2004 Alfa Romeo 156 Reviews

New life has been breathed into Alfa Romeo in Australia with the switch of control to the Italian head office; previously they were being brought in by a private importer. Price cuts and the introduction of new models have sparked buyer interest in new Alfas and Fiats.Sadly for sellers, but great news for buyers, the aforementioned change has resulted in lower prices on the used Alfa Romeo market.Though it’s supposedly just another mid-sized family car, the Italian designers of the Alfa Romeo 156 gave it plenty of verve in its design. Not only does it look great, the chassis has superb dynamics that appeal to those who really like to get out there and drive.Handling is what Italian cars are all about and the Alfa Romeo 156 doesn’t disappoint. It has a willingness to turn into a corner and once in there it has tenacious road grip. Steering is prompt and sharp and this car communicates to the driver as though it’s a sports machine.Few family sedans cry out to be taken for a run on your favourite bit of road early of a Sunday morning, but this Alfa Romeo just loves that sort of treatment.Despite looking like a sleek two-door coupe the Alfa 156 has four doors. The back doors are so well hidden that many don’t even realise they are there. The rear door handles are disguised as air extractor vents and we once had the experience of someone trying to get into the back of a 156 by squeezing in through the front doors.Once you’ve located the door handles, it’s reasonably easy to get into the back seat of the Alfa Romeo 156. However, the sporting heritage of the car’s shape shows up here and it doesn’t have the biggest of rear seats. Indeed the area back there is probably best left for children.The boot is also on the small side for a family car. The station wagon’s load area is a bit of a joke if you regard it as being a full wagon - but makes sense if you think of it as a coupe with an extended load area.Naturally, the Alfa wagon is much easier to load than the luggage area of a conventional two-door coupe. The Alfa Romeo 156 first arrived in Australia in February 1999 in sedan format with the station wagon being added in August 2000. In October 2003 the 156 got a major facelift that saw the traditional Alfa shield grille become considerably larger and stretching right down into the bumper. The tail was beefed out and a bit more brightwork added to the body.Power in the standard Alfa Romeo 156 range is provided by either a four-cylinder 2.0-litre or a 2.5-litre V6. The four-cylinder was upgraded to JTS specification midway through 2002 and we reckon it’s the one to buy. It not only has even more response, but also uses less fuel.In the usual Italian manner, the four-cylinder engine is the sporting unit aimed at the press-on driver, whereas the V6 is the luxury cruising unit. There is, of course, more acceleration from the V6 than the four, but the eagerness to work hard has been toned down.The Selespeed automated manual transmission used on many four-cylinder Alfa 156s, can be frustratingly slow and lumpy in the lower gears. We feel it’s better to buy a five-speed manual, but many have learnt to tolerate the Selespeed because they use their Alfa to commute in traffic. Try before you buy.The Alfa 156 V6 has a four-speed fully-automatic unit with semi-sequential options.An ultra-hot, very-expensive 156 GTA joined the range in August 2002. With a highly-tuned 3.2-litre V6, six-speed close-ratio manual box, bold body kit, big wheels tyres and brakes, it’s a real delight to drive. Look out for torque steer though, as it can try to take control of the wheel at times. The GTA didn’t sell all that well and was quietly discontinued in Australia in June 2004.Alfa Romeo is firmly established in Australia and there are a reasonable number of dealers. As is often the way with European cars, dealers tend to be concentrated in the major population centres and scarce in the bush.Servicing and spare parts prices are about average for this class. You can do some of the routine, non-safety items yourself but the engine bay is crowded and skinned knuckles aren’t unusual. Insurance can be expensive so make inquiries before falling head-over-heels in love with this Italian machine.Alfa Romeo 156 was replaced by the Alfa 159 in June 2006. The 159 is significantly larger so its introduction didn’t have the usual adverse affect on resale values that often occurs when a new model supersedes an old.New-generation Alfa Romeos are better built than the older models, however, we still see the occasional rough one, so be careful. We recommend that you always call on a professional before buying a car like this, although you can weed out the obvious duds by doing some initial checks yourself.A car like the Alfa Romeo 156 can fall into the hands of hard drivers because their very nature means they cry out to be driven to extremes at times. Signs of hard driving include severe wear on the tyres and lots of brake dust on the inside of the wheels and on the suspension inside of the guards.Look for body repairs; most easily spotted by mismatched paint on adjacent body panels, uneven gaps between panels, paint overspray on non-painted parts and ripples in what should be smooth metal.Make sure the engine starts easily and idles smoothly from the moment it gets going. Naturally the V6 will be smoother than the four, but the latter shouldn’t be rough.Engine performance from the 2.0-litre Twin Spark unit isn't great, but if it seems below par the engine could be suspect.A manual gearbox that isn't light in its action could be due for repairs. Do some fast changes from third down to second and feel for a reluctance to shift, or for funny noises.During your road test look for steering that wanders and feel for brakes that don't pull the car up evenly.Sports sedans don’t always get driven in a sporting manner, but it can be hard to pick which has received harsh treatment. A professional inspection should be regarded as essential. 

The Italian maker seems incapable of designing one that's mere transport, injecting a special flavour into even machines that would be built as “ordinary” cars by others.The Alfa Romeo 156 has the convenience of four doors, not the two you'd expect from its sporting coupe shape. The back doors are so cunningly disguised that many don't even realise they are there. Look at the shut lines, then at the handles pretending to be air vents and you'll see what we mean.Once you've opened the rear door, try the back seat for size, as it's not the biggest in the business. Indeed, the seat is probably best left for children or smallish adults. Big boofy Aussie blokes won't be happy back there.The 156 has been on the Australian market since February 1999 in sedan format; the wagon arrived in August 2000. In October 2003 it got a major facelift that led to the traditional Alfa shield grille becoming considerably larger and sitting right down into the bumper. The tail was beefed out and a bit more brightwork added to the body.Nevertheless, the original model still remains striking in its styling.The 156 has sold strongly from day one and a good number are on the used-car market. Take your time to shop between them, as there seems to be quite a variation in condition from best to worst.The boot is also on the small side for a family car. The station wagon's load area is a bit of a joke, if you regard it as being a full wagon, but makes more sense if you think of it as a coupe-wagon.Steering that communicates everything to the driver with plenty of detail on which they can make their next decision further enhances lovely handling and gives a huge amount of road grip. Few family sedans cry out to be taken for a run on your favourite bit of road early on a Sunday morning but this Alfa just loves that sort of outing.An ultra-hot, ultra-expensive 156 GTA joined the range in August 2002. With a 3.2-litre V6, six-speed close-ratio manual box, big body kit, extra large wheels, tyres and brakes it's a real delight to drive. Look out for torque steer, though, as it can try to take control of the wheel at times.The GTA was expensive, didn't sell all that well and was discontinued in June 2004.Alfa Romeo is firmly re-established in Australia. There are a reasonable number of dealers, both official dealers and independent operators. Alfa dealers tend to be concentrated in the major population centres and scarce in the bush.Servicing and spare parts prices are about average for this class. You can do some of the routine, non-safety items yourself but the bonnet isn't the easiest under which to work.Insurance can be expensive, so make inquiries before falling head over heels in love with this Italian masterpiece.The 156 was replaced by the Alfa 159 in June 2006. The 159 is significantly larger and its introduction may not have the usual adverse effect on resale values that often occurs when a similar new model supersedes an old one.Under the bonnetPower is provided by either Alfa's four-cylinder 2.0-litre engine or its upgrade to JTS specification midway through 2002. The latter is the one to go for because not only has it even more response than the earlier unit but also uses less fuel at the same time. There's also a 2.5-litre V6. In the Italian manner, the four-cylinder is the sporting engine, the V6 the luxury cruising unit.Many find the Selespeed automated manual transmission frustratingly slow-changing and harsh, especially in the lower gears when it's being used in the automatic setting, designated “city”. It's better to go for a conventional manual (to our way of thinking) but you may learn to tolerate the Selespeed if you're doing a lot of heavy-traffic work.When specified with a self-shifting transmission, the Alfa 156's V6 gets a semi-sequential four-speed, fully automatic unit. When used in automatic mode it's smooth and quiet in operation.Danger signsThese new generation Alfas are much better built than the older models. However, they can still fall into the hands of bad drivers and their very nature means they cry out to be driven hard.Look for body repairs. Most are easily spotted by mismatched paint on adjacent panels, uneven gaps between panels, paint overspray on non-painted parts and ripples in what should be smooth metal.Make sure the engine starts easily and idles smoothly from the moment it gets going. Naturally, the V6 will be smoother than the four. Engine performance from the 2.0-litre Twin Spark unit isn't great but if it seems below par, it could be suspect. The JTS is a significantly better unit.A manual gearbox that isn't light in its action could be due for repair. Do some fast changes from third down to second and feel for a reluctance to shift — or for funny noises.During the road test look for steering that wanders and feel for brakes that don't pull the car up evenly.By all means do your own checkout to the best of your ability but always call on a professional for the final say. 

That is, except for the French and the Italians who go out of their way to be different.The French keep churning out quirky looking cars like the Renault Megane with unusual features such as key-card entry.Meanwhile, the Italians keep plugging away with cars built for fashion-conscious drivers.When you step into the five-door Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon designed by "designer of the century" Giorgetto Giugiaro, you are instantly aware of this Italian heritage.For starters, you need to wear fine Italian shoes.Don't wear big Nike joggers or you won't get your feet into the footwell, let alone discern which is the loud and which is the stop pedal.Driving position is the second clue.You recline behind the wheel with your arms outstretched and your bum slung low like in an open-wheel racer. It's how the Italians like it.I prefer to be up closer to the steering wheel and found it difficult to get an ideal driving position. Yet the Italians imagine themselves good drivers and like the excitement of being slung low in a fast-moving vehicle. There's no denying the thrill.To further satiate the racing driver passion, the main instruments – tacho and speedo – are shrouded in a cowl that allows only the driver to see how fast they are going.And the other instruments – clock, fuel and oil pressure – are small, centrally located and angled toward the driver.Fire it up and the next thing you notice is the typical Italian exhaust note.It's not as loud, metallic and farting as it used to be, but it's still there. It's as much a result of typical Italian twin overhead camshafts as exhaust components.Wind the windows down and just enjoy it. You may have to wind the windows down anyway because ventilation is typically poor.Under way, the 156 has plenty of urge (0-100km in 8.3 seconds) from the two-litre direct-injection JTS engine, ably matched by a close-ratio, five-speed gear box.Unlike the Alfas of old, it is decidedly rubbery, slow and vague.Offsetting this feel is a sexy gear shifter made of a combination of highly polished and lacquered wood and brushed aluminium in a highly suggestive shape.The wood theme is continued in the rather largish retro steering wheel.It looks great and feels just fine but in our weather, sweaty hands will soon find it either slippery or sticky.Motoring is all about motion and you get plenty of that in the 156.There is none of the bland smoothness of an Audi, BMW or Mercedes. Instead there is plenty of scuttle shake, body twisting, torque steer and nose dive.This is despite a stronger chassis and a light and rigid vacuum-cast aluminium cross member at the rear.While these physical attributes may alarm the novice motorist, they entertain the driver who is bored with bland German drive characteristics.It certainly isn't dangerous. All the twisting, flexing and under/oversteering is predictable and controllable.Give me a bucking Alfa through the hinterland hills anytime over a can't-tear-'em German precision machine in which computerised technology divorces you from the physical realities of driving.

He just loves his Alfas but we have to admit to being a tad disappointed with Alfa's super stylish 156 Sportwagon, now with the excellent 2.0-litre JTS engine aboard.It just didn't knock our socks off the way the sedan did.Our test car was the five-speed manual version priced from $53,500. Selespeed auto adds $3000 to the price. 2.0-litre twin cam four cylinder engine delivers 121kW of power and 206Nm of torque, maximum torque from 3250rpm. JTS tag refers to Alfa's version of variable valve timing designed to produce more power while reducing fuel consumption.Performance is good without being earth-shattering. The wagon seems to take a little longer to get going than the sedan, but strangely turns in the same 0-100km/h figure of 8.2 seconds.Performance figures for the sedan and wagon are very close as are the dimensions and weight of the two vehicles. The wagon is only 11mm longer than the sedan and weighs just 50kg more.In day to day driving the wagon is a nimble thing, able to thread its way in and out of traffic easily and quick off the line. The engine likes to rev and it becomes apparent that revving it is the way to get the best out of it.Wagon is slightly more thirsty than the sedan at 8.9L/100km compared to 8.6, but both cars are still extremely light sippers – gratifying for a performance car.The wagon has been re-styled by "Designer of the Century" Giorgetto Giugiaro. The front has been completely restyled forward of the A-pillar with a grille that is bigger and features new headlights. Lower bumper area is also narrower than the previous version.We particularly liked the interior treatment in our test car, with its tan leather upholstery. Seats were comfy and the inside has a nice old world feel.Safety is enhanced Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), Motor Speed Regulator (MSR) and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) – all of which are standard.Six airbags are also standard – window air bags joining the front air bags and the side impact airbags fitted in the sides of the front seats.Alfa appears to have got placement of the foot pedals right with this one. They are right where the should be, instead of offset to the left.