First ever go in an Alfa today
Discussion
So, I'm looking for a new car, I don’t need much as it only has to get me to an airport on every Monday morning then home every Friday night. Garage right over the road from me has a very clean looking Alfa 147, very straight body work apart from one small scuff on the front lh arch. Ok, 110K miles but is that high these days?
So, I take it out for a test drive, very nice interior, nice black leather seats, totally un marked, all of the switches work etc, nice tight feeling engine, ok gear change feeling.
So after about 2 miles the airbag warning light comes on, then the clutch pedal gets stuck fully down. Just as I'm explaining this to the dealer the car cuts out and won’t re-start. Dealer assures me that it’s just run out of petrel, but points out that this is odd because it still shows a small bit on the dial, which he points out is probably down to Italian electronics.
His mate turns up with a fuel can, put 4 litres in, still won’t start. I shake his hand and walk home in the rain.
I feel like I have had the whole Alfa experience in less than an hour.
So, I take it out for a test drive, very nice interior, nice black leather seats, totally un marked, all of the switches work etc, nice tight feeling engine, ok gear change feeling.
So after about 2 miles the airbag warning light comes on, then the clutch pedal gets stuck fully down. Just as I'm explaining this to the dealer the car cuts out and won’t re-start. Dealer assures me that it’s just run out of petrel, but points out that this is odd because it still shows a small bit on the dial, which he points out is probably down to Italian electronics.
His mate turns up with a fuel can, put 4 litres in, still won’t start. I shake his hand and walk home in the rain.
I feel like I have had the whole Alfa experience in less than an hour.
nottyash said:
Are you buying it then?Same guy does have a mint, low miles (29k) Clio 172 that I was going to take a look at, just can't bring my self to go back there.
On modern engines, if you run out of fuel, it can create a vacuum in the pipes. An AA man showed me where and how to squeeze one of the fuel pipes under the bonnet to get round this, so that might be why it wouldn't start even after his mate had put fuel in.
I'm thinking of a 159 next, so I hope I have a better experience. I don't blame you for not going back to him though.
I'm thinking of a 159 next, so I hope I have a better experience. I don't blame you for not going back to him though.
A911DOM said:
On the contrary - its the dealer who should be embarressed, you might get a cracking deal on the other car to alleviate his guilt 
Yeah, I just can't make the other car work financially, I only need it for two trips per week (right now).A rental from Friday night to Mon morning makes more sese right now.
Liokault said:
nottyash said:
Are you buying it then?Same guy does have a mint, low miles (29k) Clio 172 that I was going to take a look at, just can't bring my self to go back there.
Liokault said:
So, I'm looking for a new car, I don’t need much as it only has to get me to an airport on every Monday morning then home every Friday night. Garage right over the road from me has a very clean looking Alfa 147, very straight body work apart from one small scuff on the front lh arch. Ok, 110K miles but is that high these days?
So, I take it out for a test drive, very nice interior, nice black leather seats, totally un marked, all of the switches work etc, nice tight feeling engine, ok gear change feeling.
So after about 2 miles the airbag warning light comes on, then the clutch pedal gets stuck fully down. Just as I'm explaining this to the dealer the car cuts out and won’t re-start. Dealer assures me that it’s just run out of petrel, but points out that this is odd because it still shows a small bit on the dial, which he points out is probably down to Italian electronics.
His mate turns up with a fuel can, put 4 litres in, still won’t start. I shake his hand and walk home in the rain.
I feel like I have had the whole Alfa experience in less than an hour.
Very unfortunate.So, I take it out for a test drive, very nice interior, nice black leather seats, totally un marked, all of the switches work etc, nice tight feeling engine, ok gear change feeling.
So after about 2 miles the airbag warning light comes on, then the clutch pedal gets stuck fully down. Just as I'm explaining this to the dealer the car cuts out and won’t re-start. Dealer assures me that it’s just run out of petrel, but points out that this is odd because it still shows a small bit on the dial, which he points out is probably down to Italian electronics.
His mate turns up with a fuel can, put 4 litres in, still won’t start. I shake his hand and walk home in the rain.
I feel like I have had the whole Alfa experience in less than an hour.
Sadly, if this had happened in an Audi or BMW it would be considered one of those things. Because it's an Alfa incidents like this feed preconcieved ideas about the reliability of an Alfa, which is unwarranted.
every petrol head should have an alfa once. Its usually only once as the ownership experience is rarely as rewarding as the looks and 'performance' suggest. I had a brand new 156 in 2002 - it was sh!t. unfortunately it was company car and i couldnt palm it off on anyone for about 2 years.
i was on first name terms with the service manager who was always very helpful but admitted they were sh!t. He used to kindly drop off a fiat punto courtesy car for me every time the alfa needed to go in for more work inc replacement engine, box, suspension, wiring loom, radio, alarm, electric window motors. i did more miles in a punto.
I saw a mito cloverleaf the other day and commented to the wife the it looked great. Her reply 'dont be so f***ing stupid, its an alfa'. nuff said....
i was on first name terms with the service manager who was always very helpful but admitted they were sh!t. He used to kindly drop off a fiat punto courtesy car for me every time the alfa needed to go in for more work inc replacement engine, box, suspension, wiring loom, radio, alarm, electric window motors. i did more miles in a punto.
I saw a mito cloverleaf the other day and commented to the wife the it looked great. Her reply 'dont be so f***ing stupid, its an alfa'. nuff said....
mk2zetec said:
every petrol head should have an alfa once. Its usually only once as the ownership experience is rarely as rewarding as the looks and 'performance' suggest. I had a brand new 156 in 2002 - it was sh!t. unfortunately it was company car and i couldnt palm it off on anyone for about 2 years.
i was on first name terms with the service manager who was always very helpful but admitted they were sh!t. He used to kindly drop off a fiat punto courtesy car for me every time the alfa needed to go in for more work inc replacement engine, box, suspension, wiring loom, radio, alarm, electric window motors. i did more miles in a punto.
I saw a mito cloverleaf the other day and commented to the wife the it looked great. Her reply 'dont be so f***ing stupid, its an alfa'. nuff said....
You have implied your experience of Alfa ownership is the rule rather than the exception. Utter tosh.i was on first name terms with the service manager who was always very helpful but admitted they were sh!t. He used to kindly drop off a fiat punto courtesy car for me every time the alfa needed to go in for more work inc replacement engine, box, suspension, wiring loom, radio, alarm, electric window motors. i did more miles in a punto.
I saw a mito cloverleaf the other day and commented to the wife the it looked great. Her reply 'dont be so f***ing stupid, its an alfa'. nuff said....
Also, most people I've met who've had bad Alfa experiences usually say one of the following:
'The cambelt just snapped without warning'
'The engine just overheated without warning'
'The pistons just lunched themselves without warning'
So I'll ask them when they last had it serviced. They never do. Nor do they check fluid levels.
Alfa ownership is built on mutual respect. You look after it, and it'll look after you. Abuse it, and it'll abuse you.
And as for the previous poster claiming the 147 is a platform-engineered Fiat. Which bit? It's derived from the Alfa-bespoke 156 floorplan, which also spawned the GT. The engine is unique to Alfa, as is the suspension, the brakes, the gearbox, the interior trim...
'The cambelt just snapped without warning'
'The engine just overheated without warning'
'The pistons just lunched themselves without warning'
So I'll ask them when they last had it serviced. They never do. Nor do they check fluid levels.
Alfa ownership is built on mutual respect. You look after it, and it'll look after you. Abuse it, and it'll abuse you.
And as for the previous poster claiming the 147 is a platform-engineered Fiat. Which bit? It's derived from the Alfa-bespoke 156 floorplan, which also spawned the GT. The engine is unique to Alfa, as is the suspension, the brakes, the gearbox, the interior trim...
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