any alfa owners on the forum?

FTM · 30 Aug 2011 at 10:59

currently own a facelifted octavia vRS and am thinking my next car to be a slightly smaller car, hatchback isnt to important but I just want something a teeny bit smaller and nimble

golf gti, steady, good all rounder
scirocco, a golf in a different dress? you do get the adaptive suspension as standard though
bmw 125i coupe.. less than 12 months old seem very rare

so thats the sensible head options, decent reliability and residuals etc

now for that slightly odder suggestion.

the alfa giulietta cloverleaf...car looks lovely, but its the age old question are modern alfas more reliable and is the dealer network any good ( handily the local dealer is part of the same overall group as my skoda dealer who have been great, then again nowts gone wrong with the car so they have not really been used)

I know its wierd even thinking that as a skoda owner...I also like the look of the peugeot RCZ but their forums are awash with tales of hopeless dealers as well

daver · 30 Aug 2011 at 11:37

I will be on Thursday lol, getting a Guilietta 1.4MA Lusso.

Dealer wasn't particularly impressive so far if I'm honest, car is a company car on full maintenance so I don't have to worry about residuals, and reliability as much, though I will be ****ed if I have to keep taking it in to the dealers for problems. Reliability seems pretty good from reports I've read though.

Shoei · 30 Aug 2011 at 12:36

I've got a MiTo 1.4Multiair with the TCT gearbox.
Love it, great little car. Cheap VED & very reasonable insurance.

wonder_lander · 30 Aug 2011 at 23:39

I've got a 2006 Alfa GT. Owned since 6months with 17k miles on it. Now got over 120k miles on it and has been exceptionally reliable.

Recently I have been hit with my first big bill since owning the car £1800! (this was for 2 wheel bearings/hubs, new front discs and pads, bottom suspension arms, oil radiator and connecting pipes and a service) Apart from that it has been very good needing only service items and spread over the ownership of the car this big bill would mean that running costs have been very low.

The_Abyss · 31 Aug 2011 at 06:10

Given that I'm less than 2 weeks into Alfa ownership I'm probably not going to be a good judge on reliability.

I've still got a smile on my face though

Witor · 31 Aug 2011 at 07:24

Early '04 Alfa 156 GTA here. Bought it Feb '10, so roughly a year and a half of ownership.

Running costs...apart from the obvious fuel (poor round town [16-18mpg), ok on m'way [26-30mpg]) & insurance, ive had to do the following:

Drop links (£40)
Lower radiator pipe split (£150 inc fitting)
Aircon regas (£50)
ARB Bushes replacement (£30 + £100 fitting)

Car is, so far, a brilliant ownership proposition. Great to drive, lovely to own. 147/156 is where Alfa kinda began to turn the corner in terms of reliability though still issues can crop up, im not unaware of this. Modern Alfa's are pretty much there or thereabouts with their class rivals in terms of reliability, albeit with stigma still attached in the UK.

As for the Giulietta, I have merely been dropped off back home in one. It was a boggo 1.6 Diesel iirc, but, looked nice enough inside and out.