159 Sportwagon
Discussion
I was looking in the classifieds last night & came across the 159 Sportwagon
I really like this & I reckon given time, the wife would too.
What are they like with regards to reliability- any big bills awaiting to jump out & bite me in the ass?
Q4, 3.2, 1.9, 2.2 or 2.4...
Which would be the most economical to run- overall, taking into account tax, depreciation, repairs & servicing.
Thanks in advance.
I really like this & I reckon given time, the wife would too.
What are they like with regards to reliability- any big bills awaiting to jump out & bite me in the ass?
Q4, 3.2, 1.9, 2.2 or 2.4...
Which would be the most economical to run- overall, taking into account tax, depreciation, repairs & servicing.
Thanks in advance.
1.9JTD is reliable, economical, but not hugely fast - now replaced by a 2.0.
2.4JTD is fairly reliable (some early cars have had injector/swirl valve and other top end issues but most will be sorted now), not very economical, but quick, powerful and sounds great.
3.2 sounds good but very thirsty for the performance.
2.2 is a bit lacklustre to be honest and has been replaced by a new fangled 1750 turbo. Wouldn't fancy any smaller petrols.
Pick of the bunch for me is the 2.4 JTD. Needs driving hard to keep the DPF clean but it's smooth, responsive and goes very well indeed so it's hardly a chore! CO2 is 189 so not bad on road tax.
Interiors are lovely, all are well equipped, Blue & ME (Bluetooth and Media Player) well worth having. If you go for one with big wheels (18 or 19) just check the tyres are wearing evenly as they do go on the insides.
2.4JTD is fairly reliable (some early cars have had injector/swirl valve and other top end issues but most will be sorted now), not very economical, but quick, powerful and sounds great.
3.2 sounds good but very thirsty for the performance.
2.2 is a bit lacklustre to be honest and has been replaced by a new fangled 1750 turbo. Wouldn't fancy any smaller petrols.
Pick of the bunch for me is the 2.4 JTD. Needs driving hard to keep the DPF clean but it's smooth, responsive and goes very well indeed so it's hardly a chore! CO2 is 189 so not bad on road tax.
Interiors are lovely, all are well equipped, Blue & ME (Bluetooth and Media Player) well worth having. If you go for one with big wheels (18 or 19) just check the tyres are wearing evenly as they do go on the insides.
Everything else being equal, I'd go for the 2.4d too. I've got the 1.9d, and it's quick enough, but not quick. I think Rick's being over-generous about the 2.2, mind you. 
For reliability, mine is 18 months old. A couple of weeks after I got it, a microwsitch failed so the lights in the estate bit didn't come on when you opened the tailgate, so that got replaced with no problems. After about a year, I realised that the driver's door wasn't aligned properly, and again that got fixed with no problem.
They can be sore on tyres, the 19" wheels in particular, and there have been a couple of revisions (I think) of 'correct' geometry settings to fix it, so it's worth checking - the 19" tyres are about £200 a corner, so a geometry check can pay for itself quite quickly.
Mine is a ti, and the ride is sometimes a bit stiff. On the other hand, I got a Lusso as a courtesy car while the door was being re-aligned, and it was a bit soft and wallowy in comparison. Try them both.
Cars built from early '08 are a bit lighter than the first series of cars.
edit - they also stretched the servicing interval for the post-08 cars, from 18,000 / 12 months to 21,000 miles with no stipulation for an annual service as such, just a look over.
For reliability, mine is 18 months old. A couple of weeks after I got it, a microwsitch failed so the lights in the estate bit didn't come on when you opened the tailgate, so that got replaced with no problems. After about a year, I realised that the driver's door wasn't aligned properly, and again that got fixed with no problem.
They can be sore on tyres, the 19" wheels in particular, and there have been a couple of revisions (I think) of 'correct' geometry settings to fix it, so it's worth checking - the 19" tyres are about £200 a corner, so a geometry check can pay for itself quite quickly.
Mine is a ti, and the ride is sometimes a bit stiff. On the other hand, I got a Lusso as a courtesy car while the door was being re-aligned, and it was a bit soft and wallowy in comparison. Try them both.
Cars built from early '08 are a bit lighter than the first series of cars.
edit - they also stretched the servicing interval for the post-08 cars, from 18,000 / 12 months to 21,000 miles with no stipulation for an annual service as such, just a look over.
Edited by jamieboy on Friday 8th January 12:20
Edited by jamieboy on Friday 8th January 12:28
Hmmm, I keep looking at them & love the look.
I just don't like the idea of putting the key in dash & push button type of start.
I'd prefer something mechanical to turn, if you catch my drift.
It is a slight worry- I worry about the Cupra going tits up out of warranty & costing me a small fortune
Are there any known issues with them?
With regards to comfort, I'd prefer a wallowy ride TBH, these cars aren't sports cars, so what's the point in being bounced around?
Much like the S-Line Audis I suppose, I just can't see the point in them.
I've learnt the 'hard way' with my current car
It's a ball ache sometimes, when you're crashing along as opposed to wafting- especially on the bi-monthly trudge up country to visit the in-laws, oh how I relish that jouney
What's the leg room like, i've got a 34" inseam & getting comfy can be a nightmare for me.
Are the 3.2s that thirsty? 24mpg?
As much as I want to have a more suitable family car, there still needs to be something in it for me;)
Autos any good? I seem to recall problems with the 156?
Thanks for all the replies so far- very helpful
Ones I've seen that have caught my eye:
http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/ni/cars_popup.jsp...
http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/ni/cars_popup.jsp...
http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/ni/cars_popup.jsp...
http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/ni/cars_popup.jsp...
I always promised myself I'd never buy another silver/grey car again- it's all that seems to be about nowadays!
I just don't like the idea of putting the key in dash & push button type of start.
I'd prefer something mechanical to turn, if you catch my drift.
It is a slight worry- I worry about the Cupra going tits up out of warranty & costing me a small fortune
Are there any known issues with them?
With regards to comfort, I'd prefer a wallowy ride TBH, these cars aren't sports cars, so what's the point in being bounced around?
Much like the S-Line Audis I suppose, I just can't see the point in them.
I've learnt the 'hard way' with my current car
It's a ball ache sometimes, when you're crashing along as opposed to wafting- especially on the bi-monthly trudge up country to visit the in-laws, oh how I relish that jouney
What's the leg room like, i've got a 34" inseam & getting comfy can be a nightmare for me.
Are the 3.2s that thirsty? 24mpg?
As much as I want to have a more suitable family car, there still needs to be something in it for me;)
Autos any good? I seem to recall problems with the 156?
Thanks for all the replies so far- very helpful
Ones I've seen that have caught my eye:
http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/ni/cars_popup.jsp...
http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/ni/cars_popup.jsp...
http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/ni/cars_popup.jsp...
http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/ni/cars_popup.jsp...
I always promised myself I'd never buy another silver/grey car again- it's all that seems to be about nowadays!
Edited by Vidal Baboon on Friday 8th January 13:44
No known problems with the starter button.
Unfortunately I think your idea of uneconomical might need re-adjusting. Think low teens for the V6, 30 for the 2.4, 40 for the 1.9 (is that fair Jamie?).
Ride quality is far better than an S-Line, but then again so is a pogo stick made from a girder.
Unfortunately I think your idea of uneconomical might need re-adjusting. Think low teens for the V6, 30 for the 2.4, 40 for the 1.9 (is that fair Jamie?).
Ride quality is far better than an S-Line, but then again so is a pogo stick made from a girder.
I really am fancying one of these now.
3.2 sounds quite juicy- am I correct in thinking it's the GM spourced engine & not the old Alfa unit?
We were surprised with our current car- I kid ye not- foot to the floor in 6th & it's reading 4mpg at 70mph
it'll return around 24mpg- I managed to coax 27mpg on a long journey & I was trying- keeping it under 70mph.
There is no way in hell to drive it economically, weird car- it's either on boost or not, with very little inbetween.
Reminds me on an old school turbocharged car.
I was kind of hoping, seeing as it's NA, you could extract some decent figures on a run.
2.4 is a 5 cylinder right? Is it used in any other (non alfa) vehicles?
3.2 sounds quite juicy- am I correct in thinking it's the GM spourced engine & not the old Alfa unit?
We were surprised with our current car- I kid ye not- foot to the floor in 6th & it's reading 4mpg at 70mph
it'll return around 24mpg- I managed to coax 27mpg on a long journey & I was trying- keeping it under 70mph.There is no way in hell to drive it economically, weird car- it's either on boost or not, with very little inbetween.
Reminds me on an old school turbocharged car.
I was kind of hoping, seeing as it's NA, you could extract some decent figures on a run.
2.4 is a 5 cylinder right? Is it used in any other (non alfa) vehicles?
Edited by Vidal Baboon on Friday 8th January 16:27
Vidal Baboon said:
I really am fancying one of these now.
3.2 sounds quite juicy- am I correct in thinking it's the GM spourced engine & not the old Alfa unit?
Yes it is. Holden made block. Assembly in Italy with Alfa specific head.3.2 sounds quite juicy- am I correct in thinking it's the GM spourced engine & not the old Alfa unit?
Rear wheel biased permanent four wheel drive too. Very sophisticated set-up, but allegedly heavy and power sapping. Would have loved it myself with the 2.4 JTD, but they've stopped making that particular spec now.
Vidal Baboon said:
2.4 is a 5 cylinder right? Is it used in any other (non alfa) vehicles?
Yes, 5 cylinder. Sounds great. Used in some other big Fiats and Lancias, but no-one else gets it.Gassing Station | Alfa Romeo, Fiat & Lancia | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff