Alfa Romeo 156 2.0 T-Spark Selespeed Review

Overall Rating

Excellent performance for price (compare 3-series, SLK, Audi TT and A4).
Great looks, especially new 2003 facelift: People stare!

High depreciation rate
Worries about reliability, but nothing's gone wrong yet

The Alfa 156 2.0 T-Spark Selespeed is an excellent car and I highly recommend it. To get 0-100 in 8.2s at this price in a 4-door is amazing. It's also one of the most beautiful cars on the road - only the exotics look better in my view - it bucks the trend of featureless Germans. Absolutely nothing has gone wrong on mine yet - although I've only got 600 miles on it (so touch wood!). The engine note above 4000 rpm is gorgeous. I still remember the first time I pulled out to pass on the motorway and the Selespeed double-clutched in something less than 1/2 a second. I was jammed back into my seat and listened to an amazing soundtrack coming from under that sharp-nosed bonnet. I read a lot of negative reviews about the Selespeed transmission and I think a lot of people aren't taking the time to figure out how to use it properly. I rarely use the fully automatic "city" mode, which does lurch a bit at low speeds (because it's programmed to stay in 1st too long, which is good when accelerating quickly but not when cruising). Just shift yourself: you will enjoy it so much more and realise what this car can do! The automatic clutch is the best part of the Selespeed (rather than the change programming, which takes away control from the driver in a very driver-oriented car).The other thing to make changes smoother is to feather the throttle a bit at gear changes: ie, don't drive it like a full automatic. Yes Selespeed has an automatic clutch, but it is a dry clutch just like a manual and to make it perfectly smooth you still have to think about matching engine and transmission speed (if only a bit). Selespeed does most of the work for you but you still need to anticipate and feel what the car is doing.

Members' Comments onmarkmark's Review

• JamesO on 1st Feb 2005

  Would be interested to hear how it's been after a couple of years of ownership or about 20k miles, that's usually enough for an Alfa to start falling apart.

• fradaja on 9th May 2005

  i used to sell alfa when the selespeed was launched i had a 100 percent strike rate on this vehicle because i used to "challenge" customers to find a more fun car to drive that looks as good and is as practical for the same money.It's one of the only "true" sequential gearbox's in production with a manual gearbox and a hydraulic actuator to do the changes for you (direct from ferrari)as far as i know there are no production cars with this.And on the right roads (try the a46 snake pass on an early sunday morning in summer)you will find it hard not to feel like Jason Plato,try to keep the grin off ya face. i used to go into a frenzy when selling this car because it broke the mold for family saloons and married three main ingredient's looks/style-that awseome sounding four pot engine (it sings like a castrati)-the handling (turn in is pinpoint and quick).Back to my frenzy i once during the middle of a cold spat on a very well healed bank swiss high flyer's hand which was perched on the joystick whilst on roadtest,such was my rantings,the oral projectile was sea-sick green in colour and was of substancial size and weight............he still bought the car.Now,that city button and your right foot,it's very clever you see it "learn's" your driving style,and you can manipulate it by the odd prod and feather for instance during over-taking,and your in fourth or fith (around 35mph)and you've got a lorry to get round say you want second, prod the accelerator to the floor once,you'll hear the engine double d,that's second gear, second prod and the lorry's gone,for other gear's try prodding the accelerator but not as far say 3/4 for 3rd or half for for fourth,the second time you hit the accelerator you will be passing in the gear and the briskness you desire.Fun fun fun fun fun i say fun.
  Now traffic 1st and second gear crawl's can be comfatably achieved with just backing off the a peddle at the right time, so just depress the peddle in first, then just ease your foot off when you want to change up, don't forget it's actually a manual gearbox and will do this smoother than many driver's can,after time in city mode the car will learn from you and you from it! it's very clever! and can make driving a joy i used to commute from south london to frien barnet in north london everyday very smoothly and got to truly learn the gearbox and it learnt about my drving style.However there are gremlin's and the computer which control's the gearbox sometime's goes into idiot mode and start's to act up, one of my customer's had a 355 with the same trouble.
  I don't sell car's anymore but selling this car was definately a high point.
  But to summurise,if these car's were built by say Honda or Toyota, then they would be close to perfect, but then again would probably have no soul,which is definately not what these car's are about.

• Dr C on 6th Oct 2009

  I found this review very helpful because...
  I'm considering purchasing a 2004 156 2.0L Selespeed and really don't know much about them. I've been driving a 1979 911 Porsche Targa SC in the US for about 15 years. Currently in Mexico and looking for relieable, interesting and fun transportation. I am impressed with the car's features and appearance but, of course, that is not really the right reason to buy a car, although it's a contributory component. This article provides some useful background and information, particularly with regard to the use of the Selespeed transmission.