2003 Alfa Romeo 147 Lusso review from UK and Ireland

Front Anti-roll bar bushes worn out.

Power steering fluid leak.

Drivers door seal broken.

Passenger seatbelt clip broken.

The car handles very well, it has a very good chassis in wet and dry conditions and drives as well (if not as quickly) as any hot hatch on a B road.

The Anti Lock Brakes are a bit too keen and cut in too early for my liking, maybe I will change my mind after the winter!

The Traction control is simply not needed, I have the supersport 17 inch wheels option fitted, and they grip just fine unless I am a real hooligan on a wet day, again the winter might prove the worth of this system.

The twin spark engine is fantastic, its torquey like a diesel, but revs to 7000 RPM with ease. The noise is great, and gets better if you fit an open air filter. Other hot hatches produce more power, but this motor is as smooth as silk. In comparison a Golf/Astra/Focus petrol engine feel like a cement mixer.

I average 33mpg commuting, it can vary by 5mpg either way, but its not too bad! A full tank of fuel costs £50 in Blair's Britain!

The interior is sheer luxury, full leather trim, top drawer materials and build quality throughout.

The styling is great, top of the class, in my opinion on a par with the Mercedes C Coupe and far better looking than the Audi A3 and BMW Compact. Please don't compare this car with the Golf/Astra/Focus clan, because that's the league below!

Some days I wish I had bought a Type R, or a T sport or even an RS, but when you spend most of the day in city traffic, its nice to have heated leather seats, climate control and a Bose stereo with built in subwoofer all factory fitted.

The only complaint I have is that the dealer service is poor, If I have 3 jobs to be done, it might take 3 separate visits to fix them. I am going to try another dealer next time and hopefully this one will be more customer oriented.