Alfa's 147 offers lots of style for the money, but will it be nothing but trouble?
The Alfa Romeo 147 is a stylish three or five-door hatchback that’s got superstar looks but without a price tag to match. It even beat the Ford Mondeo and Toyota Prius to the European Car of the Year title in 2001.
The 147 was facelifted in 2004, when it received new headlights and a revised grille, but you can pick up the earlier examples from around £600. For that money, however, you shouldn’t expect an entirely hassle-free ownership experience. Instead, Jamie Porter, from Alfa specialist Alfa Workshop in Royston, Hertfordshire (01763 244441), recommends paying a bit more and looking for a car that’s had money spent on it on a regular basis.
A full service history is crucial, and if an owner doesn’t mention oil consumption on a 2.0-litre Twin Spark, Porter suggests you walk away. As much as one litre per 1000 miles is normal, and Porter suggests good quality oils to help prevent the piston’s oil control ring from gumming up. Other engines don’t drink nearly as much oil, so if you don’t fancy spending time under the bonnet after every third fill of fuel, they’re the better buy.
The petrol range is headed by the 3.2-litre V6 in the GTA, while the 1.6-litre petrol came with either 118bhp or, in rare cases without variable intake timing, 103bhp. Check the logbook to see which one you’re getting.
All share much with the 156, but Porter says the bonkers 247bhp GTA shares the most and is considerably different from the bread-and-butter models. With its wider front arches filled convincingly with 17-inch alloys, more overt styling inside and out and prices starting from as low as £4000, it’s a hugely tempting and monstrously quick hatch. A bit specialist for many, though, and the turbodiesels are more likely to suit if you’re not keen on torque steer and collecting Nectar points.
The diesels are both 1.9s, in either eight or 16-valve form, the former offering 118bhp, the latter delivering 148bhp. Porter reckons you’ll see 45-50mpg from them if driven sensibly, but he suggests you check it hasn’t been chipped. Tuners can easily achieve 200bhp, with which the car should remain reliable, although clutch life will be shortened. A replacement unit, fitted and inclusive of VAT, costs around £550 at Alfa Workshop.
Consumables won’t break the bank, and nor will servicing, with 12,000-mile intervals costing from £120. Cambelts on four-cylinder engines should be changed every 36,000 miles or three years, whichever is sooner. This costs around £400 to £450 and includes the cost of a service.
GTA and diesel servicing isn’t much more, although Porter suggests the 72,000-mile cambelt interval is a bit too long and recommends doing it at 60,000 miles. Porter also recommends replacing the water pump at the same time, as the plastic impellers can crack. Front brake pads cost around £120, again depending on model.
Electrics tend to be reliable, but don’t ignore warning lights. They should all switch off after a few seconds when the ignition is turned on. The airbag sensors under the front seat can disconnect, requiring a professional reset, and if there are spurious light warnings the body computer may need replacing, which is a £600 fix. Regardless, Porter suggests ignoring any fault light is a false economy.
Corrosion shouldn’t be a problem, but it’s worth checking underneath. The area under the passengers’ feet is prone to stone chip damage, leading to rust. Suspension can be noisy and sensitive to geometry. Rattling points to roll bar and roll bar link issues; squeaking suggesting lower wishbone ball joints. They’re all inexpensive fixes, in the £120-£200 range.
What to look out for:
Look for corrosion on the power steering pipes on the inner wing. They corrode where the aluminium meets the steel clips; new pipes have a plastic sleeve. Budget £200 to replace.
Noisy suspension points to wear, with wishbone and roll bar bushes common problems. It’s all fairly inexpensive to fix. Not doing so causes uneven tyre wear and affects handling.
Check the inside of the front discs for corrosion because they’re prone to rust. If the handbrake cable is sticking, it’s probably corroded too. Both are simple and cheap to rectify.
Howling from the rear at about 35mph, combined with stepped, sawtooth-type wear on the inside edge of the rear tyres, is caused by toeing out thanks to rear hub bush wear.
Sidelights with xenon headlamps blow frequently as they rattle in their housing. They’re tricky to replace, but a bit of insulation tape can help to secure them and stop problems.
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