I just need some opinions on Alfa diesels, quite like the GT.
My daily runner is a 2004 Mini Cooper S, which has been great but I'm now looking to sell my flat in Banbury and hopefully buy a house with a garage somewhere around Northampton.
I'm based in Brackley for work so I'm considering something a bit more economical as a daily runner.
However I don't always need to drive to Brackley every day, I'm a engineer that is either in the workshop or out covering the UK on service calls which I take a work car home for.
So I may drive in on Monday and not take my car home till Friday, it's totally varied.
I have also considered a hydrogen fuel for the Mini seen it onCe before but I need to do a bit more research on it.
I would like to keep the Mini, it's good fun and reliable plus it's silver like my coop.

It's the same engine range as used in Fiat Bravo, Saabs, GM... I'm coming up to 155k on my 150 Multijet Bravo; mid-high fifties commuting 65 miles each way.

I run an Alfa GT 1.9 JTDm - bought it to save me racking up the miles on the Coupe

I bought it cheap, with 150,000 miles on it, knowing that it would need a clutch and turbo eventually - now at 190,000 miles and both of these jobs are now done and the car runs very well - returning 47-50mpg on my stop-start commute and nearer 55mpg on a long gentle motorway run

Its comfortable, quiet, quick enough for the daily slog. Its hugely practical (room for four adults and a huge boot). More importantly, its Italian and it looks good.

There are many cars that would be a better prospect - cheaper, more economical, more reliable, better residuals etc etc, but I wanted something that was a bit different - been very pleased with it

PS - remember that the GT was the last Alfa 1.9 diesel NOT to use a DPF - the 159/Brera engine uses DPFs which can be problematical if used on short journeys

Does the GT suffer from rust much ? I think I remember a specialist recommending these are wax-oiled.

Yes - the 147/156/GT can suffer quite badly from rust in the floorpan & sills - mine is fine, because it had an oil leak for 30,000 until I had the crank oil seal done while the clutch was being replaced

You're looking at circa ten-year-old Italian steel, so it always pays to get underneath and have a good look around

Paul had a GT in at Motormech a couple of weeks ago that looked like it had been sat up to its driveshafts in seawater - took a lot of wire brushing and waxoyling to put right, but thankfully, it was only surface rust

There's a few stories of holed floorpans, so be careful

Nigel, is the 1.9 Alfa engine recommended over the 2.4?

No, you're not mad, a diesel GT is a thing to behold!

Any excuse to show mine off :

depends what you want - the 2.4 is more powerful, much nicer sounding, more tuneable, but significantly more thirsty

GT and 147 were never built with the 2.4

In the 159 and Brera, the economy suffers even more, as the car is about 300kg heavier than the 147/156/GT

There are several different versions of the 2.4 available in the 156, ranging from about 130bhp to about 180 - the 20v is the most powerful, but not as reliable as the 10v models

If you want to have a drive (and you have insurance) you are welcome to come and try my GT

I had a 156 2.4 10v remapped to 217bhp, with just a decat pipe - it gave me 50mpg easily, was comfortable, a nice place to be, good sound and quick as well as reliable. Overall the best car I've ever had.

I sold the 156 when the clutch went and "upgraded" to a 159 2.4jtd which was hard to get over 40mpg, not as quick (heavy) and extremely unreliable, albeit fantastic to look at inside and out. Maybe I was unlucky but on my experience I'd recommend the 156 with a remap

Until recently I had an Alfa 159 2.4. Absolutely loved it. I had the 210hp one, which had been tuned by Alfatune, it had the egr blanked and the DPF removed as well as a remap, which resulted in 280bhp, smooth delivery, and best of all 45+MPG. I even got 52MPG when traveling below speed limit (average speed cameras on M3). Realistic every day driving in town and country I was getting around 42mpg. Standard they struggle to get 35.

I would thoroughly recommend this engine, with the state of tune mentioned above. It even sounds good!

One of my most fav cars i have owned. Tempted to get another! It was also the most reliable car i have owned! in 2 years of ownership, nothing went even remotely wrong! Only a service and 4 new tyres.

I can't say anything about the 1.9 diesel but I did have a 159 2.4 Q4 which lasted under a year. It needed a new gearbox at 8,000 miles however the killer for me was that it managed only 29mpg compared to the 156 2.0JTS that it replaced which was averaging 32mpg. I went back to petrol..

I just got a GT 1.9 JTDM Blackline.
It looks like this, and includes the gorgeous Cloverleaf Alloys and a Bose sound system.

Faults when I got it included 2 glow plugs and the window retractor mechanism. I've heard that door handles can break too.

It has lots of power and torque and I get about 45 mpg on a congested run between Newbury and Heathrow.

Interior is really nice but the Brera / Coupe dashboards are nicer. Lots of room in the back seats, and folding rear seats so I can put bikes etc. in there.

At motorway speeds the engine is just ticking over at 2000 rpm. It eats long journeys, and did I mention it has about as much torque as the Coupe 20VT?

What you miss compared to the Coupe is the beautiful engine note and there's so much sound deadening etc. that you don't really feel the road in the same way through the steering and suspension.

Considering I'd prefer the GT to all similar cars and it is a total steal it was an irreversible thing - as soon as I'd looked at and driven one there was no going back. Only problem is wrestling the keys back from the missus.

My old 159 1.9 JTDm Lusso Sportwagon had all the kit on it - looked gorgeous in Stromboli Grey with Natural Hide and the 18" Horseshoe Alloys ........ but I could only put up with the taxi-like engine din for 12 months. Maybe it was just my car and its the only Oil-burner I have ever had so might just not have been used to it but the looks alone were not enough to make me fall for the car longer than that.
The 159 felt a more quality product and was better built but my old 156 was the far better drive as well.

Yup - same as mine....



And you're right about the boot - when my son moved out, we visited Currys and bought a washing machine, microwave, full-size Dyson and a kettle - all went in the boot, alongside the toolbox I already had with me - epic capacity for a Coupe

Hmm looks like Alfa really are going after the 3-series this time!

I have the10 valve 2.4 in my marea wagon. It'has returned my sanity after being without the coupe for so long, I've missed boost!
Being a marea and therefore coupe platform I've fitted coupe front roll bar, struts and wheels on it which has vastly improved the handling.
More power is on the cards soon along with a coupe flywheel conversion.