Outstanding value for money
No issues to report.
New shape (2003>) is a real head turner.
Great performance, but you need to work the engine hard - 3.2V6 here I come!
Great fuel economy if you drive carefully (35mpg combined)
Interior is outstanding.
No wonder Clarkson included it in his "Machines that have soul book"
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 7th October, 2005
Beautiful car if it had less problems
Clutch collapsed at 60000 miles.
Rear wheel bearing failed shortly after.
Clutch slave cylinder leaked at 65000 miles.
MAF sensor faulty.
My problem with the car is that minor repairs tend to cost a lot of money e.g. replacing wheel bearing involves renewing a lot of rear hub. Also only available at main dealer.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 9th May, 2005
All show and no go. Wheres the oomph?
Poor acceleration
Hesitation and flat spots at 4-5000 revs
Cruise control works when it wants to
Rain sensitive wipers don't work
Heated seat doesn't work
Passenger window only closes with driver switch.
Absolutely beautiful car, but has terrible fuel consumption and is not a patch on the old 164's performance.
6th gear gives the same revs to speed as 5th did on the 164. Either have a taller gear or don't bother.
The poor acceleration leads you to leave the car in top and potter around town at 1200 revs rather than reveling in the driving experience. No thrills, whats happened to the buttock clenching acceleration and raw power that flattened you into the back of the seat and insisted you lifted your foot before drove spectacularly to your death? Now I only fear for my life when I pull out of a junction, will I clear the oncoming traffic in time.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 24th April, 2005
The 166 is great to drive and has real charisma- something that is increasingly rare in modern cars
Minor rattles.
Vibration of steering wheel when braking above 70mph.
The brakes judder when slowing.
I have just bought a black Alfa 166 2 litre Twinspark Turismo with 19k on the clock from an Alfa dealer.
This car looks a million dollars. But cost £8,500!
The Alfa 166 represents astounding value for money second hand. My car has a year's manufacturer warranty remaining.
Styling gorgeous, interior comfortable and distinctive.
Honed driving experience combined with generally sound, but occasionally flawed packaging- space in the rear is minimal, indicators are positioned too low and the 'Integrated Control System' is not as logical as it could be.
But the driving position is great and highly adjustable, the steering is beautifully weighted and precise and the engine is typical alfa.
The 166 is one of the few cars I can fit in- I'm 6ft5 and can get confortable- I have just enough leg room and head room.
The dealer is about to sort out the brakes (I picked up the issue on the test drive and they were meant to have sorted these before I picked the car up but hey ho).
I will provide a full review in a few months time once the brakes are fixed (suspect new discs needed) and I've done a few thousand miles.
But so far, love the car... have spent a long time trying to find a distinctive car thats great to drive that I can fit in, and the 166 certainly fits the bill.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 5th April, 2005
Your discs must have warped. I had the same problem in my 147. Have them changed as soon as possible, else vibrations will ruin the steering rack.
Thanks mate... I had the front discs and pads replaced this morning- the garage paid for this as I had pointed out on the test drive before I bought the car they needed sorting and they had agreed to address. They failed to do it before I picked the car up, but have done a fine job now they finally have got around to it. The handbrake is still very stiff- something else I asked them to address following initial test drive- they tried to adjust it again and have told me that it needs a pair of handbrake cables and 'that it isn't a Saturday morning job'. Apparently this repair is needed because the car had been sitting on the forecourt for 7 months before I bought it (having knocked 2000 quid of their original asking price). Again, they have promised to do this work under warranty. Now the front discs and pads have been replaced the car drives more sweetly than ever- a 250 mile round trip today proved enjoyable, relaxing and I arrived at my destination fresh as a daisy. So, other than the various teething problems with brakes I am thoroughly enjoying my 166. And with its sexy looks and great handling I am forgiving of minor niggles, especially if they aren't costing me anything to fix.
25th Apr 2005, 22:14
Hi.
I totally agree with your comments. I took delivery of a four year old 3.0 V6 sport tronic with full service history and had covered 90k miles only to find acceleration extremely disappointing. A 1.6 liter focus goes accelerates faster and handles better. Extremely unreliable, engine overrated. Kick-down is a joke and sport tronic has a mind of its own. In auto mode not very smooth at all and the adaptive system is useless. Fuel consumption horrifying, I know v12s with better consumption. Vibrates whilst stationary and dealer doesn't think there is anything wrong. Has spongy brakes, harsh ride and marginally improved built quality. Still can't compete with BMWS and Mercs.