Alpine A110 - Advice Before Buying

[VC10]

Hello

I am thinking of buying a used Alpine A110 Legende GT or similar. Any very low mileage very fresh example in the dark blue colour.

A few questions

1. I live in Northern Ireland. There are no Alpine dealers here. Would a Renault dealer be able to get parts? Can a Renault dealer do servicing and is this considered like a franchise dealer servicing the car with regard to service history.

2. Are there any specific common faults that I am likely to encounter when the car is out of manufacturer’s warranty?

3. Do owners buy after market warranties and if so who is best and what sort of cost (I don’t plan on putting big miles on the car - maybe 3k miles a year)

Any advice much appreciated.

[Miserablegit]

Welcome,

I’ll try to assist if I can.

One of the issues with Alpine ownership is parts supply.
My car was off the road for a month waiting for a new alternator, I’ve been waiting a few months for spark plugs (which are now in stock and will be fitted in two weeks). These have all been ordered through an Alpine dealer so I don’t know how you would fare with a Renault dealer (it might be better )

I’ve purchased the genuine Alpine warranty from Alpine themselves - covers the car for another 3 years.

There are a few issues arising - just search for these items on threads.
Alternator
Fuel pump
Injectors
Batteries

My Alpine has been the least reliable car I’ve owned but it’s also probably the most fun which is why I’ve still got it. There’s not really anything like it

[VC10]

Miserablegit said:

Welcome,

I’ll try to assist if I can.

One of the issues with Alpine ownership is parts supply.
My car was off the road for a month waiting for a new alternator, I’ve been waiting a few months for spark plugs (which are now in stock and will be fitted in two weeks). These have all been ordered through an Alpine dealer so I don’t know how you would fare with a Renault dealer (it might be better )

I’ve purchased the genuine Alpine warranty from Alpine themselves - covers the car for another 3 years.

There are a few issues arising - just search for these items on threads.
Alternator
Fuel pump
Injectors
Batteries

My Alpine has been the least reliable car I’ve owned but it’s also probably the most fun which is why I’ve still got it. There’s not really anything like it

Thank you for your very quick reply.

So the warranty you have bought is the extend beyond the manufacturer’s warranty which is 3 years? Do you mind. If I ask how much this warranty cost?

Very surprised to hear you couldn’t get spark plugs. I thought they were a fairly standard item, in so far as there are various types of spark plus that do multiple cars and not very specific to one car

[Miserablegit]

I think the extra 3 years cost about £1250

[Simon Owen]

You can extend the warranty by 1, 2 or 3 years. It’s cheaper per year if you go 3 than it is if you go 1.

I purchased my car (used) from a Renault dealer, they did the 1st service & had no issue getting parts.

[gloomington]

Is the extended warranty an upsell at time of purchase, or something they offer as the initial warranty expires?

[Rompy]

Alpine extended warranty is available to purchase anytime before the expiry of the original warranty (at three years old). If the car is older than three years old, eligibility for the three year extended warranty is dependent upon an appeal to Alpine customer services, and based on individual circumstance. In my case the car had been for sale (at an approved dealer) when it crossed the three years old criteria.

[Sporky]

I tried to buy the extended warranty but gave up after four unreturned calls - only one person at the Winchester dealer who could sell it, and he wasn't interested in selling it.

[VC10]

Thank you all for your comments and advice.

I am not put off and I think I will proceed to buy one in GB (there are none for sale in Northern Ireland and I have never actually seen one on the road here).

[Miserablegit]

There’s a chap on the RAOC forum from NI who has an Alpine. He might be able to give you further info- goes under the name cloudburst

[bcr5784]

VC10 said:

Thank you all for your comments and advice.

I am not put off and I think I will proceed to buy one in GB (there are none for sale in Northern Ireland and I have never actually seen one on the road here).

Miserable git is certainly not alone in having serious reliability issues (me too) - but I suspect the fuel pump and alternator/battery issues are sorted by now - at least on new cars. That is no guarantee that there won't be others - but as he implies the car has little real competition in the "fun" stakes - in an everyday useable package. Not driven a GR86 though....

Edited by bcr5784 on Sunday 8th January 19:48

[Simon Owen]

Sporky said:

I tried to buy the extended warranty but gave up after four unreturned calls - only one person at the Winchester dealer who could sell it, and he wasn't interested in selling it.

Manchester were very helpful, all sorted within 15 minutes and I got confirmation by email pretty much immediately from Alpine, I decided 2 years as it suited us. I did go in person though as I’m very lucky that they are local !!

[Pistom]

Is a nearly new car worth buying? The depreciation seems so low on them that I wonder whether new is the way to go unless you are looking at one of the earlier models which seem to have dropped a couple of £K in the last month or so but that could just be time of year.

[VC10]

There is a 2021 Legende with 5k miles on Autotrader advertised at £49,990

Isn’t a new GT about £65k or are they actually discounted at dealers?

[timbo999]

A boggo GT is £62k, but I think the Legende had the lower power engine (i.e. 250hp rather than 300hp) so not directly comparable.

The legende is basically a base model with the comfort pack so around £56k... (happy to be corrected!).

(based on new prices - knock £2k off those new prices if ordered 10 days ago!)

[bcr5784]

timbo999 said:

A boggo GT is £62k, but I think the Legende had the lower power engine (i.e. 250hp rather than 300hp) so not directly comparable.

The legende is basically a base model with the comfort pack so around £56k... (happy to be corrected!).

Base model with comfort pack is (pretty much) what the "old" legende was - ie 250bhp and small brakes. However you can't have Legende wheels on the Base model. You do have to specify 18" wheels with the comfort pack, for no reason I can fathom.

[VC10]

Hello all

Would you have any concerns about buying a 2 year old A110 that has been serviced at a Renault dealer and not an Alpine dealer?

Thanks

[Simon Owen]

VC10 said:

Hello all

Would you have any concerns about buying a 2 year old A110 that has been serviced at a Renault dealer and not an Alpine dealer?

Thanks

Nope not at all, it is not that complex a car is it. Our car's 1st service was via Renault & we have had no issues with warranty claims through the now local Mcr dealership.

Edited by Simon Owen on Tuesday 14th February 10:39

[Hoofty]

I wouldn't either, FWIW - all the Alpine sites I'm aware of are part of Renault dealerships, and I assume the techs are Renault guys with Alpine specific training. First two years servicing are pretty simple ops anyway, IIRC.