USED Alfa Romeo 156 Saloon (97 - 06)

My car

I've had 2 Alfa 156s over a period of 7 years. The first a 156 2.0 TS Saloon which brought a smile to my face every time I drove it. Amazingly the wooden steering whell was very comfortable. Tried it legally at 135mph for long distances on German Autobahn and apart from watching the fuel consumption, my greatest pleasure was to see the looks of the beemer and merc drivers as they pulled over out of my way! I now own a 1.9JTDM sportwagon with leather interior and that has now done 80k. I get 52.3 mpg and am now very seriously considering another Alfa. This time the Brera!

Only downside, is the dealership situation. Come on Alfa UK get them soted soon, they are spoiling the party!!!

My car

This is the second 156 i have owned the first one had a lot of niggly problems.The one i have now has proved very good i have only been let down once and this was a small problem but it did make the car immobile until the rac attended and fixed it.

Engine is very good and responsive and sounds great and via cruise control at 60 mph on motorways 52-54 mpg is accessable and on my trips to and from work which is around 32 miles per day for 6 days a week i can make a full tank of fuel Approx £50 last 1 month

My car

I have owned one Alfa Romeo before this one and found that 'special drive' that most serious drivers crave, the sort of buzz that you will spend time trying to find an excuse just to get out and about in it.

This car gives me a thrill every time I see it, let alone drive it - yes, it is very low to the solid stuff, yes, it is set up very hard, and you may find the odd bit of plastic broken rolling around the floor ,but it really pays you back as its revs beautifully from 2500 to 7000 and seems to cover endless amounts of road before you slip into third!

Anyone who states that this car does not handle corners well should not be allowed to sit in it, and should instead play endless games of Sega rally untill they have mastered turns - then and then only may they be allowed back in this fine machine.

For those about to buy, wondering about endless trips back and forth to garages, I have only had mine for two months, so time will tell, but I have covered 2600 miles and nothing has failed or faultered yet, touch wood.

You probably think I'm mad, but after looking after cars for other people, I made a decision years ago that high miles are a good thing - it seems to get all the faults sorted and from over 90,000 miles, they all seem to go fine untill over 200,000 miles. This is the third car I have tried this theory on and so far it is behaving very well.

My car

What a vehicle!! Have owned my 156 for little over a year now and I have to say I thinks its awesome. Fuel economy is terrible when you take it above 3000 rpm, but take it easy most of the time and it isnt too bad 30/40 mpg. I take the 156 on long journeys and couldnt live without the cruise control.

A/C is a little pointless as the vents are too small and awkward, though I dissagree with one of the previous reviewers that said it is difficult to use - it is pretty simple. Though lack of any storage is a little annoying, especially when on long journeys..

steering is re-assuringly heavy, road holding is very tight, and acceleration seems never ending.

overall very happy, car has been back to dealership for a lamba sensor and fuel gauge replacement (product recalls) servicing isn't too expensive (cheaper if you get it serviced at a fiat garage)

Great spec for the money, and would probably by one again.