2001 Alfa Romeo 166 3.0l V6 6 speed from UK and Ireland - Comments

Poor acceleration

Hesitation and flat spots at 4-5000 revs

Cruise control works when it wants to

Rain sensitive wipers don't work

Heated seat doesn't work

Passenger window only closes with driver switch.

Absolutely beautiful car, but has terrible fuel consumption and is not a patch on the old 164's performance.

6th gear gives the same revs to speed as 5th did on the 164. Either have a taller gear or don't bother.

The poor acceleration leads you to leave the car in top and potter around town at 1200 revs rather than reveling in the driving experience. No thrills, whats happened to the buttock clenching acceleration and raw power that flattened you into the back of the seat and insisted you lifted your foot before drove spectacularly to your death? Now I only fear for my life when I pull out of a junction, will I clear the oncoming traffic in time.

Hi.

I totally agree with your comments. I took delivery of a four year old 3.0 V6 sport tronic with full service history and had covered 90k miles only to find acceleration extremely disappointing. A 1.6 liter focus goes accelerates faster and handles better. Extremely unreliable, engine overrated. Kick-down is a joke and sport tronic has a mind of its own. In auto mode not very smooth at all and the adaptive system is useless. Fuel consumption horrifying, I know v12s with better consumption. Vibrates whilst stationary and dealer doesn't think there is anything wrong. Has spongy brakes, harsh ride and marginally improved built quality. Still can't compete with BMWS and Mercs.

I agree concerning the gearing- 6th is way too. In my 2.0TS 166 I'm doing over 3500 rpm at 80mph... however, all modern Alfas appear to be geared in this way. My car has plenty of oomph tho. Drove a 2.5v6 a while back and loved the creaminess and sound, but didn't feel particularly quicker. Regarding a Focus having better handling- are you serious!

I live in Italy and drive a 1999 166 Super 2.0 V6 Turbo. Low end acceleration is poor, but then it was also poor in the 164. In my opinion the 166, like the 164 is still vicously quick 2nd gear and up and sounds exotic. Excellent handling for a large sedan. Yes it does have some flaws, but more passion than any bmw or benz.

I have the updated in 2004 3.2L manual version and so far totally reliable, does 27.5mpg and goes like stink in all gears. Big discounts from new at 35% and even cheaper nearly new so worth seeking out. It also looks much better than the original versions.

I have Just purchased a used (year 2000) 166 3.0 sportronic.

An earlier commentator says not a patch on Mercs and BM's.. When making this comparison the cost of a the used vehicle must be considered i.e. you pay about half what you would pay for a German with an equivalent spec.. My car was £ 6,200 with 20,000 miles.. simply put a 5 series of the same age / miles would be closer to £ 12,000.

He is right however when he says the Auto and Sportronic have problems.. I believe they, and the gear ratios, are badly matched to the engine. In Auto the kick down is unwilling unless you nail it, the actual changes are quite smooth. The sportronic is satisfying if you are letting the car run through 2 or 3 gear changes all the way to the red line, but otherwise is a bit clumsy/slow.

As to hesitancy... likely to be an airflow meter easy to change 10 minute job (about 150 quid)

The engine itself sings.. I know of no smoother more symphonic 6 cylinder.. If as the first commentator you don't think it accelerates then I am certain something must be wrong.. Mine is a rocket ship.. handling.. yes it is a 1700 kilo exec saloon.. a little soft perhaps too compliant compliant, but predictable and for its type responsive.. the secret with big motors is smoothness of inputs when driving.. you can't make all that mass change direction without some backlash.

Fuel consumption.. round town = 15/gal mixed driving = 23 / gal.. steady legal motorway trip = 28 / gal.

Had my 166, 3.0V6 Auto (Sportronic) for 3years and cannot fault it. It's fantastic handling for such a saloon, previously owned BMW733 auto; 325iS Auto; Merc 300SE Auto; Alfa164Auto, Astra2.0_GSI, Toyota1.6GLiSport.

The Alfa166 will out run and out perform any of the other cars I owned - it's a rocket. There is no boy racer in Golf or similar who stands a chance if it's anything more than 50m sprint.

This is not a boy racer car- it's a sporty exec saloon. Its soft and comfortable with it's original 16" alloys. It will obliterate most other cars in it's class.

This is a high revving engine - very little torque is produced at low revs (torque peak is at over 4500rpm). This means it is very sombre and relaxed at low revs in any gear. However, if you flick it to sport mode, she will hang on to gears to at least 3000rpm before changing and much higher if you press the accelerator. At this level of revs she is very lively and responsive. In manual form, you should select the right gear to be in the power band if you want performance.

OK, so the German ZF tiptronic gearbox is not the best and smoothest change always (comparing to GM from USA), but it is as good (in fact identical) to the Merc, Audi, Porch, Peugeot, Citroen and BMW box.

I think it's a great car as long as its all functional and working properly. No flat spots or any of that nonsense.

I do have my reservations about the after sales service though - not sure if the garages are competent. I prefer DIY, just don't trust them. I feel the same for BMW and Opel service...

Update to my original post of April 2005.

1999 3.0l 6 Speed Manual.

After my original comments two years ago I replaced the MAF which transformed the performance of the car. I still stand by my original comment that the performance and MPG are not as good as the 164 12V, however, when the STR is engaged the performance is more than a match for my driving skills.

Reliability has been generally good. With only the following failures:

Rear Caliper

Thermostat

The drivers seat-back broke and I was quoted £1400 for a replacement. It took me 12 hours to remove the seat, strip it, weld repair the broken frame and re-install, but it saved me the value of the car!

It's still one of the most stylish executive saloons out there even 8 years on.

Beauty contest honours have unsurprisingly eluded the BMW 5 series. Audi's A6, while losing to it in the ugly stakes, has the density and subtlety of an industrial photocopier. And, from the Pacific, the Lexus is...well..a Lexus. The 166 stands in this party, aloof and observant like the prettiest girl at the cadets' ball, conscious of her looks, aware of her class and with no need to overstate herself.

For whether she be doe-eyed and raven haired, or the steel grey eyed redhead, she will warm to those who recognise her difference and spurn those who set her among the rest.

And so it is with the Alfa 166. Far and away the most stylish of its class, it accepts those who appreciate it, resisting those who think it just another version of the same. It sits on the road stationary, but with the appearance of forward motion. The 2003 facelift reduced the length of its nose and gave it a "retro" grill, but retained the magic of an optical illusion exclusive to so few.

The interior exudes style subtleties. The quintessential symbol of Italian flair, Alfa's serpent and cross, is branded into the shoulders of the pale leather front seats: a touch only otherwise found in the supercar community. The seats embrace - no, absorb - passengers and driver instantly to make them part of the machine, part of the experience. Contrasting dark carpets complement not clash, and a deep, but expansive windscreen sets off excellent all round visibility for all.

For the driver, posture is perfect - putting paid to the perennial moans about 'Italian driving position'. Bilateral steering wheel adjustment and electric seat settings precede a turn of the key which brings us a stage further in this life with the 166.

A comprehensive, but manageable series of warning lights show from the dash within the circumference of the steering wheel, and the Integrated Control System, set into the centre console illuminates white (or green) on matt black screen. This is clever, this is high tech, but it does not say "do as I tell you". It calls its message to the driver "You are the boss". And this is Alfa's way - you drive me: I will not drive me for you. This is the display for the supertanker or Antonov captain - master and commander. A car of this pedigree may be better suited to an oil pressure gauge than a simple warning light, but the overall environment is stunning.

But for now, turn off the key, pull the release and look at the engine. The first thing you notice is - yes it is a real engine. All alloy 3 Litre V6, quad cam, 24 valve, topped off with crackle alloy rocker covers and plenum chambers, and 6 polished chrome induction pipes. Naked of the black plastic covering (reminiscent of packaging material from a packet of biscuits) so typical of its rivals, it is an object of genuine engineering beauty. Cuore Sportiva is not a myth - park this in your street with its engine laid bare for all to see, and passers by will be entranced.

Alfa's 3 litre unit is one of the very best: it spawned the later, bored out, 3.2 litre derivative - widely regarded as THE best. It begs to be worked, and its specified 226bhp is probably well below its potential. It revs freely to well over 5000 rpm and will cover the 0-62 mph barrier in under 8 seconds. And the driver's control over it is needle sharp. The pressing of a button on the console to engage sport mode delimits accelerator travel and propels the 166 off a standing start with back-pressing results, much to the indignation of the BMW, Mercedes and Jaguar set.

This car is front wheel drive. A disappointment perhaps for the Alfa purist, but the geometry and intelligent unique mechanics of the suspension neutralises the effect of a powerful engine pulling a big car into a corner. The understeer typifying such a configuration is gone, and the effect of the handling is not of front wheel drive at all, nor rear wheel drive, but an ambiance of either. The ASR traction control system, engaged by default, can be released to allow this to be put to real test.

The driving experience is sublime. In an environment befitting the most exclusive of Parisien boutiques, the 166 accelerates without hesitation and cruises like a rocket ship At idle, the V6 grumbles and burbles for your attention; at high revs, it thanks you for your efforts, laughing and teasing you for more. This is a car, with an engine, and an exhaust and systems which make it behave like a car. It is not an IKEA dining room on wheels or a mobile extension to your sitting room, and Alfa has engineered out noise suppression. It wants you to hear the 166's heart as well as feel its movement; it wants you to hear its exhaust siren-song as well as to see its aching beauty.

It has faults - it is not given to unnecessary luxuries. There are no cupholders and the Alfisto will regret the passing of the alignment of rev counter and speedometer so that their arrows point in the same direction at high speed cruise. And like all pretty girls, there is a hint of feistiness, of stubbornness, of want. Disregard the 166's specified demands at your peril - you will be bitten.

The 166 is not long for this world. Hints from Milan suggest that the 168 will carry the flag for Alfa Romeo's top end sports saloon, and will also provide the platform for daughter company Maserati's next generation Quattroporte. But even now, you will look and say that the 166 and the Maserati have visible similarities.

Thanks to dismal sales figures, the 166 is a rare beast. Its unpopularity drove down its residual values to floor level, but its rarity and exclusivity has led to a recent appreciation in second hand prices, significantly so in the case of the 3 litre Act now - for the price of a paper clip salesman's runabout, you will own a piece of real driving excitement and real automotive pleasure.

I traded in my Alfa 166 six months ago and my life has been miserable since! It was a great car. Unlike the cars of most of the critics above, mine had a manual gearbox. It was great to drive with punchy performance or graceful cruising depending on the weight of the right foot. Quick, sharp steering and good road holding completed the package. I was getting about 24 mpg, but really didn't care much. If you have a 3 litre petrol engine, you shouldn't really complain about fuel consumption! It was much more reliable than my previous two 164s (also manual) but still had fragile electronics. But you buy an Alfa with your heart and not your head and my main reason for getting rid of it was that I couldn't find anyone in my part of the world who would service it. Also spare parts were absurdly expensive (but then it is an executive car). I now drive a Mini Cooper S and hate it!