Discussion
Time to replace the trusty 1.2 Clio for school run/shopping duties and the odd run out at the weekend. I was looking at a very early new shape Megane or ubiquitous mk5 Golf, but then wondered about a 3 year old 147. Yes, I know it's a 10 year old design, but it is Alfa's 100th anniversary!
Do any of you have any experience/comments relating to reliability and running costs?, or is it a no brainer :-)
Any other suggestions welcome, except Citroen C4, as I drove a friend's the other week and it was horrible.
Do any of you have any experience/comments relating to reliability and running costs?, or is it a no brainer :-)
Any other suggestions welcome, except Citroen C4, as I drove a friend's the other week and it was horrible.
neil_bolton said:
lonefurrow said:
neil_bolton said:
Edited your missing thread title for ya 
That's why I couldn't find it! Bloody BlackBerry. So how can I edit the title - it was supposed to be "Alfa 147?"?Edited by lonefurrow on Tuesday 30th March 09:42
What's your budget? Are you looking at a diesel or petrol? I ran a GTA for a little while and absolutely loved it, as in my opinion there is nothing else like it on the road. Average MPG was 27, which included motorway jaunts and the odd bit of spirited driving. Servicing costs are reasonable, as long as you stay away from main dealers and use local specialists (of which there are plenty around the country). If it's a petrol you're after, cambelt changes are vital so make sure you factor this into your purchase price. If you want economy, look for a 1.9JTD. These are 150bhp standard, will return 45mpg, and can be remapped to around 190bhp.
There are plenty around so you should be able to be choosy, and find one with FSH from an enthusiast that has looked after it.
There are plenty around so you should be able to be choosy, and find one with FSH from an enthusiast that has looked after it.
lonefurrow said:
Do any of you have any experience/comments relating to reliability and running costs?, or is it a no brainer :-)
It's a no brainer. 
We had a 1.6 147 TI for three years, nothing went wrong with it. Replaced it with a 147 Ducati Corse eighteen months ago, nothing has gone wrong with it.
They're not super-economical, you need to keep them serviced properly by someone who knows what they're doing, and insurance tends to be higher than for other similar cars, so if you're looking for cheap motoring then it's not really the right car.
The 120bhp 1.6 was just about quick enough but you had to work it quite hard, the 150bhp 2.0 isn't miles quicker but it's more relaxed. With the 170bhp diesel and the Q2 diff, the Ducati Corse is a lot of unsophisticated fun.
That's what I like to hear . Budget probably £7-8k if I'm sensible. I'm still a bit of a luddite when it comes to diesel, so will probably go for a 1.6 petrol. Having said that, this looks nice: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1581686.htm ...although is too far away from me.
It's starting to seem rude not to... Golf - pah!
. Budget probably £7-8k if I'm sensible. I'm still a bit of a luddite when it comes to diesel, so will probably go for a 1.6 petrol. Having said that, this looks nice: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1581686.htm ...although is too far away from me. It's starting to seem rude not to... Golf - pah!
I've had one for the past 12 months. A few minor things have needed changing but for a 105k car it looks mint. Get a 1.9 JTD as the engine is bomb proof and the fastest out the lot. The 120bhp 1.9 is nearly as fast as the 2.0 petrol never mind the 150bhp JTDm.
Awesome looking cars but aim for a good spec ie leather and steering wheel controls!
Awesome looking cars but aim for a good spec ie leather and steering wheel controls!
jamieboy said:
With the 170bhp diesel and the Q2 diff, the Ducati Corse is a lot of unsophisticated fun.
Jamie, is the 170bhp JTD any different mechanically to the 150bhp? Or is it just a different map? I bet that's a great car with the Q2. I had a Q2 fitted to my GTA and it really transformed the at-the-limit cornering abilities of the car, although it did take away some of the fun element of understeering around a wet roundabout!Arese said:
is the 170bhp JTD any different mechanically to the 150bhp? Or is it just a different map?
I'd have though it was just a different map, but this site http://www.alfagtcloverleaf.co.uk/#/technical-spec... for the GT Cloverleaf (more or less the same car) shows the compression ratio is different for the 150bhp and 170bhp engines. Not sure exactly what the differences are. jamieboy said:
Arese said:
is the 170bhp JTD any different mechanically to the 150bhp? Or is it just a different map?
I'd have though it was just a different map, but this site http://www.alfagtcloverleaf.co.uk/#/technical-spec... for the GT Cloverleaf (more or less the same car) shows the compression ratio is different for the 150bhp and 170bhp engines. Not sure exactly what the differences are. Gassing Station | General Gassing [Archive] | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff