Faults:

Where do you begin?

Clutch

ABS Modulator

Starter Motor

Air flow meter

Brake Discs.

General Comments:

I bought a stunning black example and all went well with the car to begin with - then all hell broke loose.

You name it, it packed up. The clutch cost £700 to replace and took 3 days to fit.

Then the ABS Modulator packed up, and these cost £1400 brand new, but I was able to get one second hand for a tenth of that price.

Great all is well I thought - except the starter motor then packed up - then the Air flow meter, followed by the ABS sensor, then a front brake disc cracked... Oh did I mention that the Air Bag Light flashed an error all the time and nobody could switch the damn thing off? All in all it spent 3 months of 2005 in the garage getting fixed...

As for the dreaded Italian tin worm - lets just not go there...

I paid £1700 for the car and spent £2000 maintaining it for less than 2 years - I eventually gave up and sold it for £800... And I cracked open a beer to celebrate it departure from my life!

I've owned Alfa's before and honestly thought I'd always have one, either as a everyday car or a weekend toy, but this car has proved to me that the Italians can design beautiful cars, but they just can't build them well. I doubt I'll ever buy one again.

If you must have one buy the basic twin-spark version - the 24 valve is just a complex bomb ready to go off in your face - you have been warned!

Faults:

The aerial was broken when I bought the car (think a previous owner had been through the car-wash with it still up) - easily fixed by installing an electric unit from Halfords for £40

Front LHS suspension pan sheared and shredded the tyre (driving through too many puddles) 30min job to replace

Electric mirrors not adjustable from when bought.

General Comments:

I bought this car for £750 at 130000 miles and have just put it through it's MOT... flew through it with no faults whatsoever!! Previous owners worked for Jaguar and owned garages, what more recommendation could you need! One bulb in rear passenger door doesn't work and neither does the vanity mirror, but hey, it's an Alfa and I bought it for my own benefit, not the passengers!

Anyone who says Alfas, Lancias or Fiats are rust buckets haven't a clue, these cars rule the roads, no matter how much BMWs may attempt to!

No other cars give you so much for so little!!!

Faults:

Clutch failed at 40,000 miles. (Expensive) replacement clutch fitted, but this has also just started to slip. Electric window motor burned out.

Air con seems to need recharging once a year to stay effective

Some interior trim has broken or fallen off.

General Comments:

A beautiful and soulful big saloon which has suffered some niggling problems, but to be fair has only left me stranded once (when the clutch disintegrated).

The engine makes the car, and performance is stunning for such a tank, although traction can be a problem in the wet with 200-odd horsepower and front drive. This V6 is however one of the most aurally and aesthetically stunning engines ever made, as well as being powerful and relatively economical (25 mpg). Why didn't Alfa offer a perspex bonnet as an option so that you can show off the chrome manifolds and crackle finished alloy cam covers to the world?

The rest of the car is also good, although somewhat overshadowed by the engine. The Pininfarina bodyshell is still an elegant design which contrasts wonderfully with the increasingly ostentatious and arrogant looking designs from companies such as BMW and Mercedes. The chassis, despite sometimes struggling to deploy the power off the line in the wet, is also superb. It shrugs off potholes and camber changes, and turns in with amazing agility for its size. It isn't a back road burner, but can be made to dance quite satisfactorily if you're in the mood.

Interior is a let down. The leather is of good quality, and the design is quite stylish in a late 80's tons of buttons and lights kind of way, but the entire plastics for the dash must have cost Alfa a couple of quid at most. That said, the driving position is good and the seats support well. There is also loads of room in the back, and a good size boot.

If you want something a bit different from the BMW-clone crowd, the 164 is a great choice. Just be prepared for silly little faults, and keep it serviced on the button by a good Alfa specialist. I don't doubt mine will still be going strong with 150,000 miles on it, although I dread to think how many clutches it will have chewed through by then.