Alfa for a daily
Discussion
Hi All.
I'm still looking around for a nice comfortable daily. I do about 70 miles a day which works out around 20k a year. It's mostly motorway and dual carriageways.
I've been looking at 147s (5dr) and 159s (4dr) 1.9s and 2,4s but is it worth the risk of me swapping from my very reliable Yaris (currently getting 46mpg from the 1.5 petrol which is 5mpg more than the book figures give)?
I've got a budget of £2000 max and I'm wanting something with creature comforts like cruise control and a softer ride.
Would the Alfa be able to do my commute without any issues? The last Alfa we had in the family were my fathers many many years ago 146 petrol which had a lot of issues.
Thanks for the advice
I'm still looking around for a nice comfortable daily. I do about 70 miles a day which works out around 20k a year. It's mostly motorway and dual carriageways.
I've been looking at 147s (5dr) and 159s (4dr) 1.9s and 2,4s but is it worth the risk of me swapping from my very reliable Yaris (currently getting 46mpg from the 1.5 petrol which is 5mpg more than the book figures give)?
I've got a budget of £2000 max and I'm wanting something with creature comforts like cruise control and a softer ride.
Would the Alfa be able to do my commute without any issues? The last Alfa we had in the family were my fathers many many years ago 146 petrol which had a lot of issues.
Thanks for the advice
AT £2,000 I wouldn't touch a 147 - I've had two! My last one was five years old when I got rid of it & it felt & drove like a ten-year-old car.
They eat suspension components & ride comfort's not good. My last one also had the habit of throwing up random fault messages on the dash, such as non-existent bulb failures.
I assume from the engine sizes you quote that you're looking at diesels, which are pretty good engines which don't have the oil consumption problems inherent in the Twinspark petrol engines.
They eat suspension components & ride comfort's not good. My last one also had the habit of throwing up random fault messages on the dash, such as non-existent bulb failures.
I assume from the engine sizes you quote that you're looking at diesels, which are pretty good engines which don't have the oil consumption problems inherent in the Twinspark petrol engines.
Edited by Dave Brand on Monday 18th February 12:33
Hmm,
Going from one of the most reliable simple cars to a 10-15 year old high mileage car is going to be a problem across most other options. Apart from something like an older/simpler Merc 190.
You could make it happen, but would need to be very picky/lucky to find a 147 (or 159) at that budget with the major things done i.e suspension i.e upper and lower arms, anti roll bar, drop links (rear suspension generally has less issues) plus cambelt.
If the suspension bits were TRW replaced in the last 15k miles, you could get alot of miles out of those on the Motorway, if they replaced with anything else, very likely to fail in a year. Hence when I sold my 90k GT, the new owner was overjoyed to see a full service history on a 15 year old car with receipts for quality parts everywhere... they are out there, but rare.
The 1.9 unit does galatic miles, but as with any cars you will have to find one that has been well looked after. I think they are dependable cars, but won't take neglect in the same way as a Micra/Yaris.
Going from one of the most reliable simple cars to a 10-15 year old high mileage car is going to be a problem across most other options. Apart from something like an older/simpler Merc 190.
You could make it happen, but would need to be very picky/lucky to find a 147 (or 159) at that budget with the major things done i.e suspension i.e upper and lower arms, anti roll bar, drop links (rear suspension generally has less issues) plus cambelt.
If the suspension bits were TRW replaced in the last 15k miles, you could get alot of miles out of those on the Motorway, if they replaced with anything else, very likely to fail in a year. Hence when I sold my 90k GT, the new owner was overjoyed to see a full service history on a 15 year old car with receipts for quality parts everywhere... they are out there, but rare.
The 1.9 unit does galatic miles, but as with any cars you will have to find one that has been well looked after. I think they are dependable cars, but won't take neglect in the same way as a Micra/Yaris.
I think its fairly clear that a older 147/159 will ost more to run than your current car, but I expect you already know that.
My daily is a X-reg E46 330 BMW, bought for around your budget and does 10k a year (20min commute and weekend miles) and the running costs for me are manageable for what it is. Bar its MOT which is usually painless, it never leaves a garage for less than £500, and gets through a pint of oil every 1000 miles as they usually do. I have radiator, coolant hoses, thermostat, rocker cover gasket, one (of six) coil pack, cam shaft sensor, pair of new wings rear are de-rusted and sides re-sprayed, anti-roll bar bushes, ball joint, dampers and springs all round, and disks/pads obviously. From time to time it puts the engine light on for o2 sensors, but it re-sets for months and passes emissions regardless of the light. Most parts are new but it gets some used parts too. It also does 28mpg average, 38 on a long run with some 50mph motor roadworks. The seats are lovely, cruse control works, eats miles for fun, and is still a bit more fun than a pov spec fiesta so I have enough smile left after a day at work to make it worth getting up again the following morning.
Don't know how a 159 would compare to that, but I expect it might be similar? At which it it depends if an extra £1000/year is fanatically viable to be driving something which looks a feels a bit more fun, but ultimately gets you there no better than the yaris.
Daniel
My daily is a X-reg E46 330 BMW, bought for around your budget and does 10k a year (20min commute and weekend miles) and the running costs for me are manageable for what it is. Bar its MOT which is usually painless, it never leaves a garage for less than £500, and gets through a pint of oil every 1000 miles as they usually do. I have radiator, coolant hoses, thermostat, rocker cover gasket, one (of six) coil pack, cam shaft sensor, pair of new wings rear are de-rusted and sides re-sprayed, anti-roll bar bushes, ball joint, dampers and springs all round, and disks/pads obviously. From time to time it puts the engine light on for o2 sensors, but it re-sets for months and passes emissions regardless of the light. Most parts are new but it gets some used parts too. It also does 28mpg average, 38 on a long run with some 50mph motor roadworks. The seats are lovely, cruse control works, eats miles for fun, and is still a bit more fun than a pov spec fiesta so I have enough smile left after a day at work to make it worth getting up again the following morning.
Don't know how a 159 would compare to that, but I expect it might be similar? At which it it depends if an extra £1000/year is fanatically viable to be driving something which looks a feels a bit more fun, but ultimately gets you there no better than the yaris.
Daniel
I'm on my 2nd 147 JTD.
First was a stop-gap measure whilst the insurance sorted out my car repair. They provided a courtesy car 4 weeks after they picked up mine (and thankfully reimbursed the cost of the cheap hire car I arranged myself in the meantime).
But once the bodyshop returned my car (with issues), they told me I was not able to have a courtesy car anymore - so instead of hiring a £80/week Band 1 hire car (and having to swap it every week to keep the low price), I went out and paid less than £1000 for a high mileage 2003 147 JTD 8v.
Had that for 2 years and 50,000 miles in the end, doing everything from the weekly commute between Liverpool & London, doing a couple of track days (and a Ring trip), and sold it to the scrap man for £175. Averaged 52mpg overall.
Costs were a set of tyres and a set of pads when I bought the car, then 2 sets of front bushes over the period (plus servicing). Only got rid as it was due a clutch and the window switch broke into hundreds of pieces.
Went out and bought another the same week (a 2006 146 JTDm 16v) for £1200. I've done about 5,000 miles in that so far. Only thing I've done to it is to put decent/matching tyres all round, and installed a modern DAB/bluetooth head unit.
The cost of servicing/insurance/purchase is easily covered by the saving I get from not putting the same amount of miles on a Z4MC - and the relatively higher costs of servicing/running it.
First was a stop-gap measure whilst the insurance sorted out my car repair. They provided a courtesy car 4 weeks after they picked up mine (and thankfully reimbursed the cost of the cheap hire car I arranged myself in the meantime).
But once the bodyshop returned my car (with issues), they told me I was not able to have a courtesy car anymore - so instead of hiring a £80/week Band 1 hire car (and having to swap it every week to keep the low price), I went out and paid less than £1000 for a high mileage 2003 147 JTD 8v.
Had that for 2 years and 50,000 miles in the end, doing everything from the weekly commute between Liverpool & London, doing a couple of track days (and a Ring trip), and sold it to the scrap man for £175. Averaged 52mpg overall.
Costs were a set of tyres and a set of pads when I bought the car, then 2 sets of front bushes over the period (plus servicing). Only got rid as it was due a clutch and the window switch broke into hundreds of pieces.
Went out and bought another the same week (a 2006 146 JTDm 16v) for £1200. I've done about 5,000 miles in that so far. Only thing I've done to it is to put decent/matching tyres all round, and installed a modern DAB/bluetooth head unit.
The cost of servicing/insurance/purchase is easily covered by the saving I get from not putting the same amount of miles on a Z4MC - and the relatively higher costs of servicing/running it.
Don't get me wrong I highly doubt anything is going to beat my Yaris for reliability. I know it's a solid car and the only issue at the moment is the rear discs which I am going to get sorted (already have them bought).
I've been looking at Alfas as they seem to get so much more for your money than the VW/Audi out there. It seems that things like cruise control were an optional extra on those cars so finding one within my budget is difficult and most go rather quickly.
I've looked at E46s and E90s which my insurance company won't insure any BMW at all. It's their policy and I knew that when I joined them and at the time I weren't thinking of getting any other car (Insurance ends in June so probably wait it out until then).
E46s seem to be the best option especially if I can find a Sport model as they come with cruise control. My only scepticism about them is they are old and old BMWs tend to cost a lot to repair. Hence the reason I've looked at E90s which I've seen a few but they are at the very top of my £2k budget. I'd rather not spend all my budget so I have some money left over in case there are minor issues.
With now knowing that Alfas at the cheap end probably isn't the best idea I'll stay away from them. I don't want to go through the same commotion as I did with my WRX been repaired nearly every month. I'm probably best just waiting out for the next 4 months and seeing if I can get hold of a 320d E46 or E90 with the features I need.
I've been looking at Alfas as they seem to get so much more for your money than the VW/Audi out there. It seems that things like cruise control were an optional extra on those cars so finding one within my budget is difficult and most go rather quickly.
I've looked at E46s and E90s which my insurance company won't insure any BMW at all. It's their policy and I knew that when I joined them and at the time I weren't thinking of getting any other car (Insurance ends in June so probably wait it out until then).
E46s seem to be the best option especially if I can find a Sport model as they come with cruise control. My only scepticism about them is they are old and old BMWs tend to cost a lot to repair. Hence the reason I've looked at E90s which I've seen a few but they are at the very top of my £2k budget. I'd rather not spend all my budget so I have some money left over in case there are minor issues.
With now knowing that Alfas at the cheap end probably isn't the best idea I'll stay away from them. I don't want to go through the same commotion as I did with my WRX been repaired nearly every month. I'm probably best just waiting out for the next 4 months and seeing if I can get hold of a 320d E46 or E90 with the features I need.
Edited by Ankh87 on Tuesday 19th February 10:44
We had a 147 for a few years , good car ,however eventually got rid as it had electrical gremlins, like complaining brake lights are out everytime you pressed the pedal. It also went through a few upper wishbone bushes - the only car we have had with this setup.
We are currently 4 years into MiTO ownership and bar basic servicing and a few consumable parts cant fault it.
EDIT just seen you are considering BMW - check insurance first as some providers can be twitchy if no previous experience.
We are currently 4 years into MiTO ownership and bar basic servicing and a few consumable parts cant fault it.
EDIT just seen you are considering BMW - check insurance first as some providers can be twitchy if no previous experience.
I've gone the other way from a 2011 Alfa 159 1750 TBi Ti SW to a 2006 Yaris 1.3, put it this way no regrets.....
Even if you are very competent with spanners keeping an older Alfa going will not be cheap and although they shouldn't break down on you it'll still be maintenance heavy. I don't like the 1.9 diesel engine (from experience) and the 2.4 can cause a world of pain, the JTS petrol engines have their issues too.
Most of the major points have been covered above (suspension etc.) but I'd also say the 147 or 159 aren't that much more fun to drive than a Yaris especially a Mk 1 (I'm not joking), they look great but certainly don't steer brilliantly.
I've got a 916 Spider at the moment and was a long term owner of a Fiat Coupe 20v so I do like old Italian cars but I think you need to be pragmatic about what you'll get at the lower budget end of Alfa Romeo.
Even if you are very competent with spanners keeping an older Alfa going will not be cheap and although they shouldn't break down on you it'll still be maintenance heavy. I don't like the 1.9 diesel engine (from experience) and the 2.4 can cause a world of pain, the JTS petrol engines have their issues too.
Most of the major points have been covered above (suspension etc.) but I'd also say the 147 or 159 aren't that much more fun to drive than a Yaris especially a Mk 1 (I'm not joking), they look great but certainly don't steer brilliantly.
I've got a 916 Spider at the moment and was a long term owner of a Fiat Coupe 20v so I do like old Italian cars but I think you need to be pragmatic about what you'll get at the lower budget end of Alfa Romeo.
I'm not so much bothered about fun to drive. My Mk1 Yaris is fun as such but I spend 90% of the time in it on the motorway. I don't go for any B road blasts as I just don't have the time. I only got the Yaris as I had one before and I know pretty much everything about them. I know how to replace most of the parts and I know that they are cheap to run. I bought it as a stopgap until I either found a job closer to home or decided to just put up with the commute.
The Yaris is a great little car but it's not exactly motorway friendly and when its windy you feel it on the motorway. Don't get wrong I do want something a little fun but it's not essential.
If I do find a nice Alfa near me I'll go view it. I do like the looks of the 147 and 159. I'm concerned that it's going to spend most of it's time in the garage rather than on the road.
The Yaris is a great little car but it's not exactly motorway friendly and when its windy you feel it on the motorway. Don't get wrong I do want something a little fun but it's not essential.
If I do find a nice Alfa near me I'll go view it. I do like the looks of the 147 and 159. I'm concerned that it's going to spend most of it's time in the garage rather than on the road.
redandwhite said:
We had a 147 for a few years , good car ,however eventually got rid as it had electrical gremlins, like complaining brake lights are out everytime you pressed the pedal.
It's the wires coming out of the rear light cluster getting corroded and increasing the resistance. Higher resistance makes the body computer think you've got a broken bulb.The cheap/quick fix is to splice in a new wire.
Ankh87 said:
I'm not so much bothered about fun to drive. My Mk1 Yaris is fun as such but I spend 90% of the time in it on the motorway. I don't go for any B road blasts as I just don't have the time. I only got the Yaris as I had one before and I know pretty much everything about them. I know how to replace most of the parts and I know that they are cheap to run. I bought it as a stopgap until I either found a job closer to home or decided to just put up with the commute.
The Yaris is a great little car but it's not exactly motorway friendly and when its windy you feel it on the motorway. Don't get wrong I do want something a little fun but it's not essential.
If I do find a nice Alfa near me I'll go view it. I do like the looks of the 147 and 159. I'm concerned that it's going to spend most of it's time in the garage rather than on the road.
Looks as if you've made your mind up then to buy an Alfa...The Yaris is a great little car but it's not exactly motorway friendly and when its windy you feel it on the motorway. Don't get wrong I do want something a little fun but it's not essential.
If I do find a nice Alfa near me I'll go view it. I do like the looks of the 147 and 159. I'm concerned that it's going to spend most of it's time in the garage rather than on the road.
I'd recommend strongly looking on Alfa Owner and reading up on the specific problems each car has, there are some nasty surprises you might not spot after being seduced by the looks.
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