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Alfa 156 or keep 147

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147 156
1K views 23 replies 6 participants last post by  Damian M 
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#1 ·
Hi,

Have had an Alfa 147 Sporivo for the last 10 months (1.6, 17" alloys, 215/45/17 tyres, air con as standard). However on Irish roads the low profile tyres really make for a jarring ride, and the dash is infected with rattles, which the dealer can't seem to fix. Driving me nuts really.

Recently while the car was in getting *fixed*, they gave me a new 156 1.6 for the day. Basic package, no aircon, sunfroof, or sports pack, but it comes with 15" alloys now in Ireland as standard. I noticed it felt alot more solid on the road then the 147 (probably due to the 185/65/15 tyres). Also the dash didn't rattle at all, while the 147 did if from the beginning.

Anyway, it would cost me about 4000 Euro to change, which is a loss of around 3000 Euro on the 147 after 10 months.

Any thoughts on the 156 v 147 would be appreciated.
 
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#2 ·
Have you considered changing the wheels on the 147 to 15" ??
When I bought my 147 the dealer actually recommended the 15" wheels over the 17" due to the crapiness of Irish roads - but the 17" seles just looked too good....
 
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#3 ·
The car was designed for 16s and the accepted "wisdom" is to upgrade the springs to carry the extra weight of the 17s.Depends what you want,stiffer suspension to suit your driving style and then live with the ride or a comfy arse.As for the dash creaks...........use more revs
 
#4 ·
I`ve driven a 147 2.0 Selespeed and owned a standard 1.6ts 156,and I have to agree.As much as I like the 147 the 156 always felt a little more planted on the road,and seemed to have better directional stability at speed where the 147 felt a bit nervous by comparison.
Also having driven on Irish roads ,I can imagine that sometimes a slightly softer set up might be an advantage!
 
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#5 ·
I'm thinking this has more to do with suspension setup and tires than the models, don't forget they basically have the same chassis, except the 156 is a few centimetres longer... The Selespeed is actually lower (and prob. stiffer) than the 1.6, even without any sportpack, and I'm thinking tire profile have a lot to say as well.

Having lived in Dublin for two years I know what you mean when you say Irish roads though, hehe.... They're even worse than ours!

 
#6 ·
About the rattling dashboard: Like a lot of 147-owners, I’ve got the same problem. And the dealer couldn’t find the cause of the rattle.

But the weirdest thing happened to me today…

My 147 was at the dealer because the cruise control doesn’t always work properly. The dealer located the problem and the problem will be fixed when the needed parts are in. They had to remove the instrument panel because in a way the cruise control is connected to a part located behind the panel. After they screwed everything together, what do you think…

… the rattling is nearly gone.


So, when the needed parts have arrived, I’ll ask the dealer to tighten the instrument panel a little bit more.

Selespeed
 
#7 ·
Re: 147 vs 156, personally, I test drove several of both, varying engine sizes etc. My bro. also has a 147 1.6, and we both drive on Irish roads.
I loved the 147, and it was a really tough decision in the end, but I went with a 156 1.6 - better drive (my opinion only) and just that little bit bigger - plus, as most of my time is spent in traffic, the 1.6 made a lot more sense than anything bigger.

Thing is, you dont want to get the basic model, even though its only 1000 or so more than the 147 - the 1.6 Sportivo adds a couple of k to the price, but it's well worth it - 16" alloys, aircon (I got a sunroof instead, but that was my choice), carbon console, skirts etc., plus a slightly different suspension setup - not "soft" like the regular 156, but just somewhere nice in between - feels like its well planted if you know what i mean...

If you do decide to change, best of luck - keep in mind that if you do get the basic,basic 156, you'll probably regret it after a couple of months when you say to yourself "I wish I paid the extra couple of k..."

cheers
ijc
 
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#8 ·
ijc,

Have you had any problems with rattles on your 156. What should I watch out for ?

I had a brand new 1.6 Sportivo for a day. 16" alloys, low ride setup etc.. Courtesy car from the garage, and only 100 miles on the clock. Anyway, I noticed an annoying rattle from the centre airvent and the rev counter would make a weird buzzing noise at low revs. The roads I live near are very unsmooth and full of potholes. So I am thinking the normal softer suspension on the standard would respond better on these roads. Although no aircon and only 15" alloys is a bit of a comedown from what I had on the 147 (17" alloys, aircon etc..)

thx
 
#9 ·
I had the air vent rattle on my 156 and the odd dash creak,but I got used to it!Everything else was perfect and I had no problems.In the press they always say that the standard model has a better ride and that it is the one to go for.However I have driven the Selespeed with the stiffer set up and I found that it was still comfortable enough for me.Plus the bigger wheels look better IMO!
 
#10 ·
Jeez, how long have you lived here? Nobody in Ireland drives low profiles inless there mad. I have the 1.6 sport with lowered set up and have to admit I'd prefer normal softer running gear. The 16" telephone dial alloys are fine though. I think the solution is to get a standard 156 and order a sportpack for it. Air con is now standard on 156 in Ireland along with metallic paint, so you can live without the sun roof. Sportwagon sport comes with full sport spec but soft suspension. Perhaps Alfa Ireland should look for this on saloons.
That said, for the most part roads ore quite smooth and, immmmmmm, how that tight suspension sticks to corners!
 
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#11 ·
Kendr,

In Ireland the 147 Sportivo comes standard with 17" alloys and 215/45/17 tyres, while the Lusso only came with 15's which didn't look as good. Plus that was all the dealer had, and there was a 6 month waiting list.

Regarding what you said about air con being standard on the 156 in Ireland. That is only on the 156 Sportivo and higher. On the standard 156 1.6 Tspark, you just get 15" alloys and metallic paint as standard.
 
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#12 ·
Hi Flanno,

I think the person to ask on this really is Numan racing as an Alfa Technician who drives 1000's a year (lucky git) he will no doubt be able to advise you on what is most suitable in regard to the drive you actually require/need in Ireland and how to go about either changing stuff as mentioned or trading in. Could Try e-mailing him he is always very helpful.

Best regards


MAK


164 Super
 
#13 ·
The roads up here in Yorkshire are not that great either. I chose the standard setup for my 156 but upgraded to 205/60s on the 15" alloys when the 185/65s were worn. This seemed to help both the ride and roadholding and for me the ideal setup for the shoddy state of the roads round here.

My Dad has a 147 with the 17" alloys on and it doesn't feel as settled as my 156 being thrown around on poor roads, and the road noise from the 17s - arrgh!!

Having said that, I still have the rattling centre vents on my 156!
 
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#14 ·
Damian M, you said you upgraded to 205/60 tyres on your 15" alloys when the 185/65's were worn. I didn't think you would get a 205 tyre on a 15" alloy. I thought it would not be wide enough, and you would need to go for a 16" alloy ?
 
#15 ·
Flanno,
Rather than lose €4000, why not buy some 15" or 16" alloy's.

spotted this in the buy & sell

Alfa Romeo Alloys. 16" with Eagle F1 205/50/16 tyres, suit Alfa 156, 147, GTV or Spyder, €475 ono. 087-7992901
 
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#16 ·
Thanks Toad,

I know your right. Some 16's would be better for the car. But I reckon the 156 feels more solid on the road, the extra room in the back for passengers will come in handy, and I'm sure it won't have all the rattles and electrical issues I had with the 147, as the car is in production some time now.
 
#17 ·
Flanno, 205/60s fit the 15" alloys no probs. They're actually standard fitment on the 15"s fitted to the 156 2.5V6 Lusso so I knew they'd fit on the same wheels on my 1.8 Lusso. I've noticed many other 156 owners with this wheel/tyre combination. They also fill out the arches abit better than the 185s which look abit weedy IMO.

It seems a shame to dump the 147 for the sake of a set of wheels but I notice you have other problems too which are probably pushing you to change.
 
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#19 ·
Well to give you and idea of the hassle with the 147 so far :

1. antiroll bar damaged from roads presumably
2. heat shield cracked
3. rear foglight faulty and had to be
replaced
4. boot opens when driving sometimes
5. whining noise from steering when turning
6. squeaky driver seat and seat belt clip.
7. rear seat wont lock into upright position
8. creaky dashboard
9. instrument panel sounds like a 'bag of marbles'
10. noisy centre airvent
11. fuse box loose and won't tighten.
12. faulty rear windscreen wiper
 
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#20 ·
From the sound of it you got the "friday evening" version........
How long had you the car before all these problems happened ?? Will the deal replace the car with a new 147 ??

Mine's a year old now and have no problems with it (apart from sounding like a diesel at low revs).
 
#21 ·
Flanno, could you not get the car replaced due to the number of faults ?

147_driver.....are you keeping the engine topped up with oil, Lack of oil can cause the varitor to wear causing the diesel like sound at low rev's.
 
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#23 ·
These faults didn't happen all at once, but over a period of 10 months. So I got them fixed as they came. The only issues really outstanding now is the dashboard creaking and the instruments panel sounding like a 'bag of marbles'. Dealer had the dash out at least 3 times and it's now worse then ever.

I don't care now though, as I will be collecting my 156 this Sat.

2 questions though :

1. Should I expect the infamous centre airvent rattle.

2. Local tyre dealer has agreed to swap the Pirelli P6000 185/65/15's for Continental 205/60/15's for 100 Euros. Is this worth it ?

thx
 
#24 ·
If you've driven a 156 with 185/65s on and thought it felt ok then I'd stick with 'em until they need changing. Personally I wouldn't want to risk a tyre dealer naffing up my brand new alloys so early in the car's life. In my experience P6000s wear pretty quickly anyway. Thats what I did and went onto 205/60s afterwards.
 
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