Alfa Saloon or Sportwagon?
Discussion
SW all the way. When I bought one there wasn’t any price variation between saloon and estate so went with the SW.
Bizarrely I seem to recall the boot volume on the saloon was actually greater than the estate, which had a load luggage cover so heavily sprung I feared for fingers. Massive wheel arch intrusion and the seats didn’t go flat so as a load lugger it was in chocolate teapot land.
Lovely car to drive when it worked. I lost the will to live in the end with the suspension geometry. Despite going to an Alfa specialist and then a suspension specialist it would never maintain its set up and would wander to the left all the time.
Off putting to say the least to have to permanently apply a little steering lock to go in a straight line...
Also ate lambda sensors like they were going out of fashion.
Holds my personal best depreciation record as a % of new price. Bought at 18mths old (22k Miles) for £12.5k (list I think was just shy of 30K) and then I traded in 2 yrs later (at 40k miles) for 1k!
29k depreciation in 3.5 years.
It was due to be traded in for 1.5k but the engine light came on on the journey to the dealership. A pain in the ar$e until the last!
Bizarrely I seem to recall the boot volume on the saloon was actually greater than the estate, which had a load luggage cover so heavily sprung I feared for fingers. Massive wheel arch intrusion and the seats didn’t go flat so as a load lugger it was in chocolate teapot land.
Lovely car to drive when it worked. I lost the will to live in the end with the suspension geometry. Despite going to an Alfa specialist and then a suspension specialist it would never maintain its set up and would wander to the left all the time.
Off putting to say the least to have to permanently apply a little steering lock to go in a straight line...
Also ate lambda sensors like they were going out of fashion.
Holds my personal best depreciation record as a % of new price. Bought at 18mths old (22k Miles) for £12.5k (list I think was just shy of 30K) and then I traded in 2 yrs later (at 40k miles) for 1k!
29k depreciation in 3.5 years.
It was due to be traded in for 1.5k but the engine light came on on the journey to the dealership. A pain in the ar$e until the last!
Gmlgml said:
SW all the way. When I bought one there wasn’t any price variation between saloon and estate so went with the SW.
Bizarrely I seem to recall the boot volume on the saloon was actually greater than the estate, which had a load luggage cover so heavily sprung I feared for fingers. Massive wheel arch intrusion and the seats didn’t go flat so as a load lugger it was in chocolate teapot land.
Lovely car to drive when it worked. I lost the will to live in the end with the suspension geometry. Despite going to an Alfa specialist and then a suspension specialist it would never maintain its set up and would wander to the left all the time.
Off putting to say the least to have to permanently apply a little steering lock to go in a straight line...
Also ate lambda sensors like they were going out of fashion.
Holds my personal best depreciation record as a % of new price. Bought at 18mths old (22k Miles) for £12.5k (list I think was just shy of 30K) and then I traded in 2 yrs later (at 40k miles) for 1k!
29k depreciation in 3.5 years.
It was due to be traded in for 1.5k but the engine light came on on the journey to the dealership. A pain in the ar$e until the last!
Trade in prices are ridiculous. I'd always sell mine privately.Bizarrely I seem to recall the boot volume on the saloon was actually greater than the estate, which had a load luggage cover so heavily sprung I feared for fingers. Massive wheel arch intrusion and the seats didn’t go flat so as a load lugger it was in chocolate teapot land.
Lovely car to drive when it worked. I lost the will to live in the end with the suspension geometry. Despite going to an Alfa specialist and then a suspension specialist it would never maintain its set up and would wander to the left all the time.
Off putting to say the least to have to permanently apply a little steering lock to go in a straight line...
Also ate lambda sensors like they were going out of fashion.
Holds my personal best depreciation record as a % of new price. Bought at 18mths old (22k Miles) for £12.5k (list I think was just shy of 30K) and then I traded in 2 yrs later (at 40k miles) for 1k!
29k depreciation in 3.5 years.
It was due to be traded in for 1.5k but the engine light came on on the journey to the dealership. A pain in the ar$e until the last!
Over the 12-years I've owned 156 SWs, I've read so many horror stories but, fortunately, not experienced any of those problems. The occasional variator change - with a new cambelt - and only once did I have suspension arm changed on one side, my bundles have been well behaved.
The only ongoing annoyance is they tend to eat light bulbs, although my current 2005 2.0 JTS - touch wood - seems to be fine.
Back on topic: The first time I drove a 156, it was a entry-level 1.6 TS. Totally smitten by the design.
Ive had 2005 156v6 for over 8 years and its been the most reliable car ive owned to date....
I would of preferred the sw but the saloon does all i need,ive managed to change both my headlamps just twice in all that time with no issues (15 mins each with out too much pain)
Its off to pastures new in the summer..
I would of preferred the sw but the saloon does all i need,ive managed to change both my headlamps just twice in all that time with no issues (15 mins each with out too much pain)
Its off to pastures new in the summer..
I had a 156 2.4 JTD, bought it at just over a year old and it was a complete ball ache. It went through sumps like I get through Jaffa Cakes, though on reflection Jaffas may have been made of a tougher material. On the rare occasion that everything worked it was a great drive, but that was very rare indeed. Never ever again.
velocemitch said:
Now that is the sweet spot in 156 design to me. Mid facelift car with the nicer interior and Veloce spec. Best colour too.
I had an identical one but with the JTS engine, should have got a V6.
Downside to some/many is its the q-system but i had to have an auto at the time of buying due to a motorcycle accident leading to knee surgery,it was this 156 or a 330i Bmw that i had my eye on but as the alfa was £5k cheaper it was a no brainer..I had an identical one but with the JTS engine, should have got a V6.
Tbh ive got used to the gearbox,in sport mode its a bit brutal but in manual mode it does the job ok and ive even managed 30mpg on a decent run...im going to miss it for sure
Saloon by a mile, i always thought the 156 SW looked odd, a bit too narrow at the back etc.. The saloon on the other hand is an easy top 10 beautiful common cars-car for me.
Still, im looking at buying a new (to me) alfa, and the 156 saloon fails straight away on practicality, not being able to go to the ikea and pick up a book-case just doesnt cut it as a primary car for me, so i found myself looking at 147s
Still, im looking at buying a new (to me) alfa, and the 156 saloon fails straight away on practicality, not being able to go to the ikea and pick up a book-case just doesnt cut it as a primary car for me, so i found myself looking at 147s
The are very , very few cars that manage to look better in the estate variety as against the saloon. However, the 156 Sportwagon is one of them. Mind you, I would say that, wouldn't I , since I own one of them. Ask me why, though, and I couldn't tell you ; maybe it's the way that the Sportwagon has a pronounced taper towards the rear, which gives it a very streamlined look.
Speaking of Sportwagons, I'm about to sell my one. It's a GTA. I am, though, finding it very hard to price since there are so few of them that come onto the market, and certainly none as good as mine, which I have owned from new and has only 38,000 on the clock.
I have seen them priced at over £12 k, and Autolusso has a red one ( saloon ) for sale at £22,000.
Is there anyone out there that has kept on eye on the market for 156 GTA Sportwagons ?
I love to get their feedback on prices.
Speaking of Sportwagons, I'm about to sell my one. It's a GTA. I am, though, finding it very hard to price since there are so few of them that come onto the market, and certainly none as good as mine, which I have owned from new and has only 38,000 on the clock.
I have seen them priced at over £12 k, and Autolusso has a red one ( saloon ) for sale at £22,000.
Is there anyone out there that has kept on eye on the market for 156 GTA Sportwagons ?
I love to get their feedback on prices.
I bought my GTA SW for 3 grand a year ago. Mechanically it was "OK", after sinking £2k in parts into it, it is now "spot on", did all the work myself. The bodywork needs £6000 throwing at it - going for a full glass out respray, new wing, got new bumpers and side skirts waiting to go in, along with whatever attention it needs underneath.
So after all that it will be an £11K sportwagon with 85K on the clock, which seems about right. I rather struggle to justify these at much more than that - especially with the 3.2 GT so cheap, if you want a "busso experience" that is a cheap (and arguably better) way of getting it. I should know, I've got both.
There is an argument about "GTA exclusivity" - if you're into a lack of availability of parts and all that goes with it, then yes, they're exclusive.
So after all that it will be an £11K sportwagon with 85K on the clock, which seems about right. I rather struggle to justify these at much more than that - especially with the 3.2 GT so cheap, if you want a "busso experience" that is a cheap (and arguably better) way of getting it. I should know, I've got both.
There is an argument about "GTA exclusivity" - if you're into a lack of availability of parts and all that goes with it, then yes, they're exclusive.
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