whats the GTV like to live with day to day?
Discussion
as per title, im looking to get a new car, and although the 155 is great for what it is, its still an old cheap saloon that needs some work doing to it 
have been looking at the GTV's and seen a couple of V6's that really tickle my fancy (not the cup mind cant afford one of them)
whats the real world fuel consumption like on the v6? im not too bothered really, but would like to know what to expect roughly. how about insurance costs / group?
can a baby seat fit in the back confortably (plus accesability) and a buggy in the boot?
whats the general service schedule like? im happy to take on most spannering jobs myself, and as it wont be a superdooper version imo, theres little need for full SH from when i take it on, as long as shes been cared for. anything to be aware of ie, wishbones needing replacing after x miles etc? cambelt schedule?
i desperatley want to get an alfa coupe, and if so, imo it should have the v6.. but thats just me. will it be a case of having to fogo the idea, or can it feasably work as a 'familly' car with slight compromise? (to the lil'un really.. lol)
thanks in advance
have been looking at the GTV's and seen a couple of V6's that really tickle my fancy (not the cup mind cant afford one of them
)whats the real world fuel consumption like on the v6? im not too bothered really, but would like to know what to expect roughly. how about insurance costs / group?
can a baby seat fit in the back confortably (plus accesability) and a buggy in the boot?
whats the general service schedule like? im happy to take on most spannering jobs myself, and as it wont be a superdooper version imo, theres little need for full SH from when i take it on, as long as shes been cared for. anything to be aware of ie, wishbones needing replacing after x miles etc? cambelt schedule?
i desperatley want to get an alfa coupe, and if so, imo it should have the v6.. but thats just me. will it be a case of having to fogo the idea, or can it feasably work as a 'familly' car with slight compromise? (to the lil'un really.. lol)
thanks in advance
Andy_sx said:
whats the real world fuel consumption like on the v6? im not too bothered really, but would like to know what to expect roughly. how about insurance costs / group?
22mpg roughly, im 23, 5 year NCB £750 (group 16 IIRC)Andy_sx said:
can a baby seat fit in the back confortably (plus accesability) and a buggy in the boot?
im sure a seat will, but cannot confirm. If you removed the space saver (which won't fint ove the front brakes anyway) then im sure it will fit a buggy.Andy_sx said:
whats the general service schedule like? im happy to take on most spannering jobs myself, and as it wont be a superdooper version imo, theres little need for full SH from when i take it on, as long as shes been cared for. anything to be aware of ie, wishbones needing replacing after x miles etc? cambelt schedule?
cambelt was @ 62,000 or 5 years IIRC. i'd change it at 40k to be safe as the tensioners tend to fail.(specialists will sort it for £500ish)
rear suspension bushes fail for fun, so listen for any knocking, and the AFM's go for a passtime.
£90 for a new one.
Also don't be put off if the airbag light is on, its a £5 job.
Other than that some use oil, (mine doesn't), and although the seats look good, provide no support at all.
mines done 103,000 now, and looks and feels like half the milage.
good old sheds
Matt
_Batty_ said:
Andy_sx said:
whats the real world fuel consumption like on the v6? im not too bothered really, but would like to know what to expect roughly. how about insurance costs / group?
22mpg roughly, im 23, 5 year NCB £750 (group 16 IIRC)Andy_sx said:
can a baby seat fit in the back confortably (plus accesability) and a buggy in the boot?
im sure a seat will, but cannot confirm. If you removed the space saver (which won't fint ove the front brakes anyway) then im sure it will fit a buggy.Andy_sx said:
whats the general service schedule like? im happy to take on most spannering jobs myself, and as it wont be a superdooper version imo, theres little need for full SH from when i take it on, as long as shes been cared for. anything to be aware of ie, wishbones needing replacing after x miles etc? cambelt schedule?
cambelt was @ 62,000 or 5 years IIRC. i'd change it at 40k to be safe as the tensioners tend to fail.(specialists will sort it for £500ish)
rear suspension bushes fail for fun, so listen for any knocking, and the AFM's go for a passtime.
£90 for a new one.
Also don't be put off if the airbag light is on, its a £5 job.
Other than that some use oil, (mine doesn't), and although the seats look good, provide no support at all.
mines done 103,000 now, and looks and feels like half the milage.
good old sheds
Matt
will have to look into insurance a bit more though, 1 yers NCB after a crash last xmas may not help
hmmmTo pick up on a couple of points that Batty's left:
but only for transport, not really for shopping / holidays etc.
Andy_sx said:
whats the real world fuel consumption like on the v6? im not too bothered really, but would like to know what to expect roughly. how about insurance costs / group?
I tend to get around 18mpg in town and low- to mid-20's on the open road.Andy_sx said:
can a baby seat fit in the back confortably (plus accesability)
Unless the front seat passengers are short, a rear-facing seat in the back will probably not fit. Even if it did, I'm not sure I'd trust it. Once s/he's in a forward-facing seat it's do-able, but you may need to try a few models to get a good, secure fit. Andy_sx said:
and a buggy in the boot?
A smaller, umbrella-fold buggy is fine. I can fit a Maclaren buggy in without needing to remove the spare wheel. Not a huge amount of room left over but enough for a small squashy bag or two.Andy_sx said:
i desperatley want to get an alfa coupe, and if so, imo it should have the v6.. but thats just me. will it be a case of having to fogo the idea, or can it feasably work as a 'familly' car with slight compromise? (to the lil'un really.. lol)
It can be done but only for transport, not really for shopping / holidays etc. Hey im 23 too and have only got 2 years NCB, also have 6 points on the licence and my insurance for the GTV is £960.
Fuel economy... well er yeah, it eats fuel but you can forgive it that. I find that on motorways it is better as it has the 6 gears so you can just cruise along and not burn too much fuel. Got about 250miles to a £60 tankfull on motorway driving. Back roads and round town will hurt your wallet however.
Get one you really wont regret it, I can even fit my skis (and one uncomfortable passenger) in it!
Fuel economy... well er yeah, it eats fuel but you can forgive it that. I find that on motorways it is better as it has the 6 gears so you can just cruise along and not burn too much fuel. Got about 250miles to a £60 tankfull on motorway driving. Back roads and round town will hurt your wallet however.
Get one you really wont regret it, I can even fit my skis (and one uncomfortable passenger) in it!
pdV6 said:
To pick up on a couple of points that Batty's left:
but only for transport, not really for shopping / holidays etc.
pdV6, many thanks for that. the baby seat is forward facing, hes growing up a bit quick, hes a year old next month! as for the buggy, have one of the lil ones to make life easy and a bigger mummas & papas jobbie, failing that, t'other half can go in the boot Andy_sx said:
whats the real world fuel consumption like on the v6? im not too bothered really, but would like to know what to expect roughly. how about insurance costs / group?
I tend to get around 18mpg in town and low- to mid-20's on the open road.Andy_sx said:
can a baby seat fit in the back confortably (plus accesability)
Unless the front seat passengers are short, a rear-facing seat in the back will probably not fit. Even if it did, I'm not sure I'd trust it. Once s/he's in a forward-facing seat it's do-able, but you may need to try a few models to get a good, secure fit. Andy_sx said:
and a buggy in the boot?
A smaller, umbrella-fold buggy is fine. I can fit a Maclaren buggy in without needing to remove the spare wheel. Not a huge amount of room left over but enough for a small squashy bag or two.Andy_sx said:
i desperatley want to get an alfa coupe, and if so, imo it should have the v6.. but thats just me. will it be a case of having to fogo the idea, or can it feasably work as a 'familly' car with slight compromise? (to the lil'un really.. lol)
It can be done but only for transport, not really for shopping / holidays etc. 
Alfachick, do you have a V6 too? my main problem is the crash was my fault, so ups the premium a little, but sod it, ive paid 2k plus on insurance before (not saying ill go that high again... well not until my salary allows me to) but i dont mind taking a hit for something i really want.
petrol isnt so much of an issue, i live 3 miles from work, and unless i have a ship in on that particular day in the summer i tend to ride / walk in, annual mileage is sub 10k, just wanted a realistic view from owners on here as to what they get.
think ill be doing some figure crunching tonight, oh and trying to find the right one
anything imparticular i should look for (replaced etc...) for signs of good upkeep / being razzed etc etc? i like to drive and drive fast, but properly. dont mind getting my hands dirty at all either
Yeah i have the V6 lusso. Its loveley, although it has just broken at the mo, going to an Alfa specialist today (under warenty HA!)
Make sure that the cambelts have been changed, looking at a bill for about £1000 to get that done, alot of the V6's for sale are around the 50-60k miles, just before it needs to be done....(wonder why).
I would strongly recomend getting one with a fully stamped up service history. I once bought an Alfa that didnt have that and it blew up on me 6 months after I bought it.
Make sure that the cambelts have been changed, looking at a bill for about £1000 to get that done, alot of the V6's for sale are around the 50-60k miles, just before it needs to be done....(wonder why).
I would strongly recomend getting one with a fully stamped up service history. I once bought an Alfa that didnt have that and it blew up on me 6 months after I bought it.
yeah im pretty clued up on the things like cam belts etc, and can get them sorted easily enough through my mates garage at cost orice plus me getting my hands dirty too. to be honest, i wont consider anything without a cambelt change anywho, not worth the worry imo, but even still id be looking to get it done myself aswell for extra piece of mind. SH is helpful yes, but doesnt necessarily show the owner has been extremely clued up on cars, it just means they can read the service book. if it didnt have fsh but i could talk to the owner and they could tell me that they used selenia oil, checked it once a week and how much it used over x amount of time with little or no prompting id be a happy man, even more so if they did it themselves.
have read about the rear bushes / arms, what year did the different phases come along? the one thats caught my eye is a 98, anything imparticular to look for bar the usual service etc?
thanks again for all the help so far
have read about the rear bushes / arms, what year did the different phases come along? the one thats caught my eye is a 98, anything imparticular to look for bar the usual service etc?
thanks again for all the help so far
Hi there,
I ran a GTV3.0 for 2 years, and yes you can get a baby seat in the back - you may need to buy a slimmer one though. I got a slimline Britax which fitted OK. A visit to Halfords and you'll find something suitable.
Again Maclaren buggy fits fine, even with the spare in place.
MPG 25-26 on average.
I'd recommend - very practical car, certainly for a coupe, long as you don't want to cram adults in the back.
I ran a GTV3.0 for 2 years, and yes you can get a baby seat in the back - you may need to buy a slimmer one though. I got a slimline Britax which fitted OK. A visit to Halfords and you'll find something suitable.
Again Maclaren buggy fits fine, even with the spare in place.
MPG 25-26 on average.
I'd recommend - very practical car, certainly for a coupe, long as you don't want to cram adults in the back.
I have had mine for about 18 months and I have spent a fair bit on it, stainless ragazzon exhust without the 2 rear silencers (sounds lovely), poly bushed rear suspension and Bilstein sport shocks have transformed the handling and it has had a new air flow meter and drivers side window motor. I would certainly reccomend one but they are not cheap to run. I would get a phase 2 with aero kit, telidials and Momo leather, mileage is not a problem, condition is everything.
Robert and Pooh, many thanks gents, im not scared of spending to keep her going and in tip top condition, but i dont want a car thats going to be a pain in the arse to live with with the lil'un
Matt, wish i was making it to Brum, but no chance for me although i have seen your post in general gassing, fancy chucking me an email with some spec / details and pics? oh and price?
how do i tell what phase it is? ive seen one in the classifieds i like, doesnt have the aero or tedials mind, but then again the price reflects that... but i am willing to spend more to get as kosher a model as possible then work from there.
Matt, wish i was making it to Brum, but no chance for me
although i have seen your post in general gassing, fancy chucking me an email with some spec / details and pics? oh and price?how do i tell what phase it is? ive seen one in the classifieds i like, doesnt have the aero or tedials mind, but then again the price reflects that... but i am willing to spend more to get as kosher a model as possible then work from there.
Andy_sx said:
how do i tell what phase it is?
Phase 3 is easy, it's the one with the big nose. (2003-on?)Phase 1 had black strips round the bottom of the front spoiler and along the sides, on phase 2 cars these were body-coloured. Phase 2 came in late '98.
Also, P2 cars have a chrome insert in the shield on the front, and the centre console is silver-painted plastic as opposed to black plastic for P1 cars.
There were other changes, like auto-drop windows being introduced part way through P2, etc.
Andy_sx said:
Matt, wish i was making it to Brum, but no chance for me although i have seen your post in general gassing, fancy chucking me an email with some spec / details and pics? oh and price?
whats your price range fella? although i have seen your post in general gassing, fancy chucking me an email with some spec / details and pics? oh and price?out of interest mines a Ph2 (as Jamieboy has explained
) with a front aeropack splitter and autodelta spoiler.mine has the less desirable wheels, the teledials are the ones you want
Lussos (as mine is) has auto aircon.
look at sportsalfa.com for more info.
mine will be up for between 4.5 and 4250
cheers
Matt
_Batty_ said:
Andy_sx said:
Matt, wish i was making it to Brum, but no chance for me although i have seen your post in general gassing, fancy chucking me an email with some spec / details and pics? oh and price?
whats your price range fella? although i have seen your post in general gassing, fancy chucking me an email with some spec / details and pics? oh and price?out of interest mines a Ph2 (as Jamieboy has explained
) with a front aeropack splitter and autodelta spoiler.mine has the less desirable wheels, the teledials are the ones you want
Lussos (as mine is) has auto aircon.
look at sportsalfa.com for more info.
mine will be up for between 4.5 and 4250
cheers
Matt
and its a nice colour too...price range is a bit flexible around the 4k ish mark, dont want to go too overboard, but would rather spend a bit more on a car thats been loved and looked after properly
Andy_sx said:
_Batty_ said:
Andy_sx said:
Matt, wish i was making it to Brum, but no chance for me although i have seen your post in general gassing, fancy chucking me an email with some spec / details and pics? oh and price?
whats your price range fella? although i have seen your post in general gassing, fancy chucking me an email with some spec / details and pics? oh and price?out of interest mines a Ph2 (as Jamieboy has explained
) with a front aeropack splitter and autodelta spoiler.mine has the less desirable wheels, the teledials are the ones you want
Lussos (as mine is) has auto aircon.
look at sportsalfa.com for more info.
mine will be up for between 4.5 and 4250
cheers
Matt
and its a nice colour too...price range is a bit flexible around the 4k ish mark, dont want to go too overboard, but would rather spend a bit more on a car thats been loved and looked after properly
feel free to email me about her.
Matt
MPG is around the 20 MPG mark for my 3.0 GTV V6, doesn't seem to make a huge difference even when cruising on the motorway.
Works out at about 20p a mile just on fuel.
Common Checks :-
Clutch Slip
Cambelt Change
Oil Cooler replacement (these can fail)
Engine Mount
Rear Bushes (much less common on the V6, as they are rose jointed)
Inner tyre wear
I think brake pipes can need replacement
Otherwise they are very sound !
Works out at about 20p a mile just on fuel.
Common Checks :-
Clutch Slip
Cambelt Change
Oil Cooler replacement (these can fail)
Engine Mount
Rear Bushes (much less common on the V6, as they are rose jointed)
Inner tyre wear
I think brake pipes can need replacement
Otherwise they are very sound !
I think 20mpg is very low - mine was a lot better than that, nearer 26mpg, and near 30 on a motorway run. May be worth getting the AFM looked at - when not working right that can have a significant detrimental effect on consumption. A search on sportsalfa.com will give you more info about this.
Even in my GTA which is definitely a lot thirstier, I am getting 21-22mpg.
Even in my GTA which is definitely a lot thirstier, I am getting 21-22mpg.
Gassing Station | Alfa Romeo, Fiat & Lancia | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff