[Matty72]

Hi
This was meant to be my first post but after reading through the forum for a while its ended up being my second!
Anyway, I was a Ford Puma owner until last year when I decided to part with my beloved 1.7 which I'd had for about 6 years. I was looking at GTs then but was talked out of it by various friends/family members who all 'knew' they were unreliable and fell apart regularly (none of which had actually owned an Alfa though!) and I bought a 2008 3 Series BMW instead. Whilst it is a nice sensible family car and is spacious, fast and comfortable it just is not much fun. And there are millions of them out there. So I am once again looking at GTs and can't seem to get them out of my head.
I am still concerned about the reliability of Alfas as I am not mechanically minded so won't be able to do any maintenance myself if things go wrong. I have no problem spending time cleaning and making them look good but give me a spanner and I'll do more harm than good!

I am going to look at a couple next weekend:

Alfa Romeo GT 1.9 JTDM 16V LUSSO 2DR 2007

And

Alfa Romeo GT 1.9 JTD 16V M-jet 2dr BIG SPEC GT DIESEL COUPE 2005

I would welcome members opinions on these 2 cars.....and Are Alfas really more unreliable than other makes or is it just a myth?

Many thanks.

Matt

 

[CJO]

They both look good and both state that they have full service history (if I read the advert right), what sort of mileage do you do as this diesel engine does not like short trips (I do 100+ miles each day in mine).

Looked after they are no more a problem than most other makes, yes they like a bit of TLC, the suspension is complex so bits ware out hence you will see lots of threads referring to knocks, squeaks and thumps.

Have a look at the Alfaworkshop web site - there is a good buyers guide there.

Alfa Romeo GT Buyer's Guide

 

[ODIN V6]

My own note is that it is a myth any motor car is as good as its previous owners with regards to servicing general upkeep some leased cars are generally abused by their business fleet and could not give a hoot owners as they are looking ahead to the next model , where as private car owners tend to be more of a love thing. :inlove:

My advice for what's its worth is history history history ......check out as much information as you can , including dealer reputation ect, it took me 3 months to find the right car that ticked all the boxes , and be prepared to travel

Also consider a RAC inspection with written report about £120 , serious sellers wont mind

See here Alfa Romeo GT Buyer's Guide as a start

Good hunting as your heart is correct on your choice :thumbs:... forget the doom mongers

 

[Matty72]

I didn't realise that about the low mileage. At the moment I only do very low mileage, less than 10 miles a day during the week with potential to do a bit more starting next month but not much more. What effect does this have on the diesel engine?

 

[Markmbr41]

I have the GT jtd and yes it can at times cost me a few bob, however its worth it.





I'd say DO IT, as you won't regret it from the minute you sit in it, fire up and drive..


:lol::thumbs:

 

[ODIN V6]

I didn't realise that about the low mileage. At the moment I only do very low mileage, less than 10 miles a day during the week with potential to do a bit more starting next month but not much more. What effect does this have on the diesel engine?

In that case get a petrol V6 just the road tax is and insurance if your under 50 :lol:

 

[Chris M]

The road tax is the same as my old 156 JTS and insurance only £80 more (but then I am 48!!!!).

 

[Mattyc]

On the mileage you do, get a petrol, I have a 2.0 jts and its the best car I have owned in the last 18 years, I love it! Make sure the Cam belt has been changed.

 

[SCGT]

Go with the heart ......

 

[Pud237]

I didn't realise that about the low mileage. At the moment I only do very low mileage, less than 10 miles a day during the week with potential to do a bit more starting next month but not much more. What effect does this have on the diesel engine?

They fill the inlet manifold & turbo VNT mechanism with soot and crap, it just gets to the point where they don't run great at all, low power when off-boost, smokey, that sort of thing. They really do need good long runs on a regular basis, and regular "Italian tune-ups" . Some modifications can help like blanking off the EGR system and removing the error logging function from the software on the ECU. My brother does 2 x 4 mile journeys 5 times a week in his 156 1.9 JTD 16v and to be honest its now running a lot worse than it was this time last year when I last serviced it and cleaned out the inlet manifold, EGR valve and throttle flap, it doesn't help that he is a real gentle driver. Its due its MOT soon so I will be doing it all again for him. If he drove it a little harder and went the long way to work every now and then it would be a lot less of an issue. I run a JTD and its fine, but I do a lot longer journeys in it, and mine doesn't have the inlet manifold swirl flaps that are prone to sooting up like some of the GT 1.9 diesels have (early ones don't).

I think as long as the insurance isn't horrendous then you should think about the 3.2 V6, it really is the pick of the bunch, if you thought the old 1.7 engine in your Puma liked to rev wait until you get a go in Alfa's 3.2 V6. Owning one is one of life's musts.

 

[gibot123]

Unless he's sold it pud has a really nice 3.2 well worth a look and well looked after if I had the dash I wouldn't think twice:thumbs:

 

[Alexdm]

Hi and Welcome.
Not a GT owner myself but I've been looking at those for a while, I went for a Giulietta in the end as the wife had to be able to drive the car as well.
Not sure on reliability but, as other have said, it can be a hit and miss as with any car, but, it will be more expensive to fix than your Puma in case things go wrong. Engine wise, the JTD is the best diesel engine I've tried, you get a nice a smooth tuque curve, not like the other VAG that pull strong to start with and run out of puff straight away, with a re map should be a dream. Saying this, with the limited amount of miles you do, it will do more damage than good unless you give her a proper run on a regular basis. I had a 159 JTS and did not enjoy the engine, if you can afford it a V6 would be my choice. And, at risk of getting fired... Black or Blue do look best with the grey the least.

This one seems good and not too farhttp://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/alfa-romeo/gt-coupe/alfa-romeo-alfa-gt-3-2-v6-24v/1485159

 

[Shadowamd]

Just get one .

 

[dtone]

Like with any car some are looked after and some not so its no worse than other manufacturer . As everyone said service history and receipts shows that its been taken care. For low mileage go for a petrol.
I notice you are in Berkshire. If you need a tip or discuss about an Alfa then I'm located in Reading and we can meet up if you want. I have a 147 2.0 and GT 3.2 so a good chance for you to see and compare.

Oh and welcome to AO :thumbs:

 

[Barmybob]

I really hope you can find a good one, I;m sure they exist but I never found one!

I have recently looked at no less than eight Alfa GT's and regrettably not found one without problems, some were absolute dogs. I would suggest that clocking and accident damage seem common place on the GT

These are the worst two GT's I looked at....

GT - 1 This one looks great in the pictures and 64,000 seems reasonable too. It had accident damage front & rear that had been poorly repaired. I also had some quite significant doubt regarding the milage...... car looks more like it has done 164,000. It looks really tired and is quite rusty!

GT - 2 Again poorly repaired accident damaged was instantly obvious, even to my Mrs. This car had so many issues it was a joke, I half expected a "Beadle's about" moment. I didn't even bother getting the keys for this one.....

I also looked at two private sales in the Bedford are. Although being described as "Fantastic, you won't find a better one and well worth comming to see," were no better than the dealer cars.

I did look at one GT that was reasonable......Quite Nice One Despite being quite tidy and looking genuine the electric windows were broken and seem to have been so for some time. Some clumsy tech has looked at them though, you can tell as both door pannels had been poorly removed. Sadly though this car too was not wearing all that well. This was the best Alfa GT that I saw.

Maybe I was just unlucky in finding the dogs but I completely lost faith with the whole GT affair I was embarking on and decided to view no more. I am now looking at getting a TT Quattro, though I may yet just decide to keep my trusty old Fiat Coupé!

On the flip side I looked at just three Alfa 156's for my work hack, I bought the third one I saw, a 2005 jts. It was on sale for considerably less than any GT I looked at, Sub £2K. Although not perfect it is in odly in better condition than any of the GT's I saw, go figure!

 

[Matty72]

I've got the budget for a car but can't really afford the extra road tax and petrol costs that the 3.2v6 attracts which is why I've been looking at the diesel. I was planning on buying a warranty from Warranty Direct which would hopefully cover any expensive problems and it also covers wear and tear too.
In order to give the diesel engine a good run would a once a week 50 mile motorway trip be sufficient to counter the effects of the small weekly journeys?
I wouldn't know what to look for to see if a car had been in an accident or badly maintained. Any pointers?
Thanks dtone . If I get one I will give you a shout. Can you recommend a good mechanic for Alfa's in your area. I am in Wokingham, very close to Reading.

Thanks

 

[Alan Walker]

Hi,

You really must get one. They are so beautiful, practical and such a pleasure to drive, sit in and look at. As long as you go for decent run every few weeks, drive the car hard (use the full rev range once it's warmed up) and use Shell V Power Nitro diesel, you should be fine. Both the 4 cylinder petrol engines are not powerful enough for the character of the car. The diesel is a fabulous engine. The V6 is wonderful but they are not cheap to run. As others have said, history is the key as well as buying either from an Alfa enthusiast or from a dealer with a good reputation who specialises in Alfas.
I bought the first car I looked at because it fulfilled the all the above criteria and so far, I couldn't be happier with it.
Don't rely on Warranty Direct or other third party insurance companies; a good garage will be more likely to see you right if something goes wrong.
You are very lucky because you live near one of the best and most respected Alfa specialists in the country - Black and White Garage near Reading. Get your GT serviced there and you'll be laughing.
I hope this helps and I hope you find a good one.

 

[Mr Dunamis]

I think the GT is a car that says yes to both the heart and the head with a wonderful combination of Alfa(ness) and everyday practicality - get one you won't regret it. My 156 many similar parts to the GT was very reliable so don't believe the myth of unreliability.

 

[Cream]

If you have a good indie garage close, and it sounds like you have, then you will be fine, try to gte it inspected or take someone who knows the cars with you to test drive it.
All alfas have there faults and weak points, but the smile they do put on your face is worth every penny.

The GT is a fab car, just take your time picking the right one

 

[dtone]

Even if you are doing 100 miles per week, thats only 5200 miles a year which is low. If I were you I'll look at petrol as an option and look at the overall cost (insurance,road tax etc). I don't think you will save much from fuel as it takes longer for diesel to warm up which means your mpg will be lower but I'm sure someone can explain more about the disadvantage of diesel on short runs. Not trying to put you off but its your choice at the end of the day.

As for the warranty direct I would read the T&C to see what is covered but most things that goes wrong on any car is wear and tear and I would be wary if they would pay for it in the first place. As long as you service the car annually with a Alfa Specialist and make sure the belt is done then you should not have any problems. Sadly I don't have anyone local but I will travel 50 to 80 miles knowing the job is done properly. The ones that are close by but I have not have personal experience is AHM in Hartley Wintney or Alfa Aid in Maidenhead.