USED Alfa Romeo GT Coupe (04 - 11)

My car

I have just traded-in my june '04 GT for a BMW Z4.It was a 2.0 JTS. It wasn't an easy decision as I love Alfas and the GT was my 5th successive one. I love the styling inside and out,the practicality,the individuality. It was, and is, a special car and seeing one on the road is always a treat.

However, although the car felt robust, irritations spoiled the experience:poor fuel consumption, heavy oil consumption, a really annoying intermittent tailgate rattle, a dash which creaked alarmingly when the heater was turned on in cold weather, a broken exhaust after 3000 miles, door sill strips which scratched the paint they were supposed to protect(?)...etc.

To be fair, it never broke down in 27,000 miles but these days that is only average. The niggles and quality glitches were unacceptable in a £24000 car(with options). Visiting a dealer where Skodas and Fiats were also serviced was also quite underwhelming!

I still love Alfas but I will take some convincing before ever considering another.Unfortunately, BMW remains the default choice for drivers seeking a well-built and engineered sporty,prestige brand.

My car

I have this car for a year and I bought it when it was one year old. It's had an easy time, it's been used as a second car and has only covered 3000 miles in my ownership (18000 in total). That said, it has just been to the dealer again after suffering huge oil consumtion since I brought it and has needed a new head gasket and new pistons, luckily covered under the waranty. Previously it's needed a new sump, new battery, new keys, power steering pipes, the electric window on the drivers side tried to cut my arm off when it closed for no reason, the breaks scream when cold, I could go on... But I still love it! It looks stunning (Ivory mist, I think one of the best colours) there's not many around so it always turns heads, it sounds gorgeous, and is a comfortable car to drive. It' a pig to reverse, the heater needs a degree in engineering to work out, but does it's own thing anyway, it uses far too much petrol, and when trying to tune the radio you just keep pressing buttons until you give up and surrender to terry Wogan. I know everyone at the Alfa dealer by name and owning one out of waranty would scare the pants off me. But buy one, I don't know why, but their great and to be fair I think I've just been a little unlucky!!!

My car

After falling in love with a GT at a dealership I read these readers reviews before committing myself and after 6 months ownership I agree with everything previously written about this fabulous car-it's brilliant! Stunning looks, particularly in Rosso with 18" wheels & beige leather and very practical for the type of car it is. Mines also a diesel and its giving around 40mpg with great mid-range grunt and the six speed box makes cruising a pleasure. Handling and grip are awesome even in the wet and everything about the car is just so right I find it very difficult to fault it. Interior is surprisingly roomy and the leather trim is a must. I just don't understand why people want the same 3 series/A4/TT clones at higher cost as everyone else that fill our motorways & suburbia driveways when they could have this stunning GT that gets admiring looks everywhere it goes. No faults with mine so far touch wood. Only downsides I can think of is the poor standard radio (should have gone for the Bose system, I know) and the worrying lack of a spare that's part of the 18" wheel package in common with other makes.

This is my first ever Alfa and without doubt one of the very best cars I have ever owned including BMW's,Audis,Lotus,Jaguars, Cosworths & Mercedes-in fact if pushed I would probably say this is the most pleasurable car overall to drive of any and saves thousands over any of these makes. So if you're like I was six months ago-go on, buy it-and enjoy it.

My car

Some people like to be a bit different and drive something that goes against the grain and stands out in a crowd. The Alfa GT is very much a car of that ilk. Starting with the looks-this car is flawless from all angles and has many design awards to back this up. The cabin is equally well styled and the leather seats are probably the finest i've seen. If you neg. hard you can get a good deal,I paid the equiv cost of a high end Mondeo for a brand new GT JTD with Leath & 17" Alloys. As for WC's claim over low residuals, this is simply laughable...it would have only been £2K cheaper to buy a 2yr old version with ave mileage!-the fact the mag only gives the car 3stars really shows how biased they are against Alfa cars. The diesel engine is torquey and provides wonderfull mid range pull.I'm getting around 40mpg for towm and some country driving. I changed from the RX8 as it wasn't practical for a young family but the GT is a perfect balance of performance, practicality and economy. Many felt the GT would slip into the background as the Brera arrived but this simply hasn't happened and demand for the GT is as high as ever (further good news for those dreadfull residuals hey What Car) I think this is the perfect sports car for a small family who can afford one of the German brigade but prefer to own something a little more exclusive I'd urge anyone seeing those 3stars (probably the same as a Proton !) to ignore it and take the car out and then make a decision