Alfa Romeo 156 - talk to me
Discussion
Hi all,
I've got the opportunity to buy a 156 for my mum.
My parents generally buy a car and run it till it dies, so if it lasts 3-4 years (Being an 03 plate you'd hope it would!) without any major issues that should be fine.
Could someone that knows the car give me any advice?
If they have any common faults that may stop it getting an MOT, etc?
It's very low mileage for the year. 10k, but I'd assume that being a dealership-type car it's got about 25k of wear on it, which should still be pretty good for a 7 year old car.
I was thinking if I could get it for a song it might be worth it.
I've got the opportunity to buy a 156 for my mum.
My parents generally buy a car and run it till it dies, so if it lasts 3-4 years (Being an 03 plate you'd hope it would!) without any major issues that should be fine.
Could someone that knows the car give me any advice?
If they have any common faults that may stop it getting an MOT, etc?
It's very low mileage for the year. 10k, but I'd assume that being a dealership-type car it's got about 25k of wear on it, which should still be pretty good for a 7 year old car.
I was thinking if I could get it for a song it might be worth it.
crofty1984 said:
Hi all,
I've got the opportunity to buy a 156 for my mum.
My parents generally buy a car and run it till it dies, so if it lasts 3-4 years (Being an 03 plate you'd hope it would!) without any major issues that should be fine.
Could someone that knows the car give me any advice?
If they have any common faults that may stop it getting an MOT, etc?
It's very low mileage for the year. 10k, but I'd assume that being a dealership-type car it's got about 25k of wear on it, which should still be pretty good for a 7 year old car.
I was thinking if I could get it for a song it might be worth it.
I have a 2003 (facelift interior) 1.8 TS that I bought to replace my 147GTA last November. I needed to free up some cash, so sold the GTA and got my 156 from a local Alfa specialist (private sale).I've got the opportunity to buy a 156 for my mum.
My parents generally buy a car and run it till it dies, so if it lasts 3-4 years (Being an 03 plate you'd hope it would!) without any major issues that should be fine.
Could someone that knows the car give me any advice?
If they have any common faults that may stop it getting an MOT, etc?
It's very low mileage for the year. 10k, but I'd assume that being a dealership-type car it's got about 25k of wear on it, which should still be pretty good for a 7 year old car.
I was thinking if I could get it for a song it might be worth it.
Obviously, it was a bit of a come down in terms of performance, but not so much in terms of enjoyment. I find myself throwing the 156 around a lot more, and it makes you try harder because you don't have oodles of power on tap to pull you out of corners.
Anyway, I've done around 18k miles in the ten months I've had mine and spent around £300 over-and-above general maintenance (needed a new suspension wishbone). In that time, I've driven to Shetland and back, and Bournemouth and back a few times without any major problems.
Things I'd advise:
- Take it for a drive over speed-bumps, listen out for any suspension noises. Budget in a few hundred quid if it sounds like something needs doing, bushes etc
- Make sure it has had a cambelt and water pump change recently. Even though it has low miles, the belts can perish over time
- The 1.8 I have does around 480 miles to a tank, mixed driving. The 2.0 will probably do around 450, the 2.4 diesel probably around 500.
- Make sure there's no engine management light on. Electrics can be a bugger.
- Make sure someone checks the oil regularly!
For a 10k miles 2003 model, don't pay more than £2500.
Hugo a Gogo said:
your parents killed many cars within 3 years have they?
what do they do, banger racing?
Only the banger part what do they do, banger racing?
They have a boat so their money goes on that. I've never known them to spend more than £1500 on a car. And that's rare. Bangernomics FTW!
Oh, it's the 1.9 JTD model, sorry.
hora said:
Are they mechanically minded or not easy to pull wool over?
Pretty mechanically minded (Well, Dad is). My worry is if there's a case of "This important £500 part always fails and it's very important" Then it's not so bargain-tastic. If something like sat nav (doesn't have it) or rear parking sensors often fail, that's not an issue, they'll just carry on without it. But if it's something that would stop the car running/passing an MOT then it's an issue.Sounds like I'll have a punt and change the cambelt/oil and hope for the best.
The JTD are a lot more solid and reliable enginewise.
It's just the cambelt, suspension wishbones you have to look out for. Both the 147 and 156 I've owned both had them changed as they wear out really fast but 10k miles should mean its not a problem!
Cambelt is still 72k/5 years so it should have still had a change or needs changing now...it's around £350...
It's just the cambelt, suspension wishbones you have to look out for. Both the 147 and 156 I've owned both had them changed as they wear out really fast but 10k miles should mean its not a problem!
Cambelt is still 72k/5 years so it should have still had a change or needs changing now...it's around £350...
hora said:
DamienB said:
A 7 year old diesel with only 10K on it? Are you sure that's not really 110K and has had a speedo changed (they do snuff it from time to time)?
I missed that crucial bit.If I was buying a Alfa it'd need to have annual oil changes, not a penny spared (hence loads of bills or evidence/schedule of maintanence etc) and with NO QUESTION MARKS AT ALL.
A diesel thats only got 10k on in 7yrs flags a warning sign to me.
There are plenty out there.
So I'm treating it as 25-30k of wear, naturally!
Hoping to get it for about half price then spend a couple of hundred on cambelt, decent thorough service, etc.
Thought it would be nice for my mum to have "a nice car" seeing as her E36 is on it's last legs and she likes 4-door saloons.
alfabadass said:
The JTD are a lot more solid and reliable enginewise.
It's just the cambelt, suspension wishbones you have to look out for. Both the 147 and 156 I've owned both had them changed as they wear out really fast but 10k miles should mean its not a problem!
Cambelt is still 72k/5 years so it should have still had a change or needs changing now...it's around £350...
Cambelt is 36k/3 years, ARUK annaunced shortened intervals due to so many failures, this was in 2006! - If the belt has been done/needs doing, make sure the water pump is/was done with a metal impeller, as these go and take the belt with if not...It's just the cambelt, suspension wishbones you have to look out for. Both the 147 and 156 I've owned both had them changed as they wear out really fast but 10k miles should mean its not a problem!
Cambelt is still 72k/5 years so it should have still had a change or needs changing now...it's around £350...
Not so familiar with the diesels but horror stories of dreadful unreliabilty about these cars is unfounded.
Usual cambelt etc intervals are important however with proper changes these won't cause you grief
If there are problems is that many parts on them need to be viewed as consumables, suspension especially. They were designed with thought ("its FWD so lets put some wishbones in rather than a simpler layout of shocks and struts) but.... things like bushes on upper wishbones go quicker than other cars, relatively cheap to fix if you have a friendly indie but these things can become annoyances to some especially mainly the usual pub talk experts taking the piss.
Add a couple of hundred quid extra a year into maintenence budgets and all should be well
The main thing is that your Mum will no doubt love it and be the envy of many of her friends
Reedy156 said:
alfabadass said:
The JTD are a lot more solid and reliable enginewise.
It's just the cambelt, suspension wishbones you have to look out for. Both the 147 and 156 I've owned both had them changed as they wear out really fast but 10k miles should mean its not a problem!
Cambelt is still 72k/5 years so it should have still had a change or needs changing now...it's around £350...
Cambelt is 36k/3 years, ARUK annaunced shortened intervals due to so many failures, this was in 2006! - If the belt has been done/needs doing, make sure the water pump is/was done with a metal impeller, as these go and take the belt with if not...It's just the cambelt, suspension wishbones you have to look out for. Both the 147 and 156 I've owned both had them changed as they wear out really fast but 10k miles should mean its not a problem!
Cambelt is still 72k/5 years so it should have still had a change or needs changing now...it's around £350...
No electrical issues with my 156 so far, and the 147 that it has replaced was fine too. A few bulbs and fuses but otherwise virtually spot on. To echo previous posts, more of a concern to you should be belts, suspension bits and regular oil checks (point 3 refers more so to the Twin Spark.)
03 will (most probably) be the best of the 156s - facelift interior and original shell.
(the external facelift came late in 03).
We bought one a good few years back on a 99V plate with 102k miles on it.
We ran it for 4 years, up 135k miles with very little needed other than regular servicing - all we needed in maintenance was a cat., suspension arm, and air-con pipe.
You can't really go wrong with a JTD - they're proven to be reliable as the lumps have been used by Saab, Vauxhall, Alfa, Fiat, Lancia and Vauxhall / Opel.
We liked our 156 so much, I bought an 02 built, but 56 registered, Selespeed Sportwagon with Momo leather.
What's the spec. of the car you're looking at? - they're absolutely beautiful with biscuit coloured Momo leather and the Bose audio upgrade is also worth having.
(the external facelift came late in 03).
We bought one a good few years back on a 99V plate with 102k miles on it.
We ran it for 4 years, up 135k miles with very little needed other than regular servicing - all we needed in maintenance was a cat., suspension arm, and air-con pipe.
You can't really go wrong with a JTD - they're proven to be reliable as the lumps have been used by Saab, Vauxhall, Alfa, Fiat, Lancia and Vauxhall / Opel.
We liked our 156 so much, I bought an 02 built, but 56 registered, Selespeed Sportwagon with Momo leather.
What's the spec. of the car you're looking at? - they're absolutely beautiful with biscuit coloured Momo leather and the Bose audio upgrade is also worth having.
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