[Hunter]

...a 159 SW 2.4 20v Lusso.

My quick report on it....


Firstly I'd like to say that it had only covered 500ish miles and the engine was very tight still. Also, I was stepping out of my 156 (hard suspension, low pro tyres, remapped engine etc etc) it felt a very different car.

I did a mixture of motorway driving, city and A-roads - about 120 miles all in.


Good points

Looks From most angles it look a beautifully designed car. Lovely proportions. Those triple headlights are just right.
Very refined.
Interior quality excellent.
Materials used feel solid and long lasting.
Layout of dash seems to work very well.
Interior space is good (headroom, rear seats, boot etc)
Ride is very comfy as opposed to sporty.
No squeaks, rattles, groans.
Gear change is excellent. Short sweet and direct.
Handling is very good to a point - see below...
The brakes are outstanding. No fade, very strong and excellent feel. Nothing like my 156 wooden blocks.
Everything works too...


Not so good points

Weight. It felt so fat it would make sumo wrestlers look anorexic (sorry Big Foot - no pun intended )
The engine seems swapped by its mass. (was given a hiding by a BM 320d on the m-way too )
It understeered much sooner than my 156 and the tyres struggled to deal with the shift in weight from one hard corner to the next.
Engine grab. Maybe due to the young engine, but it snatched at each gear.
Turbo lag. Huge turbo lag at anything below 2500rpm. The throttle sensor seems heavily damped.
Ride. As I said, comfy, certainly not overtly sporty. Maybe even slightly numb and detached.
Wing mirrors still look too big...picky I know Also, wind noise above 70 ish...
Stereo sound not great (the DP left his UB40 cd in which didn't help - j/k!! )
The 17" alloys looked too small for the body on this particular car. Can be easily changed though.
Indicator stalks are shoddy and cheap. The action felt like a '95 Punto not a new £25k+ Alfa.
Door handles... I parked next to a Fiat Croma and noted how similar the handles were...why oh why lose the original rear Alfa handles...



TBH, I enjoyed the 159 to a point. Normal everyday driving it's great. In everyway it 'feels' like a better car under you back side.
For pin sharp on-the-edge country blasting and grin on my face my little 156 would skin it everytime.

Dare I say it, but the 159 has gone all German on us... *ducks for cover*. Competant, solid, heavy. Maybe pandering to the main-markets. Or maybe the car was very young and very tight...????



I drove a sshh new BMW 3 series coupe over the weekend (325se) and was really quite impressed. Even more German and I couldn't give it the full tin either. The diesel BM's arrive in November - right about the time I'm looking to change the 156 over...

Which leaves me in a rather difficult situation. Or maybe not if I can change the suspension and have the 20v engine 'looked at' after 10K miles...

 

[Hunter]

Erm, why are my image links not showing the pics Do I have to be in the other lounge. Can a mod help please

 

[BigFoot]

Pics are showing mate!

And I have been mostly driving ... nothing! My wife is doing the driving these days as my license is short on points

 

[RicksAlfas]

Looks good. Could do with the 7 hole 18" alloys and losing the hearse bars though.


I agree about this version of the 2.4 being a bit laggy. I wonder if it's an emission thing? The boost drops away immediately between gear changes, and the lag low down did take a bit of getting used to after the old version, but after a day or so you soon get used to being in the right gear. My engine seemed really tight when new, but it is loosening up every day.

 

[PR]

Re wing mirrors, I believe they now have to be that big to conform to EU regulations. I kid you not.

 

[Green Cloverleaf]

Nice review Kitty

I agree with you, the new 159SW certainly looks the biz - even more so than the 156SW - more substantial, better proportioned and I love that colour (which shade of grey is that one?).

I do wonder if some of the problem with the performance could be down to the engine being so new, or not run in properly. Shame about the turbo lag tho' (no doubt, if you get your hands on one it will be remapped in no time ). Aren't they also going to be offering a larger capacity diesel at some point?

What's the loading bay like - it is any more practical as an estate car than the 156SW?

Have you got the car for the whole day? I think you really need to put some proper mileage on it, to get a fairer impression of the car. Tell you what - get on the motorway, drive down to the south coast, I'll take it for a spin and then we'll have a second opinion on the car! :lol:

Erm, why are my image links not showing the pics Do I have to be in the other lounge. Can a mod help please

I think that is the way it works in this lounge. It will only show the pics in the image lounge - they just show as links in the other lounges.

 

[BigFoot]

Re wing mirrors, I believe they now have to be that big to conform to EU regulations. I kid you not.

Really, so you can hit cyclists better when passing them on a street?? :lol:

 

[lumpygravy]

Really, so you can hit cyclists better when passing them on a street?? :lol:

:cheese: :cheese:

 

[BigFoot]

I think that is the way it works in this lounge. It will only show the pics in the image lounge - they just show as links in the other lounges.

You can actually have pictures shown everywhere. You can either post a linkas Alfa20V has done, which will not show a pic. Or actually upload the pic, which is a feature found in the extended properties whilst posting (ie. not the quick reply) below the Post Icons, where it says "Additional Options" and then click on Manage Attachments. The latter option has size and type restriction on the file(s) one wishes to upload.

Hope it's been helpful

 

[Kevin Slegg]

Thanks for the very informative review.

I have to agree with you about the wheels. When I looked at some with the 18" on they too seemed a trifle to small. I think the car could do with lowering a tad.

How did you find the consel? When I sat in it I found the vast expanse of aliminium very 'in your face'. However, maybe this is because I'm used to the carbon of my 156 and after a while you would get used to it.

I also wonder if the 4wd version would handle a bit better?

Did you discuss finance with the dealer; if so any indications of how much they were willing to knock off? When I was last in a dealer there was a customer before me and I sought of 'overheard' a reduction of just under £3k

 

[Hunter]

Nice review Kitty

Cheers GC.

and I love that colour (which shade of grey is that one?).

Titanio Grey.

Aren't they also going to be offering a larger capacity diesel at some point?

Not sure its one of the 'rescue engines' GC. Haven't seen the diesel line up as yet.

What's the loading bay like - it is any more practical as an estate car than the 156SW?

Much bigger than my old SW. In fact probably the same size as the Audi A4 Avant, albeit with a high boot lid.

Have you got the car for the whole day? I think you really need to put some proper mileage on it, to get a fairer impression of the car. Tell you what - get on the motorway, drive down to the south coast, I'll take it for a spin and then we'll have a second opinion on the car!

I had it for the whole day yesterday and erm no - I couldn't come to you matey. Maybe next time it'll be the Spider...

 

[Hunter]

Thanks for the very informative review.

How did you find the consel? When I sat in it I found the vast expanse of aliminium very 'in your face'. However, maybe this is because I'm used to the carbon of my 156 and after a while you would get used to it.

It was fine for me. My 20v has the silver plastic dash anyway, so not a huge change for me.

I also wonder if the 4wd version would handle a bit better?

I would think so TBH. Wonder how much 'heavier' the car feels with the 4wd system fitted and how it affects the balance of the car

Did you discuss finance with the dealer; if so any indications of how much they were willing to knock off? When I was last in a dealer there was a customer before me and I sought of 'overheard' a reduction of just under £3k

That's for the next meeting I think. Also depends what the have in stock to be fair. I need to do a little more digging around regards the suspension and making it a more 'sporty' drive.

 

[Will]

By the way for all you diesel fans, one of the Alfa blokes at the Alfa Experience meeting I attended told me there is a new V6 diesel in prospect....

 

[Kevin Slegg]

:
r. I need to do a little more digging around regards the suspension and making it a more 'sporty' drive.

I think you want what I do; namely a 'Veloce/Sport Pack' model with stiffer and lowered suspension and a nice carbon fibre interior - oh and a supercharger bunnged on the v6 - all for about £28k

 

[Hunter]

Oooh - sounds about right Kevin, you deal with the interior (I suggest an aerospace sub-contractor) and I'll deal with the engine (garret and bosch). Any takers for the suspension mods or weight saving

We'll market as the '159 Alfa20v-Slegg-mobile'...

We'd sell hundreds, under cut autodelta, become very wealthy and then I'd buy that damn Maserati 4200 that's still niggling at the back of my mind...

:lol: :cheese: :lol:

 

[Hunter]

By the way for all you diesel fans, one of the Alfa blokes at the Alfa Experience meeting I attended told me there is a new V6 diesel in prospect....

Pray tell - what capacity Will

 

[Kevin Slegg]

Oooh - sounds about right Kevin, you deal with the interior (I suggest an aerospace sub-contractor) and I'll deal with the engine (garret and bosch). Any takers for the suspension mods or weight saving

We'll market as the '159 Alfa20v-Slegg-mobile'...

We'd sell hundreds, under cut autodelta, become very wealthy and then I'd buy that damn Maserati 4200 that's still niggling at the back of my mind...

:lol: :cheese: :lol:

Yeah...and I'd buy that 8c

 

[Kevin Slegg]

Pray tell - what capacity Will

I heard a rumour 3.0ltr and 250bhp

 

[BigFoot]

I heard a rumour 3.0ltr and 250bhp

And some mighty torque I am sure

 

[Pasi]

Please note where the car was originally parked








:lol: