was mostly reliable apart from bits of trim falling off (side skirts and window switches etc). Bought for £19k... P/x value after five years and 60k miles... £3.5k...
You don't portray them as being a particularly good car to own to be honest!Pat H said:
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.
A good summary, mine has required lower wishbones, aside from regular servicing belt changes, pad changes etc. But has been manageable as I've done all of it myself. Had I not then it would have been costly at the garage. Nice to drive.
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.
A good summary, mine has required lower wishbones, aside from regular servicing belt changes, pad changes etc. But has been manageable as I've done all of it myself. Had I not then it would have been costly at the garage. Nice to drive.
I had a Sportwagon 2.4 JTD for 3 years - black with tan interior . I absolutely loved it. Put your foot down and it really growled and still returned 42 mpg on a long run - unequalled by any car of mine since (X type 2.2d, XF 2.7d & now Evoque SD4). The only problem was the dealer service. The air conditioning was set to the wrong model (once it was sorted it was fine) and wear and tear in the turbo and suspension was not dealt with properly first time round. Brilliant design, fantastic performance, rubbish support.
Edited by R7HOC on Sunday 17th May 17:23
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