Alfa Romeo 156 SW 2.5 V6 Impulse Buy....
Discussion
OpulentBob said:
rxe said:
These are just great cars, and with some tactical suspension upgrades, the handling can easily match the engine.
Only downside with a V6 is the thirst. I've recently picked up a (temporary) 140 mile a day commute which was costing about £160 a week in the 3.2, so I got a diesel 10v SW for £380. It has dropped the weekly fuel bill to about £60, and will officially pay for itself next week (man maths, not including tax and insurance). I'm just amazed that a £380 Alfa is coping with 750 miles a week with no obvious signs of distress.
MPG isn't too bad in the 2.5, I averaged 27mpg over 2 years, and was over 30mpg on a motorway run. A slightly longer 6th gear would do wonders. Only downside with a V6 is the thirst. I've recently picked up a (temporary) 140 mile a day commute which was costing about £160 a week in the 3.2, so I got a diesel 10v SW for £380. It has dropped the weekly fuel bill to about £60, and will officially pay for itself next week (man maths, not including tax and insurance). I'm just amazed that a £380 Alfa is coping with 750 miles a week with no obvious signs of distress.
|http://thumbsnap.com/jeD2Nonk[/url]Zombie said:
What's the front spoiler? Leon Cupra R?
I think novitechttp://shop.alfisti.net/Tuning-Styling/Alfa-156/Bo...
Zombie said:
What's the front spoiler? Leon Cupra R?
No sir, a Novitec splitter from http://www.altosportivo.co.uk/Alfa-Romeo-156-Styli...
The rollercoaster of ownership continues...after last months victory of sorting the badge a down was sure to follow....
MOT is due to had to bite the bullet on a job I've been avoiding for a while, ABS/handbrake light stay on, while the ABS was fine, a light on is an MOT failure these days. Joy.
Solution was a new ABS unit, after a protracted saga involving the purchase of an incorrect unit and my own disorganisation it was fitted yesterday, lights off, VICTORY!
And then the check engine light came on returning from the garage. Arse. Cleared it off back at the garage. Got home and it's back. Double arse. There's no obvious running fault so I'm guessing it's just some b
d electrical problem somewhere but crappy bloody timing!
Plan is to go in for the MOT tomrrow, make sure there's no other failures, fail on a stupid bloody yellow light, get it back for a check again, hope it's not some major problem, pass the retest.
Somehow I doubt it will be that smooth.
Alfas.....yay!
MOT is due to had to bite the bullet on a job I've been avoiding for a while, ABS/handbrake light stay on, while the ABS was fine, a light on is an MOT failure these days. Joy.
Solution was a new ABS unit, after a protracted saga involving the purchase of an incorrect unit and my own disorganisation it was fitted yesterday, lights off, VICTORY!
And then the check engine light came on returning from the garage. Arse. Cleared it off back at the garage. Got home and it's back. Double arse. There's no obvious running fault so I'm guessing it's just some b
d electrical problem somewhere but crappy bloody timing! Plan is to go in for the MOT tomrrow, make sure there's no other failures, fail on a stupid bloody yellow light, get it back for a check again, hope it's not some major problem, pass the retest.
Somehow I doubt it will be that smooth.
Alfas.....yay!
e21Mark said:
I'm not really into estates but these look bloody lovely. There's something so stylish about their interiors too. Any more recent pics?
I'll get some once it's had a wash! Parking in dusty car parks and several tip runs have left it a bit grotty!As for the MOT, turns out a check engine light isn't a fail as long as emissions are okay which they were. Needed a suspension arm at the front but went through on everything else. These things seem to chew through front suspension at a rate of knots anyway so I'll count that as a win!
The dripping oil and engine light will have to wait for the next schoool holidays now
Still running but it’s been a tough last 6 months, I don’t think the Alfa likes getting close to 100k!
Needed replacement rear arms to get through last years MOT and then in the last 6 months it’s needed both rear struts replaced after they collapsed (no fun) and then it needed the coil packs done after developing a misfire. For added bonus points the neighbours son revered into it too. Then this years MOT resulted in more work to fix an oil leak and more frustratingly (and more stereotypically Alfa) several hundred quids of welding on the rear floor .
I love this car more than any other I’ve owned bar one but the bills are adding up at the moment. Feel like I’ve committed now with the investment plus I need to keep reminding myself that if was only £1400 to start with! My head says that yearly maintenance costs are equivalent to the depreciation on something more expensive, man-maths at its finest!
Needed replacement rear arms to get through last years MOT and then in the last 6 months it’s needed both rear struts replaced after they collapsed (no fun) and then it needed the coil packs done after developing a misfire. For added bonus points the neighbours son revered into it too. Then this years MOT resulted in more work to fix an oil leak and more frustratingly (and more stereotypically Alfa) several hundred quids of welding on the rear floor .
I love this car more than any other I’ve owned bar one but the bills are adding up at the moment. Feel like I’ve committed now with the investment plus I need to keep reminding myself that if was only £1400 to start with! My head says that yearly maintenance costs are equivalent to the depreciation on something more expensive, man-maths at its finest!
Kitchski said:
MiniMan64 said:
My head says that yearly maintenance costs are equivalent to the depreciation on something more expensive, man-maths at its finest!
They most certainly are, and there are no newer cars in the same kind of category that look or sound as good as this.MiniMan64 said:
Funnily enough that’s a question I often ask myself. I’m really not a fan of the ‘Big 3’ German estate brands so if you want a relatively quick estate that looks good inside and out and has a stonking characterful engine, what are your options?
I don't think there is anything, personally. Closest I'd come is a mk4 Mondeo Titanium 2.5T estate, with some subtle exhaust and intake mods to amplify the noise a bit. They drive really well, go OK, look pretty understated (for a Mondy) and a 5-cyl engine gives anything character! Or maybe a Volvo V50 with an R-Design kit and the same engine. Or a 159....but the V6 has a Vauxhall engine! 
I think you're stuck though. Cars like these don't really get made any more, so aside from corrosion issues; tax costs; fuel economy; less-than-idea safety ratings and potential reliability woes, I'd keep the 156!
MiniMan64 said:
Still running but it’s been a tough last 6 months, I don’t think the Alfa likes getting close to 100k!
Needed replacement rear arms to get through last years MOT and then in the last 6 months it’s needed both rear struts replaced after they collapsed (no fun) and then it needed the coil packs done after developing a misfire. For added bonus points the neighbours son revered into it too. Then this years MOT resulted in more work to fix an oil leak and more frustratingly (and more stereotypically Alfa) several hundred quids of welding on the rear floor .
I love this car more than any other I’ve owned bar one but the bills are adding up at the moment. Feel like I’ve committed now with the investment plus I need to keep reminding myself that if was only £1400 to start with! My head says that yearly maintenance costs are equivalent to the depreciation on something more expensive, man-maths at its finest!
The rear floors - yes .... done loads of these. As long as the rot is cut out and the repair is slathered in underseal, they are OK. It is worth tatking the bungs out of the sills (front of rear wheel arch) and shooting your favourite rust preventative in there. Strut failure is also a classic issue - the water collects in the spring pan and due to the total lack of decent paint, it rots from the top down. Of course you can't see the rot until the pan lands on the wheel....Needed replacement rear arms to get through last years MOT and then in the last 6 months it’s needed both rear struts replaced after they collapsed (no fun) and then it needed the coil packs done after developing a misfire. For added bonus points the neighbours son revered into it too. Then this years MOT resulted in more work to fix an oil leak and more frustratingly (and more stereotypically Alfa) several hundred quids of welding on the rear floor .
I love this car more than any other I’ve owned bar one but the bills are adding up at the moment. Feel like I’ve committed now with the investment plus I need to keep reminding myself that if was only £1400 to start with! My head says that yearly maintenance costs are equivalent to the depreciation on something more expensive, man-maths at its finest!
100K is fine. My V6 saloon is 105K, the diesel is 150K. Must be coming up for a clutch soon enough though?
MiniMan64 said:
Funnily enough that’s a question I often ask myself. I’m really not a fan of the ‘Big 3’ German estate brands so if you want a relatively quick estate that looks good inside and out and has a stonking characterful engine, what are your options?
Good looks are in the eye of the beholder, but I rather like the performance and noise of my Volvo V70R...Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff