Fast, fun and different (Alfa Romeo 155)

Member Name: Rab C

Product:	Alfa Romeo 155
Date:	06/04/02 (363 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great to drive., Practical, Different

Disadvantages: Expensive insurance, Depreciation, Dodgy Alfa dealers

I have owned a 1996 N "wide body" 155 2.5 V6 for the last 5 years, I have done 73000 of its total 84000 miles, it is a superb car with excellent performance and handling and I would certainly recommend the V6 over the 4 cylinder cars as the extra power and the manner of its delivery , it's totaly smooth pulls harder and harder all the way to the red line and sounds wonderful, more than compensates for the slightly more nose heavy handling.
The car has been totaly reliable and needed nothing other than routine servicing for the first 60000 miles and has only needed new shocks, two suspension bushes, a ball joint and a new exhaust from the cat back since then.
I have averaged about 28mpg driving it along country roads in a decidedly Italian style and servicing has been very cheap at my local Alfa specialist, Alfa dealers tend to be quite expensive and not very good, so the biggest ownersnip costs have been depreciation and group 16 insurance.
Anybody considering a 155 should know that the later wide body cars are vastly better than the narrow bodied ones in terms of ride, handling, looks, interior and build quality. All 155s are fully galvanised so any major rust probably signifies badly repaired crash damage and is not typical.

Overall it is a practical spacious family car that is fast, fun and a bit different.

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