prospective A110 owner - please help
Discussion
Finally, the time for me has come to purchase my first (brand new) car
I am looking for something fun (in the broader sense), and after a lot of research, I have narrowed it down to just 2 (very different) fun cars
A110 and GR Yaris. Both are absolutely amazing, but follow different philosophy for achieving that amazingness
My purpose for starting this thread is not to read things like "this is better than the other", "or why don't you go 2nd hand" etc etc - but instead to solely focus on the Alpine side of things, so plz, try to stick to the subject
I have (test) driven both and have drawn my own impressions for those two great cars
What I could not possibly figure out from the test drives, are several aspects, with regard to ownership (preferably for those of you owning this car in the longer term) for which I kindly ask for your *honest* feedback. I need to have accurate feedback on long-term reliability for both candidate cars, so that I can also know in advance whether I can afford owning in the longer term
I have driven the GTS variant, as the base model is nowhere to be found (for test drive)
Still haven't made up my mind regarding the two A110 variants (although slightly leaning towards the GTS, as couldn't find anything negative about it..)
Here are my questions:
a) Typical service costs (within scope of regular maintenance)
This will vary from garage to garage, but I would like to hear what you've paid for servicing the car ('random' garage/dealer / or Alpine 'official')
What are the service intervals and what I m likely to pay for each?
b) Unscheduled service costs
What are typical costs for any unscheduled incidents you might have had (i.e. engine, gearbox)
c) Engine
I presume it is the same engine (M5Pt) on both variants GTS (300hp) and base model (252hp) - with just different mappings, right?
Any known weak points?
Is this engine known to drink oil in the longer term? Generally reliable (or not?)
All above questions assume that service is strictly adhered, oil change every 5000km, and that the car is not abused (e.g. high revs whilst cold)
With regard to noticeable oil consumption - does anyone have any experience from using an oil catch can? Only asking cause I think this motor does not use port injection, so the potential for carbon build up (at least in theory) is there
d) Gearbox
Reliable? Any issues here?
e) What are the key differences between the two variants?
From what I know the GTS uses more sporty suspension vs the base model, and there are few 'comform' extras
Although this car is not about engine power, to what extend would you say the lack of 50hp is noticeable for the base model?
Is it still, say 80%+ fun of the GTS? Or better regarding a certain aspect..? (other than the price of course!)
Thank you very much in advance!
I am looking for something fun (in the broader sense), and after a lot of research, I have narrowed it down to just 2 (very different) fun cars
A110 and GR Yaris. Both are absolutely amazing, but follow different philosophy for achieving that amazingness
My purpose for starting this thread is not to read things like "this is better than the other", "or why don't you go 2nd hand" etc etc - but instead to solely focus on the Alpine side of things, so plz, try to stick to the subject
I have (test) driven both and have drawn my own impressions for those two great cars
What I could not possibly figure out from the test drives, are several aspects, with regard to ownership (preferably for those of you owning this car in the longer term) for which I kindly ask for your *honest* feedback. I need to have accurate feedback on long-term reliability for both candidate cars, so that I can also know in advance whether I can afford owning in the longer term
I have driven the GTS variant, as the base model is nowhere to be found (for test drive)
Still haven't made up my mind regarding the two A110 variants (although slightly leaning towards the GTS, as couldn't find anything negative about it..)
Here are my questions:
a) Typical service costs (within scope of regular maintenance)
This will vary from garage to garage, but I would like to hear what you've paid for servicing the car ('random' garage/dealer / or Alpine 'official')
What are the service intervals and what I m likely to pay for each?
b) Unscheduled service costs
What are typical costs for any unscheduled incidents you might have had (i.e. engine, gearbox)
c) Engine
I presume it is the same engine (M5Pt) on both variants GTS (300hp) and base model (252hp) - with just different mappings, right?
Any known weak points?
Is this engine known to drink oil in the longer term? Generally reliable (or not?)
All above questions assume that service is strictly adhered, oil change every 5000km, and that the car is not abused (e.g. high revs whilst cold)
With regard to noticeable oil consumption - does anyone have any experience from using an oil catch can? Only asking cause I think this motor does not use port injection, so the potential for carbon build up (at least in theory) is there
d) Gearbox
Reliable? Any issues here?
e) What are the key differences between the two variants?
From what I know the GTS uses more sporty suspension vs the base model, and there are few 'comform' extras
Although this car is not about engine power, to what extend would you say the lack of 50hp is noticeable for the base model?
Is it still, say 80%+ fun of the GTS? Or better regarding a certain aspect..? (other than the price of course!)
Thank you very much in advance!
You're overthinking it
Also I suspect you might not be in the UK so our servicing costs won't really help - the service is annual not 5000 km
Non-UK also means the type of roads might give a different answer to using the extra 50 hp - you don't mention track days which could be another factor
I feel your questions are getting into areas which are regularly asked and answered so DYOR
Also I suspect you might not be in the UK so our servicing costs won't really help - the service is annual not 5000 km
Non-UK also means the type of roads might give a different answer to using the extra 50 hp - you don't mention track days which could be another factor
I feel your questions are getting into areas which are regularly asked and answered so DYOR
We've got both. A 2021 GR Yaris and a 2019 Pure. The Alpine servicing costs are higher - and the Yaris can be warranted up to 10 years (if you keep it serviced at main dealers). Alpine you can only extend to 6.
In 6 years not had much go wrong with the Alpine. Biggest expense would probably have been a failed dash, but that was covered under warranty.
If you're worried about unpredictable expenses, also think about things like replacement wheel costs if you hit a pothole hard - the Yaris wheels are ~£1500 /each/ - sure after market are an option (and we've fitted an aftermarket set).
Very, very different driving propositions though even if you do see both on track days.
In 6 years not had much go wrong with the Alpine. Biggest expense would probably have been a failed dash, but that was covered under warranty.
If you're worried about unpredictable expenses, also think about things like replacement wheel costs if you hit a pothole hard - the Yaris wheels are ~£1500 /each/ - sure after market are an option (and we've fitted an aftermarket set).
Very, very different driving propositions though even if you do see both on track days.
Hi, and don't over think it. You'll totally enjoy an A110, i'm sure. I'd go as far as to say think carefully about spending more on the GTS - it's a fair step jump in cost but the base care is just as good if you are using it for 'normal' use. Given your questions, I suspect you are, and aren't about to be tracking it every weekend. Save the money and enjoy the base car would be my personal advice.
I've had mine since new - Oct 2021. A Pure with a few nice options. It's not a daily, but I don't especially worry about its use or mileage, how dirty it gets or running around in it for a few days. Many of my 16,000 miles have been racked up on road trips from Scotland and into Europe - South of France, Alps, Angouleme and that sort of thing. Loaded up as full as it can go, long, long days on the autoroute, then fun at the destination. The A110 is superb for all of that, and returns 40mpg average at the same time.
Regular servicing.
I've always returned mine to the dealer in Glasgow for servicing and the charges have been reasonable enough. £355, £388, £540 (bigger service last year). There must be a service interval by miles, but I've just done it annually and intervals between them have ranged between 2000 miles and 8000 miles. No doubt I could have delayed or missed some based on miles, but annual is just easier to remember. The dashboard also prompts you for a service on an annual basis.
Unscheduled servicing.
I've had the fuel pump replacement/recall done under warrantee. Thats is. Nothing else. No issues. It still works as it did when I took delivery.
Engine.
I've no idea what engine code it has. Not interested. Mine's the 252hp and in daily use it's not short on power. It's power to weight that matters and that's where the 1050kg pays dividends. I've read the power to weight is almost identical to a Porsche 911 996 turbo. That's more than plenty for everyday. I haven't driven the 300hp model, but I have read comments that most of the extra power is found at the top end so in everyday use it's barely noticeable as the torque between the two is similar. All anecdote though. On track, I'm sure top end power matters more.
Servicing, see above. I've got the telematics and do usually have the oil temp on to make sure it's warmed up before 'pressing on', so tend to agree about being sensible about use when cold.
No oil consumption on mine. Doesn't seem to use a drop service to service.
Gearbox.
No issues. None. Works really well. Soft changes in standard makes it smooth to drive, more agressive changes in Sport that bang through the box more more sharply. In manual mode it locks into gear and only changes if you ask it to, or if it's about the stall, or if you hit the rev limiter (and then in track mode it'll just carry on bouncing off the limiter unless you change it). As I say, my use case is much more road trips than race tracks and it's very good.
Differences.
See above. The GTS has the S suspension so it firmer. Mine is standard and is wonderfully flowing on road but I imagine on the limit its softness would be more obvious. But soft is relative. Its still a sports car so its not a wallowing softness, its a firm suppleness if that makes sense.
I've got the buckets in mine - they were standard when I purchased. I think the GTS has the comfort seats. All I can comment is that the buckets are superbly comfortable. The 'comfort' extras I've been baffled by - yes the GTS seats are adjustable and different but beyond that the GTS doesn't really come with a whole load of equipment over and above what fitted to mine? I've the reversing sensors, the Focal upgrade, the telematics. Don't have CarPlay but mine's 'pre-facelift'. But phone, bluetooth and it works just fine. The screen and UI isn't close to what you get on any contemporary German model, whatever the model.
Hope this helps. Just do it. Another upside is if you don't like it you are unlikely to take a bath on the residuals as they seem to be remarkably strong. Not that I'm ever likely to sell mine!
I've had mine since new - Oct 2021. A Pure with a few nice options. It's not a daily, but I don't especially worry about its use or mileage, how dirty it gets or running around in it for a few days. Many of my 16,000 miles have been racked up on road trips from Scotland and into Europe - South of France, Alps, Angouleme and that sort of thing. Loaded up as full as it can go, long, long days on the autoroute, then fun at the destination. The A110 is superb for all of that, and returns 40mpg average at the same time.
Regular servicing.
I've always returned mine to the dealer in Glasgow for servicing and the charges have been reasonable enough. £355, £388, £540 (bigger service last year). There must be a service interval by miles, but I've just done it annually and intervals between them have ranged between 2000 miles and 8000 miles. No doubt I could have delayed or missed some based on miles, but annual is just easier to remember. The dashboard also prompts you for a service on an annual basis.
Unscheduled servicing.
I've had the fuel pump replacement/recall done under warrantee. Thats is. Nothing else. No issues. It still works as it did when I took delivery.
Engine.
I've no idea what engine code it has. Not interested. Mine's the 252hp and in daily use it's not short on power. It's power to weight that matters and that's where the 1050kg pays dividends. I've read the power to weight is almost identical to a Porsche 911 996 turbo. That's more than plenty for everyday. I haven't driven the 300hp model, but I have read comments that most of the extra power is found at the top end so in everyday use it's barely noticeable as the torque between the two is similar. All anecdote though. On track, I'm sure top end power matters more.
Servicing, see above. I've got the telematics and do usually have the oil temp on to make sure it's warmed up before 'pressing on', so tend to agree about being sensible about use when cold.
No oil consumption on mine. Doesn't seem to use a drop service to service.
Gearbox.
No issues. None. Works really well. Soft changes in standard makes it smooth to drive, more agressive changes in Sport that bang through the box more more sharply. In manual mode it locks into gear and only changes if you ask it to, or if it's about the stall, or if you hit the rev limiter (and then in track mode it'll just carry on bouncing off the limiter unless you change it). As I say, my use case is much more road trips than race tracks and it's very good.
Differences.
See above. The GTS has the S suspension so it firmer. Mine is standard and is wonderfully flowing on road but I imagine on the limit its softness would be more obvious. But soft is relative. Its still a sports car so its not a wallowing softness, its a firm suppleness if that makes sense.
I've got the buckets in mine - they were standard when I purchased. I think the GTS has the comfort seats. All I can comment is that the buckets are superbly comfortable. The 'comfort' extras I've been baffled by - yes the GTS seats are adjustable and different but beyond that the GTS doesn't really come with a whole load of equipment over and above what fitted to mine? I've the reversing sensors, the Focal upgrade, the telematics. Don't have CarPlay but mine's 'pre-facelift'. But phone, bluetooth and it works just fine. The screen and UI isn't close to what you get on any contemporary German model, whatever the model.
Hope this helps. Just do it. Another upside is if you don't like it you are unlikely to take a bath on the residuals as they seem to be remarkably strong. Not that I'm ever likely to sell mine!
My ownership and mileage is limited that's why I can't give proper answers to all of your questions. However, I can share my decision making process a bit. Before buying my GT I went through similar questions. At the end I came to the conclusion that I don't want a hot hatch but a coupe with a mid engine. Then I didn't think about the rest much. So far so good. Fingers crossed for the future.
I can confirm that pure and GTS have the same engine. GT, S and GTS has a different mapping. Please download catalogs to check torque and power graphics to see the difference in output.
If you haven't read yet, I advise you to check "Explain the appeal of the A110" and "Alpine A110 owners" threads. They were very useful for me.
I can confirm that pure and GTS have the same engine. GT, S and GTS has a different mapping. Please download catalogs to check torque and power graphics to see the difference in output.
If you haven't read yet, I advise you to check "Explain the appeal of the A110" and "Alpine A110 owners" threads. They were very useful for me.
My experience mirrors that of BigglesA110. 30k miles/3 years in, it has been 100% reliable. Mine seems to use a bit of coolant, but no oil at all. Servicing with a main dealer seemed expensive to me, but as it's my first new car (other than company leases) in 30 years, I know I'm out of touch; independent garages seem happy to work on them in my experience, and have been much cheaper.
I have a Legende, which is now the GTS except without the power boost, ie 252bhp. I like the comfort seats, which are rake and height adjustable, and suit my copilot/life partner! Each to their own on seats, ditto sports exhaust. For daily use (which mine is) I'd recommend rear camera & parking sensors. Once you/your significant other understand/accept/enjoy the challenges of packing light, there's plenty of capacity: we've done 2000-mile road trips, plus shorter holidays without problems.
My only negative has been aluminium corrosion, which has been rectified by Alpine under their paint warranty. My car lives outside and is washed regularly; time will tell if a partial repaint solves the problem for good.
I have a Legende, which is now the GTS except without the power boost, ie 252bhp. I like the comfort seats, which are rake and height adjustable, and suit my copilot/life partner! Each to their own on seats, ditto sports exhaust. For daily use (which mine is) I'd recommend rear camera & parking sensors. Once you/your significant other understand/accept/enjoy the challenges of packing light, there's plenty of capacity: we've done 2000-mile road trips, plus shorter holidays without problems.
My only negative has been aluminium corrosion, which has been rectified by Alpine under their paint warranty. My car lives outside and is washed regularly; time will tell if a partial repaint solves the problem for good.
Hi and thank you for the really useful feedback
I live in Germany
Road quality varies - but having driven the A110 around my area - there were no issues with the ride
No, I don't plan to do tracking at the beginning for sure. After the break in period I intend to have a few, but mostly for exploring the handling limits of the car (as I don't want to be doing that on public roads)
Regarding servicing - of the plan is to stick to it of course - but there's nothing wrong to shorten the oil change interval for first few times (right?)
Annual service is also the same case for the GR Yaris (for what Toyota refers as 'Normal use') and since the costs aren't that much different, it sounds OK from that aspect. To be honest, I was expecting the reliability factor to be leaning slightly towards the Toyota (as it is usually the norm). But that's not to say that any other brand is destined to suffer from issues. At least for a car that's not neglected/abused, the chance of something going wrong, should be lower. That engine has been around for like 8yrs, so any major issues should have come up
It's good that no oil consumption is reported so far - as its something that I m really concerned about, as I ve had some really bad experiences on the topic that I would like to avoid owning a car with an engine that is know to drink oil
Another thought that I had regarding the engine - since it is the same engine on both variants, could that mean that the detuned one on the base car could be more reliable (assuming same usage)? I know I m overthinking it, as some of you have mentioned, but this just me, so please bare with me ;-)
Suspension wise, my experience from the GTS - its just perfect. So I wonder how the Pure would behave towards the limits. I read on few reviews that the Pure can be a bit snappy towards the limit whilst the GTS can be more predictable (or at least let's say 'progressive'). This is where I would put the more emphasis between the two variants (and not so much about the power figures)
I live in Germany
Road quality varies - but having driven the A110 around my area - there were no issues with the ride
No, I don't plan to do tracking at the beginning for sure. After the break in period I intend to have a few, but mostly for exploring the handling limits of the car (as I don't want to be doing that on public roads)
Regarding servicing - of the plan is to stick to it of course - but there's nothing wrong to shorten the oil change interval for first few times (right?)
Annual service is also the same case for the GR Yaris (for what Toyota refers as 'Normal use') and since the costs aren't that much different, it sounds OK from that aspect. To be honest, I was expecting the reliability factor to be leaning slightly towards the Toyota (as it is usually the norm). But that's not to say that any other brand is destined to suffer from issues. At least for a car that's not neglected/abused, the chance of something going wrong, should be lower. That engine has been around for like 8yrs, so any major issues should have come up
It's good that no oil consumption is reported so far - as its something that I m really concerned about, as I ve had some really bad experiences on the topic that I would like to avoid owning a car with an engine that is know to drink oil
Another thought that I had regarding the engine - since it is the same engine on both variants, could that mean that the detuned one on the base car could be more reliable (assuming same usage)? I know I m overthinking it, as some of you have mentioned, but this just me, so please bare with me ;-)
Suspension wise, my experience from the GTS - its just perfect. So I wonder how the Pure would behave towards the limits. I read on few reviews that the Pure can be a bit snappy towards the limit whilst the GTS can be more predictable (or at least let's say 'progressive'). This is where I would put the more emphasis between the two variants (and not so much about the power figures)
Thanks @LE62NDE
Just saw your post
Good to have yet another input regarding engine reliability
But corrosion is no minor topic. This was first came up years back, when I was researching on MKII Elise
Not sure if this mostly has to do because of the aluminium frame or specific to the paint properties Alpine uses
And this after just 3yrs? There's gotta be something wrong
You mentioned your car lives outside...
Which part of the car is suffering from corrosion?
Have you done the treatment underneath (for snow, salts etc anything that contributes to corrosion)?
I have indoor parking, but was planning to have that treatment for a brand new car anyway, I think its an investment worth doing (especially for colder climates and/or nearby coastal)
Just saw your post
Good to have yet another input regarding engine reliability
But corrosion is no minor topic. This was first came up years back, when I was researching on MKII Elise
Not sure if this mostly has to do because of the aluminium frame or specific to the paint properties Alpine uses
And this after just 3yrs? There's gotta be something wrong
You mentioned your car lives outside...
Which part of the car is suffering from corrosion?
Have you done the treatment underneath (for snow, salts etc anything that contributes to corrosion)?
I have indoor parking, but was planning to have that treatment for a brand new car anyway, I think its an investment worth doing (especially for colder climates and/or nearby coastal)
extinct said:
Thanks @LE62NDE
Just saw your post
Good to have yet another input regarding engine reliability
But corrosion is no minor topic. This was first came up years back, when I was researching on MKII Elise
Not sure if this mostly has to do because of the aluminium frame or specific to the paint properties Alpine uses
And this after just 3yrs? There's gotta be something wrong
You mentioned your car lives outside...
Which part of the car is suffering from corrosion?
Have you done the treatment underneath (for snow, salts etc anything that contributes to corrosion)?
I have indoor parking, but was planning to have that treatment for a brand new car anyway, I think its an investment worth doing (especially for colder climates and/or nearby coastal)
The corrosion was on the wheelarches, tiny bubbles picked up by the bodyshop which I hadn't noticed and couldn't see until they were pointed out; and on the underside of the frunk bonnet, where the hinge attaches. This is an area that doesn't get wet in normal use, so was a bit of a surprise. I don't live near the sea, but we do use salt on the roads during the winter in the UK, and the car gets year-round use. I'm not aware of anyone needing a second set of repairs, so I'm hoping that it's a one-off event. Just saw your post
Good to have yet another input regarding engine reliability
But corrosion is no minor topic. This was first came up years back, when I was researching on MKII Elise
Not sure if this mostly has to do because of the aluminium frame or specific to the paint properties Alpine uses
And this after just 3yrs? There's gotta be something wrong
You mentioned your car lives outside...
Which part of the car is suffering from corrosion?
Have you done the treatment underneath (for snow, salts etc anything that contributes to corrosion)?
I have indoor parking, but was planning to have that treatment for a brand new car anyway, I think its an investment worth doing (especially for colder climates and/or nearby coastal)
extinct said:
Another thought that I had regarding the engine - since it is the same engine on both variants, could that mean that the detuned one on the base car could be more reliable (assuming same usage)? I know I m overthinking it, as some of you have mentioned, but this just me, so please bare with me ;-)
Suspension wise, my experience from the GTS - its just perfect. So I wonder how the Pure would behave towards the limits. I read on few reviews that the Pure can be a bit snappy towards the limit whilst the GTS can be more predictable (or at least let's say 'progressive'). This is where I would put the more emphasis between the two variants (and not so much about the power figures)
This engine was also used in Megane RS and the torque output was even higher. I don't remember hearing engine issues from them.Suspension wise, my experience from the GTS - its just perfect. So I wonder how the Pure would behave towards the limits. I read on few reviews that the Pure can be a bit snappy towards the limit whilst the GTS can be more predictable (or at least let's say 'progressive'). This is where I would put the more emphasis between the two variants (and not so much about the power figures)
Check around Germany maybe you can find a GT or a Pure to test.
I have the impression that you got used to German cars and central European roads. If that's the case GTS would be a good match you.
Its only base model and GTS available here
I ve only seen an S available at a dealer somewhere
I ll check other Alpine branches, but I think they purposely only offer the GTS as test drive
The GTS that I drove was just perfect. Can't find anything wrong with this car (other than the price, which went up a bit - now just under 80K)
I ve only seen an S available at a dealer somewhere
I ll check other Alpine branches, but I think they purposely only offer the GTS as test drive
The GTS that I drove was just perfect. Can't find anything wrong with this car (other than the price, which went up a bit - now just under 80K)
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