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What to replace 156 with???

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2K views 35 replies 28 participants last post by  David Jarrett 
#1 ·
Hello!
PMP here.....

The question is - WHAT DO I REPLACE THE 156 WITH ?

A few ideas:-
Volvo S40
Audi A4
Saab 93

Just like the selespeed is the poor choice in the 156 what at the dog cars - with major faults above..... ie. stay away from saab convertible due to scuttle shack.

Please advise as I want my next car to be reliable..... no $4400- repairs.... no pumps .....no actuators......
 
#4 ·
If you want total reliability you would be better going japanese. Most european cars share many of the parts with the Alfa, so they are just as likely to fail. The selespeed box obviously wont be shared though.

I would avaoid the Audi, they do worse in reliability surveys than Alfa's.
 
#5 ·
A facelifted, late model 156:confused: Non-selespeed.:)
 
#6 ·
How about a Honda Accord Euro? Quite nice and with a little bit of flair, and will almost definitely be reliable.

A4s are nice but totally characterless.

What is your budget and how old do you want the car to be anyway? Because my family has a 10 year old Volvo V40 (wagon S40), still looks alright and has held together well. No major problems with it. Then again its only done 90,000kms.

I hate Saabs but I've got no reason for it so don't listen to me on that one.
 
#10 ·
Really depends on your budget. If you are going to have to go for an older car ie.. more than about 6 years old I would always go Japanese. I have had several jap cars that just refused to die!!! And parts tend to be cheaper on a lot of them.
 
#13 ·
Buy another 156 it can't be as much hassle as the one you've got.Or try a Subaru Legacy.
 
#14 ·
I would buy another Alfa, you may have just been unlucky. Apart from a few small problems (which includes my speedo and it running too hot at the moment, which might be the fan) I have been a happy Alfa owner for the past three years. I dont personally like the 159, but would consider an Alfa GT or an 05 or 06 facelift 156.

I have had a few nice cars and I have always steered clear of things that I think might cause me problems, turbo's, automatic gearboxes, even V6 engines if they sell ten times more 4 cyclinder engines. The ones the manufactureres sell the most of are usually the most reliable because they have ironed out the faults. I was originally looking to buy a 1.8 156, but ended up with the 2.0.

Check the oil, have it serviced regularly, have stuff changed when they should be changed like cambelts, brake fluid etc and you should be fine. Its when you miss that service, put off that cambelt change or start using cheap oils or parts that give you problems.
 
#17 ·
As for Mazda's, I had a Mazda6 estate for 3 yrs and 50,000 miles and while in many ways it was very very good, it was also quite noisy and more importantly while it may have been bullet proof it wasn't rust proof.

When I came to sell it, I glanced underneath and to my horror, the whole underside was rusty. It's the things you don't see that they seem to skimp on.

Since then I've had a Saab 9-3 which was very good and now a 159, which is even better.

Cosmic
 
#18 ·
After running two 156's for seven years in total, I too didn't know what to get next. The 159 was too new for me last year, so wasn't an option....

In the end, I went for an Audi A3 2.0TDI DSG. Haven't regretted it and am still really enjoying it - but having driven the 159 around Oulton Park at a recent Alfa track day, I'll be looking out for a good used 159 next time around....
 
#20 ·
Jag XJR supercharged, 6-cylinder for reliability, V8 for brute power.

I have the modest 6-cyl with 322bhp, no real probs and suprisingly cheap to maintain.
Back box genuine jag £100.
Spark plugs less than £2 each.
Tyres £170 each!!!!

My jag has been cheaper to run for 3 years than the alfa for 3 months.
 
#24 ·
BMW 330Ci TD Sport, 283 BHP - chip to 320 BHP, RWD Brute Force in an Armani Suit lol. Or a new style Audi A3 2.0 TDi Quattro and chip that.

Diesel, Diesel, Diesel :D

Audi just won the Le Mans 24Hr with a diesel I heard on the radio....first diesel ever to win it.

Any reliability issues ive had with an audi or vw is after they were 10 to 15 years old, not 2 to 5 like some alfas ive seen on here and with the faults ive had already for a 4 year old car its just silly. I'm pretty sure my alfa will never see age that in one piece. I love the styling to bits and the car is ok, but i keep waiting on something sticking or breaking off. :D
 
#25 ·
VW VAG have their fair share of problems in early years.
Typicaly Passat radiators rot through within 2-3 yrs.
Intercoolers fill with oil and blow lower pipes off.
AMF issue (but then who doesn't)
Some turbo issues.
I had a 3yr old Passat 1.8T and I was very dissapointed with its reliabilty, it spent more time not running right than running OK.

I used to be in the motor trade and we had more comeback on VAG 1.9TDi than most other cars.

For diesel reliability, buy a S60 Volvo D5 and chip that to 475nm 210bhp (claimed from 163 std)
fantastic car, loads of goodies on the SE model.
Just make sure you buy 03 or newer as they had injector probs prior and make sure the airbox lid is straight.

If thedy were lighter and (suspension) tuning parts more readily availble, I would have one myself. (had numerous S60 and V70 in the past, even with 170k on the clock - all spot on, even th eex-police T5!)
 
#27 · (Edited)
The question is - WHAT DO I REPLACE THE 156 WITH ?

A few ideas:-
Volvo S40
Audi A4
Saab 93
pmp lives in australia, so the choice is a little more limited compared with the UK. for example, diesels are unheard of in anything more than a couple years old.

for reliability, i too recommend a Jap car, and like already recommended, i would shortlist:
*subaru liberty (same as legacy overseas); choice of 2.5, 3.0, and 2.5 turbo, sedan or wagon
*mazda6: hatch, sedan, wagon
*honda accord euro

can't go wrong with any of the above IF they have been properly-maintained with FSH and low km's. for an everyday car, i'd go the subaru or honda.

if you are happy to go with another alfa, then i recommend buying from an alfa dealer: which means 'warranty', or choose a demo model. they tend only to sell cars that they are happy to sell. that is, they have a reputation to uphold (NB: whilst not perfect, in australia, the dealers seem better than in the UK). the small premium you pay for a caryard alfa outweighs potential risks of a privately sold vehicle - can you vouch for that pmp?

my shortlist for an alfa would be:
*156 TS 5spd manual: never had any major probs with my '99 model, owned for 5+ yrs and to 160K km's; a 6spd manual 2.5 V6 would be the pick if you can find one
*GTA: 147 or 156; again, from a DEALER, not privately; BUDGET for the Q2 diff upgrade (refuse at your own peril)
*GT: 2.0 JTS or 3.2L V6
*159 2.2L JTS

as also discussed, it depends on your budget. but again, i would personally avoid a privately sold alfa unless you know the person, you know they have looked after it, and it has FSH.

i think you must have chosen poorly with the selespeed. i don't know the full story, but maybe it was too cheap to be true, without a FSH, and sold privately. all big no-no's.

at the end of the day, i think you have your own ideas, and probably aren't going to listen to a bunch of AO members behind computer screens, who aren't the ones paying. :p just admit though, you bought a lemon (sorry to be a broken record), and you lost badly. it's not a true reflection on alfa's, as only a handful across the world (relatively speaking) have had such major issues like yours.

:)
 
#28 ·
the 3 series is now more common than the mondeo, so why not continue to enjoy owning an exclusive car and get a new mondeo. someone got one at work a few weks ago, the first day it was in the carpark is probably the only time i've felt real envy towards a ford owner. its a great looking car, and all the reviews suggest a great all round package too.


mondeo has its own aus website with a funny paris hilton quote http://www.ford.com.au/servlet/ContentServer?cid=1163399223417&pagename=FOA%2FDFYPage%2FFullwidth1024&c=DFYPage

notice it says "german engineered". vectra is afraid, very afraid.
 
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