Time the change the Alfa

Hi all,

Its time to change my first alfa, my beloved 03 166 2.5 V6

I have had the car from new and its been the best car I have owned, but as a
business driver its got nearly got 60,000 on the clock so I suppose I need
to sell it
before the mileage gets to high.

This give me a real problem as which Alfa do I buy next? Well I like the
idea of a 156 Sportwagon Diesel but I have no experience of what the
Sportwagons are like or what the Alfa diesels are like - please let me have
your comments about sportwagons and diesels. Thanks

If anyone is interested in the 166 then it has full service history, the
cambelt / tensioners, water pump were all changed on the last service.
The car was pre-registered in May 03 and I brought the car from Alfa dealer
in May 04 with 30miles on the clock. Its black with grey cloth interior and
in excellent condition. I was told that MAF sensor will need to be changed
on next service.

Any more details email me at "CycleMania100 AT gmail DOT com"

If anyone has a low mileage 05'ish 156 Diesel Sportwagon forsale then please
get in touch at "CycleMania100 AT gmail DOT com"

Cheers

DJ

> I have had the car from new and its been the best car I have owned, but as a
> business driver its got nearly got 60,000 on the clock so I suppose I need
> to sell it before the mileage gets to high.

I guess it depends if you want to change it as the depreciation is so
steep on these the mileage won't make a huge difference, unless you are
concerned the running costs will increase with mileage.

> This give me a real problem as which Alfa do I buy next? Well I like the
> idea of a 156 Sportwagon Diesel but I have no experience of what the
> Sportwagons are like or what the Alfa diesels are like - please let me have
> your comments about sportwagons and diesels. Thanks

It really comes down to your personal preference between petrol &
diesel. It is a debate which can't be won IMHO.

I own a 156 V6 and have driven the 2.4JTD plus the 1.9 diesel in both
the 147 and 159. Whilst I can't fault the performance of the diesels
there is something missing for me. I associate Alfas with high revving
engines and the sportier sound of a petrol is important to me. The 2.4
sounds a very purposeful engine. It doesn't do it for me as achieving a
sporty sound but it is very subjective. Just like comparing a small high
revving petrol engine with a low revving V8 in the past.

The Alfa diesels are excellent examples of modern diesel technology, but
don't expect it to feel or sound anything like the V6 you are used to.

Many drivers new to diesels will drive them like petrols and be
disappointed that they run out of steam at 4500 rpm, just when the
petrol is getting into its stride. They have such incredible low down
pulling power that they are driven in a sporty manner at a much lower
rev range. Once used to this the in gear performance can be superior to
a petrol but it is a very different experience. For me the perception of
performance driving is more important than the times on paper (how often
do you get to really drive flat out?) hence I would choose an Alfa over
other cars that have superior outright performance - i.e. not what it
does but how it does it. On the same basis I would rate the aural
delight of a decent petrol engine a differentiator over even the best
diesels, but that is a very subjective view. Diesel lovers will prefer
the more relaxed driving experience over a 4 pot petrol plus of course
if economy is high on the priority list then there is little doubt.

Cheers
Tony