Cheap 5 door hatch. Alfa Romeo 147. Should I?

[white_goodman]

My wife (and baby) need a cheap 5 door hatchback (£2-3k), which will fit a pushchair in the boot. We currently have a Fiat 500 1.2, which we are both really fond of but it is not suitable from a practicality point of view. My wife is reluctant to change and doesn't want anything too big (she considers my Impreza estate to be too big, although we used to have a Golf which she got on fine with!) but more power and air con would be desirable (although we like the cheap running costs of the Fiat). I have considered the usual suspects (Golf/Megane) and smaller options such as 206/Clio/Corsa/Suzuki Swift but I've always wanted an Alfa Romeo and 147s seem really cheap. Is there a good reason for this i.e. shocking reliability? I would be probably looking at a 2.0 Lusso manual (not Selespeed), which I guess wouldn't be that economical but would meet the other criteria and it maintains the style of the Fiat, which would appeal to my wife. Is this a crazy idea or is there a better alternative? I don't know anyone who has owned an Alfa Romeo, so would be grateful for any experience/advice.

[falkster]

I've had 2 147s and a 156, all were 2ltr ts. They were all awesome cars that didn't let me down once, I replaced the crank sensor on one but it was preventative rather than failure.
I was getting around 35mpg out of the last 147 I had (can't remember the others) and they're pretty nippy too.
If you find a nice one you'll get momo leather which is very nice and maybe a Bose upgraded stereo!!
I sold my 54 plate with 27k on the clock for £3,000 about 3 years ago!! Bargains!!

[frosted]

I have only once saw a car bumpstarted in reverse, yes a 147

[OperationAlfa]

frosted said:

I have only once saw a car bumpstarted in reverse, yes a 147

That's hardly useful...

Good car and something a bit different from the typical euroboxes....

I've had 3 147's a 2.0 147 and 2 GTA's...

Great cars and have a lot of love for them..

Standard suspension is a little firm and you must listen for any knocks creaks or bumps on test drive.

Cambelt changes are CRUCIAL.

The twinspark needs cambelt changes of 36,000 or 3 years.. whatever is soonest, When this is done the

Some sound like a diesel when they start, this is due to the variator wearing out, no terrible side affects but should be changed when cambelt is done.

They can drink a bit of oil, you need to check it every couple of weeks or so if you drive it a lot.

They love to be revved and go well for a 2.0. The manual is definitely more reliable than the selespeed, good choice.

Alfaowner.com for more detailed info. Lots of great indie garages in the UK.

[bls1]

Had a 147 1.6 for last 7 years (or rather, the wife has). Agree with what has been said already. Upsides are : reliability has been pretty good ; though you need to keep an eye on the oil level, and don't skimp on cambelt changes. And they are phenomenally good value to buy. Downsides are unimpressive mpg (30-35mpg for me, never seen higher), suspension that's neither comfortable nor good 'handling' (though grip is pretty good), and in fact the boot is pretty tiny for the size of the car.

So, first thing is definately check the size/shape of the boot is big enough for you. Its much less useful than a Focus.

[MarkyZer]

I know two people who run 147s, both 1.6ts engines. One has been a bloody expensive car to run and relieves the owner of at least 4 figures every time it goes near a dealer and recently suffered a cambelt failure too which wasn't cheap, I think it has only done about 60k miles.

The other is just short of 190k miles, hasn't put a foot wrong and has never suffered a single breakdown.

I guess like all cars, some are good, some not so much!

[white_goodman]

bls1 said:

Had a 147 1.6 for last 7 years (or rather, the wife has). Agree with what has been said already. Upsides are : reliability has been pretty good ; though you need to keep an eye on the oil level, and don't skimp on cambelt changes. And they are phenomenally good value to buy. Downsides are unimpressive mpg (30-35mpg for me, never seen higher), suspension that's neither comfortable nor good 'handling' (though grip is pretty good), and in fact the boot is pretty tiny for the size of the car.

So, first thing is definately check the size/shape of the boot is big enough for you. Its much less useful than a Focus.

Thanks for the heads up on the boot. It's still got to be bigger than the 500 or most superminis (Clio/206 etc). From whats been said, I don't think Alfa Romeo reliability sounds any worse than any other car of that age (comparable to a Fiat for instance) and the ride can't be any more jiggly than her Fiat 500. I would happily have another Golf but my last one was not particularly reliable and I would be looking at a 1.6 (or possibly a 1.8 turbo for my budget, as the TDIs seem overpriced for what they are). I like the look of the Megane but I've heard that they are particularly crap. Nothing smaller particularly appeals. Alfa Romeo it is then (subject to boot size)!

[anonymous-user]

You might also get a 5dr Grande Punto for that price!

[white_goodman]

MonkeyMatt said:

You might also get a 5dr Grande Punto for that price!

You're probably right. They look alright but I had a 1.2 one as a hire car once and hated it!

[anonymous-user]

white_goodman said:

You're probably right. They look alright but I had a 1.2 one as a hire car once and hated it!

The 1.2 is very underpowered! need the 1.4 or a diesel

[robsa]

hi there

I have a 147 2.0 selespeed and I love it! It was very cheap (£1200!) and has been 100% reliable. It is nicely made, has a lovely interior with those lovely Alfa 'pods' and all red lighting looks fab at night.
It has dual zone digital climate, bose stereo which is excellent, cruise, electric windows and mirrors, a great trip computer, it charges my iphone 4 while I listen to it, it looks lovely too.

In reply to a couple of comments from other Alfa owners - the handling on mine is wonderful. Really very good indeed, and I came from an RX8! It is one of the best FWD cars I have driven.

For a 2.0 petrol the MPG can be very good indeed - I do a 130 mile round trip every day in it and average 42mpg! That is driving like a nun I should warn (60 mph max speed) but even so, pretty impressive I thought.

I love mine to bits. Everyone says 'dont get a sillyspeed!' but mine has been perfect. The selespeed model gets all the goodies on it too.

Always be utterly meticulous about checking the oil. When you look at one, check the oil. If it is on or below the low marker just walk away because it could be a potential time bomb as the oil should always be kept topped up. If you hear squeaking its probably the upper suspension arms. not expensive to do but be aware. Check cambelt change too - you must be on top of this!

anyway, just thought I would give you my experience.

[McSam]

While we're on Selespeed, when it works it's nice, when it dies which it can and does you write off the car in pretty short order.

No need to reiterate the usual cam belt stuff (MUST be done every 36k on the TS engines, this is why so many of these cars die, because the service plan was changed a few years after launch and many people didn't notice/ignored it), and the fact that oil should be checked regularly.

The oil is actually a good way to gauge how much the owner knows about/cares for the car you're looking at. If it's not at a good level, then draw your own conclusions about the care of the rest of the car!

I would never consider one without leather, because it doesn't really command a premium and is absolutely bloody lovely