Faults:

Passenger wing mirror alloy split - fixed with metal glue.

General Comments:

Absolutely love it. First, don't go to dealerships for servicing any Alfa, go to specialists.

Lots of stuff to do to it when I bought it, but now that it's done she is humming.

The whole experience is great. I love the lines of the body and the exhaust note is fantastic, it growls and growls for more revs.

This car was built to be driven, and driven hard and fast. Steering is very direct, although the turning circle is poor. That and the suspension are my only faults with the car, the slightest bump in the road is heard and felt. Otherwise she is a performance car bargain.

However I would advise only enthusiasts buy one because you will spend some time under it, so if you don't mind getting your hands dirty, go for it.

Faults:

Nothing Major. Radiator burst. Had a cracked spark plug. Paint work started to fade so had it resprayed.

General Comments:

Joy to drive! Lot of road noise due to low profile tyres (205x45x16"). Ride very hard on Irish country roads. Very useful for quick and safe overtaking. Very few left in this country. Couple of things that get on my nerves are the wipers, boot release switch in the glove compartment and very expensive parts. In fantastic nick at 125,000miles although I really do look after it and am very mechanically sympathetic, it rarely passes 3000 rpm. When I bought it in 1999 all my mates said it was a bad move as it would always break down, cost a fortune to run and depreciate badly. OK it did depreciate pretty badly, but all my mates have had a lot more trouble with their motors including some of the so called better and more reliable makes. Has passed our car test in Ireland 3 times without problems and the emissions have always been very low. Was strongly considering selling and buying a Porsche 944 but enjoy driving the 155 so much have put it off.

Faults:

Not much for an Alfa of that age:

The engine hood sometimes refuses to open.

The boot release switch (from the glove box) works now and then (now it doesn't).

Rubber seals passenger side don't always keep the water out (or noise for that matter). I once left my car in the rain and came back to find the passenger seat completely drenched.

The gearbox lever needed some grease as it started to make strange sounds.

Handbrake gets stuck easily during cold nights (under 0 deg C)

Generally a lot of squeaks coming from everywhere in the cabin...

General Comments:

Overall very satisfied. The car is cheap to buy for what it is, it's different than the majority of buyers, and still looks good for an 8 year old vehicle.

Performance is excellent: engine at its best past 3,000 rpm (and sounds better after that), car set up is ideal for fast corners. Never got in the situation where I had to correct my trajectory in a fast bend, the opposite actually: felt I could give some extra throttle!

Noise at speed (120km/h and above) is terrible! Better get a good sound system to cover that up...

Quite uncomfortable over.. well, over anything actually, but makes up with handling.

Brakes are strong, although got them changes recently (disc's + pads) and are now terribly loud (garage forgot to grease the disc's).

Basically, although a 4 door, this car is no family car. Buy it to enjoy yourself, not to drive the wife and kids around... they won't appreciate the stiff suspension and engine noise. Pedals are stiff, but you get used to it.

Petrol consumption is very high, in town or highway: Under 10 l/100km is an achievement, although the average is more like 12-13 l/100km.

Apart from that, this is a great car to drive: it looks different than the rest (BMW's, Audi's etc.), sounds special (Twin Spark), and gets you there at really decent speed.

I never regretted buying it, and would recommend it strongly if you're passionate about what you drive. This car definitely puts a smile on your face, even on the Monday morning drive to work!