Does this 159 Sportwagon exist?
Discussion
I'm thinking about "downgrading" 2 cars in the future to free up funds for a new house, combined with recently in the last year getting 2x medium/large dogs I'm looking for estates possibly, being a VAG 2.0 Turbo owner for last 11 years I don't really want VAG, my current cars are a Leon TDI daily and 981 Cayman S. The Cayman is my first no turbo car since my first Punto 1.2 but I have become addicted to the noise (it has race headers) at the moment I'm looking at either 159 or E55 AMG (yes I know they are completely diferent)
But... After doing research it looks like what I'm looking for actually doesn't exist?
Alfa 159 Sportwagon, 3.2 V6 4WD in Red.
Red seems to be the sticking point, I also think I'd like a TI rather than Lusso, was the 3.2 Sportwagon available as a TI? or Lusso only?
Only ones I've found are either black with cream interior (no thanks) or silver/grey.... its an Alfa it needs to be Red!
But... After doing research it looks like what I'm looking for actually doesn't exist?
Alfa 159 Sportwagon, 3.2 V6 4WD in Red.
Red seems to be the sticking point, I also think I'd like a TI rather than Lusso, was the 3.2 Sportwagon available as a TI? or Lusso only?
Only ones I've found are either black with cream interior (no thanks) or silver/grey.... its an Alfa it needs to be Red!
Pretty sure they were all available, but Red didn’t seem to be a particularly popular colour for 159’s. As you have noticed, Black and Silver were the bigger sellers.
All the press stuff was black and of course the baddies in the Bond movie had them in black too.
One car which doesn’t seem to exist is a Sportwagon with the 1750 Tbi Engine. Probably the best engine used in the 159’s.
All the press stuff was black and of course the baddies in the Bond movie had them in black too.
One car which doesn’t seem to exist is a Sportwagon with the 1750 Tbi Engine. Probably the best engine used in the 159’s.
This model/spec does exist. I had one exactly as described - red TI sportwagon, v6, 4wd and with a manual 'box.
Rare tho, the rumour mill reported only 4 made it to the uk in that configuration
I sold my well cared for, low milage example to someone who knew what they were looking at. Good price i got for it too....
Good luck in your search!
Rare tho, the rumour mill reported only 4 made it to the uk in that configuration
I sold my well cared for, low milage example to someone who knew what they were looking at. Good price i got for it too....
Good luck in your search!
I've had a Black 2.4 Ti SW for the last 5 years, and as previously mentioned, the 3.2 version is out there, but what you're looking for might as well literally be a unicorn.
I understand there to be no more than 5 in the UK, at least one or two in Giacomo White (one came in from Japan about 3 months ago), and the aforementioned too (was it 8C red out of curiosity?) leaves you with *maybe* 3 to choose from....
The Ti's are a rare trim at the best of times, but by majority were either the 1.9 or 2.0 JTDMs.
I guess it depends on how set you are on a 3.2; I heard of someone that actually hired a buyer to hunt down and buy a 3.2 Ti sportwagon a few years ago, it took ages but eventually the buyer found one. Five years ago it took me 6 months to find the right one for me, and I was looking for either a 1750 or a 2.4.
The other thing that undermined the market for these was the running costs versus performance. You'd probably not get much difference in terms of fuel consumption against an AMG. OK, the AMG would be worse I'm sure, but a friend of mine had a 3.2 lusso and struggled to get more than low 20s out of it on mixed driving, all for 260hp....
But if you're willing to compromise to get a 159 Ti SW, you could spread your net to a 1750 (also very rare especially if you're looking for something that isn't bog standard) or for grunt a 2.4, which was never as popular but seen as the practical performance choice, and is now getting increasingly rare (quite a few getting scrapped these days from what I can tell) though it is a heavy old lump.
A remapped 2.4 will give out 250 hp and about 680nm torque. Which makes it a missile quite frankly (though not at a level of an AMG obvs).
I did that and loved it right up until the drivetrain got eaten... It's now back at 210
The only other thing is that these cars do have their problems, not least that the youngest are 9 years old and they aren't the cheapest to look after either (though I base that against a similar BMW or Audi, not a full-blown AMG).
But if you're willing to wait for one, then go through any teething and pain of initial costly repair, there is literally nothing else like them on the road in my opinion. It still makes me turn and look back at it now because they absolutely nailed the styling and it's ageing so well. Plus for what it is, it's a comfy practical and pretty unique ownership proposition.
Good luck with the search, I hope you find one if you go for it!
I understand there to be no more than 5 in the UK, at least one or two in Giacomo White (one came in from Japan about 3 months ago), and the aforementioned too (was it 8C red out of curiosity?) leaves you with *maybe* 3 to choose from....
The Ti's are a rare trim at the best of times, but by majority were either the 1.9 or 2.0 JTDMs.
I guess it depends on how set you are on a 3.2; I heard of someone that actually hired a buyer to hunt down and buy a 3.2 Ti sportwagon a few years ago, it took ages but eventually the buyer found one. Five years ago it took me 6 months to find the right one for me, and I was looking for either a 1750 or a 2.4.
The other thing that undermined the market for these was the running costs versus performance. You'd probably not get much difference in terms of fuel consumption against an AMG. OK, the AMG would be worse I'm sure, but a friend of mine had a 3.2 lusso and struggled to get more than low 20s out of it on mixed driving, all for 260hp....
But if you're willing to compromise to get a 159 Ti SW, you could spread your net to a 1750 (also very rare especially if you're looking for something that isn't bog standard) or for grunt a 2.4, which was never as popular but seen as the practical performance choice, and is now getting increasingly rare (quite a few getting scrapped these days from what I can tell) though it is a heavy old lump.
A remapped 2.4 will give out 250 hp and about 680nm torque. Which makes it a missile quite frankly (though not at a level of an AMG obvs).
I did that and loved it right up until the drivetrain got eaten... It's now back at 210
The only other thing is that these cars do have their problems, not least that the youngest are 9 years old and they aren't the cheapest to look after either (though I base that against a similar BMW or Audi, not a full-blown AMG).
But if you're willing to wait for one, then go through any teething and pain of initial costly repair, there is literally nothing else like them on the road in my opinion. It still makes me turn and look back at it now because they absolutely nailed the styling and it's ageing so well. Plus for what it is, it's a comfy practical and pretty unique ownership proposition.
Good luck with the search, I hope you find one if you go for it!
AJB88 said:
Having had many turbo hatches I'm only interested in the N/A again just for noise, learnt with my Porsche speed isn't everything (its slower than my previous hot hatch)
Sorry missed that!FWIW, the 3.2 is a Holden/GM lump, not a Busso. So it doesn't sound a sonorous as a 156/147 GTA etc...
Norph said:
Sorry missed that!
FWIW, the 3.2 is a Holden/GM lump, not a Busso. So it doesn't sound a sonorous as a 156/147 GTA etc...
Alfa did rework the heads from what i've read, it's not exactly the same. It still sounds good. i can vouch for the mpg - average of 23mpg, on a steady run you can get that into the mid-30s. I've got a 3.2 saloon - Q4 Qtronic TI with paddle shifts, one of 5 in the UK.FWIW, the 3.2 is a Holden/GM lump, not a Busso. So it doesn't sound a sonorous as a 156/147 GTA etc...
DrSteveBrule said:
Norph said:
Sorry missed that!
FWIW, the 3.2 is a Holden/GM lump, not a Busso. So it doesn't sound a sonorous as a 156/147 GTA etc...
Alfa did rework the heads from what i've read, it's not exactly the same. It still sounds good. i can vouch for the mpg - average of 23mpg, on a steady run you can get that into the mid-30s. I've got a 3.2 saloon - Q4 Qtronic TI with paddle shifts, one of 5 in the UK. FWIW, the 3.2 is a Holden/GM lump, not a Busso. So it doesn't sound a sonorous as a 156/147 GTA etc...
A few years ago I changed a E46 330i Touring BMW for a 3.2 159 Lusso SW (a grey one!). The BMW was 16 years old and had been trouble free for 3 years and 40,000 miles. The 159 had done 70k and had a full Alfa service history including the more frequent oil changes to prevent the timing chain stretching. It was my first Alfa but thought it would be a safe bet.
It was a nightmare! I threw the towel in after 6 months and 6,000 miles. It was impossible to use a daily which is what it was intended for. I think it’s impeccable history just meant it was now suffering all the issues that main others had developed during their warranty period. Speaking to a trusted Alfa dealer they admitted it was all to be expected at it age (7 years) and mileage.
Around the same time I also had a Saab Aero Convertible 2.8t V6 which shared the same GM block as the Alfa. The two were like chalk and cheese, the Saab was so much quicker than the Alfa despite having a lower quoted bhp. It was also much more economical and totally bullet proof in comparison. Whatever Alfa did to that engine they really f**ked it up!
It was a nightmare! I threw the towel in after 6 months and 6,000 miles. It was impossible to use a daily which is what it was intended for. I think it’s impeccable history just meant it was now suffering all the issues that main others had developed during their warranty period. Speaking to a trusted Alfa dealer they admitted it was all to be expected at it age (7 years) and mileage.
Around the same time I also had a Saab Aero Convertible 2.8t V6 which shared the same GM block as the Alfa. The two were like chalk and cheese, the Saab was so much quicker than the Alfa despite having a lower quoted bhp. It was also much more economical and totally bullet proof in comparison. Whatever Alfa did to that engine they really f**ked it up!
velocemitch said:
Pretty sure they were all available, but Red didn’t seem to be a particularly popular colour for 159’s. As you have noticed, Black and Silver were the bigger sellers.
All the press stuff was black and of course the baddies in the Bond movie had them in black too.
One car which doesn’t seem to exist is a Sportwagon with the 1750 Tbi Engine. Probably the best engine used in the 159’s.
All the press stuff was black and of course the baddies in the Bond movie had them in black too.
One car which doesn’t seem to exist is a Sportwagon with the 1750 Tbi Engine. Probably the best engine used in the 159’s.
- waves*
lee44 said:
A few years ago I changed a E46 330i Touring BMW for a 3.2 159 Lusso SW (a grey one!). The BMW was 16 years old and had been trouble free for 3 years and 40,000 miles. The 159 had done 70k and had a full Alfa service history including the more frequent oil changes to prevent the timing chain stretching. It was my first Alfa but thought it would be a safe bet.
It was a nightmare! I threw the towel in after 6 months and 6,000 miles. It was impossible to use a daily which is what it was intended for. I think it’s impeccable history just meant it was now suffering all the issues that main others had developed during their warranty period. Speaking to a trusted Alfa dealer they admitted it was all to be expected at it age (7 years) and mileage.
Around the same time I also had a Saab Aero Convertible 2.8t V6 which shared the same GM block as the Alfa. The two were like chalk and cheese, the Saab was so much quicker than the Alfa despite having a lower quoted bhp. It was also much more economical and totally bullet proof in comparison. Whatever Alfa did to that engine they really f**ked it up!
Alfa did very little. It wasn't a great engine to begin with. If you REALLY want to know (I suggest you don't bother) Sizewell over on AO has documented the problems.It was a nightmare! I threw the towel in after 6 months and 6,000 miles. It was impossible to use a daily which is what it was intended for. I think it’s impeccable history just meant it was now suffering all the issues that main others had developed during their warranty period. Speaking to a trusted Alfa dealer they admitted it was all to be expected at it age (7 years) and mileage.
Around the same time I also had a Saab Aero Convertible 2.8t V6 which shared the same GM block as the Alfa. The two were like chalk and cheese, the Saab was so much quicker than the Alfa despite having a lower quoted bhp. It was also much more economical and totally bullet proof in comparison. Whatever Alfa did to that engine they really f**ked it up!
Zombie said:
velocemitch said:
Pretty sure they were all available, but Red didn’t seem to be a particularly popular colour for 159’s. As you have noticed, Black and Silver were the bigger sellers.
All the press stuff was black and of course the baddies in the Bond movie had them in black too.
One car which doesn’t seem to exist is a Sportwagon with the 1750 Tbi Engine. Probably the best engine used in the 159’s.
All the press stuff was black and of course the baddies in the Bond movie had them in black too.
One car which doesn’t seem to exist is a Sportwagon with the 1750 Tbi Engine. Probably the best engine used in the 159’s.
- waves*
velocemitch said:
Zombie said:
velocemitch said:
Pretty sure they were all available, but Red didn’t seem to be a particularly popular colour for 159’s. As you have noticed, Black and Silver were the bigger sellers.
All the press stuff was black and of course the baddies in the Bond movie had them in black too.
One car which doesn’t seem to exist is a Sportwagon with the 1750 Tbi Engine. Probably the best engine used in the 159’s.
All the press stuff was black and of course the baddies in the Bond movie had them in black too.
One car which doesn’t seem to exist is a Sportwagon with the 1750 Tbi Engine. Probably the best engine used in the 159’s.
- waves*
Still don't rate the car that highly though but will say the TBi drives a whole lot better than the diesel versions, I would imagine due to lightness it would be much nicer than a 3.2 as well (apart from sound).
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