I Still Fancy An Alfa

[TheDetailDoctor]

When I purchased my Fiat 500 just under two years ago there was a little something in the back of my head saying "buy an Alfa".

Anyway, on that occasion my head not my heart won the battle and I bought the 500.

However, there is still a little voice in my head saying I should by an Alfa, and come p/x time I think I may just end up listening to it.

Thing is I have a £12k max budjet (assuming I get £7000ish for the 500 in six months), and it has to be a deisel. Can't decide between a GT, Brera or a 147 (don't really like the Mito), I really like the look of the high end Ducati 147..

Edited by TheDetailDoctor on Monday 16th November 10:07

[dwilkie]

I drove the Ducati before I bought the MiTo at the weekend, it was an utterly UTTERLY superb car, and looked amazing in White as well.

Don't do what I did though, and spend the entire test drive struggling with the hand brake only to find out when you get back that the arm rest raises and is only meant to be down for motorway cruising

The most impressive thing about the Ducati was how refined it was at speed, no wind noise, no real road noise, and no tractor noise cruising down the motorway in the ludicrous winds we had at the weekend, and it felt rock solid and planted on the roads.

I VERY seriously considered spending the extra £75 a month to go from the Mito to the Ducati, but in the end I decided to be sensible instead and maybe look at one a few years down the line. It's a very special car though, something I never thought I'd say about a diesel!

[V6Alfisti]

If you are an enthusiastic driver, then I think the standard Brera might disappoint as it doesn't have the lightweight agility of the 147 or the fantastic GT.

I have yet to drive a Mito but have heard it is a cracking little car.

Drive them and see which best fits your style

Edited by V6Alfisti on Monday 16th November 10:26

[dwilkie]

I should add the above was all referring to the Ducati.

The MiTo was also awesome, but since OP had said he didn't like them... Just thought I'd avoid any potential confusion

[jamieboy]

dwilkie said:

The most impressive thing about the Ducati was how refined it was at speed, no wind noise, no real road noise, and no tractor noise cruising down the motorway in the ludicrous winds we had at the weekend, and it felt rock solid and planted on the roads.

I'd echo the 147 Ducati Corse being a great little car, it's loads of fun.

Not 100% sure about refinement, there's definitely a lot more road- and wind-noise than the 159. It's not bad by any means, just that I'd expect a MiTo to be much more refined, being 10 years newer, so I'm surprised if it isn't.

[dwilkie]

jamieboy said:

Not 100% sure about refinement, there's definitely a lot more road- and wind-noise than the 159. It's not bad by any means, just that I'd expect a MiTo to be much more refined, being 10 years newer, so I'm surprised if it isn't.

I didn't drive a 159, but iirc the Mito has frameless door windows... Having experienced them in the 200, that's always a slight case of style of practicality. It certainly did the trick OK.

If the 159 is a lot quieter than the Ducati, then that's very impressive. I'd guess the 159 is aimed at people who have refinement as their main criteria where a 147 Ducati is aimed more at the "Sports Hatch" (I think I just invented a market segment) market?

[TheDetailDoctor]

So what's a 147 like to drive?

[RicksAlfas]

TheDetailDoctor said:

So what's a 147 like to drive?

Ever driven a 156? Just like that really - light, frisky, slighty iffy suspension and a handbrake that will freeze on in winter.


(And yes, for all the real ale drinkers who tune in at 2.00 a.m. they are not quite as much "fun" as a 145, but are better in all areas).

[TheDetailDoctor]

RicksAlfas said:

TheDetailDoctor said:

So what's a 147 like to drive?

Ever driven a 156? Just like that really - light, frisky, slighty iffy suspension and a handbrake that will freeze on in winter.

Sounds ideal.

[dwilkie]

I found the Ducati Corse was a LOVELY car to drive personally - it was well balanced, responsive, had plenty of shove and seemingly limitless (at least as hard as I was prepared to push it in Saturdays gales and rain) grip. :P

[pixelpimp]

I'd say Alfa GT all the way. Even though it's a aging 156 coupe it's head and shoulders above the Brera in performance and handling.
Black and White Garage usually have some fine examples on the forecourt.

[TheDetailDoctor]

Just showed the wife (screws up nose) "it's an Alfa"!!!!!!! Wouldn't buy an Alfa as they go wrong"

BUT I HAVE A FIAT!!!!!!!

[llewop]

TheDetailDoctor said:

Just showed the wife (screws up nose) "it's an Alfa"!!!!!!! Wouldn't buy an Alfa as they go wrong"

BUT I HAVE A FIAT!!!!!!!

Even an American friend used the phrase 'Fix It Again Tony' about old Fiats he'd come across!

I had my GTV for over 10 years and loved it from start to finish.

From your original choice I'd personnally go for the Brera, but I know many that are fans of the GT. (I actually prefer the Spider)

Not sure when I'll next own an Alfa (but I will)... getting back to a country where I can use it would be a good start!

[alfabadass]

It really is amazing how Fiat have turned it around. A lot of people don't realise that Alfas are just Fiats with better quality (or the same at a higher price)components!

With Alfa having an extra small car, I'm sure in a few years, they'll overcome this handicap though!

In relation to the OP's dilema, personally 12k for a 147 is too much now! Great cars but not good value for money when you can get a slightly older GT for the same price!

Better yet, a 159! But it appears OP wants something a bit more sporty. The GT would be the best compromise plus they're really reliable as it's just a perfected 156/147 hybrid!!

[ARAF]

I bought a 147Ti new in 2006. It was the 16v diesel, and was a fantastic car. I don't know how the Ti suspension differs from the standard, but apart from tyres (and two cracked wheels replaced under warranty) the car performed excellently. At 8 days old I took it on it's first track day. It was keeping up very well, and by the afternoon I was trying (unsuccessfully) to prompt a bit of lift-off oversteer. The chassis was very well designed.

I had it re-mapped to about 185bhp (Angel Tuning) with no ill effects, and took it to the Nurburgring four/five times and managed a 9.35 BTG lap.

This was filmed from a friends Boxster S at Bruntingthorpe (again). I made the Boxster spin later in the day, when he tried to stay in front of me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93BCUSOMeXc

The wheels cracked at the 'Ring I think. My opinion is that the hard braking in the first half was heating the discs faster than the wheels. Coupled with having new tyres fitted just before going, I suspect that the bolts may have been over-tightened. Both front wheels cracked from the centre to one wheel bolt hole. It wasn't noticed until I got back to the UK, and the wheels were replaced under warranty.

Fuel consumption was 60mpg at best and 21.6mpg on track. I stayed with Bridgestone RE050s for the whole time I had the car as they performed very well. I replaced the front tyres twice in the time I had the car (1 year, 14k miles) and the rears were about half worn when I sold it. The track use was the reason for the low mileage I got from them.

[TheDetailDoctor]

Thanks for the advice thus far.

I have to say I really like the idea on the 147 Ducati Corse due to the Q2 diff, the excellent performance & the rarity of the car.

Also I'd like to buy as new as I could afford, I don't think I'll be getting a 1-2 year old GT or Brera for £12k in the real world.

Edited by TheDetailDoctor on Tuesday 17th November 08:22

[PhilipAlfa]

The Ducati special editions might be more than your 12k budget - look out for the short lived Sport Q2 edition - they're available for that kind of money and to my eyes look better than the Ducati Corse. I'm not keen on the 18" wheels or the stickers - but that's personal preference I guess.

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1344309.htm

[jamieboy]

alfabadass said:

A lot of people don't realise that Alfas are just Fiats with better quality (or the same at a higher price)components!

I think pretty much everyone knows that a whole generation of Fiat group cars were spun off the Tipo Due platform, everything from the Punto to the GTV. Although the way some people bang on about it, you'd think all they did was change the badge!

[jamieboy]

PhilipAlfa said:

The Ducati special editions might be more than your 12k budget - look out for the short lived Sport Q2 edition - they're available for that kind of money and to my eyes look better than the Ducati Corse. I'm not keen on the 18" wheels or the stickers - but that's personal preference I guess.

The Sport Q2 (N.B. not just the Sport) might be a better bet for that sort of money - I think the suspension is the same as the Ducati Corse, so the only differences are the styling and the fact that the engine is 150bhp vs 170bhp.

I totally see your point about the Ducati Corse styling - ours is white, and with the go-faster stripes and the red pinstripe round the wheels I really like the slightly tacky-retro-cheesiness of it. It's probably just on the right side of the line between brilliant and awful, and everyone's line is in a slightly different place.

One other thing is that ours has just turned over 9,000 miles and at the first service last week they decided they had to change the lower suspension arms at both sides. Whether it's just one of those things, or whether it's some combination of the stiffer suspension, the Q2, and the 18" wheels, I'm not sure. We sold our previous 147 TI at ~30,000 miles and it had never had them changed, so I'm leaning away from it being an environmental / driving style thing. Not a big problem while it's under warranty, but perhaps worth bearing in mind.

[Menguin]

Try a GT 3.2 - you get the glory of the V6 engine, the chassis is pretty much the same as the 156, it is almost as fast as a GTA, but looks sublime!