sayerbloke Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Funniest thing I`ve read all day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mook Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Complete and utter bollox They look great. They go OK. But reliability and depreciation... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 [ QUOTE ] But reliability and depreciation... [/ QUOTE ] Is getting better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lenny007 Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Why is it bollox? I've had 2 Alfa's in the last 4 years - the first a 5 year old GTV which was faultless save for a new aerial and a 147 which, to be frank, runs rings around Golfs - Mk IV or V - for interior quality and design. The depreciation matter is surely explained by word of mouth like this. Everyone says they're unreliable and depreciate, so they do. Self fulfilling prophecy - not helped by dealers knocking off £000's in order to sell the things in the first place. I'd much rather have a 147 2ltr with leather and all the kit for about £12K than a 1.6 Golf SE. Not everyone wants to drive a panzer you know............ (in a non-racist, sexist, fascist, ist-ist manner of course) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuntimeFrankie Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 There's a massive difference between talking about it and doing it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallachie Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 I think Alfa's are good cars, and I'm sure the new 159 and Brera will be fantastic, and most likey be miles better than previous cars. However, Alfa will never get a decent result in the JD Power survey, purely because with dealers such as Arnold Clark, they're fecked from the day the car is sold to a customer, never mind reliability or depreciation!! The company I work for run a number of Alfa 147 company cars, and the service from the dealership is the worst I have ever seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Problem_Child Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 When my ex ran off with my beloved MX-5 last year I found myself in the position of needing a car for around the £3k mark. I wanted something charcterful and fun to drive- in the end I bought a 99T Alfa 146ti with 56k on the clock for £2,900. It's been the most reliable car I've ever had in the first 12 months of ownership (and that includes the MX-5, which was only a year old when I bought it), hasn't used a drop of oil and produces the most amazing engine note... The moral is don't believe everything you hear about Alfas. Mine's not so much as had a flat- and what else can you get for under £3k like it? Most of its contemporaries are a couple of grand dearer... In fact a Golf's three times as much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilB Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 [ QUOTE ] The moral is don't believe everything you hear about Alfas. [/ QUOTE ] Hear, hear! I'm sick to death the amount of stick that Alfa gets on German car sites. Niggly little things go wrong with any type of car, but it's always Alfa's that get it firmly in the teeth because of the rot boxes in the 70's and 80's that would rust away within 5 secs. I know 4 people with Alfa's a 145, 147, 164 and a 156 and they haven't had a major problem with them. It's the dealers like AC that ruin the experience of Alfa ownership, I just hope the promised kick up the arse has been given. But then again how many posts have been on here about dealers of Audi's looking down on people who walk in with jeans and t-shirts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimdiesel Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 I had a 166 3.0 Super Lusso for a year back in 2000 and it was great. The build quality was almost as good as the Audis I had before and since. And it was far superiour to the Mercedes I had afew years later. In 25000miles it had the following go wrong. New Rain Sensor (replaced under warranty) New Door Handles (chrome was pitting replaced under warranty) New cruise stalk (replaced under warranty) Other than that it was faultless apart from needing new front tyres every 4500miles. One of the most enjoyable cars ive ever owned, but the dealers were absolute pooh. I tried three of them and they were all just as bad as each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soapsuds Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Apparently, you are not a proper petrolhead until you have owned an Alfa!!!! Well,i have never owned or driven one..... I am a proper petrolhead though... I must say, build qulaity on modern mercs / audis / bmw's certainly isnt as bullet proof as a few years ago, probably down to the more electrics used etc. etc.!! Fact remains, French / Italian cars are very poor for reliability / build qulaity ACROSS THE BOARD...... its a bit like pot luck i suppose...... (just look at the latest Top Gear survey) I personally always fancied a 156 sportwagon diesel, but didnt like the old style and couldnt justify the depreciation on a new model!!! So, the A4 Avant it was...... As for Audi dealers looking down at you in jeans and t-shirt, i have to say i havent excperienced that personally. I was in my scruffs when i walked in and did the deal on the A4, with a strinking hangover, wreaking of booze!!! Got awesome service and a whack of a discount! Still, i hope Alfa can change - i might buy one then..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuntimeFrankie Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 I agree, there must be some VERY good Alfas out there, but if the company comes out low on various customer surveys, then GENERALLY the marque can't be that good, compared with the other names Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s4_sat Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 [ QUOTE ] I think Alfa's are good cars, and I'm sure the new 159 and Brera will be fantastic, and most likey be miles better than previous cars. However, Alfa will never get a decent result in the JD Power survey, purely because with dealers such as Arnold Clark, they're fecked from the day the car is sold to a customer, never mind reliability or depreciation!! The company I work for run a number of Alfa 147 company cars, and the service from the dealership is the worst I have ever seen. [/ QUOTE ] Oi, i work for Arnold Clark!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallachie Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 [ QUOTE ] Oi, i work for Arnold Clark!!!!!! [/ QUOTE ] Well I hope they treat their staff better than they treat their customers!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s4_sat Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Erm, of course they do. whereabouts do you get them serviced from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallachie Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 The one off Gorgie Road, Edinburgh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s4_sat Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Ahh, i see. i'll jus keep quiet then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theduisbergkid Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 I think that using JD Power is a realistic way of them measuring their performance. They should benchmark themselves against Lexus and see what they can do. Friends who have had Alfas love the cars, but the quality and dealers are lousy (so they say), but I accept that German stuff is not perfect either, look at Merc for example... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Problem_Child Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 To be fair I've never used a dealer so I can't comment on them. The independent specialist I used was probably the most enthusiastic mechanic I've ever met though... ...and my broken down at the side of the road score on the way to Le Mans this year was Germany 3, Italy 0... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrzed Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 [ QUOTE ] Hear, hear! I'm sick to death the amount of stick that Alfa gets on German car sites. [/ QUOTE ] Happens on Jappa sites too I would have loved to have gotten one but the Mrs is highly susceptable to hearsay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 The trouble with surveys such as JD Power and the Top Gear Survey is that they are inevitably, to a degree, subjective. The owner of a Jaguar XJ has very different perceptions and expectations than the the owner of a Vectra, for example. However, I think they do have a use when comparing cars from the same market sector. Although customer service is only one factor in these surveys, I think the customer service experience of a car owner will colour the way they respond to all factors. Alfa dealers do have a bad reputation, and if the experience of a good friend who was recently an Alfa sales manager (he's at another dealership now) is anything to go by, that reputation is deserved. Alfa cars have a poor reputation for, in particular, reliability of the electrics. They're still not up to Japanese standards in that respect, but they are alot better than Mercedes and some VAG models. I had a 156 2.0JTS as a hire car for a couple of days around two years ago. I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality feel of the interior - great design, solid & nicely damped switchgear, great overall fit and finish. Compared to the Merc C-Class I had a few weeks earlier, it was a revelation. So yes, Alfa are on course to beat the Germans on quality. After that they can have a go at the Japanese. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChadW Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 I want an Alfa but the fact that the number plate has to go there! RUINED! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 So true... have they sorted that for the 159? Not seen a registered one from the front... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilB Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 It's still in the same place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Arse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilB Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 There's not really anywhere else for it though. Unless theres an evo style number plate added Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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