147 or GT Coupe?

[zebedee]

Idea is to get a second car that can do nearly 50mpg, look good and be interesting. Costing around £6k. Having considered a few things I keep settling on these 2. Other than the possibility of a 5 door being more practical (as it will occasionally have kids in child seats in it), what are the pro's and con's of each? I am leaning towards the GT because it is different and because residuals might be better, although they just scrape into my budget in diesel form.

I suspect the GT might cost rather more to insure too but will do some sums over the weekend...

What is there to watch for on both as presumably they are very similar mechanically?

[14-7]

Neither will do anywhere near 50mpg in normal driving.

[zebedee]

the diesels are rated at 47mpg, and I would only expect to get that cruising gently on the m-way

[14-7]

What they are rated at and what they actually do are two very different things though.

Looks wise for me it would have to be the GT though. The standard 147 looks a bit bland.

[OperationAlfa]

Basically the same car, you'll probably get around 40MPG.

You can have a 5 door 147 which would be an advantage to you with the kids.. The GT is a little tight in the back, but its a pretty car!

[1878]

My GT 1.9JTDM has given me an average 44mpg in mostly cross-country A-road driving with a small amount of town work. I've seen 50 and as much as 55 but only on long steady motorway cruising. Great car though.

[crostonian]

I would go for a GT, there's more of them and they will hold their money better despite them being more numerous. You should get 45 to 50 mpg in everyday use based on my wide experience.

[zebedee]

crostonian said:

I would go for a GT, there's more of them and they will hold their money better despite them being more numerous. You should get 45 to 50 mpg in everyday use based on my wide experience.

surely there are more 147s than GTs aren't there?

the range of mpg encountered might be something to do with right feet weight!

So what are the different spec levels that the GT came in? Did any come with 'telephone dial' wheels, my wife is obssessed with having an Alfa that has them!

[OperationAlfa]

zebedee said:

surely there are more 147s than GTs aren't there?

the range of mpg encountered might be something to do with right feet weight!

So what are the different spec levels that the GT came in? Did any come with 'telephone dial' wheels, my wife is obssessed with having an Alfa that has them!

There are a lot more 147's. It was car of the year in 2001 too so a lot of people bought it when it came out.

GT came in a number of different specs/configurations. They mostly were advertised as special editions such as the Blackline, Cloverleaf, Q2 etc etc...

They did the same with the 147 as they had the Ducati Corse, Collezione, TI...

[alfa pint]

I'd prefer a GT myself, but only because the interior tends to be leather (rarer in a 147) and the car's just a bit prettier.

GT is based on a 156, so the usual suspension issues arise. The 147 is a bit better put together. The engine is generally reliable provided the water pump and pulley belt have been sorted at the right time; the occasional snag with whatever sort of air flow meter they use is an easy fix.

If the car you like doesn't have teledials, they're not hard to get a hold of. As said, it's basically a 156 underneath, so the wheel hubs match.

[anonymous-user]

Just a query re the wheels, I thought GTs had different wheel specs to the 156, whereas the 156 wheels may fit the hubs but wouldn't work with the specific geometry of the GT setup?Anyway GT everyday, they are so similar that most pros and cons are negated and the GT wins on looks and desirability.

[WillowPillow]

Put it this way...if you bought a 147 how long would it be until a GT rolled by and you have a deep regret for buying the 'sensible' (for Alfa) hatchback option.

Plus the GT is made up of all the good bits from the 156 & 147 and will, as you say, hold their value better.

[zebedee]

alfa pint said:

I'd prefer a GT myself, but only because the interior tends to be leather (rarer in a 147) and the car's just a bit prettier.

GT is based on a 156, so the usual suspension issues arise. The 147 is a bit better put together. The engine is generally reliable provided the water pump and pulley belt have been sorted at the right time; the occasional snag with whatever sort of air flow meter they use is an easy fix.

If the car you like doesn't have teledials, they're not hard to get a hold of. As said, it's basically a 156 underneath, so the wheel hubs match.

what are the "usual suspension issues" and what should I look for in a possible GT purchase? Have noted the pulley belt issue, including the cost of having it done, any car in my budget will be 50k plus so it should have had it done (and if it hasn't, I wouldn't be interested anyway)

[Alfaholic1750]

I have a GT jtd which I have had for 4 years really like it has great lines, drives well and interior is a nice place to be. Been very reliable on the whole I get 43 mpg i have never acheived higher than 45mpg. In the time I have had the car it's needed a new front wishbone and a cambelt change/water pump. These must be done before Alfas Service book recommendation of 72000/5 years. They are notorious for premature water pump/cambelt failure. Have a look at the Jamie Porter Alfa Worksop website they have a buyers guide on their full of useful information.

I love my GT so much I am thinking of selling mine to get one of the last GT's made in 2010 if you are interested in my current GT I would be looking for about 6k, superb colour stromboli grey/red leather interiors pm if you want more details......

[crostonian]

OperationAlfa said:

There are a lot more 147's. It was car of the year in 2001 too so a lot of people bought it when it came out.

GT came in a number of different specs/configurations. They mostly were advertised as special editions such as the Blackline, Cloverleaf, Q2 etc etc...

They did the same with the 147 as they had the Ducati Corse, Collezione, TI...

My point was that if you are comparing GT JTDs and 147 JTD 16Vs of the same value you will find there are more GT's for sale as towards the end of the 147s life sales tailed off considerably.