Doctor Feelgood

Sydney Morning Herald

Friday January 25, 2008

Bill McKinnon

Alfa Romeo's load-lugger mixes performance and flair to produce the right prescription.

HAD A call the other day from a mate who owns a six-year-old Alfa Romeo 156 sedan. It's a 2.0-litre four-cylinder, with the trick Selespeed transmission - a manual gearbox with an automatic clutch.

He's had the car since new and loves it. I understand that. When I climb into an Alfa, I feel good. Even if, sometimes, the car itself doesn't.

He called because he has a problem. His Alfa has only 60,000km or so on the clock but there's an oil leak from the Selespeed. The fix will require the whole thing to be taken out. He's also up for a routine engine timing-belt replacement.

The bill for this lot is going to be about $5000. He's not exactly overjoyed about this but he has the fatalistic attitude of a true Alfisti. He thought something like this was going to happen one day. He just wanted me to tell him it was OK to cry, I think.

But guess what? He's considering another Alfa. His dealer is trying to persuade him, of course, that the incontinent state of his 156 is not really a problem but an opportunity to exchange it for a new model.

Evidence from the many Alfas we've tested at Drive suggests that the brand's once well-earned reputation for awful quality, reliability and durability is less deserved now.

Recent Alfas we've driven, especially the 159 (which replaced the 156), seem Teutonically solid. When the 159 sedan was launched in mid-2006 it won our comparison test against BMW's 3 Series, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and others.

The 159 Sportwagon is now available, with four engines options. There are two petrol and two turbo diesel engines - plus manual, Selespeed and fully automatic six-speed transmissions.

Starting money for the 136kW, 2.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol manual JTS is $52,990; a Selespeed version is $55,990. The 110kW, 1.9-litre, direct-injection, turbo diesel automatic is $57,990. A 147kW, 2.4-litre turbo diesel manual costs $58,990; $61,990 buys the automatic.

The 191kW, 3.2-litre V6 manual all-wheel-drive Sportwagon is $77,990; the auto is $80,990.

At base-model level, the 159 load-lugger is generously equipped at the price. Leather upholstery, roof rails, seven airbags, stability control, automatic dual-zone air, cruise control, rear parking sensors, a trip computer, 17-inch alloy wheels and a 10-CD stacker are included.

The standout for performance, refinement, fuel economy and value for money is the 2.4-litre turbo diesel with six-speed automatic, tested here. This is one of the more powerful four-cylinder oilers around, as evidenced by the fact it drives the relatively heavy 159 Sportwagon to 100kmh in a quickish - by diesel standards - 8.6 seconds.

With 400Nm of torque available from just 2000rpm, the 2.4-litre endows the 159 with beautifully strong, responsive, long-legged performance and V8-style mid-range punch. We haven't yet driven the 1.9-litre turbo diesel.

The petrol 2.2 is somewhat dulled by the 159's weight and has a deep thirst in town. The 3.2-litre V6, which we have tested in other Alfas, is weak in the mid-range compared with the 2.4, but at the top end it's a honey.

All-wheel-drive hardware, though, raises this model's weight to 1730-1750kg, so the 3.2-litre is no jet and fuel consumption is excessive - as much as double that of the 2.4. The top-of-the-line Sportwagon's circa-$80,000 asking prices are also hopeful rather than realistic. The auto's shifts are smooth and timely in most situations, to the extent that you rarely need to reach for the stick. In traffic, it has a keenness to shift down when unwarranted, especially when you are off the accelerator.

Always entertaining when the bitumen is smooth and sticky, Alfas have often struggled to maintain composure on our substandard surfaces.

The 159 cures most of the brand's handling ills. It displays confident, secure roadholding - helped by adhesive tyres - and fine balance for a large-ish, hefty front-wheel drive. Similarly, the excessive steering kickback, torque steer and rack shake of Alfas past have been largely eliminated here. The steering, though less tactile and direct than the 156, is still well-weighted and precise. You no longer have to fight the wheel in rough corners. The ride is firm, compliant and comfortable on most surfaces bar choppy bitumen.

Alfas also used to be difficult cars for normal-sized humans to sit in but their ergonomic eccentricities have been cleaned up in recent years.

Long travel is provided for the driver's seat, plus plenty of rake and reach adjustment for the steering wheel. Alfa's regulation wraparound, cockpit-style dash is retained in the 159 but not to the same extent as the 156. Deep-set circular instruments include a fake olde worlde-style tripmeter, where the numbers roll on to the display as though on individual wheels. Cute.

Upholstered in thick, aromatic leather, the driver's seat is firmly padded with longitudinal ribbing on the cushion, which also has a raised front section for added thigh support. It's comfortable and supportive on a long drive, though the lumbar adjuster is ineffective.

When four average-sized adults are in the car, rear-seat leg room is acceptable but with a taller driver up front who likes to push the seat back it's tight, with restricted foot room under the front seats as well. Adults also sit in slight knees-up posture.

The load area is shaped more like that of a large hatchback than a conventional wagon. The tailgate top mount is set deep into the roof. You have to lift objects up and over a pronounced lip, rather than placing them straight on to the floor as in most wagons.

That said, the 159 has a large cargo space, easily extended to a long 1.8 metres by folding down the 60-40 split rear seat back. This does not compromise front-seat travel or require the removal of the rear head restraints.

Safety and convenience items in the boot include a 12-volt outlet, load cover, a roll-out protective-mesh barrier, two nets and a few handy smaller bins as well. A full-sized spare on an alloy wheel is under the floor.

Our 159 test cars, including the 2.4-litre Sportwagon, have been tight, solid and trouble free. However, empirical evidence suggests that Alfa still has a long way to go to reach what many buyers regard as acceptable quality and reliability standards.

For example, in the industry benchmark JD Power 2007 UK Customer Satisfaction Index study, which surveyed 18,000 owners of 33 brands, Alfa finished third last ahead of Smart and wooden-spooner Chrysler.

In the same survey of French car owners, it finished eighth from the bottom; the Germans placed it ahead of 10 other brands.

But as my mate with the leaky 156 said when he had finished sobbing and regained his feisty disposition: "If I wanted a reliable car, I'd buy a Toyota and be bored to death."

I just kept doing the Sybil Fawlty routine, repeating "I knoooow ..." into the phone as he poured his heart out. You can't help some people.

FAST FACTS

ALFA ROMEO 159 SPORTWAGON 2.4JTD

Price From $58,990.

Country of origin Italy.

Engine 2.4-litre, four-cylinder, direct-injection turbo diesel.

Power and torque 147kW at 4000rpm; 400Nm at 2000rpm.

Performance 0-100kmh in 8.6 seconds.

Brakes Four-wheel discs with anti-lock.

Economy and emissions European standard test consumption figures are 11.9 litres/100km in the city and 6.0L/100km on the highway. CO2 emissions are 215g/km. The 2.4L automatic scores three stars in the Green Vehicle Guide.

Residual value About 52 per cent after three years, according to Redbook.

Safety rating Five stars out of five (Euro NCAP).

Pros Beautiful to look at, of course. Base models are good value for money. The 2.4-litre turbo diesel produces big numbers and performance. Much-improved handling, steering and ride. Safe and solid. Lots of gear. Large, versatile boot. Full-size spare.

Cons You might spend some time at your dealer's service department. Tight back seat space. The 3.2-litre V6 version is too thirsty and expensive. All variants could go on a diet. Auto can be unnecessarily busy in traffic.

Stars * * * (THREE STARS)

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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