1996 Alfa Romeo 146 Reviews - Page 2 of 3

Nothing at all.

Absolutely fantastic!

Only had the Alfa for 6 months, when it sadly met it's end in a minor accident. This, of course, was no fault of my own or the Alfa's.

The 146ti is a remarkable car for the money. I parted with just a few thousand of good old English pounds for an amazingly quick and agile, sporty Italian. The 2.0 twinspark engine sounds like a true Italian sports car. It's very quick!! even the latest Toyota Celica fell prey to the ti's surprising performance.

I will buy another one!

Coolant pump died, replaced (59000km). Quite expensive due to heavy work time bill, twice the cost of the pump itself (located under the belts and timing mechanisms).

The thermostat seems to be stuck at "open". Will replace ASAP.

The clutch is getting tired, but will probably hold on for this year.

Positive: Great handling and plenty of feedback through the wheel and the seat. Minimum body roll and quick and precise steering mean major fun, although the ride is rather harsh. The engine runs quickly through the RPM range and sounds like heaven. Supportive sets. The car is very roomy and has a sufficient trunk. The looks are great, especially in red.

Negative: Weak brakes that fade quickly; Typical FIAT shifter action; Eats it's share of oil (~1-1.5kg@10000km), and gas (~9-9.5 km/l with a heavy right foot :-) ). A little underpowered, could use another 20-30hp.

Overall: A rewarding car for a demanding driver on a budget. THE solution for a cheap and practical yet still a driver's car.

Intermittent Fuel Injection Problem, proving very difficult to find. Resulted in new set of Spark Plugs.

Internal Fan Heater Failed.

Rear Electric Windows Failed.

Electric Sunroof Failed.

Power Steering failed.

I really want to love this car. The engine sounds great. Unfortunately the problems outweight the performance. Try speaking to any mechanic about Alfa reliability.

Wipers are a little temperamental.

Cam variator has been very noisy of late.

Heater control has become detached, therefore blowing cold air at all times.

Slight water ingress through rear hatch, although source cannot be identified. This collects behind the trim and spills out onto rear seat when cornering.

This car is shod with Pirelli 195/55 VR15 and still has standard suspension components. I find the suspension a little soft for performance driving.

The brakes are very efficient and effective and the steering crisp and sharp.

The interior is classic Italian smart design.

The 2.0 litre twin spark is a little cammy, thus requiring work with the gears to get the most of the performance. However, it is still a lovely engine (see above though re: Cam Variator).

6000 KM Toothed Beltspanner exploded, ruined valves, pistons.

New shocks at 50.000 km

Cracked front window (2 times)

Busted Oil sump (due to crazy Dutch habit of putting speed bumps everywhere).

Great car, very underrated, runs circles around GTI-s and Beamers.

Many times I go into a roundabout with a beamer/GTI on my bumper and leave the roundabout very lonesome.

I had a minor problem with the windscreen wipers; The plastic arms are fragile and came apart as I was driving (in the rain, typically!!)

No other problems to report.

Excellent handling and cornering ability. Good turn in and driver feedback; you always know what the chassis is doing through the seat of your pants!

The brakes could be better and don't seem to work to well from cold, 1st thing in the morning.

The ride is not brilliant, but acceptable for a sports model I guess.

The engine sounds fantastic, but is not as powerful as it sounds! It runs out of steam at higher RPM.

Cabin is roomy and the boot is reasonable for a small car.

Seats are comfortable, but I find the pedals to be a bit close and have to drive with my knees bent all the time; this makes them ache after about 100 miles.

Everyone who has ridden in the car has been impressed with it (even committed "Alfa-phobics") and always think it cost a lot more than it did.

Fuel consumption is average and insurance is slightly high for a car of this class, but other running costs have been low so far.

Overall I love this car - I am a happy owner!