Alfa Romeo 159 Review Covering 2006 To Date

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Quick Summary of the Alfa Romeo 159

OVERALL

The Alfa 159 Sportwagon is a car that rewards a little patience. While Alfa build quality is on a sharply ascending curve, there remains some variability between individual cars and it’s worth having a look at a few examples before settling on one. Find a decent one and it should be no more or less reliable than an equivalent Saab or Volvo. Of all the engines offered, the 2.2-litre JTS petrol and the 1.9-litre JTDm diesel are the best choices but the others are no slouches either.

WAGON

This might sound like a stuck record but the 159 Sportwagon is an Alfa Romeo that you can countenance buying used. I’m guessing this was probably said about the 156 and the 155 before. Maybe not the 75 but with each subsequent generation of Alfa Romeo models, the Italian manufacturer closes the quality gap on the better cars in its sector. Alfa has pulled its socks up and the results are apparent in improving independent customer satisfaction surveys. Of all the current Alfa models, the 159 rates highest and of all the 159s, the 159 Sportwagon offers the most alluring blend of panache and practicality. It has to be worth a punt.
Used Alfa Romeo 159 for sale

History of the 159

Alfa had quite some time to iron out the issues with the 156 Sportwagon. On sale from 2000 to 2006, this model started off good and became very well sorted by the time it was replaced. The 159 Sportwagon was not only bigger but a whole lot cleverer as well, arriving in dealerships in April 2006, Alfa Romeo’s ill-starred alliance with General Motors stalling the introduction of the 159 a little. Sales have been steady ever since. Alfa introduced a Q-Tronic automatic gearbox for the 159 turbodiesel models in January 2007 and a TI version in July 2007. The entry-level 160bhp 1.9 JTS petrol engine was replaced by a 140bhp 1.8-litre MPI unit in mid-2007 which offered company car drivers better emission and economy figures.
Used Alfa Romeo 159 for sale

Alfa Romeo 159 Road Test

It’s not worth pretending that the Alfa 159 can hold a candle to a BMW 3 Series as an enthusiast’s performance car. Its front wheel drive chassis precludes that but with the option of all-wheel drive versions at the top of the range, the 159 has an advantage when it comes to all-weather security. Perhaps the 3 Series is the wrong car against which to benchmark the 159. It seems a more natural competitor to top-end Honda Accords and Saab 9-3s. This ‘sub premium’ compact executive sector still yields significant returns and is populated by cars like the Volvo S60 and the Jaguar X-TYPE, cars which the Alfa compares very favourably to.Five engines are on offer, split between two diesels and three petrol powerplants. The entry-level diesel option is the 150bhp 1.9-litre Multijet unit, while the range-topping diesel variant is the 2.4-litre 200bhp Multijet JTD. This is an absolute stormer, capable of zipping to 60mph in a tad over 8 seconds. JTS petrol engines start with a 1.9-litre 160bhp four (replaced by a 140bhp 1.8-litre MPI unit in mid-2007), with a 2.2-litre 185bhp powerplant above that. Of more interest to serious petrol heads is the 260bhp 3.2-litre V6, based on a Holden unit from Australia and rebuilt to a special Alfa recipe. The manual transmission offered has been improved from the lazy, long-throw change of the 156 but there’s also the choice of a six-speed automatic and a six-speed Selespeed sequential manual.
Used Alfa Romeo 159 for sale

Buying a Alfa Romeo 159

One advantage of the 156’s long lifespan was that Alfa could well and truly iron out its faults. The company wisely carried over certain mechanical parts to the 159 and as such, it has had a refreshing lack of teething issues. Check the driver information system for faults and ensure the controls for the ventilation system all function as they should. The 2.4-litre diesel-engined car has quite an appetite for front tyres, so make sure these have the requisite tread depth and consistent wear rate. Alfa dealers once had a rather patchy reputation but some serious investment is starting to pay dividends with regards to service quality.
Used Alfa Romeo 159 for sale

Alfa Romeo 159 Typical Pricing

The Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon range starts at just under £13,000 for a 1.9-litre JTS Turismo model but do bear in mind that this model was almost uniformly ignored in favour of the 2.2-litre JTS engine, examples of which start at around £13,500 in Turismo form. From here, it’s quite a step up to the first of the diesel models, the 1.9 JTDm Turismo, which opens at around £15,250. You’ll still need north of £20,500 to land one of the first 3.2-litre JTS V6 Q4 all-wheel drive variants.
Used Alfa Romeo 159 for sale

Alfa Romeo 159 Parts

(based on a 1.9 JTS) 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 159 for sale

Alfa Romeo 159 Rated

Performance Performance 4 out of 5

Comfort

Handling

Economy

Styling

Equipment

Build

Depreciation Depreciation 3.5 out of 5

Insurance

Value

Alfa Romeo 159 Review2006 To Date