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By
EWAN KENNEDY
28 February 2005
Alfa Romeo's largest car, the 166 is a luxury sedan, but there's
a lot more to it than simply luxurious equipment. For this big
Italian machine comes with a sporting feel that's not exactly
common in this upmarket field. For the keen driver that’s
great news, though the person looking purely for a limo may well
be disappointed. The back seat is restricted for both head and
legroom if the occupants are anything over average height.
However the front seat is fine and there's plenty of interior
style and comfort.
Drive the Alfa Romeo 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 this machine to feel as though
its working properly. 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.
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.
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.
In February 2003, the Alfa 166 got a major 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.
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 thrill 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. Or at least it did until the 2004
model update, when it managed to lose four kilowatts, probably
to tie in with the latest Euro emission regulations.
Transmission is by a four-speed adaptive automatic with a
tiptronic-type function that Alfa Romeo calls Sportronic.
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. Do what the owners of these
thoroughbreds have done for years; call it character, then
remember the sheer driving pleasure the car gives you, and you
should be able to ignore any silly little 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. The
great majority of Alfas are in major metropolitan areas so if
you are living in the country and hankering after a bit if
Italian magic in your life, do some homework on where you can
find a dealer. Failing that you may come across a specialist
Italian-car repairer who can help.
Servicing and repairs are about average in cost for a car in
this class. The home handyperson should be able to tackle some
minor work (always have a workshop manual close handy), but
major work, or anything connected with safety, should be left to
the professional.
Probably because the Alfa Romeo 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.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
These big Alfas demand to be driven in a spirited manner, so
check carefully for signs of previous crash damage or previous
repairs. Look for paint spots on non-painted areas like the
window rubbers and lights. Ripples in the panels when viewed
along their length are easy to spot, but the stronger the light
the easier it is to see them. Watch out for slightly mismatched
paint colours from one panel to another.
The steering wheel should be in a vertical position when the
front wheels are pointing straight ahead. If not, there could be
an alignment problem.
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.
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, usually just due to spirited
driving, but possibly caused by race track use on car club
outings.
During your road test the steering should react virtually
immediately and the big Alfa should not pull to either side
under hard braking.
The engine should start quickly and immediately idle smoothly.
It should not smoke from the exhaust tailpipe under hard
acceleration.
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.
Check for an interior that has been knocked around and/or which
has suffered by the car being kept out of doors all the time.
CAR BUYING TIP
Make sure it’s exactly what you want before getting into a
Euro car that’s a bit out of the ordinary.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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