Picked up my new Brera S yesterday

[pauleverson]

Hi Guys,

So I went to the garage yesterday and completed the swap of my 2.4 Qtronic JTDM for a 2.2 Brera S.

Sorry it's not a great picture but she is below

brera.jpg

I'm very happy with her and more than anything happy to get rid of that noise I had on the Qtronic.

I was a bit surprised by the fuel consumption on the way home. The garage had kindly let me borrow a 2.2 JTS (not S version) for a day last week to test and I was getting 37mpg at 70mph but on the way home yesterday I was only getting 32?! I had assumed it would be the same given the engine is the same? I had checked on a short drive near the garage and driving at 30-40mph returns the same sort of economy and I had just assumed this would continue at all speeds.

Does this sound normal to people?

[cj romeo]

Sounds normal to me

[wynne71]

I don't mean to be flippant about the economy, but you don't buy a car like that and worry about the mpg.

It looks bloomin stunning! Am rather jealous.

[pauleverson]

Originally Posted by wynne71

I don't mean to be flippant about the economy, but you don't buy a car like that and worry about the mpg.

It looks bloomin stunning! Am rather jealous.

Don't worry mate it isn't flippant and I do agree with what you are saying

That said it was however a considered purchase and I made sure I took a 2.2 JTS out on a long motorway drive to see what mpg was like as I do 25-30k miles a year and don't want to be filling up every 2 days.

I am Surprised at the difference between the standard 2.2 JTS and the Brera S for this

[WADEY]

Maybe the car you were loaned had been re-mapped and it can throw the trip computer out. 30 mpg is max combined cycle.

[Alfa.Romeo]

Originally Posted by pauleverson

That said it was however a considered purchase and I made sure I took a 2.2 JTS out on a long motorway drive to see what mpg was like as I do 25-30k miles a year and don't want to be filling up every 2 days.

You do that mileage and swapped out the 2.4 Sorry fella, but i feel that is a big mistake. The 2.4 is no fuel sipper, but its definitely considerably better than the 2.2 especially on long runs and has more power and can be mapped better to get even more MPG.

Dont mean to get you down, but i think you may end up with big fuel bills. But that brera looks lovely and i bet it sounds better

[pauleverson]

Originally Posted by WADEY

Maybe the car you were loaned had been re-mapped and it can throw the trip computer out. 30 mpg is max combined cycle.

I did wonder that. I also had read that remapping might deliver some returns with regards fuel economy but I doubt it would be worth the £400-700 it would cost me in remapping. Maybe its worth it when considering the better drive as well

Originally Posted by Alfa.Romeo

You do that mileage and swapped out the 2.4 Sorry fella, but i feel that is a big mistake. The 2.4 is no fuel sipper, but its definitely considerably better than the 2.2 especially on long runs and has more power and can be mapped better to get even more MPG.

Dont mean to get you down, but i think you may end up with big fuel bills. But that brera looks lovely and i bet it sounds better

Yeah I felt between a rock and a hard place to be honest. I wanted a diesel Brera but the one I had to me felt "faulty". It made a weird noise at low speeds when changing gear which they claimed was the turbo dump valve (someone on here said a VVT turbo doesn't have a dump valve?) plus it was lumpy at startup when cold (even after injector cleaner) and even stalled twice - which for an automatic doesn't sound right to me?!

I was given the option to swap but didn't like the colour of the other diesel they had.. so hey ho, petrol it is

Yes...it sounds lovely!!! And is great fun on open roads.

[stevepen]

Sounds better, handles better but drinks fuel 50% more.

[wowbagger]

Very nice they are great cars.

I do about 30k miles a year in my 2.2 S and average about 26mpg but I can get up to 33mpg if I am careful and drive like Miss Daisy.
I just enjoy my car and try not to worry about the fuel consumption.

[Redmatt75]

Originally Posted by pauleverson

Hi Guys,

So I went to the garage yesterday and completed the swap of my 2.4 Qtronic JTDM for a 2.2 Brera S.

Sorry it's not a great picture but she is below

Attachment 142881

Nice! Love the 'S' wheels

[Harmson206]

Aren't the brera 2.2jts engine and the brera s the same no different power .mpg should be same more or less ?

[pauleverson]

Thanks wowbagger, matt

Harmson: that was my thought too! Seems I was wrong.

Have a suspicion that the racetrack setup for the wheels isn't helping, but that is me as an IT geek and not a car mechanic talking

Going to get the wheels realigned for bog standard driving, get the air filter changed and check tyre pressure and will see if that helps

[Joomoo]

things change even if you do the same course downwind or upwind... also depends on how the cars were driven by the previous owner... and tyres, and maintence... and for how long it was without running...
and if you start to spend money...
drive the car some 1000 miles and see how mpg you do...

[BenzinaBrera]

bigger wheels also needs more power to turn, another ding in consumption maybe? now im hoping you want to take them of and give them to me

[wowbagger]

Originally Posted by pauleverson

Thanks wowbagger, matt

Harmson: that was my thought too! Seems I was wrong.

Have a suspicion that the racetrack setup for the wheels isn't helping, but that is me as an IT geek and not a car mechanic talking

Going to get the wheels realigned for bog standard driving, get the air filter changed and check tyre pressure and will see if that helps

I would not recommend changing the car from S settings, you are unlikely to save any fuel and you will increase the wear rate of the front tyres(the standard set up chews through front tyres) which will cost you more, in fact I would get the four wheel alignment checked to ensure that it is set to S rather than standard settings.
The fuel consumption on my car was very poor when I got it and it turned out to be seized rear calipers causing drag on the wheels so it might be worth checking them.

[pauleverson]

Originally Posted by wowbagger

I would not recommend changing the car from S settings, you are unlikely to save any fuel and you will increase the wear rate of the front tyres(the standard set up chews through front tyres) which will cost you more, in fact I would get the four wheel alignment checked to ensure that it is set to S rather than standard settings.
The fuel consumption on my car was very poor when I got it and it turned out to be seized rear calipers causing drag on the wheels so it might be worth checking them.

Hi wowbagger

I was under the impression the s setup had the wheels angled in and would thus wear more on the inside edge and thus get through tyres quickly?

[wowbagger]

Originally Posted by pauleverson

Hi wowbagger

I was under the impression the s setup had the wheels angled in and would thus wear more on the inside edge and thus get through tyres quickly?

Hi Paul,
The standard set up destroys the inside edges, my car has the S settings and the tyres wear evenly.

[AlexT]

so how's the performance compared to the 2.4?

[pauleverson]

Originally Posted by AlexT

so how's the performance compared to the 2.4?

So as a driving experience I think its better. The engine sounds lovely, it corners better and accelerates better in my opinion (although there isn't much in it)

Economy wise its a bit thirstier but now I've done a few runs its improving. Getting about 26mpg on a 37mile run to work with approx 30 moterway miles at 80mph. I was only getting 28-30mpg in the 2.4 qtronic

[pauleverson]

Originally Posted by wowbagger

Hi Paul,
The standard set up destroys the inside edges, my car has the S settings and the tyres wear evenly.

How many miles do you get out of a set?

[pauleverson]

Originally Posted by wowbagger

Hi Paul,
The standard set up destroys the inside edges, my car has the S settings and the tyres wear evenly.

How many miles do you get out of a set?

[AlfaBrera1]

Originally Posted by pauleverson

How many miles do you get out of a set?

My 3.2 got about 13k out the front, and is still on originals at 17.5k on the rear. These are Pirelli Zero Nero. All have worn evenly.

[wowbagger]

Originally Posted by pauleverson

How many miles do you get out of a set?

About 20k miles from the fronts and close to twice that from the back.