alfa 159 buy or not to buy

transam

im thinking of getting the alfa 159 , i think that its a superb looking motor , i have been mostly driving german cars (bmw and audis) but newer had italian , i know she can go wrong very quick , maybe the new ones are not too bad ??

the ones im looking at
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4365616
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4364797

bazz26

They are a fine car, don't suffer from the same issues as older Alfas but the reputation is still there which means they are a bargin second hand especially the petrol models if you do low mileage:

That red 06 is expensive though, here a 07 with lower mileage for the same money:


http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Alfa-Romeo/159/1.8-VOLOCE/30913486665879550/

My neighbour has a Giulietta about 12 months and loves it.

SCOOP 64

Best looking car on the road, (just my opinion)

166man

Buy obviously.... Few people on here have them and rarely complain. My dad has one 2 and a bit years and 70k km on it with the diesel engine. Not one thing has been done to it except servicing and tyres. I think one front bulb has gone too.

I have been in both the 1.8 and 1.9JTS quite a bit myself and can say that the 1.8 is a bag of sh1t engine. The 1.9 is actually nicer although it is not a twin spark engine as says in the ad.

As always check the usual stuff, suspension isn't supposed to be the strongest in them although my dads yoke has no problems so far.

Petrols are very good value at the moment. Best of luck.

Inbox

I read on here that parts are expensive.

166man

Inbox wrote: »

I read on here that parts are expensive.

That's kind of a how long is a piece of string thing to say. What parts are you referring to? Last time I checked nothing is too different from what you would find on other mainstream makes. Guess it depends where you buy, Alfa dealers will always give absurd prices anyway...

anthony4335

From what I read ,stay away from the diesel. They are not supposed to be reliable. I would say that they are both a little pricey.
Look at this,

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4347904

Stheno

Inbox wrote: »

I read on here that parts are expensive.

Parts can be expensive in some cases, as alfa have designed the cars differently from others.

That said, I like the look of the 159.

I'd be wary OP of the diesel you posted, anyone selling an alfa who knows anything about alfas knows people will look for info on timing belt changes, that diesel is recommended to have a belt change at 150k miles or 3 years, and it's seven years old with no mention of the belt being changed. I'd check that and look for invoices/receipts to show it's been done.

Check the front suspension for any knocking groaning noises on any car you test drive too.

166man

Stheno wrote: »

Parts can be expensive in some cases, as alfa have designed the cars differently from others.

That said, I like the look of the 159.

I'd be wary OP of the diesel you posted, anyone selling an alfa who knows anything about alfas knows people will look for info on timing belt changes, that diesel is recommended to have a belt change at 150k miles or 3 years, and it's seven years old with no mention of the belt being changed. I'd check that and look for invoices/receipts to show it's been done.

Check the front suspension for any knocking groaning noises on any car you test drive too.

With regards the belt changes on the diesels I always thought it was 90k miles or 5 years? 150k miles or years doesn't sound right...

Stheno

166man wrote: »

With regards the belt changes on the diesels I always thought it was 90k miles or 5 years? 150k miles or years doesn't sound right...

Seems we are both wrong:

Timing belts on later Alfa Romeo JTD diesel cars such as the Alfa 159, Alfa Brera, Alfa spider the official schedule is 90000 miles or 6 years however we at njs recommend replacement at 72000 miles or 5 years this should ensure you never have the unpleasant experience of a belt failure and associated costs of rebuilding the engine

Six years/90k miles, but recommended sooner!

Either way, OP should be wary of that diesel.

eta: even the specialists can't agree! http://www.proalfa.com/pricing/alfa-romeo-servicing/

Alfa Romeo recommend a timing belt replacement on all 4 cylinder petrol cars at 36,000 miles or 3 years. For V6 engines and diesels, the recommended interval for timing belt replacement is 72,000 miles or 5 years, which ever comes sooner. In this latter case, we recommend 60,00 miles or 4 years.