highlandsflyer":yo234ky0 said:
Alfa 147?
Damn fine wee motors!
Yes they are, with some reservations...
1/ Avoid anything with a Selespeed gearbox. It's dire. In the same way that syphilis is dire, but the selespeed is probably more irritating and harder to get rid of.
2/ The 3.2l V6 GTA model might
seem like a bargain hot hatch, but if you've already had a Golf R32, forget it. The GTA is very quick, and has an induction noise that will make you moist. But in almost every other respect its a very poor car. It understeers like its been driven over a Police stinger, and has the turning circle of the Ark Royal. Compared to the R32, it'll be a total disappointment.
3/ 1.6 litre petrols were / are gutless. In fact the 2.0 litre petrol is (in my book) only
just tolerable. It pains me to say it, but the best ones are the diesels (ugh... :facepalm: ). (Alfa petrols have been bloody awful for years. In '07 I was lusting after a 159, but a test drive in a 2.0 petrol version put me right off. It felt so slow I thought there was actually something wrong with it. I ended up with a Mazda 6 MPS, a 260bhp 4 wheel drive performance saloon that was stealthier than a B2 bomber and more comfortable than a feather bed. I really miss that car.)
4/ The Q2 versions have an LSD and the 150hp diesel. So they go well, and have plenty of traction... That's the one to have.