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2 cars choice help ?

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cars choice
1K views 19 replies 12 participants last post by  coyotes_uk 
#1 ·
I am in 2 hours going out to the show room to test drive 2 cars.
the first is a 2001 alfa 2.0 155bhp 156, the second is a 2003 1.9 d 140 bhp sportswagon.

now my question is, i have 2 children, and i think the sportwagon is the better choice (but its a third more money!!!) and the other has a decent size boot....
now what i would like to know is, is there really much difference in the boot space and rear legroom between the 2 models? and if so how much?
and secondly, what engine is better? i know the diesel is 140, and the 2.0 is 155 but is the diesel really worth an extra third on top of the price ?
do the desiels really run economical as they say and do the 2.0 petrols drink like a fish? i do all my driving on the motorway..

any helps and hints would be great,but i leave for the showroom in 1 hour, so a fast repley would be great

thank you in advance, and if i have gone in the wrong section, i am sorry, i am new !!! :)

thanks :)
 
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#2 ·
properly tuned and maintained, you'll get 30-32mpg from the TS on motorways ... maybe a bit higher if you are "lighter of foot" on the accelerator. I think my max is 36 but I was taking it very easy and rarely had to stop in nearly 400 miles. The diesel will always do better than that. It's whether the extra cost of diesel outways the savings. For me, I love the TS engine ... but I hate giving Comrade Brown my hard earned cash in the form of tax here in the UK so woul probably steer towards a diesel if I was thinking of changing.

Make sure the TS has had cambelt changes every 3 years or 36000 miles - the new Alfa recommendations. The 1.9 JTD has a habit of water pump seizures, so if it's due for a cambelt get that replaced as well.
 
#3 ·
Both are very good cars - the SW does have the bigger load area and can be remapped to give similar power to the petrol.

Take them both out for a good run over as many different surfaces as you can to check for knocks, odd sounds etc.

The Diesel will have a longer period between belt changes 72k miles or 6 years where as the petrols are 36k miles or 3 years (not sure what the mile to km conversion is) what ever you do get ensure that this has been done and all the pullies/tensioners are done as well as it is usually these that fail rather than the belt it's self, also with the diesel the water pump should be done at the same time as this seems to be a weak area.

Let us know what you decide on.
 
#4 ·
Looking at my 156 handbook, both the Sportwagen and saloon are the same dimensions, so i would assume the rear legroom is the same. The luggage capacity of the saloon is 378 litres, the sportwagen is 360 litres, but of course, you can fold the rear seats down which will increase the load to 1180 litres. The sportwagen is about 50kg heavier.
Again, according to the book, fuel consumption in the JTD is about 20% less than the 2.0 TS (and diesel is about 12% more expensive than petrol) I get between 25-35 mpg from my 2.0 TS depending how heavy my right foot is
So, do you want a diesel clatter ( albeit muted) or a Twinspark howl?
Allan
 
#5 ·
leaving the petrol/diesel thing aside. The boot space is only better if your going to fold the seats or fill the SW to the roof, so if your used to a hatchback then the SW is worth it.
Some of the extra price of the diesel will be because it's a Sportwagon. so the price differential seems about right.
 
#7 ·
there is no more boot space in a sportwagon than a saloon 156-quote me if i am wrong though!!
With the seats up and load cover in place, the Sportwagon boot is slightly smaller than the saloon (as already noted above). BUT you get much better access with the Sportwagon.
With the Sportwagon you also get the option to load higher and to fold the rear seats, which you can't in the saloon.

The Sportwagon would be the more practical of the two.
 
#8 ·
I agree with David in terms of practicality .... having said that I've kept my 156 1.8TS while having 3 kids at the back and going to France for a 3 weeks holiday BUT did fit a boot rack for the occasion. If additional boot space is only occasionally required you can always fit a roofbox.

You choice is then not in terms of practicality but preference petrol vs diesel and style (saloon vs estate)

Personally, i think that the SW shows less its age.

The petrol TS engine are brillant but you will struggle to get more than 400 miles out of a thank.

My GT JTD (150bhp remapped) give me 550 miles per tank (between 42 and 45 mpg) on motorway runs.

As a family car, I think that the diesel version would be more relax to drive as opposed to keeping in gear at around 4k rpm with the petrol TS.
 
#12 ·
Ah but what are the fuel prices like in Norway? That's where the forum member is from ....

Do they have our rip-off tax system? :rant:
 
G
#14 ·
I'd say the SW, if it's a family car the lazy driving style from the torque of the diesel = happy family on long runs.

Plus the access into the back is better even though the boot is slightly smaller and the option to fold the seats down and turn it into a van is great.

Diesel SW any day
 
#15 ·
ok, thanks for all your help :) you are all great.

Ok, i went for a different alfa than i said....i will explain.
Alfa 156 Sportwagon
1.8 ts 144 bhp (i think)
red leather
17 alfa alloys
dark met grey
sunroof
updated dash etc
airbags
yada yada yada....

ok, my new set of HELP questions.
1, what should i expect in fuel consumption.(i do all my miles on the motorway, and i am light footed)
2, any things on the 1.8 engine that commonly fail, and i should look aout for.
3, what oil would you recomend, fully or half sinthetic, and what thickness.
4, best plugs and there life span?
5, any things that you think i should know about etc (even the most silly of things that a newby alfa owner should know)
6, how the hell are you sopossed to open the boot when it popps out only about an inch !!!! is there a secret handle somewhere ?????


i know i am asking a lot but i want to know everything about my car before i pick it up in 3 days :)

lastly, i am trading in a beloved Fiat stilo, now am i correct in saying that the floorpan on the alfa is the same, meaning that same of the underbelly parts / layouts are the same ?

all and any help will be very much appreciated, THANK YOU.

i want to order some window stickers from this site, do they sell any ????
 
#16 ·
and i forgot to mention, i also have a roof box, so now i will have loads of space :)

And yes i do live in Norway, and i am also a FiatForum member, incase anyone reconised me from there :)
 
#17 ·
1) I'd say you should get around 28-32 mpg.

2) All the usual for the TS engine.
- Cam belt and tensioners. 36000 miles or 3 years now. If you don't know when the last changes was, I'd say get it done now.
- If engine sounds like a diesel on startup indicates a worn variator or just thin old oil. Changing it requires new cam-belt.
- Lambda sensors can be a problem if non-BOSCH.
- MAF/air-flow-meters.
- Check/change air-filter regularly ... housing bolts can corrode though.
- Radiators only last 5-6 years. Over heating is indication. Other problem can be stuck thermostat which means car runs cold and uses more fuel. Temp gauge should be in 90 region all time. Resistor to control low speed cooling fan can prevent it working on all speeds.


3) Semi-synth, 10W40 is the norm in UK ... you may want something a little thinner for Norwegian winters!

4) NGK Platinum ... 60,000 miles between replacements


5 & 6) The search feature on this forum should help with those ..

Floor pan may be same but mosts suspension parts are unique to 156. Little things litle cabin/a-c filter, oil filters, etc are same on Alfas and some Fiats ...
 
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