Alfa 147 2.0

genetic

genetic

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I drive an old '98 Golf III GTS which I dearly love. Been such a reliable companion - very nippy, never given any issues, but it's just hit 230,000km.

A friend is selling his 2006 Alfa 147 2.0 with 140,000km for R60,000. I've driven it and all I can say is what a piece of machinery! It's got a flappy paddle gearbox, everything working 100%, just been through a major service, new tyres and new cambelt.

Is it worth getting rid of my old trusty Golf for a (typically notorious) Alfa?

It's quite a leap ahead in terms of technology, but I'm not sure if it's a wise choice. I really love the Alfa's drive though. It really does puts a grin on my face when I get behind the wheel! :D
 
Check the cost of servicing and maintaining it vs. your Citi Golf. I am lead to believe maintenance on Alfas' can be quite high.
 
Normally when people ask me if Im married, I tell them that if I want problems in my life, I'll just buy an Alfa.
 
Don't do it. It may be ok now, but you never know what the future holds with a second hand Alfa. IMO of course.
 
Full service history? If so go through it and see if it has any history of electrical issues.

Which model is it? 3 door or 5 door? and Selespeed?

I must admit I test drove a fair amount of Alfa's when I was car shopping last year, and I found all of the selespeed variants very disappointing, that gearbox annoyed the heck out of me.
 
Unless you are buying a brand new Alfa, beware.

I have owned 6 of them and they tend to be like the sexy little girl whom you notice at the office party, and think about when you go back to your sweet little wife....

Nice to think about but could be a handful of trouble down the road.

Stick to the Golf ;)
 
Fazda said:
Unless you are buying a brand new Alfa, beware.

I have owned 6 of them and they tend to be like the sexy little girl whom you notice at the office party, and think about when you go back to your sweet little wife....
Nice to think about but could be a handful of trouble down the road.

Stick to the Golf ;)
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LOL!! :D
+10
 
Another thing you need to be aware of is if it's a T-Spark, it has 2 spark plugs per cylinder and you can't just use cheapies. My folks have one and while it's quite tempremental and some of the electronics have gone wonky, it's a hoot to drive.
 
Derrick said:
Full service history? If so go through it and see if it has any history of electrical issues.

Which model is it? 3 door or 5 door? and Selespeed?

I must admit I test drove a fair amount of Alfa's when I was car shopping last year, and I found all of the selespeed variants very disappointing, that gearbox annoyed the heck out of me.
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FSH, no known electrical issues. It's the 3 door Selespeed.

I'm at crossroads with this one. I'm reluctant to get rid of my Golf. Maybe I should rather wait and get something a little less notorious...
 
genetic said:
FSH, no known electrical issues. It's the 3 door Selespeed.

I'm at crossroads with this one. I'm reluctant to get rid of my Golf. Maybe I should rather wait and get something a little less notorious...
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Well the price is below trade which is good, but the mileage counts against it there so it sounds like a fair deal.

Did you like the driving experience even with the selespeed?

Then is the only reason you want to get rid of your Golf the ever increasing mileage? No day to day problems? Still nippy and reliable? Fuel consumption still a good?

Then consider if getting rid of it is such a good idea. High mileage is only bad if the car is giving you issues, if it isn't then you might as well keep it a bit longer. And is the upgrade from your Golf to the Alfa really a large jump? It's got more toys, but is it a better car? What about using your Golf for another year and then looking at something in a higher price bracket?

Also, high mileage Alfas don't hold their value well, are you willing to deal with that depreciation?

If I was in your position I'd probably stick with the Golf and save for a bit longer, the aim a bit higher than the Alfa you're looking at.
 
Some sound advice there! Thanks Derrick! :)

I quite enjoyed the Selespeed - although I haven't spent enough time in it to truly test it out. I did notice some lag in gear changes though. There's nothing wrong with my Golf, besides the typical wear and tear components that get replaced during regular services, it's still running 100%. Fuel consumption good IMO for a 1.8L. +- 700km on a tank (mixed city / freeway driving).

High mileage is the only reason I'm looking at replacing it. Was looking at some Audi A3's recently, but when I saw the Alfa I thought it could be a good reason to make the change.

I'll probably stick with what I've got for now, and see what else is out there. No rush...
 
genetic said:
Some sound advice there! Thanks Derrick! :)

I quite enjoyed the Selespeed - although I haven't spent enough time in it to truly test it out. I did notice some lag in gear changes though. There's nothing wrong with my Golf, besides the typical wear and tear components that get replaced during regular services, it's still running 100%. Fuel consumption good IMO for a 1.8L. +- 700km on a tank (mixed city / freeway driving).

High mileage is the only reason I'm looking at replacing it. Was looking at some Audi A3's recently, but when I saw the Alfa I thought it could be a good reason to make the change.

I'll probably stick with what I've got for now, and see what else is out there. No rush...
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No worries, hope what I'm saying makes sense, it how I convinced myself to keep my A3 for a while longer even though its fairly high mileage too(205k kms).

Which A3's were you looking at? The older 8L shape(1998 - 2003(i think, was either 03 or 04)) or the newer 8P models(post 2004)?

Judging from that Alfa's price I assume its the 8L shape. Coming from an A3 owner let me tell you that they are awesome...if you get one that's been looked after. But I'm not sure how much of an upgrade they will be(feature wise that is) over your Gold III. The power advantage is there(if you go for the 1.8 turbo, I've personally got the non turbo because I couldn't pass up on the deal) and it will have some nice toys(climate control, 7 speaker Bose Concert sound system, 20v rev happy engine etc) but I can't help thinking it's not a large enough upgrade over the Golf III for the money.

On the plus side servicing and parts are relatively inexpensive as long as you stay away from Audi themselves, and the interior ages quite well(looks dated but still holding up). I get around 750kms to the tank doing 100kms a day combined.

/OT
 
R60k is high. Your friend isn't doing you any favors. You'll probably find one with the same or lower KMs for less.

Fazda said:
I have owned 6 of them and they tend to be like the sexy little girl whom you notice at the office party, and think about when you go back to your sweet little wife....
Click to expand...

You've owned 6 Alfa 147s?
 
I was actually looking at the A3 (8P) variants. Budget was a max R150,000 - but eventually decided to wait a bit. Saw some awesome A3's in the R150,000 - R200,000 mark which was more than I was willing to spend. I was also looking at the Golf 5 (2.0 FSi) but preferred the Audi. I love the (newer) A3's shape. Very sexy indeed!

An A3 is a much safer bet than the Alfa IMO. When I saw the Alfa for R60k, I thought it could be a steal!
 
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