2004 Alfa Romeo 147 Lusso from UK and Ireland - Comments

The dash display starts up with the Rear Hatch is open, and sometimes stays on for the journey, sometimes not, but is always there until you release the handbrake.

The drivers seat has developed a squeak similar to a romp on an old mattress..

Paint work appears soft and marks very easily.

Fantastic looks, appreciated by girls, guys and kids in the street.

Great engine noise, and decent power, even in the 1.6 TS.

Nicely spec'd and great interior, gives the feeling of driving a £15K motor.

The overall vision out of the cabin is restricted, but you soon get used to it.

The handling is superb, for a reasonable sized hatch, the steering is very responsive and overall a really good fun car to drive.

Took it for a long run from Glasgow to London, and the ride can be a bit hard and engine noise quite high, but it's worth listening to!

As much as I loved my Alfa 147 when I first bought it, it soon became apparent to me that the dealer network is incapable of putting right even the most minor faults.

I have had a long running problem with uneven tyre wear and steering problems since I`ve had the car the problem was made worse by taking the car to a franchised Fiat/Alfa Romeo dealer workshop. After going backwards and forwards getting my tracking and balancing sorted-only for it pop out of sinc again and again. The Alfa garage decided that a only a new steering rack would do. This after the hcar has only covered 17,000 miles! After leaving the garage £800 worse off the car`s steering failed again on my journey back from the garage. With power steering fluid gushing out everywhere the car was towed back to the garage for another inspection! The service manager told me that by coincidence a seperate component had failed on the car which had nothing to do with the fact that they had fitted a new steering system. I really feel cheated by Alfa Romeo not only by their incompetent attitude, but by the dishonest way I feel that the case has been handled. I even got on to customer services and was told that they had no reason not to believe the explanation given. They would not even entertain the idea of asking their technical people to investigate. I will never, ever have anything to do with Alfa Romeo again. Great designs, but with back street principles.