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15/05/2004
By EWAN KENNEDY
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When Alfa Romeo set out to make a big luxury sedan, the designers, accustomed to building small sporting machines, simply couldn't help themselves. Rather than the normal, somewhat staid, big sedan, they came up with an Alfa with a full-on sporting feel that's not exactly common in this upmarket field.
Not that it’s sports car-like in being rough, noisy and uncomfortable. Cleverly, Alfa Romeo built a car with interior comfort that’s more than acceptable for passengers. Provided they are in the front seat, that is. The back seat is restricted for both head and legroom if the occupants are anything over average height.
That space restriction is probably acceptable if the 166 is regarded as a four-door sports car. But, anyone looking purely for a spacious executive sedan should look closely at who is going to be travelling in the rear.
Australia only gets the top model in the Alfa 166 range, the one with the biggest engine, automatic transmission and a long list of standard equipment. This luxurious Italian machine uses leather trim, powered and heated front seats, television, an eight-speaker CD stereo and navigation system. It even has rain-sensing windscreen wipers, an automatic headlight-off facility and multiple airbags.
The only major options on the new Alfa are a power sunroof, metallic paint and larger sports wheels and tyres (17-inch vs the standard 16-inch).
The 166 is powered by a 3.0-litre V6 engine similar to the one installed in the Alfa GTV V6 coupe. For the sedan, it has been retuned to suit the needs of luxury car buyers, meaning more torque over a wider rev range, at the expensive of some of the delicious oomph at the top end of the rev band that you get in the GTV.
With a lovely piece of Italian flair the Alfa 166’s engine develops a neat 166 kW.
Transmission is by a four-speed adaptive automatic with a tiptronic-type function that Alfa Romeo calls Sportronic.
This Alfa is a superb cruiser over long distances, though it’s best to keep clear of really bad roads as it’s not aimed at that sort of driving.
Drive the 166 moderately and if doesn’t feel as though it’s anything special. You really have to get the engine well up in the rev band, and put some decent load on the suspension and steering to get the big Alfa to feel as though its working.
This feel is oh-so-Italian. Buyers who want to cruise gently as though they were in a big Japanese car are completely missing the point. Only those who love to drive hard and fast should apply for a car like this Italian masterpiece.
Alfa quality control has improved out of sight in the past decade, but you may still find annoying little niggles in the cars from time to time. Call it character, remember the sheer driving pleasure the car gives you, and you should be able to ignore these problems.
Alfa Romeo has been back on the Australian market since 1999 and during the intervening four years has done a good job of expanding the quantity and quality of its dealer network. Naturally, the great majority are in major metropolitan areas.
Servicing and repairs are about average in cost for a car in this class.
Probably because the marque is relatively new in the current era, there seems to be a bigger than average spread of insurance charges, so it’s well worth shopping around. Always remember, though, that insurance companies put a lot of emphasis on buyer loyalty if the time comes to make a claim or give a good deal on a no-claim bonus.
Early in 2003, the Alfa 166 got a revamp, with xenon headlights, a woodgrain dashboard and steering wheel and electronic suspension systems. Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) was designed to enhance safety without overly reducing driving pleasure. For example, it can spin both front wheels simultaneously for a quick departure, as this is the fastest way for a front wheel drive car to move off, but it cuts in if one front wheel spins and not the other.
Don’t expect many of these 2003 models on the used-car scene just yet.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
The engine should start quickly, immediately idle smoothly, and not smoke from the exhaust, the latter generally showing first when it’s worked hard.
Automatic transmissions that are slow to go into gear, that change gears unnecessarily or that don’t respond to manual input properly, should be treated with suspicion.
These big Alfas cry out to be driven in a spirited manner, so look over the body for signs of previous crash damage. Ripples in the panels when viewed along their length in good light are easy to spot. Watch out for mismatched paint colours from one panel to another. Look for paint spots on non-painted areas like the window rubbers and lights.
The steering wheel should be in a vertical position when the front wheels are pointing straight ahead.
Run your hand across the front tyre treads in both directions; the resistance should be much the same in both directions. If not there is uneven tyre wear, and you should have a professional find out why.
While you are at the front wheels, look for large quantities of brake dust on the inside of the wheels, the disc callipers and even on the front suspension. It indicates constant heavy braking, possibly caused by race track use.
During your road test the steering should react virtually immediately and the 166 should not pull to either side under hard braking. |
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