kermitfrog Posted March 17, 2007 Report Share Posted March 17, 2007 Just back from having a look at this... I'm now in a dilema about parting with my S3 which I love, but the lure of that Italian V6 is proving difficult to resist. Quality wise, the interior finish of the S3 is light years ahead of the Alfa, but Italian flair more than makes up for this. Don't know if I can justify getting rid of the S3 considering the ammount of money I've lavished on repairs and upgrades over the past year, so any opinions welcomed. I wasn't even considering changing cars, just noticed the Alfa sitting there this morning, so it's really just an impulseive thought at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted March 17, 2007 Report Share Posted March 17, 2007 Oh yes! Italian 3.2 V6 = glorious sound. Handling (or rather cornering) will suffer, but plenty of power. Better looks too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmerpalmer Posted March 17, 2007 Report Share Posted March 17, 2007 Love the styling of the Alfa - beau-ti-ful But, still a big question mark over reliability and they de-value like a falling stone. Stick with the S3 -better the devil you know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppetboy Posted March 17, 2007 Report Share Posted March 17, 2007 Looks lovely Don't buy on impulse though, think about it for a while Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kermitfrog Posted March 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2007 Very true - that V6 is a glorious sounding engine! I too was concerned that it would be nose heavy, but from what I've read, the GTA chassis is so well sorted that the weight upfront really isn't too much of an issue from a handling point of view. And despite the FWD setup, have also read that the power from that throbbing lump of love is put down without drama. Haven't arranged a test drive (yet) for fear of being suckered in even further, finances being another consideration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
330dcoupe Posted March 17, 2007 Report Share Posted March 17, 2007 I saw a lilic\purple 156 GTA a few weeks back and it looks stunning. I think if you buy it, the 1st thing you HAVE to do is get a quad milltek conversion done on it and buy the DTM rear bumper to accomodate it - that will sound and look awesome :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy Posted March 17, 2007 Report Share Posted March 17, 2007 IMHO don't believe the reviews in magazines about this car. I went on an Alfa day a few years back and got to drive a 147GTA on very demanding back roads of County Durham , luckie for me these were the exact roads i grew up driving on so know them very well. Lets just say i pushed this car to the limit and was impressed. This car was a joy to use on them and nothing like the reviews Autocar and alike were giving it at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssFour Posted March 17, 2007 Report Share Posted March 17, 2007 Do it mate. When I was in the market for a similar car my choice came down to two. The GTA and S3. I took the GTA out for three test drives and loved every minute. The power is imense and the noise I was really taken in by the car. Loved the interior styling, the aggressive looks. However, in the end I chose the S3. Why you say after I waxed lyricaled the GTA. Two reasons. Cramped leg room in the rear. My wife, 5ft not a lot, said she was cramped and headroom was not impressive. Also the boot was tiny. Even compared to the S3. I need a hot hatch that was practical. The GTA was not practical enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winrya Posted March 17, 2007 Report Share Posted March 17, 2007 Go for it, its a fantastic looking, fantastic sounding performance bargain. Have you sat in one, i found the interior a much nicer place to be than the s3, lovely use of plastics and textures and nice chrome finishing touches. Leather is much nicer quality than german alternative leatherette seats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian_C Posted March 17, 2007 Report Share Posted March 17, 2007 A colleague sold his two year old 147 GTA after his dealer offered a straight swap for a brand new facelifted GTV 2.0. He was fed up of the huge running costs and the monster depreciation that was starting to take hold. Like so many halo models, the residuals of the GTA were good to start with before going into freefall, the opposite to 99% of cars which depreciate heavily when you drive away from the showroom and slow in later years. However, he is keen to chop in the GTV and move back to a GTA. Finding a mint example is difficult. He will only accept a low miler as he knows full well how often they break down and how hard they get driven having owned one himself. 160 mph (indicated) was I believe his personal best. Three new sets of front tyres (plus the originals that came with the car) within the space of (iirc) just 18k was also a top effort. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calm Chris Posted March 17, 2007 Report Share Posted March 17, 2007 I'd be thinking of extending the warranty PDQ, otherwise all systems go. What's the mileage and how 'right' is the price? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wadders67 Posted March 17, 2007 Report Share Posted March 17, 2007 Just make sure when/if you decide to go for it that you end up with a hatchback and not a coupe as descibed Otherwise...love it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian_C Posted March 17, 2007 Report Share Posted March 17, 2007 Anyone else have a personal loathing for traders who put every last insignificant detail in there bar the mileage? 'central locking' and 'electric windows.' No 5hit Sherlock. For that price and plate is going to be 40+. Then they have the cheek to get shirty when you say 'no thanks' after you call and ask what it is. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilB Posted March 18, 2007 Report Share Posted March 18, 2007 Go for it, the V6 engine is more or less bullet proof as it does not come with the headaches that the TwinSparks present, check the suspension as with all Alfa's for squeaks and clonks. And check for flat spots within the rev range. It there are any the rubbish Bosch MAF is on the way out, it can be cleaned and refitted but that's only a temp fix TBH. Do think about getting a warranty with it, as Alfa spares are not cheap at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mouse Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 I had an Alfa impulse moment when I found out you can buy a GTV for 5k. I was just about ready to sell my Polo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woppum Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 I test drove a new one of those when I had my R32. God I was disapointed, I never new how bad a car could be till I drove it. It wobbled so bad around corners the low front spoiler would graze the ground! It simply couldnt do roundabouts. And it didnt actually feel as fast as the R32 even though it was. Put it this way - if you took the '1' off the front of the price, I still wouldnt buy it!!! Just test drive the fecker to see! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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