[MNG]

Sold mine in frustration. Beauty is NOT enough when you are bleeding to
dead. You must know when to call it a day.

I belive there are some major improvement with the sillyspeed. Whether you
like it or not. it is here to stay for Alfa Romeo.

Dont mind the 159 thou. but Sime has not interest to bring them in. If
they do, it will be at RM250K.

Like now new alfa is beyond most kaki's reach.

[Samuri]

Alfa Romea cars are beautiful and nice to drive but unfortunately their
built quality, reliability and durability belongs to another era. How many
ppl will put up with expensive fast wearing parts and 40,000 km timing belt
change? Except for some hard core Alfa enthusiast, the Alfa community here
isn't growing bigger. But the killer blow is Sime Darby setting super high
prices for new Alfas. I can't see the marque gaining in popularity in Msia
and the future of the marque here is in doubt.

[Redd]

samuri, i will agree with u on the build quality. it definitely could be
better. and i think we`ve seen marked improvements made in that area from
alfa in the past few decades. we`re optimistic about the new 1x9 range.
the 159 will set new standards for alfa build quality. let`s hope they`ve
managed to catch up to the germans in that area.

as for reliability and durability, i will disagree with u here. alfas are
not unreliable. if u see the way i drive and punish my car, any lesser
automobile would have thrown in the towel long ago. pls dont compare the
alfa with a toyota, honda, nissan. the japanese make the most reliable
cars on the planet. most of them are also boring cookie cutter designs.
let`s just focus on contis for this discussion, shall we?

alfa ownership is no more expensive than say BMW or audi or renault
ownership. alfas have gotten the short end of the stick in that we
(alfisti) acknowledge the inherent quirkiness about the cars. non-alfisti
hear this and immediately they think that the alfas are unreliable.

the selespeed system is no less reliable than other robotised clutchless
manual systems like the SMG. the parts probably cost less than SMG too.
if u want to compare it to a stick shift or auto gearbox, u shd really be
driving a stick or autobox.

modern alfas have high suspension arm wear and tear, just like every
other car out there with double wishbone suspension, including honda
civics and E46 3-series.

alfa TS engines are known to blow up when run low on oil. thats a fault
of the owner, not the car. certain cars may be more tolerant of low oil
levels but a highly tuned engine like the alfa TS lump is not. so please
check ur oil levels.

i wont even bring the french cars into the picture but im sure uv heard
horror stories about them too. i have many friends who own bimmers/audis
and they have their horror stories too. audi gearboxes dying on
trackdays. high maintenance bills for bimmers. the list goes on. so why
are ppl singling out alfa for criticism?

this is only my theory on the matter, but i think alfas take a beating
cos of their market image. alfas have very poor resale value, yet they
are a fairly high profile marque. at the second hand price they command,
they are damn good value for money - comfy, continental luxury, italian
styling and performance. due to the low buy price, many of the ppl who
buy alfas may not be able to maintain them the way they shd be
maintained. this phenomenon is not unique only to malaysia but rather in
all markets where alfas are sold. when u buy a 3-yr alfa for 4000 UK
pounds, a 1000 pound selespeed actuator starts to look a little
ridiculous.

i can tell u now that if u want to drive an alfa like a toyota, ur going
to be disappointed. they demand TLC. bimmer/audi/merc drivers put up with
higher maintenance costs cos of the perception of their marque
as "premium" brands. but guess what, alfas are from the same continent
and parts/labour prices dont differ very much from germany. even though
used alfas can go for lower than some japanese cars, these are not ASEAN
cars made in cheap labour ASEAN countries.

i maintain my alfa very well and she has never let me down. and guess
what, i dont spend any more than some of my friends who own similarly
aged BMWs or mercs. u need to be a bit mechanical to take good care of an
alfa. she will give u signs before she fails but if ur too blind to read
those signs then ur in trouble. if ur the type to drive a car til it
breaks and then fix it, i can tell u now that an alfa is probably not for
u. :)

for some ppl a pony will do for a quick canter around the park. for
others, only the best arabian thoroughbred stallions are worth the
attention. if ur not one of the discerning few, then you`ll probably be
better off with another marque than an alfa romeo. i mean no insult in
that comment, just diff`rent strokes for diff`rent folks. :)

redd

[Taj156]

well said, Redd... my sentiments exactly... but i'm tired of telling
the same thing to so many people who ask me about Alfa Romeo cars...

[Redd]

heheh taj, i guess im just not as cynical as u... yet. ;)

we try in the hopes that more ppl will begin to understand the experience
that is alfa romeo.

cuore sportivo!

redd

[suaz164]

In plain words I would describe that for one to really experience alfa
romeo is to be involved in every aspect of its ownership and that
includes the joy of ride, the pride, to face the difficulties and the
ability to explore some innovative ideas in maintaining it, the feel
of `missing it` when you don`t see or drive it for some time, etc..etc...

Alfa is not just a machine of getting one from point A to B or to get
your friends envy you for owning one..its about your devotion to it...
Many just want alfas becouse of the ride and getting others to envy them,
but when it comes to maintenance...they lost patience....because they
don`t have the passion and devotion to it.

The same analogy can be applied to a man who want to have a sexy and
beutiful lady as his spouse. He will feel good when being with her and he
became the envy of others...but maintaining her is not as easy as
maintaning the other average looking gals, she may demmand expensive make-
ups, accesories, jewellary etc..to maintain her looks and sexyness...

So a man with no passion, devotion and some RM$$$... to spare will
surrender and let others have her. Her fate then lies on her future
owner, maybe she will be treated weel as she deserve it or maybe she will
not..and left abundant....until the right man come to rescue and make her
shine as she used to be...thats when she become a `classic`

[jararaca]

Things should improve with better resources from SAI on all new cars.
All the new cars seem to be much better built too.
The quality issues should slowly disappear.

...and the 159...stunning...

[Samuri]

suaz,

Ah ha! There's no rule to say you can't have a beautiful and sexy wife and
yet low maintenance. Neither is it a rule that a nice driving experience
can only be had from a car which needs lot's of maintenance. Many ppl think
they can only have one or the other, but it's not true. You can have both
provided you insist on it.

[Redd]

samuri, i repeat, an alfa requires no more maintenance than another
similarly aged european car. they do require attention from the correct
mechanics tho. maybe ur using the wrong ppl?

redd

[sengthee]

Redd,

It seems like you are quite a patient guy cos have seen you explaining
alfa ownership experience countless times, everywhere too.

Have been a fan of the 156 since its launch but never had the ball to
take the plunge. Opted for the cefiro in 2000 because I needed trouble
free motoring, meaning just drive, fill petrol, send for service every 5k
back to TC etc. Not really in the mood to get to know the mechanic and
his shop better.

But frankly, the 156 is still as beautiful and as fresh as when it was
first launched 8 years back. If there is only one car the public can
associate with the word "sexy", then I think it has to be the 156.

As midlife crisis looms, have been eyeing an Italian ride for sometime as
a weekend car. First the Coupe, then the 145, the 156 and now the GTV.
But have been pondering and questioning myself whether I am willing to
give it the necessary TLC. Had a Punto GT sometime back, great lil fun
car but let down by the Torino experience.

Just happened to have dinner with four Italians last night and none of
them drives Italian. One had two Toyotas, One with a C5, one with a VW
and another with a Ford. When I was in Milan, Roma and Pescara, I also
hardly noticed any Italian make on the road. Saw many Freanch tho, mostly
Citroens. Din see no Ferarri, Coupe etc. So, I asked them why they are
not driving Italians. Well, the answer surprised me quite a fair bit. It
is because Fiat and Alfa are actually quite expensive in Italy.
Apparently quite similar in price to the Germans like VW or BMW. So, the
Germans are perceived as better value due to the marque prestige and
perceived superior quality. French, especially Citroens are popular
because they are "cheap", so I was told.

They are proud of Fiat and Alfa, just that they are not buying due to
value for money issue.

Cheers.