No problems requiring a visit at the agent.
However:
- Noise at the RHS B-post. It is coming from the door lock, only when driving over pot holes. It seems to mainly occur at low speeds. Now, I am a sympathetic driver and do not drive like crazy on bad roads. Hence, it is a constant irritation...
- Noise possibly originating inside the dashboard (passenger side). It seems as if a wire got loose or something.
- Torsional rigidity not great: simply adequate, but this doesn't seem to affect handling (see below)
Engine: Flexible, revy, fruitful raspy noise and I could go on. It's an Alfa, even though it has to move 1250 kg...
Handling: Very, very competent handler even on 185/65/15. I don't really care about absolute cornering speed, I tend to give more importance on the general balance of a car, and in this respect the 147 is simply sublime. In corners, the limit is not hard to find and many 'simpler' cars (with respect to chassis design) may corner faster if equipped with larger tires. BUT, this is as far as such comparisons could go:
when reaching the grip limit the front end really fights understeer with zeal, the back end feels alive, yet- in the same time- it still is quite forgiving. It seems that the double wishbone design at the front and the (1972 Lancia beta design) multi link design at the rear work efficiently as a whole. This also serves to demonstrate how differently two similar suspension set ups may perform when (fine) tuned by people of different cultures: My old corolla used to have a similar suspension at the back, but you just had to "lift off" well beyond the limit to start watching the scenery from the side windows.
Anyway, the steering is full of feel, understeer is near non-existent, the rear end actively helps the front, while at the same time it remains "catchable"... What else could a committed driver really want? I'll tell you what: more torsional rigidity. I test drove a Stilo the other day
and even if it was a far less accomplished handler than the alfa (more passive rear end, less feel,
rubbish steering) it seemed rather more rigid. I had some similar feelings driving a Focus a while back. A more rigid shell could allow for softer springs and/or dampers- settings for a more compliant ride (and maybe better traction in bad roads). But, I know "Man is always desperate for more"...
Bottom line: Did you have a "Saxo/106 VTS/205/ AX GTI" some years back, which you still regret selling? Do you look for a car providing a similar feel while sitting four in relative comfort? Do you still choose to drive instead of being transported? Then I have good news for you...
Comment from the original reviewer: I managed to eliminate the noise from the passenger door. I just had to spray some (...a lot of) WD 40 inside the door frame through the door latches. For the time being it works fine.
To pick up on the the last point made by the reviewer. No I don't regret selling my 205 Stdt. I tried a 147 JTD 16v Multijet last weekend and although it was good it wasn't £17,000 good. My 205 turbo diesel will be kept for just a little longer while I wait to see how these 147s weather. Peugeot's 205 was a dream, Alfa's 147 multijet has a lot to live up to.
To pick up on the point above, I think the poster meant a 205 gti/xs/gt not a diesel!
These cars were excellently balanced and gave great fun - something I think the reviewer was trying to point out.
If you pay £17000 for a 147 they've seen you coming. I can get one from my dealer for £12,400 (note - prices will have fallen since the previous comment).
Update from the original reviewer:
Actually, I was referring to the late 80s/ early 90s french hot hatches we all loved (well, certainly those of us over 30...) for their balance and adjustable handling. The 147 seems to be a grown-up version of these cars, certainly "softer" and without the absolute throttle response of, say, a 205 GTI 115bhp (nor this car's instant lift-off oversteer...).
BUT just drive any other competitor (FOCUS apart), to see for yourself.
On the minus side, my 147 seems to suffer from the famous 147/156 trademark: noisy front bushes, especially when cold. The remedy is to spray some silicone-based liquid (NOT WD 40 which destroys elastic parts in the long term -I used the excellent STP silicone spray) on these bushes as well as on every other elastic part to be seen around the front wishbones and the sway bar. I did it and everything seems to be working fine for the last couple of days.
Follow up from the original reviewer:
I have 23000 km on the clock, now. After 15 months of ownership there are no niggles to report, reliability-wise. Even the (few) rattles I wrote about in my first review have disappeared. It surely isn't a car for the "average Joe", as our american friends would say, meaning that it is necessary to drive it delicately when cold and pay attention to the large potholes which are everywhere on this thing (optimistically) called greek highway. On the plus side, I have yet to experience a more precise chassis set up. It surely has a less compliant ride than, say, a 307- but I really am ecstatic on the way this suspension set up handles mass-transfer phenomena. Average consumption is about 9 l/ 100 kms (=32-33 mpg, if I am not very well mistaken), but can easily go up if the engine potential is fully used. And you WILL use it especially if you like to listen to that music, the cars from Milan have always been famous for.
Follow up form the original reviewer:
OK for those who think that an Alfa should be temperamental- here's the first glitch: Some days ago I heard a slight whining noise from the engine between 1500-2000 rpm, which then evolved to a high pitch growl between 3000-4500 rpm. Off to the agent and... the tension gear between the camshafts needed replacing. The culprit was the water pump which leaked a tiny bit amount of water and spilled it on the timing belt and on every piece of kit around it. The water had found its way to the bearing of the tension gear, which gave up. Paid nothing, still under warranty, for the pump, belt and tension gear replacement. I am back on the road, it's as good as ever (touch wood...)
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