New Daily Driver - Sensible Diesel

[B.J.W]

Picked up my new car over the weekend. Bought to replace the trusty old Disco as I needed something a bit more economical and comfortable for Lady B.J.W.

The Brief:

Cost (including Disco trade-in) no more than 12k
Average MPG of 50mpg (give or take a few here and there)
Up to 3 years old
Less than 30,000 miles on the clock
A little bit left of field

Started off with a long list, whittled it down to a short list, and the end result (which is now sitting on my drive) is:





Alfa Romeo 159 1.9JTD Lusso. 06 Plate - 22,000 miles. FSH.

Comments welcome (good and bad), but hopefully I have managed to stay true to the spirit of PH! I have lusted after one of these for some time. Yes, the electrics might go wrong at some point, but it is bloody gorgeous.

Thanks for looking.

BJW

[patmahe]

Lovely cars and a potential future hack for me. Would be interested to see how it goes for you keep us up to date. Your particular example looks lovely. All the best with it.

[Alfahorn]

I approve, but I then I would.

[B.J.W]

Alfahorn said:

I approve, but I then I would.

This is my first Alfa Romeo - Always admired the marque and did look at buying a 156 a while back. Unfortunately, a close friend purchased a new GTV TS at around the same time which gave him trouble pretty much from day one, one of the main issues being the paint peeling off from the bonnet.

Couldn't resist the 159 any longer. I will be doing a fair few miles in it, so it might be of interest to other prospective 159 buyers as to reliability/issues etc.

[Alfahorn]

I don't know of too many issues. The 'special' paint is quite soft and prone to chipping, the protection film on the lower part of the rear arches has a tendancy to discolour and goes kind of yellowy.

Othwerwise I can't think of anything else right now. I think the JTDm is a better choice than the petrol versions so you've done well.

[Maty]

You've picked my next car!

Very nice and the exact combination I fancy, although I wasn't sure about the solid red and cream leather but it seems to work very well.

So, what does it drive like, comfy place to be etc etc? Is it the 150bhp diesel?? Do the back seats split and fold, I only ask because it seems to be an option on the leasing websites I've looked at.

I can't believe how cheap these seem to be to business lease, considering what I pay at the moment for the "back breaker" aka Astra SportHatch!!!

[B.J.W]

Maty said:

You've picked my next car!

Very nice and the exact combination I fancy, although I wasn't sure about the solid red and cream leather but it seems to work very well.

So, what does it drive like, comfy place to be etc etc? Is it the 150bhp diesel?? Do the back seats split and fold, I only ask because it seems to be an option on the leasing websites I've looked at.

I can't believe how cheap these seem to be to business lease, considering what I pay at the moment for the "back breaker" aka Astra SportHatch!!!

Hello Maty.

It is red and the natural leather which is different to the cream leather option. Be careful with the cream leather, the surrounding trim tends to be light grey which, from the cars I saw, seems to get very dirty very quickly - even on low mileage examples. The natural leather is a bit darker than the pictures suggest (think the classic Ferrari red/leather combination and you in the right ballpark) You also get black trim around the footwells/lower part of the dash with the natural leather which is easier to keep clean.

The car I went for is the 150bhp JTD. A number of different parties (main dealer etc) advised me that the 1.9 is the one to go for and with 150 bhp, plenty of power in the mid range. I have not taken it for any spirited driving yet, but I have to say that on the motorway it is excellent. Just over 2000rpm at 80mph, quiet and very comfortable. I did a bit of a run and got 43mpg. Mine is the Lusso spec, so is fully loaded. The dash is laid out very nicely and I particularly like the red lights on the speedo/rev dials. Plenty of toys to play with two computers. Dual Climate Control, Cruise Control and rear parking sensors are all standard as well. The stereo/cd is pretty impressive too given that it is a standard fit option. Again, too early to say what the car will be like on a day to day basis, but first impressions are of a very well put together motor. Certainly looks a little bit different too amongst the sea of metallic grey and blue on the M42.

Not sure if my seats split fold - not fussed so have not got round to checking. I do have the optional ski hatch though, should I never go skiing.

HTH

[Killer2005]

Alfahorn said:

I approve, but I then I would.

+1

[dannytherev]

Stunning car nice interior and body colour combo

[190E Matt]

Good on you for going against the grain and not getting an A4 or 3 Series, both of which look a bit dull in comparison.