1. Five of our Favourite Diesel Saloons
2. BMW 320d
3. Alfa Romeo 159 1.9 JTDM
4. Honda Accord 2.2 i-CDTi
5. Audi A4 TDI
6. Volvo S60 D5

Few people will argue with me when I say that Alfa Romeo makes one of the most beautiful saloons in the world, but as Alfa's own marketing tag states: "beauty is not enough". The 159's predecessor, the Alfa 156, was a competent and good-looking car, but it could not really live up to BMW's 3-series when it came to refinement and driving enjoyment. Alfa Romeo's new 159 is a better effort overall.

Admittedly, for the price of a top spec 320d, you could afford the high-performance 2.4-litre five-cylinder 159, but the most popular car in the range is more likely to be the 1.9-litre version. The bare numbers will tell you that this car is a fraction slower and a tad thirstier than the 320d, but it is keenly priced.

One major plus side of Alfa Romeo ownership must surely be that few seconds in the morning during which you walk from your front door to your car; the 159 is a sharply styled thing of beauty and though it may sway many buyers, we're glad to report that beauty is more than skin deep in this Alfa.

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