E class v s60 v Alfa 159

E class v s60 v Alfa 159

Author
Discussion

Zarkingfardwarks

Original Poster:

1,041 posts

237 months

Saturday 25th January 2014
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Not completely mad but opinions sought.....

E class sport circa 2007/8 - (w211 facelift so no stupid sbc)

Alfa 159 Ti

S60

All will be diesel variant, love the Alfa look and the merc too s60 would be cheaper option

Want comfort, cruise, nice place to sit and a quiet ride

Head prob s60, heart Alfa - is the merc the best compromise

Ta

deltashad

6,731 posts

197 months

Saturday 25th January 2014
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Personally I wouldn't give the Volvo a second glance.

If it was a fire breathing e-class then I's go with it.
My preference would be veering towards the Alfa, but if the right spec Merc came up it would be close...

JD66

159 posts

123 months

Saturday 25th January 2014
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Personally I wouldn't go for the 159 if its a diesel, they're very nice looking cars but a work colleague had one and it spent more time in the garage then out of it. Most of his problems were diesel related so a petrol one may well be better.

Efbe

9,251 posts

166 months

Saturday 25th January 2014
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JD66 said:
Personally I wouldn't go for the 159 if its a diesel, they're very nice looking cars but a work colleague had one and it spent more time in the garage then out of it. Most of his problems were diesel related so a petrol one may well be better.
it's a pretty generic lump used in saabs, astras, vectras and fiats.
it will have the same reliability of most other lumps like this.

HOWEVER, i got the 1.9 Diesel, and wished I would have gone with the 2.2 petrol or 2.4 Diesel. Either of those sound much better and have much more poke, not that the 1.9 is slow.



also, have driven an e220diesel (2012) for a while so can compare the 159 (1.9 2007) to that. The e-class is much bigger. If you get a 159, then you want the estate version and even then boot space is relatively small.
The E-class is wafty, the 159 feels much nicer to drive, more precise and just corners better. But the E-class does feel a lot more expensive inside. Avoid the 159 bluetooth/satnav pack, its garbage; whilst thee-class version is great to use.
Both are great looking cars, but tools for different jobs IMO.

Edited by Efbe on Saturday 25th January 20:03

snorkel sucker

2,662 posts

203 months

Saturday 25th January 2014
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I've got a 159 Ti in white with tan leather that'll be up for sale soon....

It's the 2.0 diesel 170bhp and it goes well - wry revving for a diesel!

SpeckledJim

31,608 posts

253 months

Saturday 25th January 2014
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An E-Class or an Alfa? Genuine question?!

The Mercedes is twice the car.

yellowbentines

5,319 posts

207 months

Sunday 26th January 2014
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kapiteinlangzaam said:
E classes of that generation were built down to a price by Merc (just like every other car, granted) but the 'hewn from granite' stereotype certainly doesnt apply any more.
I have to disagree, the facelift W211 with the 5 speed auto & 220 cdi engine is IMO a sweet spot in terms of reliability & build quality of modern Mercs.

I ran an E220 cdi for 50k miles & the paint & interior looked factory fresh, no creaks or rattles anywhere. There's a couple of posters on PH who've ran these cars well past 200k miles.

I'd have another in a heartbeat!

RXED

360 posts

190 months

Sunday 26th January 2014
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I used to own an Alfa 159 SW Ti 2.0 diesel. I had it for near on 3 years & now own a Mercedes C Class.

The Alfa is a gorgeous car, by far the best looking estate car in my eyes. The Ti interior is a great place to sit with leather and a brushed metal center consol. Also, at night you get a warm red glow from the dash which looked amazing! It handled really well for a fwd and although firm, it was a smooth ride.
The 2.0 diesel is a later engine with 170bhp. It's quite rapid and I used to get 42MPG, not great but it bad. It was quiet and very reliable.

Mine was fully loaded with every option, and in the time I had it, the only fault was the Sat Nav gps antenna failed. Apart from that, it was perfect! See, Alfas are not so bad.

In fact, if it wasn't a diesel, I would still have it. The allure of a petrol made me change cars to be honest.

Now I own a C Class, I can tell you that the Alfa was a nicer car to sit in, better looking and more comfy. Don't get me wrong, I love my Mercedes, but the Alfa will always be remembered fondly.

So, unless getting an E63, I would avoid the E class. The Volvo? My friend has one, it's lovely, but not a patch on a Ti 159. It's plain, a little boring. The interior is no where near the quality of Alfa's ( honestly, his dash dented when he dropped his key from the ignition!).

My vote, get the a Alfa - You will love it!

Here was mine;



Edited by RXED on Sunday 26th January 14:38