Alfa Romeo SportWagon Review (2000 to 2006)

Quick Summary

The 156 is the car that marked Alfa Romeo's global renaissance and the Sportwagon merely offers a different ending to this success story. If estate cars still mean frumpy antique dealers to you, the Alfa 156 Sportwagon is the perfect antidote.

Overall:

Models Covered: [1.6, 1.8, 1.9JTD, 2.0, 2.0 SELESPEED, 2.4 JTD, 2.5 V6])

BUFF THE MAGIC WAGON

The Alfa Romeo 156 was the car that finally upset German dominance in the compact executive saloon sector. An Alfa you could buy with real confidence new, it makes just as much sense used.
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History of the SportWagon

The 156 Sportwagon came from very good stock. An elegantly extended version of the car that won the European Car of the Year award, its credentials were already well founded by the time it made UK landfall in July 2000. What was perhaps a little less expected was quite how well integrated the conversion from saloon to sporting estate would prove to be. In fact, many hold the Sportwagon to be a better proportioned car than even the handsome saloon.At the time of launch, there was a choice of 1.6, 1.8, 2.0-litre Twinspark (with a choice of Selespeed sequential transmission) and 2.5 V6 which was also offered with the Q-system automatic transmission. Diesel buyers got a 2.4-litre JTD engine. Range designations were revised in 2001, with the Turismo becoming the entry-level car. The much-loved 2.0-litre Twinspark engine was retired in early 2002, replaced by the 2.0-litre JTS unit, a 165bhp direct injection technofest. At the same time, the 156's interior was given a mild makeover and 250bhp GTA versions of the saloon and Sportwagon were launched. Early 2003 saw the introduction of a budget 115bhp JTD diesel, sold alongside the existing 150bhp 2.4 JTD.The 159 arrived in February 2006 with the Sportwagon hitting the showrooms a little later, that spelt the end for these 156 models.
Used Alfa Romeo SportWagon for sale

Alfa Romeo SportWagon Road Test

You'll forget that you're in the presence of what loosely purports to be an estate car as soon as you drop into the driver's seat. Reassure yourself that your Sportwagon carries less luggage than the saloon, congratulate yourself on your sound choice, twist the key and go. Gone is the strange Italianate seating position of previous models. "If you can't get comfortable in this car", observed a company spokesman at the time of its launch, "then you need to see a doctor, not a dealer". The controls are angled towards the driver; so is the gearstick. Plus, there's a climate control system good enough to deliver everything from Malibu in March to Alaska in August.Select your favourite road. That one you love with the sweeping, open bends, the curving cambers and the blind brows. The Sportwagon is soon humming along it, the response to your every movement immediate. Your brain tells your hands to turn. The car responds as if it were eavesdropping. Rest to sixty occupies a mere 9.3 seconds in the 144bhp 1.8, 8.6s in the 155bhp 2.0 and 7.3s in the 190bhp V6. The 2.4-litre diesel may well be the pick of the range for the used buyer. It delivers 42mpg fuel economy along with an 8.4s 0-60mph time and oodles of mid-range pulling power. Be careful on very severely undulating roads in the V6 car as it can ground out at the front with the extra weight it's carrying.
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Buying an Alfa Romeo SportWagon

The 156 Sportwagon has had a mixed reliability record, with several niggling electrical issues marring an otherwise decent report card. The only major issue that has affected the 156 range is the problem some cars have had with porous engine blocks. This leads to compression loss although once detected much of this work should have been carried out under warranty. Later cars (2001 on) have largely had this problem ironed out. Look for shredded front tyres, worn suspension and kerb damage to alloy wheels and inspect the load bay for signs of damage. Be suspicious of cars other than the 2.5 V6 or the big diesel fitted with tow bars.
Used Alfa Romeo SportWagon for sale

Alfa Romeo SportWagon Typical Pricing

The first of the 2000 W plated 1.6-litre manual cars kick off proceedings at £4,100, with a 51-plated Veloce version retailing at around £5,300. Step up another 200cc to a 1.8-litre car and you'll need £4,400 for a W-registered Twinspark and £5,500 for a 51-plated Lusso. The 2.0-litre cars are probably the most commonplace, and these start at £4,400 for a 2000W plated Twinspark. A 2.0-litre JTS powered Sportwagon in Lusso trim starts at £7,500 for an 52-plated example. Expect to pay around £500 extra for Selespeed versions. The 2.5-litre models are rare beats, but they start at less than £4,900 for a 2000W plated Lusso manual. JTD diesels are the best bet if you plan on covering serious mileage and these start at a reasonable £4,600.
Used Alfa Romeo SportWagon for sale

Alfa Romeo SportWagon Parts

(based on a 2.0 Twinspark Sportwagon) A clutch assembly is around £138. Front and rear brakepads are around £50 per set of each, a rear exhaust box about £143 (excluding catalyst), a starter motor around £190. A replacement headlamp is about £145.
Used Alfa Romeo SportWagon for sale