Hi all, I have been thinking of replacing our 2nd car with an oldish Alfa, such as either the 159 or giulietta cloverfield, something that can have some occasional fun but also ok for the wife's weekly occasional commute. What does the experts here think of them? I was originally interested in the 159 3.2's but have read about too many timing chain issues to be absolutely comfortable from the alfa forum. Is this really the case? or is this actually the model to have? What are your thoughts between an 159 1.8tbi Ti vs a Giulietta Cloverfield? Pretty much same engine but what about other issues such as rust etc? As the search for a good alfa is taking place, due to the sparsity of good ones out there, i have seen some in NI and coast of Scotland which i am willing to travel to. However, in these colder and wetter climates, do the cars suffer more rapidly for corrosion? Or should i pay more and get something closer to London? Or stay away altogether and get a golf GTI or Focus ST etc?
Alfas rust like bugger! Stay away from sea side cars. There a bitch to work on and very expensive to fix, if it were me I'd go 159 2.0 petrol.
Have had 3 156 gta - that I bought sight unseen - came over from Northern Ireland but not long after a service the front wheel fell off on a roundabout ( bloody thing overtook me) 159 - 3.2 - lovely car - sold it to an Eastern European who drove it all the way to Estonia 164 V6 - superb car best of the three like driving a space ship (well it was the 90’s). Drove it through a flood and fucked the engine - insurance paid out though I wouldn’t want the expense alongside an Italian bike but if money no issue heart over head go get one
We've had a few. V6 engines suffered with airflow meters and yes it's engine out to do the timing belts.But I love em! Sounds awesome too.My wife has had a fewTwinspark engine models, all were faultless. Wife is currently driving a sportiva Mito. Great little car.
You don't mention budget? The pro drive brera's are lovely. Personally I don't think rust is as big an issue any more, and their reliability has got better without doubt, but as a daily driver and a commuter, my lass has a gti golf. But again, what budget would be my first question.
As they're all badge-engineered since many years, if you want to keep it Italian then perhaps look at the fun end of the Fiat range. The 595 Abarth is a cracking little thing... The obvious Alfas to point towards would of course be the 147 Ducati and the Mito QV:
Thanks for all the replies so far. Budget is anywhere between 4k to 9k. not really a surprise which end i would rather it be closer to. Unfortunately it has to be a 5 door as it needs to be able to carry booster seats without climbing in and out. Otherwise, a nice gt or gtv would be on my list. I don't mind spending a couple hundred servicing costs per year to have it looked after properly but i do mind if an engine or other major component fail, nor do i my wife stranded by the road side (frequently) if the 159 3.2 q4 had no engine or rust issues, and just simply servicing, it would have been a first choice, but due to the horror stories, i am wondering whether the giulietta cloverleaf being a later model than the 159 might be a safer bet (obviously towards the higher end of the price range) or settle for the later 159 tbi engines. Checked a few golf GTi and what you get for 7-9k isn't much (either over 100k miles or cat c, d etc) which makes the alfas a much nice proposition. But...again reliability issues to consider
alfa's rock, the rot and electrical issue is a thing of the past, still several 156 mk2 coming in to my place in good condition,with no electrical faults (salty argyll air and winter roads). i have a 2001 spider v6 soft top that comes in every April in mint condition. i do a lot of the local fiats and alfa's and find them a breeze to work on with rarely a seized bolt to be had. it's a total myth they are hard to work on a crumble in front of yer eyes, which makes for finding a good second hand example for little money a piece o piss. you will get twice the car for half the money over anything than V.W can offer. their diesels being way more reliable than anything else in my humble opinion. the little mito 1300jts or julieta 1400turbo is a hoot on the wee roads, the 159Ti 1900 looks v.cool and quick enough. anything with the 2,4 5cyl fitted will do it for you, tho i do think the 10v over the 20v has better low end power. sounds great to. the v6? hmm, think i would rather the diesel myself. if yer going fiat, a 3dr 2400 abarth with selespeed is a fun car if you can find a good one. or coupe 20v turbo.
I have an 09 159 Ti 2.4 diesel sportwagon. Absolutely love it. No rust whatsoever, no electrical probs. Currently has around 113k miles on it. Looks beautiful, especially when towing the 1098R or 749R to a trackday! Great motorway, dual carriageway cruiser but goes round corners nicely. Interior is really classy, leather with sewn Alfa logos, heated seats etc. Had an A4 before which I hated as it was so dull. Eats tyres (10k from the fronts) otherwise been pretty good. Needed a driveshaft at 90k and the crank pulley fell off (“they all do that, sir”). Bit smokey at mo - needs decoke on inlet manifold due to EGR recirculating shit back into inlet. Am biased as have had 33 Cloverleaf Sportwagon, 155 and 2 x 156’s (V6 petrol...lovely!). The rust and electric myths are rubbish on any post mid 90’s cars.
Agree with the 159 2.4 sportwagon, great car plenty of car for your money with no major problems except when someone side swiped it while it was parked up somewhere in the middle of Spain. They are well made these day but have trouble shaking off the rust history of the Alfasud where in severe cases the hatchback would fall off. They seem to be all front wheel drive now, which I feel deters from the driving experience you used to get from rear wheel drive. I used to love taking my 75 on spirited drives around the country lanes, throwing it into corners and pushing it to the limit. Then it got all rusty so I sold it.
Might be off topic but... After some years with an Audi Q5 and feeling slightly seasick because of the rolling on our country roads, I tested an Alfa Stelvio. Great handling ( rear wheel drive unless there's loss of traction at the back), negligible rolling, smile-inducing fun. I have ordered one and part-exchanged the Q5. Can't wait.
Alfa fan boy here. After 147’s 159 Bera and Giulietta, or rather my wife is. My fave was the Bera, wife loved the 159 and it was the best Alfa. Giulia is prob on the list next. 159 was most reliable, Bera farted about with erg thingy, but just replaced it. You will either love them or hate them. We love them.
I have a giulietta and a mito. The giulietta has 105k miles on it and has cost me £200 in repairs ever (replaced water pump). I’ve got the 170bhp diesel. I’d love a cloverleaf. Got the 140bhp petrol mito as well. No rust on either, and not washed regularly and left out in all weather and used all year.
Had a 159 as a company car. loved it but engine blew up at 55,000 miles. Glad I did not have to pay for it. Regards Steve
May i ask which engine it was? Camel - both cars look wonderful - the Mito actually looks really nice - unfortunately my wife demands 5 doors I tried to point out a porsche 911 (from the other porsche thread) also has 4 seats - she wouldn't listen. I'm looking at the 1.8tbi engine as it seems most reliable assuming the timing belt is changed as scheduled. Couple of choices i have atm - some seem a bit overpriced? any ideas? 1. Giulietta Cloverfield - 8k gbp, 50k miles but engine was rebuilt with new heads and everything from main alfa dealer as the timing belt snapped causing considerable damage - 5k to put right. - Based in NI - white 2. Giulietta Cloverfield - 10k gbp, 30k miles - no issues so far- alfa dealer 20 miles away from me so nearest and least to travel and can buy some sort of warranty for life service thing? - anyone know whether warranty for life is worth it? - white 3. 159 1.8tbi - 8.7k gbp, 50k miles - from a car outlet - seems overpriced.... but in red which is rare and the right colour imo. 4. 159 1.8tbi - 6k gbp, 65k miles, private but from scottish coastal areas - 11 hour drive home... has the latest reg of the 159s but a bit concerned about the harsh scottish weather (sorry guys)- but in grey which is my favourite colour And they don't seem as cheap as the 3.2 or other engine specs which you can pick one up for less than 5k... so i am left wondering if slightly over priced etc.
I had a GTV v6 TE (turbo) Years ago and it was a great drive and sound, just with some electronic and exhaust change it was much car for a little amount! The only problem was to have the power down to the ground as it was fwd.
The great thing about Alfas is everyone is scared of owning one which make them very cheap second hand for those of us that are non conformist, don't do as we're told and don't listen to the horror stories. I'm not saying some of the stories aren't true to a certain extent but those who are willing to chance depositing steaming oil and broken cogs on the tarmac or being randomly engulfed in flames are in for a huge treat. I've owned a few V6 models (156, GTV6, GTA) over the years are have loved them. You get a hell of lot for your money and the chance to be different from the usual crowd. The V6 engine sounds amazing and is so powerful and flexible. It's been around since the 70's so all the niggles were ironed out many years ago and from my experience are bullet proof. Mechanically I've never had any issues, only replacing the usual worn parts at the same intervals as any other car. The electrics are typically Italian and a bit temperamental with things randomly packing up and I did once have a slight meltdown in the passenger footwell on my GTV, but nothing a few block connectors didn't sort. In all honesty I'm not sure I'd trust one as my everyday car, the ones I've had were toys and were for pleasure only. It might sound strange but there's something about an Alfa that gets under your skin. It's funny how many Ducati owners also drive Alfas, I think it must be in our personalities. We don't follow the crowd, don't listen to rumours and are not scared of thinking for ourselves. If I was to buy another I'd buy the 159 3.2V6 with the manual gearbox. It's achingly beautiful inside and out with plenty of power that sounds fantastic for less than £10k!. And at least 5k cheaper than the alternatives, that's £5k you can spend on repairs if the worst does happen!
