Im a newbie on here, and have been looking at the alfa 159 ti or LE which i think i have fallen in love with , i am slightly concerned about the posts on here regarding rust,front tyre problems & bad fuel consumption, please guys can you put my mind at rest so i can buy one of these beautiful looking cars. I am looking at the diesels , not sure on either the 1.9 or the 2.4.
1.9 - very good economy and acceptable performance and better once remapped
2.0 - the best compromise in my opinion. 40+ mpg, lower tax than the other two and good performance.
I have had all 3 engines and both saloon and sportwagon 159's so I can recommend them. They are a great car. I have only had one issue and that was an EGR failure on my 2.4.
Get 4 alignment done for the car, don't drive like a lunatic and shop around for the 19'' tyres and you will be ok.
Forget all the stuff written on here, folk usually post because there is a problem, if things are going well they generally don't. So reading on forums like this may give a very false sense of what is actually good/bad with the cars.
I've got an LE and it is bleedin' brilliant!
A lowly 1.9jtdm, but it certainly holds its own against the 320d/A4 boys and girls (after a gentle remap....).
19" tyres are always going to be expensive, understand that from the beginning and all will be well. Get the geometry set up properly from day one (at the cost of around £40) and all will be well.
1.9 diesel if economy and mileage is an issue, 2.4 if you can live with near petrol mpgs, but it has huge grunt and makes a nicer noise than the 1.9 (for a diesel).
Great cars, on my second 159 (after a 12 month gap in a GT). Love them to bits, nothing out there looks like them, feels a very special place to sit. Mines on 97,600 miles and rising rapidly.
Choose wisely, don't just grab the first one you see (because you will want to!!) and you will love it.
PS: Get an LE, much more exclusive than the Ti, just don't tell the Ti boys and girls, they get annoyed....
Thanks, its working i want one really bad, the bmw has to go costing me a fortune to run 3.0 petrol !! I have seen some 2008/2009 with 55/60k ti and LE for £9500/£10500 , i am so tempted.
Got my LE for £7995..... But it did have 90K on the clock! Cambelt and water pump done at 70K, serviced by a specialist, understanding and mechanically sympathetic previous owner= a good car. Drives like it has 40K on the clock.
Bits wear out by those miles, had a new lower arm and front pads at the last service, but at that price, still a bargain!
LE is not lowered and has dark alloys as standard and no side skirts, no chrome mirror caps either. Can't remember what else? Oh it doesn't have the Ti sports seats.
And here is my Ti . Sorry i can't help with the diesels as mine is a petrol. What ever you choose Ti or Le they are both great cars.
Good luuk with the search :thumbs:
Buy the LE I love mine it's an awesome car. Driving her is a dream
I've had no mechanical problems so far! The missus drives her round town during the week, school runs etc. Lots of short journeys shes doing about 32mpg.
Don't know about the LE or TI question as I only have a humble Lusso. With the 1.9Jtdm round town i tend to get mid 30's (Could be better if I felt like it:cheese and on Motorways I got 50ish to start with and now get about 45 as I'm driving it more like an Alfa.
Love it and get one (Just didn't want the bill for 19" tyres and also trying a TI found I obviously don't have a Recaro Behind!)
As said the 2.4 sounds beautiful (I have the 2.4) However the fuel consumption is erm..'interesting', if i was doing motorway miles all the time it would be fine..but sadly i only have a 30 minute commute to work every morning, so it does more like 32, rather than 40ish i can get from the motorway.
As for tyres, take a look at blackcircles.com or other online tyre thingymabobs. I've just reshoed my car..granted I was a bit dubious with the name 'Achilles' but for £250 for 4 (i'm afraid i have a lowly lusso with the 17's) they seem pretty good...yes they are a tadge understeery with that massive lump at the front in the wet..but to be fair dry handling seems pretty good spec!
The tailpipes and red stitched Alfa badges in the leather is worth getting the Ti for alone . Looking at the rear of an LE is disappointing ....The men here know how much a rating drops when she walks past and it's not quite right in that part of town
2.4s are rare in Ti ..... Nobody wants to sell them.
LE is disappointing from behind? How rude..... Mind you, its the view most other drivers have of the 159.
Waiting for the back box to rot through, then getting a twin custom made stainless system, ovaloid pipes, nice. Trouble is the back box is fine, after 96,800 miles!! Damn those dodgy italian car parts......:rant:
Thanks for the replies, i think they both look fantastic, either one i dont mind, but think the grey alloys on the LE make it slightly more attractive. 1.9 or 2.4 im struggling with. The BMW does 20/23mpg around town, and 31mpg at 75mph on a run. So im used to crap econemy but would be nice to save some money on fuel, is the 2.4 really that thirsty, can it achieve 40mpg on a run?
Yep, I was talking about what I achieved over the period of driving the cars, not just one trip, so it takes into account all types of driving, roads,weather, etc.
Would make such a difference. I actually think the 159 is nicer at rear than front. So pipes are important
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