Used Alpine A110 2018-present review

Let's begin our used Alpine A110 journey by talking about another sports car: the Lotus Elise. You see, much of the Elise's greatness comes from it being light, because less weight means better acceleration, handling and even fuel economy.

However, the Elise makes a fair few compromises to achieve this – it's not an especially spacious or luxurious car – meaning you probably wouldn't want to use one every day. The A110 is a similar story, but one that has a different ending.

Firstly, the model tips the scales at just 1098kg, so even if it isn't quite sub-tonne like the Elise, it's still a feather next to the 1335kg Porsche Cayman, let alone your common 1349kg Ford Focus.

This helps the A110's 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine (and its fairly modest 249bhp) provide a not-so-modest 0-60mph time of 4.5sec. An entry-level Cayman, despite having more horsepower, can't match that.

Even more pace comes in the form of the A110 S. As well as 296bhp, the S also gets stiffer suspension, suede roof-lining, part-leather seat trim with contrasting orange stitching, black 18in alloy wheels and uprated Brembo brakes with orange calipers. The R, with its carbonfibre body panels, carbonfibre wheels, carbonfibre bucket seats and adjustable suspension, is even more track-focused (and a lot more expensive).

The GT version is just as powerful as the S and R, but it's less aggressive in its kit list. It has comfier seats with six-way adjustment, front and rear parking sensors, plus a rear-view camera. It also has 18in alloy wheels, blue brake calipers, brown leather seats and dashboard, power-folding door mirrors, ambient lighting, a suede headlining, a sports exhaust and aluminium pedals.

The Premiere Edition was brought out to celebrate the A110's initial realise. It has the standard 249bhp, but only 1955 examples were built. The trims were different earlier in its life, too. The entry-level car was dubbed Pure and the one up from that was Legende – both sat below Premiere Edition.

All A110s are decently equipped, though. Even the current entry-level car – simply known as A110 – comes with part-suede and part-leather-trimmed seats, cruise control and climate control, as well as a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring: you can't say that about the Elise, with its compact, ill-equipped interior.

What's more, it's relatively hushed when you're cruising at 70mph – something lightweight cars, such as the Elise, struggle with. The A110 is even quite comfortable, so you really can use it every day, as long as you aren't carrying much – between its front and rear boots, the A110 can only manage one carry-on suitcase and a small overnight bag.

Enough with the sensible, because what you really want to know is how the A110 drives. Well, the 1.8-litre engine – whether 249bhp or 296bhp – feels lively, even low down down in the rev range. It's noticeably turbocharged, meaning there’s a slight pause between pressing the accelerator and grunt going to the rear wheels, but that's also true of its Cayman rival. The S, despite its extra poke, doesn't feel all that much quicker in practise.

Some drivers might bemoan the lack of a manual gearbox in the A110, but there’s a lot to like about its seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. In Comfort mode, it slurs between gears smoothly, although it's a little unwilling to change down if you need a sudden blast of acceleration.

Sport sharpens the shifts and holds the lower gears for longer, and Track forces the gearbox into manual mode with no automatic upshifts when you reach the engine's limiter. It’s this final, most aggressive mode that’s the most satisfying.

We absolutely love the way the standard A110 handles. The body will pitch and lean a little when cornering, and it's not the fastest sports car around a track, but it's still one of the most fun to drive on the road. The steering is lighter than you’d expect from a modern sports car, but it’s so accurate you can place the nose with millimetre precision.

If you go beyond the limit of the grip of the A110’s relatively narrow tyres, the sensations you get through the seat of your pants notify you immediately, giving you time to react. It's not a snappy car, either. It feels well-adjusted and athletic, like a ballet dancer, and makes the F-Type and Supra feel lardy and hard work to drive by comparison.

Actually, it’s one of the most entertaining and rewarding sports cars you can buy, regardless of price. Its nearest rival is the Cayman, which has more grip and is a little sharper to drive. That doesn’t necessarily make it more fun than the A110, though, just quicker around a track. Alpine gave original owners the option of adding grippier Michelin PS2 Cup tyres to the S model for track driving.

If you're interested in finding a used Alpine A110 or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.

To buy a used A110, you'll currently need a budget of around £40,000 to £45,000. For the money, you'll see a mix of versions, from the Pure to the A110 S. The model year varies quite a bit, too. If you're looking at a Premier Edition, it'll be a 2018 car, the S will be a 2019 or 2020 one and Legende could be anywhere from 2020 to 2022.

You'll need upwards of £46,000 for a 2023 A110 – the entry-level one – or £55,000 for the GT. As of writing, the R has just been realised, so there aren't any used examples to speak of.

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MPG

Seeing north of 40mpg in a sports car is a rare sight, but (again, because of its modest engine and low weight) the A110 achieves it. Officially, the standard car averages 42.2mpg, while the S and GT drops marginally to 41.5mpg.

Road tax

Like all petrol (and diesel) cars registered after April 2017, the A110 attracts a road tax fee of £180 per year.

Insurance and servicing

Insurance groups tend to waver around the high 40s (depending on your chosen variant). Although this means it'll be pretty pricey to insure in the grand scheme of things, it's worth remembering that a lot of sports cars belong in the maximum 50 group.

Servicing costs can waver depending on what year service you're getting, as well as what Alpine dealer is carrying out the work. Generally, costs range from around £330 to £500.

There's such a mix of model years and variants at £40,000 to £45,000 and we wouldn't blame you for picking any of them. The A110 is rare, too, so you can't always find the one you want.

The GT and the S are the two most common variants and, because the S is around £10,000 cheaper, it's the one we'd go for.

Our favourite Alpine A110: S

We've spoken a lot about the Porsche Cayman. It's arguably the A110's most direct rival and for good reason: it's one of the best sports cars in recent history. It's more common on the used market – after all, it's been around for longer – and it's cheaper to buy, slightly sharper to drive and you can have it with a sonorous six-cylinder engine.

If you need two rear seats, then the BMW M2 is worth a good look. It's not quite as agile, excitable and satisfying to drive as the A110 is, but the M2 is still a riot. Like the Cayman, you can pick up a used one for less money than you can an A110, too.

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If you're interested in finding a used Alpine A110 or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.