|
Alfa Romeo 147 owner
Having driven a 2002 Ford Focus 2.0 Zetec for four years (and loved the comfort, practicality and performance) I decided the time was right for a change. I looked at most cars on the road, and just wasn't interested. I had always had a bit of a yearning for an Alfa (and to be honest there was little else out there that in the least bit interested me) I had a test drive in a 147 at Northgate in Canterbury. Both my wife and I liked the car, though at that time they didn't have anything that quite fitted what I was after - a Lusso, three or five door, 1.6 and up to c£12k.
A little while later I was looking at the used car section of Alfa's website, and found a 06 plate, 1.6 Lusso three door advertised by Meridien Milano in Bournemouth as having 0 miles for £10k. I rang them and they confirmed that it was a showroom model, with 150 miles on the clock. A few days later I took my Focus down to Bournemouth, and the deal was done. We went down to pick it up in June last year. So there I was with effectively a new car, albeit one that was actually one year old.
Do I have any regrets? Well, no, not really. Although the 1.6 is lusty enough, I do miss some of the power my old Focus had. Although not uncomfortable, I have never got the driving position quite right. Being three doors the two entry doors are really a bit too big in modern car parks, and I miss the practicality of the rear doors in the Focus. And indeed overall it is not as practical as that car was, though that is not really an issue as my wife has an excellent Mazda 3 which is supremely practical. Sure the Alfa has nowhere to put anything (the glove box is just that - there is room for a glove!), the doors bins are too small, the boot sill is too high (and the boot too small) to get things in easily, and the fuel consumption is very poor (I average 30 when the Focus, a more powerful car, gave me around 32), and I'm guessing that servicing will see me on Skid Row.
But do I love the car? YES!! It looks fantastic, it is great to drive, it sounds fantastic, it has a wonderful level of equipment and so despite it foibles and limitations, it has been a great buy. Now to start saving up for that first service...!
Jon Risby
Ashford, Kent
|
welcome and enjoy AO. Nice intro 
