2004 Alfa Romeo 147 Lusso from UK and Ireland - Comments

None.

The 147 is a terrific car which needs to be driven with lust to enjoy. There's no point in buying one if you are just toodlin' about town or heading to the shopping mall on a Saturday. It isn't a sports hatch, but then again, it's no ordinary family hatchback.

My wife and I recently moved back to the UK from Hongkong and my part of the bargain for agreeing to downgrade our lifestyle was that we bought an Alfa Romeo to compensate. I've always wanted one since I was young. I'm not so young now, but I have an Alfa...

In May, we bought the 2 litre 147 Lusso in Alfa red with leather seats and 16'' sports alloy wheels and the grin has yet to fade. (I actually wanted to the GT, but the smaller 147 suits my wife better since we live in north London and the roads are tight with few parking ops).

So far there have been no faults and no complaints, but here are some observations in areas where I'm not totally thrilled. The turning circle really is a small suburb which is fine in the country, but tight areas like the nether regions of old European towns might present some challenges to the less confident. The rear vision is crap and takes a while to overcome, although I've noticed that this is something that is common to most modern hatches. The gear shift sometimes doesn't go in the slot from 2 to 3 and back and needs a bit of pleading/beating at low revs. The car would be better as a rear-wheel drive since it sometimes has a problem getting the power down on fast take offs that also involve a bit of manoeuvring. That's it. Those weren't really moans were they? Just observations...

...for the 147 really is a gorgeous car and an utter joy to drive. It is quick with max tug at about 3000 - 4500 revs. Steering is light, but precise and the sitting/wheel position can be altered to suit almost any requirement. Roll is pretty much non-existent. You really can take this car around a hairpin at speed with utter confidence even with the anti-skid settings turned off. The lift is what you would expect from a 2 litre with pedigree and that engine has a lovely tone that changes from an airy soprano song to a lusty growl when the revs climb past 2500. You get about 20-25 mpg (8 km/l) around town and on the motorway she'll do 35mpg (12 km/l) at an average speed of 70-90 mph (110-140kph), talking of which you will still get a lot of lift at 90 from that very willing power supply up front.

The controls are easy to use and you get a lot for your money on the Lusso. The wands (as the Aussies call them) are short and very compact. Their ends have buttons that operate the on-board computer. This has Trip A which does your calculations over multiple journeys and Trip B over the current outing. There's a cruise control which is great on motorways. The dash is easy to read and has a mighty fine red glow in the evenings when the lights go on. Air flow from the ac can be adjusted very easily via three nobs below the radio and it has many combinations that allow maximum comfort for those in the back as well.

Some have complained that the 147 is tight in the back and there's no boot space... Ford, Mazda, Honda, VW dealers e.g. I have two small kids and both still require child seats. We took them to Centreparcs in June with a bike bar on the back and a week's supply of food/kit in the car. No problemo.

All in all, the Alfa 147 is a joy to drive, beautifully equipped and sticks to the road like glue. Stop listening to all the carpers and whingers and get one.

Alfas are magic.

Cheers for that, I have one too and its great!