Settled on a 159 2.4 JTD Lusso - what to look out for

The_Abyss said:
I like the sharper appearance of the lights. Makes a big difference to the style. Thanks for the info though - appreciate that. I'd thought that iDrive was just an option prior to 2007.
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Front lights are barely any different are they? Back light are nicer on the LCI but they can be retrofitted to a Pre-LCI for a few hundred £.
 
Thank you both - that's really useful. I can drop down to 2006 and 2005, and this opens up the budget a lot more. Not many autos around though, and of course, a flood of diesels.

Edit - can you retrofit the iDrive?
 
The_Abyss said:
What should I be looking out for on these cars?
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There shouldn't be anything significant that you should be looking out for. Well, apart from iffy Alfa build quality and component reliability....

It's a 2007 car, presumably with FASH and any faults rectified under the manufacturers warranty.

Just make sure that the car is accerlating properly, there's no loss of power, flatspots etc - some of the DPFs on these cars are known to gum up and hooning it doesn't necessarily cure the problem. Obviously a replacement DPF is a big expense.
 
The_Abyss said:
Thank you both - that's really useful. I can drop down to 2006 and 2005, and this opens up the budget a lot more. Not many autos around though, and of course, a flood of diesels.

Edit - can you retrofit the iDrive?
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All E60s have iDrive but the facelifts have an ugpraded version. The facelift brings a fresher interior too, which IMO is a lot nicer.
Having said that, a pre-facelift E60 isn't a bad car at all.
I'd certainly take one over a 159..
 
The_Abyss said:
Figured I could put up with it for 12 months or so. The 2.2 seems asthmatic and the 3.2 overly thirsty for not much more performance.
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I dont know what the E60 market is like, but if you're struggling to find a petrol one and you'd be willing to put up with a diesel 159, I see no reason not to consider a 530d
 
My short commute will never stand a chance of allowing a 3 litre diesel to get up to operating temperature. It would not be good for it. The current 2 litre diesel struggles to get warm as it is!
 
Stop gap, as the petrol alternatives for the 159 are not at all good. I could put up with it for 12 months. Don't forget that I also have a long run every fortnight too.
 
3.2 V6 is a good petrol engine, as is the 1750TBi!

Perhaps the less said about fuel economy the better though :p
 
The_Abyss said:
My short commute will never stand a chance of allowing a 3 litre diesel to get up to operating temperature. It would not be good for it. The current 2 litre diesel struggles to get warm as it is!
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If you want something that gets hot fast, try the 4.4 V8 ...it gets hot quickly and really holds it's heat :D ...I know, I know ...I'll shut up now.

But it does seem a bit odd to buy a diesel you don't really want as a stop gap :p ...sure if it was a really cheap car I could understand it, but it isn't we're talking about £10k here.
 
I can't say I know what to look for on a 159. There's no real Alfa style issues have shown up yet.

By Alfa style I mean things like: Every single 10 year old one has a specific failure in the engine loom.

I'm not actually a huge fan of the 159, it's petrol options are almost all poor (including the V6), and it's too heavy.

The only redeeming features are that it's actually reliable, it looks amazing inside and out and happens to coincide with the appearance of the 1750tbi motor.
 
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