159 SW Petrol or Diesel?
Discussion
It seems I'm trying to buy the rarest Alfa Romeo ever made, I'm trying to find a 159 Sportwagon Ti with the TBI engine but there is only 1 sale and the mileage is too high for what I want.
So I'm thinking of going down the route of a diesel as there seems to be a good selection available but, having never been big into diesel I'm trying to weigh up if it will suit my needs.
My daily commute consists of a 3 mile round trip too and from work, car rarely gets used in the evenings apart from nipping to the gym which is about 2 miles away and then going to the local Tesco once and week and then the usual weekend trips into town and other errands. At the moment I have a Golf GTI Edition 30 DSG and I roughly spend around £20 - £30 a week on fuel.
Reason for wanting away from the Golf and into an estate is my wife and I have just bought a dog and the added space and practicality of an estate will coming handy we also plan have more weekends away in the UK, trips to Cornwall with the dog etc. I also like the idea of having a mean looking 159 wagon in black.
Will a diesel be OK for short journeys, I hear stories of clogged DPF's, EGR's on modern diesels and dont want to end up spending money on fixing it all the time. Are they good to drive and which diesel engine is best? Coming from a hot hatch will be a step down in driving experience I know but I'd still like something that can offer a bit of fun on a country lane. The additional mpg a diesel offers would be nice on longer trips but they wont be regular thing.
I'm still holding out for a TBI, I've got just about every Alfa specialist in the country keeping and eye out for one for me!
So I'm thinking of going down the route of a diesel as there seems to be a good selection available but, having never been big into diesel I'm trying to weigh up if it will suit my needs.
My daily commute consists of a 3 mile round trip too and from work, car rarely gets used in the evenings apart from nipping to the gym which is about 2 miles away and then going to the local Tesco once and week and then the usual weekend trips into town and other errands. At the moment I have a Golf GTI Edition 30 DSG and I roughly spend around £20 - £30 a week on fuel.
Reason for wanting away from the Golf and into an estate is my wife and I have just bought a dog and the added space and practicality of an estate will coming handy we also plan have more weekends away in the UK, trips to Cornwall with the dog etc. I also like the idea of having a mean looking 159 wagon in black.
Will a diesel be OK for short journeys, I hear stories of clogged DPF's, EGR's on modern diesels and dont want to end up spending money on fixing it all the time. Are they good to drive and which diesel engine is best? Coming from a hot hatch will be a step down in driving experience I know but I'd still like something that can offer a bit of fun on a country lane. The additional mpg a diesel offers would be nice on longer trips but they wont be regular thing.
I'm still holding out for a TBI, I've got just about every Alfa specialist in the country keeping and eye out for one for me!
Sounds like you are trying to justify a car you don't need.
The Alfa diesel is the GM/Fiat 1.9 unit (I assume that's the one you mean) which is a very capable motor. I've got three taxis with them in (Fiat Doblo and two Saab 9-3s) but what it's like on constant short runs, I don't know. It will return close to 50mpg without really trying on a run though.
Why not buy a shed for the commute and shopping trips? Then it doesn't matter if you only use the Alfa for long trips.
I would say that the 159 SW isn't the biggest of estate cars, there are better options out there.
The Alfa diesel is the GM/Fiat 1.9 unit (I assume that's the one you mean) which is a very capable motor. I've got three taxis with them in (Fiat Doblo and two Saab 9-3s) but what it's like on constant short runs, I don't know. It will return close to 50mpg without really trying on a run though.
Why not buy a shed for the commute and shopping trips? Then it doesn't matter if you only use the Alfa for long trips.
I would say that the 159 SW isn't the biggest of estate cars, there are better options out there.
I would buy a small commuter but I already have two cars and I can't justify adding a third just to come too and from work in... If I had any sense I would bike into work but its cold outside and I like a heated seat.
I am convinced I dont need a diesel and I'm wanting a 159 on its looks alone but because of the lack of TBI ones available its pushing to consider a diesel. The only other car I'd really say I want is a BMW 335i Tourer but they seem to be just as hard to come by.
I am convinced I dont need a diesel and I'm wanting a 159 on its looks alone but because of the lack of TBI ones available its pushing to consider a diesel. The only other car I'd really say I want is a BMW 335i Tourer but they seem to be just as hard to come by.
Tyre Smoke said:
Ok, so why not use one of the existing two cars daily?
So we have 3 cars in the household, my wife has an Alfa Mito Veloce, I have the GTI and a Ford Puma track car. The GTI will be going to make way for the Estate and then the track car resides in the garage and I can't use that for a daily driver.I think I'm going to hold out for a petrol. I'm not in any urgent rush to get one so I can afford to sit and wait for a little while. If nothing comes up then I may have to look at an alternative. Closest I can come up with is an Audi A4 Avant 2.0 TSI..... but it just doesn't do it for me like the 159 SW does.
Doesn't sound ideal for a diesel, unless it is un-DPFd and un-EGRd. Our 2.4 Ti did an awful lot of short distance a few years ago, didn't miss a beat. We do a fairly frequent thrash down to the south of France, the car was certainly a lot happier after 1500 miles with the cruise set at 90 the whole way...
Keep looking for a petrol, or settle for a 3.2 GT, which is just as much fun, and the dog fits in fine.
Keep looking for a petrol, or settle for a 3.2 GT, which is just as much fun, and the dog fits in fine.
I run Skoda's as Dailys and find them ideal, cheap to own and happy to cover many miles. I would have thought the Octavia VRS Estate would be worth looking at. It's built in the same platform as the golf so will feel close to the Golf.
I would agree with others that your described driving pattern a diesel with a dpf is going to let you down and I would stick to wanting a petrol.
My current daily is an Octavia Scout , that's a 4Wd estate, it goes rather well and the 4wd with some decent tyres really grips well, bought new and currently on 155000 miles and still not letting me down , if you can get past the badge they are great cars and after all just a rebadged Audi / Vw
I would agree with others that your described driving pattern a diesel with a dpf is going to let you down and I would stick to wanting a petrol.
My current daily is an Octavia Scout , that's a 4Wd estate, it goes rather well and the 4wd with some decent tyres really grips well, bought new and currently on 155000 miles and still not letting me down , if you can get past the badge they are great cars and after all just a rebadged Audi / Vw
The Octavia VRS is an option but I'm not totally keen on it for its looks to be honest, obviously same engine as my Golf and same platform so the drive will be as close to it as possible.
I'm still 110% sold on the 159, I'm just gonna have to try and be patient and wait for the right one to come a long I think.
I'm still 110% sold on the 159, I'm just gonna have to try and be patient and wait for the right one to come a long I think.
Jay_87 said:
The Octavia VRS is an option but I'm not totally keen on it for its looks to be honest, obviously same engine as my Golf and same platform so the drive will be as close to it as possible.
I'm still 110% sold on the 159, I'm just gonna have to try and be patient and wait for the right one to come a long I think.
Great , I love the Alfa, prob worth ringing a few dealers to let them know your looking. Also try the Alfa owners forums and put up a wanted post I'm still 110% sold on the 159, I'm just gonna have to try and be patient and wait for the right one to come a long I think.
I managed to bag your perfect car a fortnight ago. It wasn't advertised anywhere except the AROC owners forum. Owned by a true enthusiast. Good stack of receipts. It wasn't my first choice but I'm very pleased with it. Coming from a new Audi A4 Allroad Tdi, that was as boring as hell, the Alfa is impressing me every day. The Tbi engine sounds terrible, but with the lighter weight engine, it does feel like an engaging sporting drive and I'm very pleased with it.
I've not driven an Alfa diesel so can't compare it directly, but I'm very happy with my choice here. There's a pleasant enough looking V6 Lusso for sale atm in black I see. Bar the lack of side skirts, it's still a smart looking car for little money, with a cracking engine. Might be worth a look.
Oh, and our 35kg Boxer seems perfectly happy in the boot btw so I wouldn't worry about boot space.
I've not driven an Alfa diesel so can't compare it directly, but I'm very happy with my choice here. There's a pleasant enough looking V6 Lusso for sale atm in black I see. Bar the lack of side skirts, it's still a smart looking car for little money, with a cracking engine. Might be worth a look.
Oh, and our 35kg Boxer seems perfectly happy in the boot btw so I wouldn't worry about boot space.
Andy888 said:
I managed to bag your perfect car a fortnight ago. It wasn't advertised anywhere except the AROC owners forum. Owned by a true enthusiast. Good stack of receipts. It wasn't my first choice but I'm very pleased with it. Coming from a new Audi A4 Allroad Tdi, that was as boring as hell, the Alfa is impressing me every day. The Tbi engine sounds terrible, but with the lighter weight engine, it does feel like an engaging sporting drive and I'm very pleased with it.
I've not driven an Alfa diesel so can't compare it directly, but I'm very happy with my choice here. There's a pleasant enough looking V6 Lusso for sale atm in black I see. Bar the lack of side skirts, it's still a smart looking car for little money, with a cracking engine. Might be worth a look.
Oh, and our 35kg Boxer seems perfectly happy in the boot btw so I wouldn't worry about boot space.
Boot space isn't a worry, I'm pretty sure a Golden Retriever will fit in there without too much issue. I've been looking on AROC but nothing on there at the moment. Word is out with a few dealers that I'm looking for one and a friend of mine is keeping an eye out at the auctions as well.... Its so frustrating knowing exactly what I want but not being able to find one.I've not driven an Alfa diesel so can't compare it directly, but I'm very happy with my choice here. There's a pleasant enough looking V6 Lusso for sale atm in black I see. Bar the lack of side skirts, it's still a smart looking car for little money, with a cracking engine. Might be worth a look.
Oh, and our 35kg Boxer seems perfectly happy in the boot btw so I wouldn't worry about boot space.
I will not cave in and buy a diesel!!
I've owned 3 159s. A 2.4, 1750 TBi and Currently have the 2.0 TISW. It's been remapped and has nice torquey delivery. I bought it from Veloces with 106k on the clock. It's only done motorway mileage and still feels quite tight. I do like it. The cabin is nice and it's a rare car on the road. It has enough space for the kids scooters bikes etc. I also get 40+ mpg. If I were to choose one again I'd say go for a late run 1750. The best handling and is quick enough. The only thing is you won't get 30mpg out of one and for a 1.75 that is not great return. But if that's not an issue for you I'd sit tight and make sure you have Veloces on your list. You might have to pay more for one but they tend to get the best stock of these.
Cheers.
Iain
Cheers.
Iain
Jay_87 said:
, I'm trying to find a 159 Sportwagon Ti with the TBI engine but there is only 1 sale and the mileage is too high for what I want.
I should be picking up a 159 SW Ti TBI this week. Like you I need the slightly larger space. I've now got 2 dogs. The one I'm getting has done plenty of miles; 108k. That doesn't bother me. It's got plenty of receipts showing the car has been properly maintained and parts repaired and replaced when needed.I could hold out for a lower milage example. But from what I've seen they get snapped up by Veloces of London and then seriously marked up. The last I saw they had, from memory, was £11-12k with 60k miles. I could be out slightly on the numbers, but not by far.
Do I think the car I'm picking up will cost me £5k in repairs over the next few years. No. I could just buy a 3 year warranty for little over £1k. Which I may do.
Like you I now only do short journeys. I need rid of my diesel. Since changing jobs earlier in the year my Giulietta had gone into a forced DPF regeneration twice. This had never happened before.
Like others have said, hold out for a TBI, diesel is not the option here. Equally don't dismiss a high mileage car, especially if it's been maintained and in good condition.
Mileage is a strange one for me, anything close to or over 100k is an instant no for me. I'm not sure why I think its a mindset I've gotten into, probably from working at car auctions for too long. I tend to buy my cars around 60k and then run them to about 90k before selling and moving onto the next.
I'll keep searching but if nothing comes in the next 3 - 4 weeks I might have to see what else is out there.
Its frustrating, I have alerts set up on all the used classifieds sites but not a single notification for over a week now, I've spoken to Veloces, Love Afla, the local Fiat dealer and there all struggling to find one. I'm even using my old auction contacts to try and locate one within FCA's system.
I'll keep searching but if nothing comes in the next 3 - 4 weeks I might have to see what else is out there.
Its frustrating, I have alerts set up on all the used classifieds sites but not a single notification for over a week now, I've spoken to Veloces, Love Afla, the local Fiat dealer and there all struggling to find one. I'm even using my old auction contacts to try and locate one within FCA's system.
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