Alfa Romeo 159 (2006 - To Date)
9, 2.4 TURBODIESEL [TURISMO, LUSSO])
BY ANDY ENRIGHT
The 159 is as close to a risk-free used Alfa buy as its possible to get. Beefy build quality, a great range of engines, decent used stock availability and razor sharp styling make this a decent left field pick. An optioned-up 1.9-litre diesel in Lusso trim is the wise move.
Buying a used Alfa Romeo used to be an eventful experience. Many people tried it once and then moved on to less risky activities like BASE jumping, recreational Russian roulette or holidays in Gaza. A lot has changed since then. Alfa has pulled its socks up and the results are apparent in improving independent customer satisfaction surveys.
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The 159 is bigger in virtually every dimension compared to the 156, but its still a very sharp piece of styling. Watching one appear in my rear-view at the Nurburgring, I can assure you this vehicle has more overtaking presence than almost any BMW, the gimlet-eyed headlamps and razor-sharp front grille looking rather intimidating. The rear end is genuinely tricky to differentiate from the 156 at first glance, but the side view shows sharper creasing and swage lines and a longer front end. As cohesive a piece of penmanship as the 156 was, the 159 is a better balanced car.
The architecture of the 159s cabin is perhaps a tad disappointing, offering an evolution of the 156s fascia which looked great in 98 but which now looks a little unexceptional compared to the more imaginative designs. Build quality is far better than before and rear legroom and headroom have both improved, although youd opt for a Saab or Volvo if this was a priority. The boot, however, is way bigger than youd have any right to expect and the folding rear seats endow the 159 with an admirable load carrying ability.
The Alfa Romeo 159 kicks off at just under £15,000 for an entry level 1.9 JTS Turismo on a 55 plate with a 159 1.9 JTDM Lusso retailing at around £15,250. Prices have held relatively firm and there arent too many screaming deals around.
If youre after the intoxicatingly punchy 2.4-litre diesel youll still need from £16,500 to net a Turismo. The all-wheel drive 3.2-litre cars were only offered in Lusso trim and are a bit thinner on the ground but can be yours from around £21,750 in saloon guise or around £22,500 as a Sportwagon estate.
One advantage of the 156s long lifespan was that Alfa could well and truly iron out its faults. The company wisely carried over certain mechanical parts to the 159 and as such it has had a refreshing lack of teething issues. Check the driver information system for faults and ensure the controls for the ventilation system all function as they should. The 2.
4-litre diesel-engined car has quite an appetite for front tyres, so make sure these have the requisite tread depth and consistent wear rate. Alfa dealers once had a rather patchy reputation but some serious investment is starting to pay dividends with regards to service quality.
(based on a 1.9 JTS) A clutch assembly is around £138. Front and rear brakepads are around £50 per set of each, a rear exhaust box about £143 (excluding catalyst), a starter motor around £190. A replacement headlamp is about £145.
Its not worth pretending that the Alfa 159 can hold a candle to a BMW 3 Series as an enthusiasts performance car. Its front wheel drive chassis precludes that but with the option of all-wheel drive versions at the top of the range, the 159 has an advantage when it comes to all-weather security. Perhaps the 3 Series is the wrong car against which to benchmark the 159. It seems a more natural competitor to top-end Honda Accords and Saab 9-3s.
This sub premium compact executive sector still yields significant returns and is populated by cars like the Volvo S60 and the Jaguar X-TYPE, cars which the Alfa compares very favourably to. Five engines are on offer, split between two diesels and three petrol powerplants. The entry-level diesel option is the 150bhp 1.9-litre Multijet unit, while the range-topping diesel variant is the 2.
4-litre 200bhp Multijet JTD. This is an absolute stormer, capable of zipping to 60mph in a tad over 8 seconds. JTS petrol engines start with a 1.9-litre 160bhp four (replaced by a 140bhp 1.
8-litre MPI unit in mid-2007), with a 2.2-litre 185bhp powerplant above that. Of more interest to serious petrol heads is the 260bhp 3.2-litre V6, based on a Holden unit from Australia and rebuilt to a special Alfa recipe.
The manual transmission offered has been improved from the lazy, long-throw change of the 156 but theres also the choice of a six-speed automatic and a six-speed Selespeed sequential manual.
The Alfa Romeo 159 has succeeded in lifting the marque further towards the premium end of the market and it hasnt done this on a bedrock of patchy durability. Alfas belt and braces approach to many reliability issues is laudable and while the 159 doesnt have the integrity of a Lexus, its no longer a shot in the dark. Look for low mileage cars in silver, grey or black as the 159 doesnt particularly suit signal colours. Theres not a weak engine in the line up but the 1.
9-litre diesels are rightly the most popular pick.
