i want to buy an alfa am i mad?

I've had my 147 for a year now and it's been fabulous. I love it. The looks, the sound of the engine, the comfort, it just stands out it's completely different. It's got all the toys you could want (heated leather seats, dual zone climate control, cruise control, heated mirrors etc....). It's just perfect. Ideally I'd prefer a RWD car, but as a stop gap, it's filling it perfectly. This is the 2nd Alfa I've owned and I have never had regrets - you just have to look after it a bit more than you would normally, it's a car designed with passion and love, not with clinical accuracy - it's got a lot of character, but you have to look after it ;)
 
I'm wanting to save up for a Berea S. Even if you are mad, take solace in the face there is someone out there (me) madder.
 
FirebarUK said:
I'm in the same quandry. Looking at an Alfa 159 2.4JTDM - plenty of people tell me the newer Alfa's are fine, but still a bit wary...
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They are meant to fine nowadays. Alfa/Fiat/GM developed engine, good chassis and decent build quality.

I test drove one recently and fell in love. Just didn't want to personal finance one with their depreciation.
 
I owned a 156 years ago for about 6 months until the engine blew up. The electrics never worked properly and the dashboard warning lights would constantly light up like a Christmas tree. My sister also has a 147 (which I've told her to get rid of as the engine has started to knock, and it will only be a matter of time before the inevitable happens...)

Difficult to believe that when the 156 first came out, the magazines were saying it was comparable to an E46. That must have been based only on quick drive round the block rather than on the 'total ownership experience.'

The good thing about these 156s/147s now I suppose is that as a buyer you can pick them up for peanuts. Seriously, you can't even GIVE an old high mileage 156 away at the moment and dealers don't seem to want to accept a 147 unless its being offered at 50% below the Glasses' price.

Don't think you're necessarily mad in wanting to buy one, but you'd be mad to spend more than £2-3k on one because it will cost you a lot to maintain, depreciate faster than a brick falling off a cliff and have practically no resale value.

Freefaller said:
I've had my 147 for a year now and it's been fabulous. I love it. The looks, the sound of the engine, the comfort, it just stands out it's completely different. It's got all the toys you could want (heated leather seats, dual zone climate control, cruise control, heated mirrors etc....). It's just perfect. Ideally I'd prefer a RWD car, but as a stop gap, it's filling it perfectly. This is the 2nd Alfa I've owned and I have never had regrets - you just have to look after it a bit more than you would normally, it's a car designed with passion and love, not with clinical accuracy - it's got a lot of character, but you have to look after it ;)
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The only thing I don't agree with you there is about 'comfort'. The seating position is rubbish and its noisy on the motorway with noticeable wind, road and engine noise. It also seems to be undergeared in 5th which doesn't make for relaxing high speed motorway journeys. Spring/damper rates also don't seem to be quite right. Lots of toys though and I agree that it does have an nice interior (compared to Focuses, Golfs etc).
 
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That is all
 
MarkDavis said:
I owned a 156 years ago for about 6 months until the engine blew up. The electrics never worked properly and the dashboard warning lights would constantly light up like a Christmas tree. My sister also has a 147 (which I've told her to get rid of as the engine has started to knock, and it will only be a matter of time before the inevitable happens...)

Difficult to believe that when the 156 first came out, the magazines were saying it was comparable to an E46. That must have been based only on quick drive round the block rather than on the 'total ownership experience.'

The good thing about these 156s/147s now I suppose is that as a buyer you can pick them up for peanuts. Seriously, you can't even GIVE an old high mileage 156 away at the moment and dealers don't seem to want to accept a 147 unless its being offered at 50% below the Glasses' price.

Don't think you're necessarily mad in wanting to buy one, but you'd be mad to spend more than £2-3k on one because it will cost you a lot to maintain, depreciate faster than a brick falling off a cliff and have practically no resale value.



The only thing I don't agree with you there is about 'comfort'. The seating position is rubbish and its noisy on the motorway with noticeable wind, road and engine noise. It also seems to be undergeared in 5th which doesn't make for relaxing high speed motorway journeys. Spring/damper rates also don't seem to be quite right. Lots of toys though and I agree that it does have an nice interior (compared to Focuses, Golfs etc).
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Coming from a viagra'ed MX5 I can assure you it is a heck of a lot more comfortable! :D I sit quite comfortably in mine, but I guess we're different body shapes... but I didn't find it too loud on the motorway, but 5th does seem a little short I agree.
 
:D
gareth.e said:
The Brera S looks almighty mean :p
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The Brera looks like the weirdest proportioned car this side of a Nissan Cube.

If you were to stick a back pack / ruck sack onto the back of a coupe because you like the hunchback of Notre Dame look, you would end up the Brera :D

The front half of it looks good though, as does the Brera Spyder and the Alfa GT looks fantastic but the Brera in coupe form doesn't seem to look right. ;)
 
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Alfa ownership is something you either get or don't.

It's like people who own old v dubs and the like. Not everyone wants a run of the mill euro box.

Anyway how about some GT pimpage:

alfa5.jpg
 
I owned a 147 for two years, absoloutely loved the car but it was a vandal magnet ! :mad:
I sold it and bought a Mazda...

Long story short I want my Alfa back !!

If anybody knows the whereabouts of GJ04 NWH please let me know !!
 
Sure it makes you mad, but who cares? MrLOL just bought a Vectra VXR, I drive a Mk1 MR2 on a 60 mile round trip to work, Lopez bought a Manta. Whatever you enjoy!!!
 
Third Opinion said:
They are also cost a fortune to service
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Yup, absolutely packed engine bay. Diagnosing a coolant leak for example requires you to take apart half the engine due to the design and also because you can't see anything. Hence significantly increased labour times (and thus costs). Changing the cambelt on a V6 costs about £1,000 at a dealer. Best to find an indie, but even then its not cheap compared to other cars. Those V6s are characterful engines though.
 
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Kitchster_uk said:
Sure it makes you mad, but who cares? MrLOL just bought a Vectra VXR, I drive a Mk1 MR2 on a 60 mile round trip to work, Lopez bought a Manta. Whatever you enjoy!!!
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Word :cool:

As long as you can deal with the after effects when/if things go wrong then just buy what you fancy. Life's too short :D
 
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