Any opinions on a 2001 Alfa 156??

py2006

I am looking at all sorts of cars at the moment. (see thread on mr2 and MX5).

There are a few Alfa Romeo 156 1.8 T.Spark 2000-2001 models for about €10,000. Alot of these have a few extras like air conditioning and leather seats etc.

Anybody have any opinions on this car?

jhegarty

py2006 wrote:

I am looking at all sorts of cars at the moment. (see thread on mr2 and MX5).

There are a few Alfa Romeo 156 1.8 T.Spark 2000-2001 models for about €10,000. Alot of these have a few extras like air conditioning and leather seats etc.

Anybody have any opinions on this car?

asked a simular question my self about a month go , if you find the thread there lots of info there...

edit...

here we are :
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=239803

py2006

jhegarty wrote:

asked a simular question my self about a month go , if you find the thread there lots of info there...

edit...

here we are :
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=239803

Cheers!

What were your conclusions? Did you get one in the end? I havent seen a 00 model cheaper than €9995

jhegarty

py2006 wrote:

Cheers!

What were your conclusions? Did you get one in the end? I havent seen a 00 model cheaper than €9995

going to get a 02/03 , waiting to get the test of out the way first...

here is a 00 1.8 TS Sport for €7,500

(with Alloys, Metallic Paint, Electric Windows, Central Locking, Remote Central Locking, Alarm, Immobiliser, Drivers Air Bag, Passenger Air Bag, Multiple Air Bags, CD Playe)

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=170028

make sure you read the stuff on the other thread about timing belts...

py2006

Yea, that thread has put alot of doubts in my mind.

I hate red cars by the way haha

jhegarty

py2006 wrote:

Yea, that thread has put alot of doubts in my mind.

I hate red cars by the way haha

right , 01 for €8,900 (and not red) 43,000 so make sure the timing belt is done...

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=212383

py2006

Yea thats not a bad one. Out of curiousity, is there a newer model for that year or year after? You dont have to go looking, I was just wondering.

The 05 models look stunning

jhegarty

py2006 wrote:

Yea thats not a bad one. Out of curiousity, is there a newer model for that year or year after? You dont have to go looking, I was just wondering.

The 05 models look stunning

i think its there is small changes every so often... i don't know if there was a major model change at any stage....

bazz26

At the begining of 2003 the 156 got a very small facelift. The front head lights were slightly tinted, the bumpers were fully colour coded and the dashboard got an integrated stereo and better quality plastics. The 1.9 diesel was also introduced.

In the middle of 2004 the front end got the current redesigned head lights, grill and bumper.

The new 159 which replaces the 156 is on sale at the end of the year.

ds20prefecture

py2006 wrote:

There are a few Alfa Romeo 156 1.8 T.Spark 2000-2001 models for about €10,000. Alot of these have a few extras like air conditioning and leather seats etc.

Anybody have any opinions on this car?

If you can afford it, go for the 2.0. It's a much stronger engine than the 1.8 (although the figures would imply otherwise).

IMO, the car pre 2004 facelift were much more handsome than the current.

Also IMO, these are the best value compact saloon on the market. I owned a 2.0 for 3 years and loved every minute of it.

Eoin

ds20prefecture wrote:

If you can afford it, go for the 2.0. It's a much stronger engine than the 1.8 (although the figures would imply otherwise).

IMO, the car pre 2004 facelift were much more handsome than the current.

Also IMO, these are the best value compact saloon on the market. I owned a 2.0 for 3 years and loved every minute of it.

I hate to say it, but I much prefer the newer version - I think the front grill really looks the business. The 2 litre version is an absolute beast - my dad has one, and it goes like the clappers.

I seem to remember that the 159 is getting rid of the "hidden" rear door handles which is a real shame - I think this was one the coolest features of the car.

prospect

eoin_s wrote:

I seem to remember that the 159 is getting rid of the "hidden" rear door handles which is a real shame

Yep, There is regular handles on the 159
Yep, it is a real shame

But, what a stunning car.....

Eoin

prospect wrote:

Yep, There is regular handles on the 159
Yep, it is a real shame

But, what a stunning car.....

Maybe the recessed handles were too subtle - I have had some people attempt to flip up the front passenger seat to get in the back because they think my car is a 3 door. I also saw a 156 taxi and the driver had to stick on bright yellow electrical tape along the handle and a sign saying "PULL HERE" on the door.
<edit>

anyone got any pictures of the 159? I can't seem to find any

prospect

eoin_s wrote:

Maybe the recessed handles were too subtle - I have had some people attempt to flip up the front passenger seat to get in the back because they think my car is a 3 door.

Well, the design brief was to create a saloon that looked like a coupe. Sucess on that count!

And here is the new 159!!!

Drum roll..........

Ta Daaaaaa http://www.carsfromitaly.com/alfaromeo/index.html

Eoin

prospect wrote:

Well, the design brief was to create a saloon that looked like a coupe. Sucess on that count!

And here is the new 159!!!

Drum roll..........

Ta Daaaaaa http://www.carsfromitaly.com/alfaromeo/index.html

Wow - the pointy nose looks absolutely brilliant...

To the O.P. - sorry if we are going O.T. - basically the 156 is a brilliantly handling car (quite comparable with a lot of coupes), but very common due to the value for money. TBH, although it is a very sporty car, it is a saloon, and based on the cars you have been looking at (MR2, MX5, MG-F etc), I don't know if this will suit you. I would definitely recommend a test drive though.

Reliability wise, they have improved a huge amount with this model, and the 156 is not deserving of the (stero)typical reputation. If you speak to people who own or have owned a 156, you will find them very happy with their cars overall. The nay-sayers tend to be quite ill-informed IMO, and rely on previous models to base their opinions.

Anyway, this has all been done to death on this forum - do a search and you will find enough comments about them.

jhegarty

hang on ....

py2006 is looking for 00 with €10,000 to spend...
eoin_s is selling a 00 for €9,750...


i think i have an idea....

Eoin

jhegarty wrote:

hang on ....

py2006 is looking for 00 with €10,000 to spend...
eoin_s is selling a 00 for €9,750...


i think i have an idea....

Can I point out now that I don't know jhegarty at all, and did NOT ask him to say that (but many many thanks)! Much as I would like a sale, I don't think my 1.6 would be quick enough, seeing the cars the OP has been looking for

py2006

Hey guys, I am just getting ideas on cars. I know nothing about them. So I am picking out what I think looks alright on the street and getting opinions I still want my MX5 or MR2 but I would have to pay more for no roof and no back seats!!!

I prefer the new look of the Alfas.

bmoferrall

eoin_s wrote:

Wow - the pointy nose looks absolutely brilliant...

Interestingly, the 156's designer Walter De Silva doesn't like the nose on the 159; thinks it looks like a tapir. Based on the pictures I'm not convinced about it either, but I'm prepared to be converted when I see the car in the metal. Overall though, I think the car looks great - definitely a case of evolution rather than revolution. Looking forward to taking a test drive.

Eoin

bmoferrall wrote:

Interestingly, the 156's designer Walter De Silva doesn't like the nose on the 159; thinks it looks like a tapir. Based on the pictures I'm not convinced about it either, but I'm prepared to be converted when I see the car in the metal. Overall though, I think the car looks great - definitely a case of evolution rather than revolution. Looking forward to taking a test drive.

A tapir eh? (had to check dictionary.com for that!). Maybe a little bit harsh

bmoferrall

Correction (apologies for misquote) - he was referring to redesign of 156 and 147:


Q: "Alfa recently restyled the last model you designed there, the 147. Do you like it?"

A: "Frankly, no. With the 156 restyling, they already lengthened the nose too much, transforming it into a Tapir.
With the same treatment on the 147, the result is simply a Bigger Tapir."
.
.
.
Referring to his dislike of "overdesign":

"I think that the lines used to create some recent Mercedes models are enough to design two or three different cars".

Referring to the new nose on recent Audi's he's (surprisingly) complementary:

"I see the single-frame grille as elegant, proportioned - with that paranoid attention to the millimetre, to the perfection of surface that is typical of Audi".

Eoin

Well, I think it is safe to say that he definitely won't like the 159 then, as that seems to have the most prominent nose...

ds20prefecture

bmoferrall wrote:

Referring to the new nose on recent Audi's he's (surprisingly) complementary:

"I see the single-frame grille as elegant, proportioned - with that paranoid attention to the millimetre, to the perfection of surface that is typical of Audi".

Hardly surprising given that they (Audi/Seat/VW/Skoda/Bentley/Lamborghini) write his paychecks. I wonder what he makes of the new Seats? There are two or three completely trite lines on them.

He had a stroke of genius with the 156. It is a very uncluttered design - as though it was carved from solid rather than penned in two dimensions. Just look at the way the doors curve inwards along the flanks of the car - the design works from absolutely every angle.
He went downhill from there in my opinion. Ditto Bangle after the Fiat Coupé.

bmoferrall

ds20prefecture wrote:

Hardly surprising given that they (Audi/Seat/VW/Skoda/Bentley/Lamborghini) write his paychecks.

He went downhill from there in my opinion. Ditto Bangle after the Fiat Coupé.

Good point - forgot about the link between Audi and Seat.
Still can't decide whether I like the Fiat Coupé, though it always draws a second glance. There's really nothing else like it on the road - definitely the result of 'outside-the-box' thinking. I guess he deserves some credit for that.

ds20prefecture

bmoferrall wrote:

Still can't decide whether I like the Fiat Coupé, though it always draws a second glance. There's really nothing else like it on the road - definitely the result of 'outside-the-box' thinking. I guess he deserves some credit for that.

I'm not a fan, really, but it is unusual. And he still went downhill from there

Do you mind me asking where you got the DeSilva quotes?

bmoferrall

ds20prefecture wrote:

Do you mind me asking where you got the DeSilva quotes?

I didn't bother posting the link because it doesn't appear to be freely available online anymore; as an archive article I think you need to subscribe to view it:

http://europe.autonews.com/article.cms?articleId=55517