Alfa Romeo 159 Saloon 2006 - Present

Alfa have somewhat distanced themselves from the slightly unreliable 156 with the new 159. The other objective for the car is to provide a genuine rival to the 3-Series BMW, so a nice easy goal then! The 159 is slightly larger than the 156, but retains all that was beautiful about it. Oozing Italian styling it offers a real feel of pedigree for a reasonable price. The 159 feels solid throughout the car and it's clear that a lot of thought has gone into the design of this Italian thoroughbred.

Inside the car you're immediately reminded that the back seats are really not much more than occasional seats. You may be able to take your young family up to the Lake District but I wouldn't advise you to take 3 of your mates up there unless they're five and a half feet tall. Legroom really is a premium and the only place of any real level of comfort for long journeys is in the front. The front seats are comfortable and feel as if they were designed for a race car. They are supportive in all the right places but not overly cushioned. They want you to pay attention while your in the car.

The engine options are derived from Fiat's association with General Motors. There are three petrol options from this GM marriage , all with direct injection and continuously-variable valve timing for both inlet and exhaust cams. They are 1.9, 2.2 and 3.2 V6; producing 160, 185 and 260 bhp respectively. There is also a very impressive diesel options with 1.9 and 2.4 generating 150 and 200 bhp. All bar the 1.8 take advantage of an excellent smooth six speed gearbox. The diesel options and the V6 have the option of the QTRONIC six speed automatic box.

On the road the best of the bunch is the V6. It offers sub seven seconds 0-60 and tops out one short of 150 mph. the engine note is beautiful, evoking memories of a race car and the 4 wheel drive's handling is sublime. The font back split is changed depending upon requirements. It drives like a rear wheel drive car, cornering naturally, with a real sense of pleasure. But if you push it to the point that the back is about to step out the front wheels take over and helpfully pull you out of any trouble. The 2.2 JTS is as nimble as the V6 but lacks the raw power that helps make the car so engaging. As you would expect the V6 is fuel hungry and as it demands to be really driven hard don't expect the manufacturers 26 mpg rating to bear that much truth. You'll be lucky to get 20 mpg overall unless you take it on long runs regularly. The diesel options are the only place that you can get decent fuel figures. While driving the diesel is still a pleasure it's not quite as good as the thirsty V6.

Alfa have something of a reputation for unreliable cars, but they also have a name for being drivers cars. The owners very often go back for another as they do love the cars. The dealers can make up for any vagaries with the car and for the sake of driving pleasure hopefully they will. While it's not going to leave the 3-Series BMW in it's wake, hopefully it will be a success and Alfa sell more 159's than any of their previous models.

Leave a comment

Type into the box below