My 'joy' with Alfa customer service

[cirvy]

My long-standing gripe with Alfa over my poor performing Brera is coming to a close ( i'm giving up!! )

My biggest problem has been the crap fuel economy ( currently 17.9 mpg ).

In the showrooms, the data displays adjacent the V6 Brera, proudly states that the car achieves a combined figure of 24.6mpg. Now mine has never ever done more than 20mpg.... ever!!

It's been back to the dealer countless times, i've written to people, i've shouted... no joy.

In an e-mail from their 'customer care dept', they state that these mpg figures quoted in the showrooms & on the brochures are 'not an indication of normal road use'

If they're not normal road use, what the feck are they & what is the point of them, or am i missing something???

[andy97]

If I remember correctly, MPG figures quoted for ALL cars have to come from the Govt's standard test mpg test. I think that its called the Combined Urban Cycle, or something similar, & this is supposed to represent "normal" driving and allow an mpg comparison between different cars.

However the 2 links below explain why the Govt's figures & real life differ.

http://www.green-car-guide.com/news/official-mpg-v...

http://www.viploan.co.uk/article/General-1493.shtm...

In my own case, I know that I get 38-40 mpg out of my wifes Diesel, driving "normally" (for me) whilst she achieves 44mpg driving "normally" (for her). The difference is down to my (often) higher average speed and brisker acceleration.

I very much doubt that you will get any joy out of complaining to the manufacturer unless you can replicate the test and prove that it was wrong.

Edited by andy97 on Wednesday 27th June 14:38

[Ecurie Ecosse]

That's a shame Cirvy.

What kind of driving do you do?

My 147 GTA averages about 20-21 mpg with mainly town driving - but that is a different engine. The manufacturer's figures tend to be a bit on the optimistic side.

[twinspark]

Big, heavy car + big, heavy, large capacity V6 = shite fuel consumption.

I would have predicted sub-20mpg in 'daily' use, with maybe as much as 30mpg on a gentle motorway run.

If you're that worried about fuel consumption, why did you buy a Brera V6? - surely a 2.4JTD would have been a better choice.

[cirvy]

twinspark said:

If you're that worried about fuel consumption, why did you buy a Brera V6? - surely a 2.4JTD would have been a better choice.

I was'nt worried about fuel consumption, i've had Alfa V6's before.

What really bothers me about this car, is the very poor economy ( noticeably worse than other Alfa V6 engines ) mated with the lacklustre performance & dour engine.

I would'nt object to sub-18mpg if it went well, sounded good & drove like a sports car!!

[jamieboy]

cirvy said:

twinspark said:

If you're that worried about fuel consumption, why did you buy a Brera V6? - surely a 2.4JTD would have been a better choice.

I was'nt worried about fuel consumption, i've had Alfa V6's before.

What really bothers me about this car, is the very poor economy ( noticeably worse than other Alfa V6 engines )

...although going by your post on another forum, your old V6 GT (a lighter, less powerful car) was only 1 mpg better.

[cirvy]

jamieboy said:

cirvy said:

twinspark said:

If you're that worried about fuel consumption, why did you buy a Brera V6? - surely a 2.4JTD would have been a better choice.

I was'nt worried about fuel consumption, i've had Alfa V6's before.

What really bothers me about this car, is the very poor economy ( noticeably worse than other Alfa V6 engines )

...although going by your post on another forum, your old V6 GT (a lighter, less powerful car) was only 1 mpg better.

Under normal use, the GT would return early 20's, but i generally nailed it because it was such a fantastic engine, the Brera is not a driver's car hence i tend to pootle round. When pootling, i'm seeing 18mpg & less, & this is the problem, it fails to reward conservative driving.

To give you an example, last week i refreshed the trip computer. On Tuesday evening, i had a bit of a blat back from a meeting at work. My average now reads 16.6mpg, & has done for 250 miles. I have done several manual checks on the consumption figures & found then to be correct.

[jamieboy]

cirvy said:

Under normal use, the GT would return early 20's, but i generally nailed it because it was such a fantastic engine

That makes more sense, it's just that when you said "I had the 3.2 (GT) for a couple of years, & in day to day driving never really bettered 19mpg" I thought you meant 'day-to-day driving' not 'nailing it'.

[phil1979]

said:

Probably something to do with the V6 in the GT was / is an Alfa design. The one in the Brera / 159 is the lump that is lifted from the Vauxhall Vectra V6, and "tweaked" to be an Alfa engine....

I've heard of worse economy from a Brera though....

Chris

Why did Alfa change to the GM unit????

[jamieboy]

phil1979 said:

said:

Probably something to do with the V6 in the GT was / is an Alfa design. The one in the Brera / 159 is the lump that is lifted from the Vauxhall Vectra V6, and "tweaked" to be an Alfa engine....

Why did Alfa change to the GM unit????

I think the old Arese V6 was going to struggle to meet new emissions regs.

It's not a GM unit, to be fair - the block used in the Alfa came as part of a GM/Alfa joint venture, but pretty much everything else is bespoke to Alfa as far as I know.

I didn't think they were using even the same block in the Vectra, though.

Edited by jamieboy on Thursday 5th July 12:58

[cirvy]

it is a shite engine, no redeeming features at all as far as i can see, i'm amazed someone like Alfa ever decided to use it

[rs48635]

to compare to older "alfa" v6, albeit much different car.


Normally run to train station and back every day, but also cane it around once in a while and do long runs including south of france.
My 1999 166 v6 averages 22.4mpg overall no matter what I do to it.
Normal round town stop start 16-19.
On a normal morotway, including some sprints and high speed cruising 24-27mpg
Best ever 36 mpg - running out of petrol driving back to holiday villa one dark and rainy night.

[Podie]

Cirvy, as shit as it is, read the small print on how the cycles are completed and the figures reached... you may be surprised at the speeds involved.... http://www.green-car-guide.com/news/official-mpg-v...


ETA link as I'm a bit slow this morning...

Edited by Podie on Friday 6th July 08:51

[paulg390]

16.6 mpg Strewth !!!!!! I've got a 156 GTA (which averages 22-25, admittedly not urban cycle through) and I dont hang about, and a TVR Griff which is probably about 19-20 and because of the type of car I waste loads on short acceleration bursts and double-declutching just for the noise...
I'd be really unhappy with <17mpg from a supposedly more modern (and hence efficient ?) car !