2011 Alfa Romeo Mito Reviews

Graham Smith reviews the 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Alfa Romeo Mito as a used buy.

Ewan Kennedy reviews the 2009, 2010, 2011,2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 Alfa Romeo MiTo as a used buy.

Alfa is up against it in the performance tiddler class with its Mito TCT squaring up against the Volkswagen Polo GTi. Apart from selling for thousands of dollars less, the Polo GTi comprehensively out muscles the Alfa Mito while offering a similar level of equipment. Mito Sport TCT retails for $34,990 while the Polo GTi is $27,790.TECHNOLOGYThe Polo has 132kW versus the Mito at 99kW. It has 250Nm versus the Mito at 230Nm. It has a seven speed double clutch transmission versus the Mito's six speed double clutch unit. It would be a struggle for an Alfa dealer against this level of competition. But perhaps Mito buyers are what are called "Alfisti" — enthusiasts for the brand who have eyes only for an Alfa. They will probably go for the Mito TCT regardless.DESIGNIt's a cute looker that's for sure with a face that looks a bit like artist Edvard Munch's painting "The Scream." The pert rear end shares no styling cues with any other car and is topped off by dual exhaust tips and a pair of LED tail lights. Mito TCT gains auto stop/start which switches off the engine at the lights or when you come to a stop then starts it as soon as you lift off the foot brake. It's designed to save fuel and contributes to Mito TCT's 5.5-litres/100km — slightly better than the Polo GTi at 6.1. It comes with what Alfa calls DNA — multi drive modes for Dynamic, Normal or All weather responses.DRIVINGHandling is OK to a point spoiled by steering backlash on bumpy corners. The interior is stylish and functional but the driving position is strange unless you have short legs and long arms. The stop/start system has too much lag before re-igniting the engine at times leaving you high and dry and we came to grief with the hill holder function a couple of times on a steep hill — it didn't work.We can't understand why anyone would want this car in any mode other than Dynamic because the other modes feel like there is a sock in the intake. The engine is unusual in that it doesn't have an inlet camshaft, instead, it uses oil-activated solenoids to open and close the valves with wide variability. The thing is, Mito TCT has the lowest power output of all the Mito models. Others get 114kW up to 125kW. We'd go the standard manual Mito thanks.ALFA MITO TCTPrice: from $32,990Engine: 1.4-litre direct injection Outputs 99kW/230NmTransmission:seven speed double clutch transmissionBody: Three-door hatchEconomy: 5.5-litres/100kmWarranty: Three-years/100,000km

Why would you buy a small Italian car when there are some perfectly acceptable Japanese and Korean rivals for almost half the price? I actually don't have the answer because it's all to do with how an Alfa Romeo buyer ticks. Speak to these tragics and it's just the allure of Alfa - the smell of the leather, the sound of the exhaust, the feel of its tyres through corners, and the sense that it's a different car for a different personality.Buyers also had the knack - in earlier Alfa experiments - of mind-numbing dismissal of some embarrassing quality issues and an irregular reliability record. Some things change. The latest Alfa small car, the Mito, delivers transport that is one step left of the norm - owners call it a character - but there are unanswerable questions as to why. Yes, it can be cute to some. But unlike its well-executed and smile-inducing big sister Giulietta, the Mito is flawed - especially in its new dual-clutch version.VALUEYes, I know price is less a criteria than a desire by owners to prove they don't follow convention. There is a place in my world for these people, parked in the same room as those who fervently watch Home & Away. Alfa opens its Mito cabinet at a not insurmountable $29,990 for the manual. The test car is the TCT (twin-clutch transmission) at $2000 extra, $31,990.Its Euro rivals include the Golf 90TSI (from $24,990), Polo GTI ($27,790), Renault Clio 200 ($36,490) and Alfa's Fiat-badged mechanical clone, the 500 Sport ($24,990). There's very strong competition here. But this doesn't dismiss the Mito's high level of features and even its decent build quality.DESIGNIt's called cute by people who think pugs are the canine equivalent to Monica Belluci. No, the Mito isn't cute. It's just small. Styling cues are borrowed from other Alfa models - round tail lights, deep and narrow shield grille, and so on - but they're lumped onto a bulbous body that, in a previous article, I described as looking like Mr Potatohead with accessories. But it's functional and Italian and I bet that's one of the first times you've seen those two words in the same sentence.TECHNOLOGYThe big news is the Multi-Air head that uses solenoids to control the intake valves. This allows the engine management system to dictate how long these valves remain open and even delay closure until much of the trapped cylinder air is expelled. That makes it very efficient.The TCT's 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine has 99kW/230Nm, down from the manual-transmission model's 114kW/230Nm. The manual doesn't have the Multi-Air head and posts a 6.5L/100km economy compared with the TCT's brilliant 5.5L/100km. Part of the TCT's fuel saving is that head but also the stop-start system. The six-speed gearbox is a twin-clutch arrangment with electronic engagement (hence no clutch pedal). It's variously called DSG, Powershift and S-tronic by other companies. Mitos also gets Electronic Q2 which maximises torque transfer to the front wheels, effectively electronically simulating a limited-slip differential.Then there's Alfa's DNA program that gives drivers the choice of three modes - All Weather, Normal and Dynamic. All Weather is for snow bunnies, normal is for economy running and Dynamic is the only place you want to be if you have a heartbeat.SAFETYTop marks here with a five-star crash rating, electronic stability program, brake slip control, traction control, a hill holder, the Q2 electronic diff and seven airbags.DRIVINGEvery component of the Mito works hard to make you enjoy the ride. And the harder you push, the more responsive the car becomes. That's the essence of Alfa. The problem is that to get the most out of the car, you have to have the quiet winding road, the driving ability and the compunction to get out there and enjoy it. There's not much of that in Australia. Mito is also presented - and priced - as a city car and this marketing direction has blurred the little car's strengths. However, at least it's fun to drive when the conditions exist. As for the other conditions - city and suburbs - it's not entirely happy.Sure, it gets around. But the visibility is poor so it relies on its parking sensors. The TCT has an uncomfortable pause between pressure on the accelerator pedal and actual movement that can really get your heartbeat going when crossing a busy road.It should be driven only in its Dynamic mode. The Normal mode is too sluggish to enjoy. While we're on the subject of lag, the stop-start is commendable but has a restart time that is the slowest on the market. Add that to the gearbox lag and you have some interesting quiet times with yourself after the traffic light turns green.The three-door almost, literally, shuts the door on this being suitable for hauling babies or toddlers. In fact the high waistine and tiny rear windows may make it a dark, claustrophobic hole for any child. Rather, this is a car the for enthusiast who has downsized.VERDICTIt is the espresso of Alfa's cappuccino but the beans have a bitter after taste. It is enjoyable to drive when the road conditions are tights and twisty, or even when the freeway is running smoothly, but even the pseudo-automatic gearbox doesn't give much joy in the city.The Mito gets high marks for its innovative technology that has real-world benefits, but its the box they come in that is flawed. On top of that, it's fighting one-armed with the cheaper, faster, more engaging and more practical Volkswagen Polo. Not this time, Alfa.ALFA ROMEO MITO SPORT TCTPrice: $34,990Warranty: 3 years, 100,000km, roadside assistResale: 65%Service interval: 15,000km or 12 monthsEconomy: 5.5 l/100km; 128g/km CO2Safety equipment: seven airbags, ESC, ABS, EBD, EBA, TC, hill assistCrash rating: 5 starEngine: 99kW/190Nm (230Nm available) 1.4-litre turbo-petrolTransmission: Six-speed dual-clutch autoBody: 3-door, 4 seatsDimensions: 4063 (L); 1720mm (W); 1446mm (H); 2511mm (WB)Weight: 1170kgTyres: 215/45R17, space-saver spare