1988 Alfa Romeo Milano Verde from UK and Ireland - Comments

New: No speakers, ash trays or lighters, jack or lug wrench; horn button mounted wrong; vents popped out of dashboard; passenger's door wouldn't close; trim falling off.

Immediate: Head gaskets; alternator; fuel pump; 2 oil pressure and 1 temperature gauges; front fog lights; door lock solenoid - all failed; electric door locks unlock themselves; oil leaks; rubber boots on electrical parts fell apart...

More recent: Transaxle failed; rear slave cylinders siezed; DeDion (rear wheel) bearings failed; speedometer failed; hood difficult to open (release lever bent).

The dealer was dishonest and/or not competent and the company was unresponsive. A piece of ice slid off the garage and dented it in the roof; the body man told me "NEVER roll this car." After avoiding the car for a couple years I have decided to sell it but cleaning up the current defects will eat up time and much of the sale price. If I had known about the Lemon Law the car would've been gone shortly after purchase.

This review is in marked contrast to the others here and certainly differs from my experience with my Milano.

I think that the reviewer had no business purchasing an Italian car and is obviously someone who views a vehicle as transportation and nothing more. Perhaps another boring, Teutonic vehicle like a Volkswagen or BMW would better serve this person.

I couldn't agree more with the guy above's comment. Alfa's are great cars that need to be cared for. And if they are they will provide you with years of happy motoring. The problem is the people that buy these cars know nothing about any Italian car. And the first problem they have they go to a Chevy mechanic and the rest is history. The worst thing you could do to any Italian car is give it to a Chevy mechanic - within minutes he will screw your car up. So let this be a lesson to anyone who owns an Italian car or who is going to buy one. You been warned, so go to a guy who knows Italian cars.

I am surprised by the reviewer's comments. My Milano has operated without trouble for 78,000 miles. Sure it requires a bit of care, and a good Italian mechanic, but it humms as if new, and provides an character-filled driving experience no domestic or Japanese car can offer. Only my Porsche 911 can claim to be more fun and trouble-free, and that car cost four times as much to purchase.

I use the Alfa 4 to 5 days a week, and have only one warning to anyone considering a purchase of a used one... have it checked out, and go to a very knowledgable mechanic who won't fleece you. Better yet, if you don't know enough about cars not to get fleeced, don't do like the reviewer and own one. It will be a nightmare. If you are a car enthusiast, it will be a dream.

Lightweights stay away!

Alfa's quality in mid to late 80s was at times shaky. By the time the 164 rolled out things were looking pretty good (if it were re-baged as a Lexus or Infinity in the US it would have sold well).

I think sometimes in the case of the 75/Milano, its quirky ergonomics could add to the frustration level of overall ownership.

I have not heard this person say one positive thing about the 3.0 liter gem of a motor, the fantastic balance of the chassis, or the powerful brakes with Brembo calipers.

It is true the fit and finish of these cars are not that great, but these motorcars are not Mercedes Benzes. They were built with the intention of providing the driver with sheer driving pleasure. I have owned several 75's and with proper care and maintenance they will provide years of driving satisfaction. This person obviously has no business owning this car and does not deserve it...

I just have to say that the Milano is one of the best driver's cars on the road. After purchasing one then selling it, then purchasing it again, I find great humor in these complaints about a gem of an auto. Have you ever heard of maintenance? My Milano was totalled when some American behemuth (mid 80's Caprice) decided to rear-end me. What a sad day! She was so young with only 230,000 trouble free miles on her! :)

I believe that the first person to comment on his milano and say its a bad car should learn how to drive and how to maintain his car. No car can be perfect, but how you treat it is a big effect. I think that, that guy has no knowledge on alfa romeo's and should go buy a chevy, or dodge. And I don't like him now.

I wholeheartedly agree with all of the retorts to this dismal review. My '87 2.5L has taken me 167,000 miles and is still going strong. It is most certainly not a vehicle for the average Joe and only enthusiasts need bother owning one. That said, it is a breath of fresh air on roads littered with cookie-cutter Asian cars and efficient, but soulless German offerings. This individual has too much sphincter tone to enjoy driving an Alfa.

I own a Milano Platinum 89 which my fiance who is an Alfa collector (2600, Giulietta, GTV Spider and others) gave me as a present a few months ago. I love her. Is the best car I ever drove. She is smooth, resistant, reliable, loyal and has a soul. I love Italian cars, specially Alfas.

I live in Lima, Per

Although I do not own a Milano, I did test drive one recently and decided against purchasing it. The car was sweet to drive, and the styling is simply timeless, yet I felt the need to defend the reviewer from these subsequent attacks--I don't think that a person is being unreasonable in expecting a car that runs. I don't think replacing drive shaft donuts and temperature sending units every year should be a required right-of-passage in order to enjoy a high performance sports sedan. The reliability problems with these Alfas cannot simply be explained-away by poor maintenance and/or mechanics. These Alfa apologists are using weak arguments not unlike those of the U.S. car manufacturers when they were getting battered by the Japanese in the 80s.

After owning 29 cars since I started driving, the Alfas, and my Verde, are still, simply put, the best. My '89 Verde has 135,000 miles on it and aside from normal maintenance (which sometimes includes driveshaft donuts) and a water pump when I bought it at 50,00 miles, the car has been very reliable and trouble free. It is my every day driver, although it now splits some of the duty with my '77 Spider. I would not hesitate to get into either car and drive it anywhere.

Many inexperienced folks buy the car and then pamper it to death. An Alfa is a car that is meant to be driven, and meant to be driven HARD.

I've owned 2 Verdes for over 7 years and have owned Alfas since 1983 and I know where this guy is coming from-he's probably still wondering why there is no cup holder. Alfas are for a select group of people who appreciate performance and agility at the sacrafice of comfort and accesories- some would even say aesthetics (but I love the way 75's look). To go in and buy and Alfa blind and drive it and maintain it like a Toyota/Honda is pure gambling. Alfas are a real "zen" car, you have to get the serpent in your blood-take a different perspective-get a think outside the box mentality, etc... His car sounds like a true abused Milano that wound up at a hokey car seller's/dealer's lot for free. Avoid these guys, avoid these Alfas, study up on the quirks because they have them, but realize that for the money you are getting into a car which shares a real de-Dion suspension based off vintage racing Ferrari, has a sweet revving aluminum 3.0L, and is practically 50/50 balanced front and rear for superb neutral handling. Yeah, they can leave you stranded out of the blue, but I've been stranded in Toyotas too. These cars are for driving with the pedal to the floor, winding just up to rev-limiter shifts, and entering turns at double speed sign minimum-and the reason they don't have a cup holder is because you don't need it, you need both hands on the wheel!

I am an Alfa "apologist" as the reviewer of 24 May suggests. I am also a long-time Alfa owner and knowledgeable about automobiles. That said, no one (the original poster included) suggested that replacing senders or donuts "every year" was a "right of passage" in Milano ownership. What was said is that older Alfas are not vehicles that were made for with the US market in mind. They require patience and proper care, which, if provided, will reward the owner many times over. If driving in the anesthetized state interests you, buy a Lexus, BMW or similar offering and leave the Alfas for folks who enjoy driving.

I just bought an 87' Alfa Romeo Milano Verde from a mechanic friend who gave me a deal on it. Within 3 months of driving it the whole thing fell apart. The thing was nickle and diming me to death every day. My friend felt so bad that he sold me a piece o junk that he gave me my money back and sold it for parts. He couldn't sell the verde in one piece because they arn't worth very much and he would have lost a bunch of money. The guy at the top is completely right.

I can see both sides of this debate.

I still will say though, that the Milano, is a superb car.

The proof I believe is in all those RWD re-incarnations that are coming or have come into the market like the CTS V8, or the Lincoln LS for $40k or above.

Having said that, I want to say, that I wished that I had made more research on the car, before I bought mine.

My car was an abused milano, and it took a lot to get her to be reasonably reliable. Additionally, it took me a long time to find a mechanic that even remotely knew how to take care of the car.

My first hint of not buying mine, should have been when I saw its replacement, in the prior owners garage a brand new BMW.

Even in its abused condition my Milano has offered me a lot of fun from day one.

If you can invest the time to find a good condition non-abused milano, then I truly believe that you cannot get a better value for your money.

Weak points on the car, are the ABS, doughnuts, water pump and rust on uncared for Northern climate cars.

If anyone is looking for a used one, and want some advice on what and how to look for it, I can be reached at thinker_2_004@yahoo.com.

Even with all of its problems my milano has provided me, with some wonderful motoring experiences, that no other car has come close to reaching.

I highly recommend the car to any driving enthusiast, and to those who are not so mechanically inclined, I would recommend it, if they are willing to spend the extra money and effort in tracking down a good sample of the species.

For those who believe they should never have to pop their hood open, or do not know what an oil stick looks like, I would say to them, buy a Toyota or a Honda.