Alfa 159 SW

[cake eater]

The Mrs and I have gone all 'his and hers' and decided to get a couple of Alfas. As she will only drive a convertible she is going to buy a Brera spider. However I want a 159 SW and from reading the forum like the sound of the 2.4 JTDM. Handling is more important to me than speed whereas the wife enjoys the occasional traffic light GP.

So what sort of things should we be looking for? What is the difference between Ti and Lusso spec? Are there any ‘must have’ extras like winter kit / blue and me hands free etc.

Veloces of London have cars that we both like:
His http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/list.asp?s=697
Hers http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3936175.htm
Appreciate any feedback,

Thanks,

[Alfahorn]

First thing, the wife will NOTwin any traffic GP's in a 939 Spider, it's too heavy for that. The 2.2 is OK , however does benefit greatly from a remap, mainly because they have a hesitation on pick up and a remap will smoth this out. You need to look out for poor accident repair, noisy cam chains and power steering pumps. Check the operation of the roof as this can become noisy.

As for the 159. The 2.4 is fantastic, however suffers from very poor economy. If you're not bothered about economy then the 2.4 is the one to have, if economy is important I would recommend you look at the 1.9 or 2.0 JTD's. Again look out for noisy power steering and if it's a higher mileage car make sure the timing belt has been done.

The TI is considered more desirable and carries a premium of about £2k, the main difference is the firmer suspension set up, bigger wheels, sports seats and other bits and pieces like heated seats. Warning the 159 is heavy on tyres and the TI's 19" tyres are very, very expensive at around £250 a corner. The tyres are only manufactured in this size by Pirelli, Continental and a budget tyre for which the name escapes me. Life expectancy on the tyres is around 10,000 miles, however this can be extended significantly with a pro-align geometry set up.

Whether its the Spider or the 159 look outside for stone chips on red and black cars in particular. The paint is very soft and the chips easily, bonnet and both rear arches suffer quite badly.

[cake eater]

Thanks Alfahorn! Great information. I really have no Alfa knowledge so much appreciated.

The wife really does like to put the foot down now and again and currently drives a 370z so maybe the 3.2 is a better car for her? Economy is not that much of a concern for either of us. What about EGR valves that I've read are prone to failure? Would a pro-align geometry be available from an Alfa dealer?

Thanks,

[Alfahorn]

Yes, the 3.2 would be a better bet. Better still, if you can stretch the budget and can find one, the very, very, very, very rare 1750 TBI Spider would be my choice. 200 HP petrol engine launched to replace the V6, it was only available in the final few months of production but is brilliant.

There is only 1 example for sale on either Pistonheads or Autotrader;

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/cars/alfa_...

I don't know if Alfa dealers have pro-align equipment, I had mine done on the 156 SW at Pro-tyre in Warwick.

[cake eater]

That is a lovely car! Unfortunately SWMBO wants a white one.

[cake eater]

I've seen two very nice 159s but now I'm caught between the two after your comments on the TBi engine.

First is a saloon with TBi Ti and LPG conversion
http://pistonheads.co.uk/sales/3797455.htm

Equal first is a SW with 2.4 JTDM ti
http://pistonheads.co.uk/sales/3544767.htm

Price / mileage / spec etc are all similar. I prefer the tan leather in the saloon but think the SW is the better looking car. I don't need the extra space the SW offers but I know that every now and again I will enjoy / appreciate the extra practicality the SW offers.

What would you choose?

[Alfahorn]

You need to drive them. However, having driven every version of the 159, I would chose the TBI if money isn't an issue.

[Alfahorn]

Oh and the SW is better looking, chose my 156 SW based on looks rather than the need for practicality.

[crostonian]

The OP says that handling is important to him, that would sway me off the 2.4 JTD, even in Ti set up it can feel heavy at times, the 2.0 JTDm or the 1750 TBi would be my choice. With regards to the Spider I would be tempted to modify a 2.2 over a stock 3.2 - again the weight issue of the 3.2 affects the handling and the scuttle shake, the 4wd is hardly necessary either in the V6 as proven by the Brera S.

[cake eater]

Doing a little reading, TBi engine is 110 KG lighter than the 3.2 v6 and 140 KG lighter than the 2.4 JTDM.

Going to test drive a couple of different 159s this weekend.

[Alfahorn]

cake eater said:

Doing a little reading, TBi engine is 110 KG lighter than the 3.2 v6 and 140 KG lighter than the 2.4 JTDM.

Going to test drive a couple of different 159s this weekend.

The TBi is very good, it has a very narrow power band bit like a diesel, goes like stink it does. The economy on the petrol is not great, it will do approx. 28 mpg, still significantly better than the V6 and unlike the 2.2 and 3.2 it's not a GM block.

[cake eater]

Went to Veloces yesterday. Wife had a short test drive in a Brera Spider 3.2. It is certainly a pretty car and very individual. Looks really good with the roof down. The interior was nice but the wife did not feel 'in the car' like she does in her 370z. It was certainly a much softer car, more GT than sports car. She did comment that it made a nice noise compared to the 370. Her final comment "It was a nice car but just not special enough".

I drove a 159 TBi ti and was impressed though the test drive was very short. It certainly rode the bumps well for a car on 19 inch rims and lowered suspension. Engine was also easy to drive at low revs and though I never had an opportunity to really drive it, one mild prod of the throttle hinted at the potential. Certainly a car that I would enjoy owning and would be my choice over any Teutonic rival.

[Alfahorn]

Yep, as much as I love Alfa I couldn't live with a 939 Spider, it's just not a nice car to drive. It's a big, heavy lump of a thing in truth.

Glad you like the 159, did it help you make up your mind? Are you going for one?

[cake eater]

Ah, now there is the rub. Having just returned from Geneva to live London we're looking for two new cars. Unfortunately (depending on your point of view) we cannot now afford a second car.

After testing the Spider we went to test an SLK 55 AMG, R172 model. It was a high mileage one but the car left us both giggling like school kids. The looks, the sound, the way it goes, all streets ahead of the 370z and the Spider. A quick search on autotrader threw up a 2008 face lift model that had obviously been seriously loved.

We went to see it today and it was impossible to find fault with it. So we bought it and now there is nothing left over for a 159 for me.

[cake eater]

In fact this is the very car here:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3951975.htm