2000 Alfa Romeo 156 2.0 TS Sport Pack 2 review from UK and Ireland

Sidelight bulb blown.

Headlamp washer pipe has perished.

Paintwork finish is pitifully poor. Scratches and chips without the slightest encouragement.

Stereo sometimes comes on without warning.

Traffic Info feature comes on very loudly and the volume won't turn it down.

Boot wouldn't open when I took delivery of the car. Dealer fixed it without hesitation, but tried to charge me for the use of a courtesy car while the locks were changed.

Oil filler cap is very difficult to get at to turn, unless you have very thin fingers.

The car is very rapid and feels solid and purposeful.

It handles like a dream. Goes exactly where you point it, QUICKLY. You will struggle to break traction with the uprated factory suspension kit. A blast to throw around roundabouts. Great fun.

A very rewarding car to own, if you can afford to keep it on the road. I can't.

Dealer servicing prices are ridiculously high. £780 for a 60,000 mile service and cambelt change? And that figure was plucked off the top off his head without much thought. See below.

Dealer knowledge seems very limited, they don't fill me with confidence. Can't get a straight answer to anything without them appearing "shifty" or being "on the make".

Tyre wear is nowhere near as bad as people suggest. I've done 9000 miles on these Pirellis and they still have at least 3mm of meat on them.

Depreciation is a huge blow. My advice would be to buy a cheap secondhand (3yrs old) and keep it a while. Don't expect to trade it in in a years time. If you do a lot of miles, forget it and buy something else. The Alfa dealers will completely snub you when you come to want to trade in. Someone I met tried to trade her 2yr old Veloce (30,000 miles) and was offered £6000 against a new 156. Pitiful. The car cost her £18,000 new.

Interior is pleasant enough, but it's starting to look dated.

Trip meter/ outside temp gauge button is located in a really inconvenient position. It may as well be on the outside of the car!

Every 156 I see seems to have a boot that doesn't fit properly. Check for water ingress in the boot.

If you open the boot in the rain, all the water runs down the lid, into the channels and then into the boot.

Fuel economy is average. Expect around 440 miles from a full tankful if consistently driving on motorways at 70mph. Expect 480 miles if you stick to 60. Expect 280 - 310 if driving around town.

Headlights are worse than useless. My bicycle illuminates the road more effectively.

The car looks "the bees knees"!!