RE: Shed of the Week: Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon
Discussion
Nearly bought a 1.9 saloon in ti form.
Had a test drive arranged with a local dealer went down there the time he told me around 3 in the afternoon just pulled up to the dealer and the heavens opened... great!
So I waited and waited got bored and went home maybe it was a sign? who knows
Bought my volvo v70 d5 the next day.
Had a test drive arranged with a local dealer went down there the time he told me around 3 in the afternoon just pulled up to the dealer and the heavens opened... great!
So I waited and waited got bored and went home maybe it was a sign? who knows
Bought my volvo v70 d5 the next day.
pete.g said:
wal 45 said:
I'm genuinely surprised by the overall negative reaction to this SOTW but hey ho, Pistonheads German speed matters........
Much of the negativity is coming from people who've owned one . . .My brother had one as a company car - the first and last they had, as it was off the road so much, with many niggling faults and some quite major ones. It went back 18 months into the lease and heaven help whoever got it afterwards. And the dealer was absolutely awful.
I really wouldn't trust an Alfa from this era with the 1.9 diesel, which had one of the worse reputations for diesel reliability out there (see Honest John).
Also not sure I trust Alfa now. A colleague of mine has bought a 2016 Giulietta sprint with the 175 2 litre diesel engine and TCT transmission. He's only had it a few months and its been in for a stop start problem and now has an issue where the gear box is bogging down when asked to change down quickly...usually in typical motorway slow down and speed up situations when you need power like...NOW. He loves the drive but is already considering bailing out as the dealership cant get to grips with it......
Such a shame. The new Giulia looks fab. I owned an Alfasud back in the day, one of my all time favourite cars....
greenarrow said:
I really wouldn't trust an Alfa from this era with the 1.9 diesel, which had one of the worse reputations for diesel reliability out there (see Honest John).
Fair point - if I only knew what I read about them, I might not trust them either.But I've had three of these engines - 150bhp in the 159 and in a Saab 93, and 170bhp in a 147 Ducati Corse, and none of the three of them has missed a beat. So my reality doesn't match the reputation, and based on that I wouldn't hesitate to have another.
The 159 is a good car overall, it's looks amazing one of the best looking cars in its segment of the past 25 years. It's very well built and solid and the interior is very nice and easily up to par with an Audi or BMW of the era in my view. It also came with the option of a very good 4wd system.
It wasn't perfect however. On the petrol front the 1.8 and 2.2 were underpowered (very in the case of 1.8, a little in the case of the 2.2)
The 1.8 Turbo was a balanced performer but had a very flat soundtrack.
The V6 was great but the extra weight of the engine and 4wd system meant fuel economy was poor relative to its actual performance.
On the smokers front the 4 cylinders are ok I guess but the 5 cylinder would be my choice out of the oil burners. Sounds better and has I believe the stronger gearbox from the V6. But again not as frugal as other diesels which goes some what against the reason for buying a diesel.
I like my 159, but I've never needed to do high millages so fuel economy not such an issue, but I'm likely to be in the minority on that front.
For me the biggest disappointment with this car is no GTA version, it's a Beauty with a lovely interior a 400 hp V8 or 350 hp V6 would have made it a real S4/RS4 M3 rival
Italian badges that don't have Horses, Bulls or Tridents in them tend to be pretty cheap and in the case of the 159 it's cheap but also pretty well built making it a decent buy in my book
It wasn't perfect however. On the petrol front the 1.8 and 2.2 were underpowered (very in the case of 1.8, a little in the case of the 2.2)
The 1.8 Turbo was a balanced performer but had a very flat soundtrack.
The V6 was great but the extra weight of the engine and 4wd system meant fuel economy was poor relative to its actual performance.
On the smokers front the 4 cylinders are ok I guess but the 5 cylinder would be my choice out of the oil burners. Sounds better and has I believe the stronger gearbox from the V6. But again not as frugal as other diesels which goes some what against the reason for buying a diesel.
I like my 159, but I've never needed to do high millages so fuel economy not such an issue, but I'm likely to be in the minority on that front.
For me the biggest disappointment with this car is no GTA version, it's a Beauty with a lovely interior a 400 hp V8 or 350 hp V6 would have made it a real S4/RS4 M3 rival
Italian badges that don't have Horses, Bulls or Tridents in them tend to be pretty cheap and in the case of the 159 it's cheap but also pretty well built making it a decent buy in my book
Edited by peter450 on Saturday 25th November 12:37
For the money they sell for bargains are to be had. Stunning cars complete with Alfa quirks/character, depending on your view. I bought a Ti saloon earlier this year and I love it
They also did 3.2 non-4wd models towards the end of the 159’s life though they still wouldn’t be featherweight. Not very common though.
Great shed.
They also did 3.2 non-4wd models towards the end of the 159’s life though they still wouldn’t be featherweight. Not very common though.
Great shed.
crostonian said:
CharlesdeGaulle said:
Shed - ignore the PC-miseries. The references to Mrs Shed are usually moderately amusing and I for one enjoy the schoolboy humour.
Indeed, can only imagine the complainers are either under 30 or work in the civil serviceI bought a 159 recently. I had an E46 M3 for 7 years but growing family meant a new car was needed. I toyed with an e92 M4 four door (and a coupe...but that was just not going to work)....but it felt like a fair bit of money for a very nice engine in what just felt like a fairly standard 3 series inside.
And then this car popped up on ebay for around a quarter of what I was looking at for an M3. Its a 3.2V6 Q4 ti spec 2008 car (one of 4/5 registered) with 89k on the clock. 2 owners, full history.
I have had 2 busso engined cars before (both 3.0V6 GTVs) so it is not my first Alfa. After a failed VANOS, SMG issues, coil packs, 2 pairs of rear springs, expensive services, expensive tyres and a myriad other bits the M3 ended up a fair bit more troublesome than any Italian car I have ever had (including a fiat and 4 Lancia Fulvias!).
I really like the 159. It's a bit different. The interior is lovely with high quality materials and lovely leather seats. It has BOSE, bluetooth, heated seats and various other bits and bobs and is a very comfortable cruiser. The engine is nice and smooth but its a GM derived unit and doesn't make much noise (I have some Wizard pipes I may fit to make it sound more fruity). It's certainly got plenty of grunt and the 4WD means it handles nicely for a heavy car. It's thirsty and expensive to tax (£585!!!) but...its not going to do a lot of miles and hey, its not a silver/grey Audi/Merc/BMW. Nice car all in all. I won't have it forever, but for now it ticks a lot of boxes.
IMG_4299 by Jonathan Stevenson, on Flickr
IMG_4285 by Jonathan Stevenson, on Flickr
IMG_4287 by Jonathan Stevenson, on Flickr
IMG_5068 by Jonathan Stevenson, on Flickr
IMG_5078 by Jonathan Stevenson, on Flickr
And then this car popped up on ebay for around a quarter of what I was looking at for an M3. Its a 3.2V6 Q4 ti spec 2008 car (one of 4/5 registered) with 89k on the clock. 2 owners, full history.
I have had 2 busso engined cars before (both 3.0V6 GTVs) so it is not my first Alfa. After a failed VANOS, SMG issues, coil packs, 2 pairs of rear springs, expensive services, expensive tyres and a myriad other bits the M3 ended up a fair bit more troublesome than any Italian car I have ever had (including a fiat and 4 Lancia Fulvias!).
I really like the 159. It's a bit different. The interior is lovely with high quality materials and lovely leather seats. It has BOSE, bluetooth, heated seats and various other bits and bobs and is a very comfortable cruiser. The engine is nice and smooth but its a GM derived unit and doesn't make much noise (I have some Wizard pipes I may fit to make it sound more fruity). It's certainly got plenty of grunt and the 4WD means it handles nicely for a heavy car. It's thirsty and expensive to tax (£585!!!) but...its not going to do a lot of miles and hey, its not a silver/grey Audi/Merc/BMW. Nice car all in all. I won't have it forever, but for now it ticks a lot of boxes.
IMG_4299 by Jonathan Stevenson, on FlickrIMG_4285 by Jonathan Stevenson, on FlickrIMG_4287 by Jonathan Stevenson, on FlickrIMG_5068 by Jonathan Stevenson, on FlickrIMG_5078 by Jonathan Stevenson, on FlickrI had a 159Ti saloon (with this engine) which I sold earlier this year and really liked it (I kind of miss it now).
The interior was a lovely place to be, even tyres for the 18" on the Ti weren't that bad cost wise (by the time I sold it on anyway). The only thing that got on my nerves with the car was it was black, couldn't keep it clean for five minutes (thus I'll never buy a black car again).
There's a few things to keep an eye on, I cleaned the EGR valve out every six months or so to keep throttle response on the ball, gearbox whine is a sign of bearings going south (while not fatal can get on your nerves), clutch/DMF cost is eye watering and upper wishbones are a consumable (I replaced the passenger side twice in my ownership)... oh and steer clear of Bosch glow plugs, utter garbage, those that I bought lasted about two months before I had to replace them (NGK would be my preference). Wheel bearings and brake pads/discs (Brembo on the Ti) are cheap and easy to do (though the old school pin style calipers can take a bit of work to shift if they haven't been touched for a while).
Would I buy another? yep but not diesel and not in black, red would be the colour of choice.
The interior was a lovely place to be, even tyres for the 18" on the Ti weren't that bad cost wise (by the time I sold it on anyway). The only thing that got on my nerves with the car was it was black, couldn't keep it clean for five minutes (thus I'll never buy a black car again).
There's a few things to keep an eye on, I cleaned the EGR valve out every six months or so to keep throttle response on the ball, gearbox whine is a sign of bearings going south (while not fatal can get on your nerves), clutch/DMF cost is eye watering and upper wishbones are a consumable (I replaced the passenger side twice in my ownership)... oh and steer clear of Bosch glow plugs, utter garbage, those that I bought lasted about two months before I had to replace them (NGK would be my preference). Wheel bearings and brake pads/discs (Brembo on the Ti) are cheap and easy to do (though the old school pin style calipers can take a bit of work to shift if they haven't been touched for a while).
Would I buy another? yep but not diesel and not in black, red would be the colour of choice.
Go for the later 2.0 jtdm with updated interior and less weight overall.
No swirl flaps, euro 5 without clogging up dpf as the gubbins is much closer to the exhaust manifold and therefore much hotter.
Check for front toe, should be zero or set up by Prodrive expert and Alfa fan Peter Cambridge.
Bilstein or KW coil overs make the car handle as originally intended. Better stability control than any of the Germans at the time.
Rear boxes can rot but overall body work is fully galvanised and as good as any VW apart from bonnet which does pick up stone chips.
Highest mpg and still lowest tax is the 136bhp 2.0 jtdm. On special lightweight 16" rims. To has 19" spokes.
Join the aroc for discounts and excellent alfa meets. Dealers? Recommend Chris Variava if in the Midlands.
Twist my arm and I might sell my late 2011 red machine (last ever alfa sportwagon now they've gone all SUV with Stelvio..... Grrrrrh!)
No swirl flaps, euro 5 without clogging up dpf as the gubbins is much closer to the exhaust manifold and therefore much hotter.
Check for front toe, should be zero or set up by Prodrive expert and Alfa fan Peter Cambridge.
Bilstein or KW coil overs make the car handle as originally intended. Better stability control than any of the Germans at the time.
Rear boxes can rot but overall body work is fully galvanised and as good as any VW apart from bonnet which does pick up stone chips.
Highest mpg and still lowest tax is the 136bhp 2.0 jtdm. On special lightweight 16" rims. To has 19" spokes.
Join the aroc for discounts and excellent alfa meets. Dealers? Recommend Chris Variava if in the Midlands.
Twist my arm and I might sell my late 2011 red machine (last ever alfa sportwagon now they've gone all SUV with Stelvio..... Grrrrrh!)
Aeroresh said:
I have a 3.2 Q4 saloon with a few selective tweaks, love it.....its like a mini Ferrari in character!
bruciebonuz said:
I bought a 159 recently... a 3.2V6 Q4 ti spec 2008 car (one of 4/5 registered) with 89k on the clock. 2 owners, full history.
Between the 3 of us i think we own most of the Ti Spec 3.2 Q4s in the UK!Don’t get the hate for engine.
Had the 1.9 JTDm in my 147. It was a great unit and flew with a remap. Appreciate the 159 is heavier though.
Also not a GM unit, was Alfa’s own shared with GM & the first unit with Multijet high pressure injection. The petrols were GM units shared with Alfa.
Had the 1.9 JTDm in my 147. It was a great unit and flew with a remap. Appreciate the 159 is heavier though.
Also not a GM unit, was Alfa’s own shared with GM & the first unit with Multijet high pressure injection. The petrols were GM units shared with Alfa.
I had a '52 reg Audi A6 Avant and thought it was a bit big and had an 'old man' image (I was 43yo).
i went to a place in Birmingham where they had a load of Alfas and fancied a 159. Even posted on here asking for advice.
Looked at a couple on the forecourt, had a good look around one with 60/70k miles and a good price. The rear legroom was quite bad (I've got two growing boys) and the boot space wasn't great but I could've lived with it.
It wasn't until I sat in the driver's seat and closed the door that I felt 'Nah'. The door felt very cheap and sounded like it was made from tin cans. Definitely didn't feel like the quality I was used to with the A6.
In the end I bought another '07 reg A6 (C6). Maybe I should've drove the Alfa but it didn't enamour itself TBH.
i went to a place in Birmingham where they had a load of Alfas and fancied a 159. Even posted on here asking for advice.
Looked at a couple on the forecourt, had a good look around one with 60/70k miles and a good price. The rear legroom was quite bad (I've got two growing boys) and the boot space wasn't great but I could've lived with it.
It wasn't until I sat in the driver's seat and closed the door that I felt 'Nah'. The door felt very cheap and sounded like it was made from tin cans. Definitely didn't feel like the quality I was used to with the A6.
In the end I bought another '07 reg A6 (C6). Maybe I should've drove the Alfa but it didn't enamour itself TBH.
DrSteveBrule said:
Aeroresh said:
I have a 3.2 Q4 saloon with a few selective tweaks, love it.....its like a mini Ferrari in character!
bruciebonuz said:
I bought a 159 recently... a 3.2V6 Q4 ti spec 2008 car (one of 4/5 registered) with 89k on the clock. 2 owners, full history.
Between the 3 of us i think we own most of the Ti Spec 3.2 Q4s in the UK!Whats the 4wd like? I presume it's a Haldex?
Filibuster said:
DrSteveBrule said:
Aeroresh said:
I have a 3.2 Q4 saloon with a few selective tweaks, love it.....its like a mini Ferrari in character!
bruciebonuz said:
I bought a 159 recently... a 3.2V6 Q4 ti spec 2008 car (one of 4/5 registered) with 89k on the clock. 2 owners, full history.
Between the 3 of us i think we own most of the Ti Spec 3.2 Q4s in the UK!Whats the 4wd like? I presume it's a Haldex?
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