Audi A4 or Alfa 159

elqu

Husband and I have narrowed down our new (used) car choice to these two - looking at 2006/07 regs. Diesals only.

Any views on either option? Wld be very interested

tKs

testicle

I'd go for the Alfa. It's a fine car, and there aren't too many of them around.
The JTDM is a fine engine too.

grudgebringer

Ditto on the Alfa, nice machine, running/servicing wise probably similar in price, looks wise, the Alfa wins hands down in my book.

Nadaur

elqu wrote: »

Husband and I have narrowed down our new (used) car choice to these two - looking at 2006/07 regs. Diesals only.

Any views on either option? Wld be very interested

tKs

Head would say Audi for resale....heart says alfa.

modern alfa's are great cars, I've had Alfa and fiats well into 100k+ miles and no problems (used to do mega miles).

Alfa will look after you as long as you maintain her regularly and a little indulgently.

funkyjebus

The audi is probably built better, but I'd go for the alfa. Its just so pretty. I'd imagine that it would be a little bit cheaper as well.

Anan1

Nadaur wrote: »

I've had Alfa and fiats well into 100k+ miles and no problems (used to do mega miles).

Alfa will look after you as long as you maintain her regularly and a little indulgently.

That's been my experience too, although a good Alfa specialist is essential. I'd be a little more concerned about the long-term reliability of the Audi, TBH.

VolvoMan

The 159 you will find is as well built as any car, or even better in fact.

I know which I'd go for anyway.

1922

would the a4 not hold it value better and be easier to sell on?

Nadaur

Anan1 wrote: »

That's been my experience too, although a good Alfa specialist is essential. I'd be a little more concerned about the long-term reliability of the Audi, TBH.

pipers in drogheda, cheap and excellent service.

I've had a 155 clover, a 166 V6, a 149 tspark, and an intergalactic stilo.

qz

1922 wrote: »

would the a4 not hold it value better and be easier to sell on?

Probably, but it depends what means more to you from car ownership - resale or the driving experience. I'd take the 159 hands down.

poreilly101

I'm currently driving a 159 1.9 jtdm 150bhp and can't fault it in any way. Had all the other rep cars and the alfa wins hands down. There is 2 different 1.9 diesel engines, 120 bhp & 150bhp. The 150bhp engine is much more refined and it'll pull the socks of you. I clock up serious miles and am due a change soon, for the first time ever i'm going back to the same car. I'm converted... Alfa's all the way

diamondtooth

I'd go for the Alfa. Very stylish. And I think having an Alfa shows you have some imagination and you are not going to follow the heard by driving another Audi or BMW.
The 159 is also a safe car, which I don't think has been mentioned. And the estate looks good also. I love the ones with the dark red leather!

flamegrill

If you get a UK imported A4 then that's the obvious choice. Spec wise an Irish one will have very little in it. I'm not sure on the Alfa's spec wise but it's probably better than Audi is that's for sure.

If you can stretch for a 08 in either and the road tax then will be quite cheap.

Paul

R.O.R

Drive both and see which one fits best.

The Alfa is a lovely looking car, we've had a few on the fleet for the past few years with no issues, so no questions over the diesels reliability.

Personally, I can't the seat in to a nice driving position in the 159, but the Audi suits me down to the ground.

Tea 1000

The 2.4 JTD is a peach of an engine! I'd go for that! The only question remains is which colour suits the fantastic looks of the 159 the best?

TheColl

im a big alfa fan so i'll say the 159! but even without speaking from the heart i've heard that the JTDM engine is rock solid. alfa have certainly shaken off any old reputation they had for poor reliability etc etc...

also as said above, it would prob be better spec than the audi.

Eoin

Unfortunately for me, the newer breed of Alfas seem to be holding their value a bit better these days. The only main negative thing I've heard about the 159 is that it doesn't handle as well as the 156. I've not driven a 159 though, so can't comment on that myself.

qz

I don't see how anyone could say no to this.





Carzone link

Bluefoam

I drive a 07 159 & love it. Its very well spec'ed, but try to get one with Blue & Me (bluetooth & ipod computer built in). I've been in a few Audi's and Beemers lately and they are a little disapointing against the Alfa - especially the interior.

With the 159, you should be able to get a very good spec for a reasonable price.

.Longshanks.

qz wrote: »

I don't see how anyone could say no to this.

http://pictures.autotrader.ie/imgser-ie/servlet/media?id=8989025&defaultImageUrl=http://www.carzone.ie/es-ie/images/no-image-large.gif



Carzone link

is it just me or are the seats in that pic both pointing inwards towards each other? I know the centre console is angled to point towards the driver, but....

R.O.R

qz wrote: »

I don't see how anyone could say no to this.


Carzone link

That's a pretty good price, shame the mileage is getting on a bit.

We've the same model in work with about 66,000km on. Late 07 D in black with the beige interior and Blue&Me. It's being used as a temporary rental car for the time being as it owes us a lot more than it's worth.

Goes like a train (150ps model), and the seats are better than the base model 09's we had in last year, but I still can't get comfy.

nightster1

Buy the alfa if ye have a bit of Jizz in ye! Audi a boring old yoke

Anan1

Longshanks100 wrote: »

is it just me or are the seats in that pic both pointing inwards towards each other? I know the centre console is angled to point towards the driver, but....

It's just distortion from the wide-angle camera lens.

Howjoe1

I'm swayed by the picture of the Alfa above. Maybe when the recession ends I'll be able to buy one:D

Stevie Dakota

Relative has a 159, lovely car but both him and his wife suffer from back pain while driving, they find the seats very poor, to the extent that they would not buy on again.

Bluefoam

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

Relative has a 159, lovely car but both him and his wife suffer from back pain while driving, they find the seats very poor, to the extent that they would not buy on again.

I find exactly the opposite, I suffer from muscle pain in my lower back, but can do 200 miles in the 159 and feel fresh as a daisy. There is lumbar adjustment...

I can't do a long journey in my bosses 3 series, I get out crippled.

elqu

Gosh loads of replies and the alfa is SUCH afavourite! I'm amazed, I really thought the crowd would prefer the audi.

We test drove both and I actually preferred the drive of the audi (a 1.9 115bhp) but i note the 150bhp comment for the alfa and I'll look for one with that I think cause I LOVE the look of the alfa but was quite disappointed with the drive. Bit sluggish to get going I thought. Once going it flew along though which is always great and the audi looks good enough outside but is seriously dated inside.

We already have an alfa 156 sportivo which is great to drive.

Sale on value doesn't bother us really as we intend to drive the car for years. Wish we could stretch to an 08 reg but tbh we''ll be doing well if we manage to get an 07 reg. Which brings me to another interesting dilemma -

would you go for an 07 reg with higher mileage or an 06 with less? The 07 regs tend to have at least 65 - 70k miles on them which unnerves me a bit...

What do ye think?

Eoin

Do the sums on an 08 - if you're going to be driving it for a few years, then would you not save a bit on motor tax?

Out of interest, how did the handling compare to your 156?

pburns

elqu wrote: »

Gosh loads of replies and the alfa is SUCH afavourite! I'm amazed, I really thought the crowd would prefer the audi.

We test drove both and I actually preferred the drive of the audi (a 1.9 115bhp) but i note the 150bhp comment for the alfa and I'll look for one with that I think cause I LOVE the look of the alfa but was quite disappointed with the drive. Bit sluggish to get going I thought. Once going it flew along though which is always great and the audi looks good enough outside but is seriously dated inside.

We already have an alfa 156 sportivo which is great to drive.

Sale on value doesn't bother us really as we intend to drive the car for years. Wish we could stretch to an 08 reg but tbh we''ll be doing well if we manage to get an 07 reg. Which brings me to another interesting dilemma -

would you go for an 07 reg with higher mileage or an 06 with less? The 07 regs tend to have at least 65 - 70k miles on them which unnerves me a bit...

What do ye think?

Check out the road tax difference between a 07 and a 08 (CO2-based). It's a pity you can't stretch to a 08 as I'd say it's subsantially lower (although I know Alfas are not mega on CO2 at the moment).

I agree with an Alfa over an Audi though. Audis have the reputation of being reliable but from anecdotal (and survey) experience are only average, if that. The 159 is a well sorted car and the 1.9 JTD a proven unit - Alfa pulled out all the stops, even if they neglected the dynamics a little.

I test-drove a 159 when changing and did find it a little sluggish for a 150bhp but it'd pull the socks off the TDI A4 I'd wager- it was probably the noise of the 1.9 tractor engine that made you think you were flying:D

Seriously though, 1.9 TDIs probably have a good wide torque band that belie their poor bhp figures. As has been said here before though (partly by me!) they're well behind the times for noise, vibration, harshness (NVH)

R.O.R

Tax on an 08 159 JTDM will cost you €430 a year. 07's will cost €614 so it's not a massive difference.

Emissions are 157g (120 & 150) so it narrowly misses the €302 pa banding.

Hotwheels

I'm on my second 159 1.9 JTDm and they are an excellent machine...

They are excellent mile munchers, and a very comfy place to be, I get about 41-43MPG real world figures from My Bella...:)

Looking forward to the new 2.0 JTDm 170BHP when they finally go on sale here....

Best of luck with whatever ye choose...but for me, I'll have another 159

Tea 1000

pburns wrote: »

I test-drove a 159 when changing and did find it a little sluggish for a 150bhp but it'd pull the socks off the TDI A4 I'd wager- it was probably the noise of the 1.9 tractor engine that made you think you were flying:D

Seriously though, 1.9 TDIs probably have a good wide torque band that belie their poor bhp figures. As has been said here before though (partly by me!) they're well behind the times for noise, vibration, harshness (NVH)

Actually it's the opposite. The Audi has a very narrow powerband and because all the power comes in a tiny band it feels like its making more progress. For the first second or two it'd be quicker, but side by side the 120bhp Alfa would edge ahead, and the 150 would walk away with it, the 16 valve spreads the power over a wide band meaning less peaky, but ultimitely better acceleration.

Eoin

Hotwheels wrote: »

I'm on my second 159 1.9 JTDm and they are an excellent machine...

They are excellent mile munchers, and a very comfy place to be, I get about 41-43MPG real world figures from My Bella...:)

What type of driving do you do - is there a good mix of city driving in there?

Hotwheels

eoin wrote: »

What type of driving do you do - is there a good mix of city driving in there?

A bit of both, about 600 miles a week on the N63...and the usual N17 park & Crawl routine...:)

Loves the twisty stuff..:)

Eoin

I'm trying to figure out if that's good fuel economy or not! It sounds like it's at the lower end of what you'd expect a ~2 litre diesel car to get if not in a lot of traffic.

Hotwheels

eoin wrote: »

I'm trying to figure out if that's good fuel economy or not! It sounds like it's at the lower end of what you'd expect a ~2 litre diesel car to get if not in a lot of traffic.

Carrying 4 adults +me (daily) in the car, I think its about right...:) never returns less than 41 MPG even when pushing on...

haven't checked the 'Tank to tank' mpg in a while, she's just been serviced so I'll check next time I fill...
Great fun to drive though...:D

Eoin

Thanks Hotwheels, that's good to know.

Edit - is the m the 150bhp model, or are there more variations again between the 120 and 150 versions?

elqu

well this has been extremely helpful guys, thanks a million. We were v close to going with an audi but serious rethink required. Diesal alfas are harder to find but after this i think we'll wait for the right one.

Eoin - the 156 is more responsive and quicker at the lower speeds but the 159 much more comfortable at high speeds - feels effortless down the morotway a real pleasure. Feels overall more sold than the 156 I think too. Our 156 is a 1.6 petrol tho and also the blasted ramps of dublin have wreacked a bit of havoc on the overall comfort level at this stage.

Eoin

Thanks for the comparison elqu - that's the same 156 I had.

gebbel

I have driven both and the Audi wins for me but the Alfa is not bad.

Countryripple

alfa alfa ALFA!!!!!

Redsoxfan

elqu wrote: »

Eoin - the 156 is more responsive and quicker at the lower speeds but the 159 much more comfortable at high speeds - feels effortless down the morotway a real pleasure. Feels overall more sold than the 156 I think too. Our 156 is a 1.6 petrol tho and also the blasted ramps of dublin have wreacked a bit of havoc on the overall comfort level at this stage.

I would expect that to be the case for nearly any situation when you are comparing petrol v diesel performance? I got my JTD remapped and the difference it made at lower speeds (especially when pulling away) was minimal (which was the main reason I got it remapped in the first place).

FWIW, I would consider the A4 1.9tdi to be a smoother drive than my GT 1.9JTD at lower speeds. I'd still go for the 159, although it's a shame that they are making them more efficient (the 08 159 gets hammered by the 08 A4 and 08 3 Series when it comes to motor tax). I've not driven a 156 or 159 (I had a 147 TS previously), but I gather the 159 is heavier and not as engaging to drive as the 156. Still looks great though.

Eoin

I'd expect a diesel to a a bit more responsive at low revs because of its torque? Especially as I found the petrol 156 has to be revved a bit.

R.O.R

eoin wrote: »

I'd expect a diesel to a a bit more responsive at low revs because of its torque? Especially as I found the petrol 156 has to be revved a bit.

Depends on the Torque curve. Some of the recent Diesel's I've driven have nothing until the Turbo kicks in.

Can't remember if the Alfa is that bad, but to see what I mean try to get a test drive in a Mondeo 1.8Tdci 125ps. Great performance over 1,500rpm, but seriously bad under that.

BlackWizard

Same as the 1.9tdi. There is nothing at all before 1500rpm. But I still drive easily enough below 1500rpm. Reminds me of my mothers 1.4 petrol Golf.

Sometimes puts your heart in your mouth when you try to accelerate to merge with traffic and you get no acceleration. Drop a gear and your almost rear ending someone!

Redsoxfan

eoin wrote: »

I'd expect a diesel to a a bit more responsive at low revs because of its torque? Especially as I found the petrol 156 has to be revved a bit.

The 1.9JTD certainly isn't that responsive at low revs. Whether the newer 1.9JTDm in the 159 is any better, I can't say.

I'm putting mine on a rollling road in a few weeks-it will be interesting to see the results.

Lex Luthor

comparing the Alfa 1.9JTDm 150bhp to a Subaru 2.0TD 150bhp, I find the Subaru a lot smoother, quieter and more progressive in the power.

Put them both aside, I have driven a 2.4JTDm 159 and neither come close to it. If I was buying a 159, I'd be choosing the 210bhp 2.4JTDm. There are some 200bhp ones out there aswell.

My choice...a 159 2.4JTDm Ti Sportwagon

nightster1

big road tax though.....

pburns

Lex Luthor wrote: »

comparing the Alfa 1.9JTDm 150bhp to a Subaru 2.0TD 150bhp, I find the Subaru a lot smoother, quieter and more progressive in the power.

Yeah, I compared the exact same 2 cars when buying and found the same.

But the 2.4JTDm you favor...mmm....not in Ireland, not in a car 159-sized, not in an Alfa....I know that sounds like the typical Paddy but even in diesel I'd be a-feared it would be well sale-proof....

Redsoxfan

pburns wrote: »

But the 2.4JTDm you favor...mmm....not in Ireland, not in a car 159-sized, not in an Alfa....I know that sounds like the typical Paddy but even in diesel I'd be a-feared it would be well sale-proof....

Once you have an Alfa badge on it you have that problem, whether it's a 1.4 Mito, or a 3.2V6......;)

Hotwheels

eoin wrote: »

Thanks Hotwheels, that's good to know.

Edit - is the m the 150bhp model, or are there more variations again between the 120 and 150 versions?

Yep it's the 150BHP 16V..denoted by the red m
the 120BHP is supposed to be more frugal