2004 Alfa Romeo 147 Lusso review from UK and Ireland

Clutch judder on take up which started off in reverse on hills only and has now spread to the other gears.

Clonking from offside front on full lock (suspect outer CV joint is about to depart this mortal coil)

Gearchange has become vague and baggy.

Central locking doesn't always lock the passenger door necessitating a check every time the car is left.

So much about this car is wonderful. It's gorgeous to behold, the JTD engine gives excellent performance yet returns 42 mpg average according to the computer. The interior is stylish and dynamically it runs my previous Focus very close. Build quality seems good too and the interior is squeak free and made out of much nicer materials than the Focus.

Reliability is good in terms of not leaving me stranded, but the car has faults at 8,000 miles that I would normally expect at 10 times that mileage. Dealers are nice people and seem to try hard, but it appears they get little backup or support from Alfa.)

So much cooler to be seen in than a BMW and I've never owned a car which women seem to be so attracted to, or notice so readily. Wasted on me as I'm happily married, but there you go. Life has its little bonuses.