Alfa Romeo 156 2.0 Twin Spark

My first 156 was 99 TS 2.0 with stock parts still fitted. It was awesome and that experience led me to purchase newer 156 2.0 JTS 2003 station wagon model. JTS sounds IMHO more rad and it does accelerate faster 0-100km/h in 8.2s while TS 2.0 does it in 8.6s according to official handbook specs. Now after owning BMW 520i, I am back to Alfa Romeo 156 1998, 2.0TS with Novitec adjustable fitted. I did little bit of tuning on this after purchasing and it's the best driving enjoyable car ever I owned thus far! My next Alfa will be 156 2.5 V6 which sounds awesome and does 0-100km/h in 7s! As for the reliability, if you know how to add up the engine oil and how to clean the car properly, it won't let you down! Car is just a car, any car needs a good care!

I bought my Alfa Italian male car for £1000 beginning of the year and i Love it, i have had all german cars before the performance is so different, Its smooth and very comfortable, Its only been the past week He's had a problem where oil has been getting into the spark plugs, But He will be sorted today. having a good service and being checked over. Alfas Love attention being on road and off if you look after it, It will then look after you.

I've only had this car for about 4 months and, it being my frist Alfa, I was not aware of how much oil it likes to drink. My previous diesel BMW didn't need any oil added between its extensive service intervals.

Anyway, as a result of my neglect bourne through ingnorance, my Alfa's engine now rattles like a tractor, apparently as a result of the Variator failing due to lack of oil. It's going in to the workshop tomorrow to have this replaced along with the cam belts (may as well get this done at the same time as they seem to go readilly), so I'm looking forward to being able to drive this lovely, lively car again performing as it should do.

This said, I do love my Alfa and would recommend this car to others, but beware, it does require quite a bit of TLC.

so many horror stories, this is my first alfa and i have been pleasantly

surprised at how easy to live with it has been.

service costs are much the same as my previous German cars.

but this car get under your skin very quickly.

will definitely buy another.

i bought the alfa 156 2.0 twin spark sportswagon on monday 26th oct , sounds brilliant, goes well its just had the cambelt changed the clock has 144k on it and thats fine i dont do alot of travelling anyway but i have full service history with it bought it private so fingers crossed everything goes well , i will have it serviced as normal every so often if i look after it i hope it will look after me but overall im very happy with it and wouldnt change back to a BMW now.

This is the first alfa i have owend due to ther past reputation as, shall we say atractors of rust & not being to reliable. Anyway pleased to say purchased of ebay for £1200 & apart from oil & filter & areplacement rad, had no problems even drove to satu mare in romania in may this year. I know sounds crazy but she never missed a beat. All in all chuffed to bits,will stick with alfa from now on. P.S. she,s 156 ts 2.0 .

I have an Alfa Romeo 156 TS Selespeed 2002. Great performance. Fast. Secure.

Great Italian designed car considering everything you get from it.

I'f you are like me, and service the car yourself, giving it the love and care it truly deserves, you will not be disappointed.

If you nurse an Alfa, it will reward you.

Modern Alfas are able to compete in terms of perforance and quality, with most other comparable marques. Certainly, there is little risk of them rusting to bits like the cars of old, which were not built for our variable climate.

Perhaps I am less than objective, but I still think they represent good value for money, given their pedigree and cachet.

The Alfa Romeo 156 was amazing value or money at £1700 (April 2007) and has been very reliable, probably because it has been properly serviced and covered only 65k miles. The car is well put together and nothing like older Alfas I've owned. Everything works perfectly, not so much as a blown bulb.

Interior comfort is good and the car is comfy for medium range journeys - I take my Citroen C5 if I'm driving to Bordeaux, the Alfa for a 100 mile sprint around North Wales. Even though she's an old bus the Alfa looks good in the company car park (better than the rows of brand new German stuff!) and the cabin is quiet. I love the eight hole alloys as they are easy to keep clean and look good.

I had to put a new radiator in after a stone went through the grille and holed it, but that was cheap (£80 for the part) and pretty easy to do. The car will need a cam belt next summer but I've found a dealer who does them for £170 so no fears there and the Fiat derived engine isn't using any oil, even when given plenty of stick.

I've owned 60 plus cars over the last 25 years (just sold a gorgeous and near perfect heavily tuned MGB GT) and I would put this car in the top three for performance, value and comfort. All great cars are good at compromising, and this a great compromise car. It won't out drag a Caterham of course, nor does it have the comfort of my C5, and the boot can't hold as much as the Xantia Estates I have owned, but it does what I need it to do very well and I look forward to driving it every time I get in.

When I change this car I will probably get the 2.4 diesel, possibly an estate. I can highly recommend the 156, it wasn't car of the year 1998 for nothing. Ignore the mechanically uneducated who slate the Alfa 156. They are nowhere near as bad as they as if they have been looked after properly, like any car.