Alfa Romeo 156 1.8 TS Lusso Review

Overall Rating

The selespeed gearbox. Its a great idea and you do feel a little like Michael Schumaker when using the whell=mounted gear changebuttons, but the 'box's change from 1st to 2nd is a little awkward and when changing down automatically on the approach to a junction it occasionally catches you out by shifting into 2nd or even 1st unexpectedly and making you look like a bit of a chump when you put your foot down to pull away. The 'City' mode is again a great idea - fully automated gearchanges up and down the gearbox. However, its not as intelligent as a stndard auto 'box, tends to allow revs to build too high before changing up, and just isn't that useful in 'real-world' inner city driving. I tend not to use it, prefering to use the sequential gear shift (gear knob).
Gear changes in the Selespeed aren't as smooth as those in a full auto 'box, though admittedly once you get above 4,000 rpm changes seem to speed up a bit and become more precise.
All in all a briliant idea but not terribly well executed. I hope Alfa stick with it though and give it further development - it deserves to be developed into the work of genius it could so easily become. Go on Alfa - you know it makes sense.
In the one week I have owned the car I have noticed a squeeky fron supsension system - particularly pronounced on cold mornings. I suspect this is just an old shock absorber beginning to give warning of an early passing...
The tailgat lock - I've hit my head on the damn thing about 10 times since I bought the car - its in just the wrong place and protrudes too far - a eal liability when loading the boot.
Despite the fact theb Speedwagon is effectivley an estate car, it has a tiny boot. I knew this and it doesn't bother me at all, but be warned!

Stunning looks - I bought the Selespeed version of the Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon and think it looks superior to the saloon. Superb steering - I have driven virtually every make of car there is from Peugeot to Audi and from Vauxhall to Ford and Citroen but have nver come across a car that is so easy to guide around a corner at speed. Very direct, unflustered even over irregular surfaces and pin-sharp. After a 'sloppy' Vauxhall Omega it took a few days to get used to a car steering like it ought to... Lovely design of the interior - looks sporty and seats are supportive and well designed. The light on the clock has gone but this is easy to forgive. The dash looks like a sports car dash and you can easily forgetthat you're in a relatively 'safe' family-friendly wagon. Some of the fittings and shut-lines aren't as precise as you would expect from an Audi or Beemer, but for the price the 156 is a marvel. I paid significantly less than 4,000 for a 5 years old model but would have had to pay a few grand more for an Audi of similar performance and age. And it still looks great! has a few minor 'dinks' and blemishes, but nothing you wouldn't expect from a 5 yr old car.
Best bit of all is the 2.0 twin spark engine. This is a real gem - a work of passion and engineering excellence. It comes on song at around 3,000 rpm, but goes mental after 5,000 and screams like a banshee up to 7,000 rpm redline. By the time you get there in 4th you could be doing well over 100 mph (on a German autobahn). Never driven a 2.0 which feels like it always wants more revs - the thing feels alive and it encourages you to thrash it to within an inch of its life. A week after buying the car I still have the urge to get up extra early on Saturday morning so I can give it 'a good seeing to' on the sweeping bends near the Lotus car factory in Norfolk. takes a special sort of car to make a grown man feel like a teenager again.... A very pretty car, built with what can only be described as 'Italian Flair' - dare I say, (yes I know its a cliche) with real 'passion'. Can most owners say that about their Beemers and Audis? I think not. The engine deserves to be paced in the Science Museum as a thing of beauty and performance in its own right, whilst the interior provides an object lesson to all other 'prestige' manufacturers in how to make an exciting environment for the driver without resorting to leather, baubles and cheap gimmicks. Alfas of old were always pretty, handled brilliantly and went like stick. So does the 156, but it also has some solidity - it doesn't rattle over bumps and feel relatively well put-together. My initial impressions are that we are going to enjoy a beautiful relationship, but I may feel differently in a few months time when the notoriously unreliable Selespeed 'box decides to join Pavarotti in the great graveyard of flawed Italian geniuses.

Members' Comments onGuest's Review

• FlyGuy on 15th Apr 2008

  Some detailed info, thanks for the fab Review.