USED Alfa Romeo GT Coupe (04 - 11)

My car

Do not just casually walk into an Alfa showroom. I did over a 2 years ago and saw a GT and that was it. Now 6 months of ecstatic ownership have passed.

Comfortable seats, grunty engine (still having a problem getting over 40mpg though) rear view awkward but get parking sensors.Ride can be choppy over rough roads but the fine handling cancels this out in my book. Lipari grey with tan leather seats looks really special, understated till the sun shines on them. For this type of car there is plenty of space, two child car seats in the back, surprisingly good boot. For around £20k(new)show me a more complete car, looks,performance etc. and it's not German and I love the fact you don't pass one on the road every five minutes.

Part of my enthusiasm for this car is the dealer I dealt with. after having a terrible experience with one of my local dealers who told me I was wasting his time I went around others and came across Vince at Desira in Southgate.He gave me the figure I was looking to buy at with no hassle,was enthusiastic,kept me fully informed,excellent service. Bought a car seat from the parts department which caused them some head scratching but they tracked one down even phoning me on holiday to say it was in. I rarely do this but I would reccomend Vince and Desira to anyone wanting an Alfa.

If your reading these reviews stop.Go and get a test drive and then write your own after you've bought one. Come on What Car give it at least another star.

My car

I've only just bought this car, at 23 months old and less than 12,000 miles on the clock I could not resist it. This is my first Alfa - I've always regarded them as looking different but flawed - when I first saw one a few weeks ago I just fell in love - it looks GORGEOUS from any angle.

The design and quality of the leather interior is superb. The seats are fabulous and the controls well designed. sSome say they are a little fiddly, but I dont think so. Fuel economy looks to be around 43mpg - the trip computers on my previous cars (Mondeo and Passat) were over-optimistic by some 5 mpg but the GT seems to be pretty well spot on.

On the down side, the front tyres are well worn - might get another 5,000 if I'm lucky. Platts quaoted me £220 for a 12,000 mile service - my Mondeo only cost £140 for the same so boo-hoo there!

Performance and handling are stunning. The diesel growls with pleasure and the grip is unshakeable. Some say there is little feedback through the wheel but I havent found this a problem. The ride is seldom smooth, the suspension jostles you about on most surfaces but what the hell!

There is some wind noise but I dont find this excessive. Road noise is low, in my opinion, for a car of this type. Rear visiblity is a worry so I've fitted parking sensors.

In bying this car I let my heart rule my head. So far I can only say I'm delighted with it - keeping my fingers crossed with reliability!

My car

I have owned the 1.9 version for over 6 months now.

Looks great, has a good grunt when accelerating, plenty of torque, handles really well when driven hard around corners, interiors are v similar to 147 (which is good, best Alfa dash so far) but the seats are much sportier and hugging.

Fuel economy is good (averaging 14.5 km/l) for the drive you get. Also, for a coupe, you have plenty of boot space (same as a sedan) and you have real rear seats (2 adults fits well, provided they are not tall...). So it gets my 5 stars all around, considering the price is good for what you get, the economy and the fact it's gorgeous, yet a comfortable and usable coupe.

Now time for a little 'What car' bashing. You... get 3 stars... It appears you have an objectivity problem with Alfas... the usual 'Italian cars fall to pieces' tune is starting to sound a little boring now... yes, Alfas had a quality problem. We all agree and let's move on. Starting from the 156 and the 147 things have changed dramatically (and that, by the way is across the entire portfolio of brands owned by the Fiat group: Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa, Fiat); yet, the press and your magazine seem to have ignored and keep using the same old rhetoric...

Finally, magazines like yours keep scaring off buyers with 'low residuals'.... well, you create low residuals by continuing to say that and by putting off potential buyers... however residuals for the GT in the UK are proving to be quite good. Maybe a change in trend?

My car

I have just said farewell to my Alfa GT 1.9 JTD (with 18" upgraded wheels and black leather) after only 1 year and 14000 blissful miles due to an expanding family.

To say I am heartbroken is an understatement as this is without doubt the best car I have ever owned.

On looks alone it is worth every penny but matched with the performance,running costs and sheer driving pleasure it has to be, pound for pound,the best value coupe on the market.

I did have some niggles with the drivers door window seemingly having a mind of it's own and there was a tear on my drivers door card which took the dealer 6 attempts to get a suitable replacement to match the leather interior but otherwise I have no complaints on reliability.

The only let down for me was I felt some of the interior plastics were of poor quality compared to other cars I have driven. Namely BMW,VW,and now a Volvo???

I would have no hesitation in recommending this car and will be on the look out for a 2nd hand one in a few of years time once the latest addition to the household is walking and talking.