GTI tops megane and giulletta

[Horney]

The petrol engines post Twin Spark were GM lumps but as of this year they've ditched the GM ones in favour of in house which is essentially Fiat/Lancia/Alfa developed. Diesels have always been in house AFAIK.

The Fiat group are now producing some of the best engines on the market. Have a look at the new 2 pot fiat engine to be used in the 500 and Punto. Clever little thing whith plenty of power for a town car but insanse MPG as well.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/247787/

Nick

[Komenda]

I love how people are referring to a car that Alfa stopped making 5 years. Has anyone actually driven a new Alfa. I have driven a couple of 159s. Granted you need one with a decent engine, but apart from that it is a very nice place be and a very nice drive, it's no BMW in the handling stakes, but then it isn't as harsh on ride either. As soon as Alfa shake of the stigma attached to them, with their new range I'm sure they will, and the depreciation effect reduces buying one new will be a viable option.

[RickS]

Wayne:
Get on your bike, NOW.

Err, and that explains why you're on a Golf forum?
You cyclists are a weird bunch, now make your mind up do you now officially cycle on pavements at high speed or are you still supposed to cycle on the roads? Or can you just do as you please like Pikeys?
I go out walking and get cyclists in homo-erotic clothes buzzing by me on the path at high speed, and yet I jump in the car and I get cyclists in homo-erotic clothes cycling two abreast at high speed on narrow roads in the road. And now I see homo-erotic cyclists who apparently don't like Golfs making half arsed statements on Golf forums. Man, and I thought society had other problems.....
I'm not anti cyclist by the way, spent my best years on two wheels, it's just the lycra type, I think many have 'issues'.

if its built like any alfa i have driven (any they do actualy drive quite nice) then you will be giving it back in 3 months and cycling to the VW show room.

I think Wayne is very frustrated as he cannot even wear those homo-erotic lycra condoms due to a misshapen physical and mental format. Poor sod.

Some interesting views but we all have different views and it makes the world a less boring place to be, I do not hate Golfs I spent over 5 years working on them and think the mk1 and mk2 are and will always be classics, I owned a mk3 but to me this is the car at which point VW lost direction with what makes a GTI, yes the later cars are ok but I am not keen on them.

To me a mk6 looks too much like a mk5 to be a step forward, if I was in a postion to spend say £25k I would have a shortlist and maybe I am guilty of thinking outside the box but I like the way the Alfa looks however i would look at other options including a Scirocco.

I am 100% not a lycra clad cycling nutter by the way but because of the cycling I do not use the car much hence why I have never spent much on one but carefull buying and selling has now got me a 02 plate car for under £2k which I am happy with.

I hope this helps clear up things.

It  might look somewhat like a MK5 but you are missing the point if you think it should be radically different [What would you consider to be a step forward anyway?]. The GTI has a lineage which has continuity, making it look completely different would not be in keeping. I've not owned a MK5 but from what I've read the MK6 is a lot better in many ways which are not apparent from just looking at it. I also wholeheartedly disagree that it is boring and bland to look at [Not said by you I know] The styling is subtley classy, I never walk away from mine without having a look back to admire it and I get lots of admiring glances from passers by.

[musicman87]

That Alfa does look VERY nice I like lots.

i felt as though they've gone downhill now they're using the GM engines

I thought they used Fiat engines?

I think they've gone back to Fiat with the MultiAir and TBI engines, but the 2.2i on the 159/Brera was out of a Vectra.

The last real Alfa V6 was in the GT, but the 159/Brera V6 was a GM unit with absolutely no character whatsoever.
Its unlikely that they will ever put another V6 in again due to emissions (exactly what VW have done with the R32 - MkVI R)

What a shame!

They do look damn good though! EVO magazine actually say the smaller engined Guilietta with 170bhp has a better balanced chassis than the 230bhp Cloverleaf!

[VWKev]

Another from AutoExpress: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/grouptests/256966/giulietta_cloverleaf_vs_golf_gti.html?CMP=NLC-Newsletters&uid=8ce50d5bf2602b0f04c2949d5b5c08bc

Is it me or is that Alfa f**king ugly?

Nope not just you. That's a hiddeous ba5tard.

[herbie911]

Its that tall fat baldy Jeremy Clarkson effect---every Italian car got soul and passion. German cars are cars made for accountant!

Alfa 'used' to have soul and passion before they stick diesel engine in their cars!

The only proper Alfa is the 8c and 6 cylinder 159

[R32UK]

I would just like to stress that when the alfa turned up as a courtesy car i was over the moon. Looked great, very nice inside!

However after just a few days after driving it i noticed the following...]

Electric windows would go all the way down but stick half way
Electric window buttons were soooo stiff i had to use two fingers
Wipers didnt clean all of the screen
2.GTD had the most shocking economy 22mpg... on a diesel??? whats the point!
put a can in the drinks holder and you can no longer operate the stereo
very poor visibility out of the rear of the GT
boot would never open automatically.. you have to get your nails under the gap to open it.
window/side mirror switches are located so far back you have to pull over and get out to use them
awful quality of buttons
using the air con is a joke... i could fart a less tempramental climate

so yes they look good.... but at a price

[Snoopy]

My brother works for an alfa dalership so i get to drive them all and see how they are built and hear about any faults
Not alot wrong with alot of them imo. Why do you think GM begged for there desiel engines and VW finally gave in to fiat and paid them rights to use common rail deisel technology.
The giulietta  has alot of details most owners will not notice. Theres sound damping pads on the insides of the wings for example. (not the water logged sponges VW USE!!) Fully painted panels etc that new 1750 engine is a peach and alot of equipment standard the golf should really have too.
Yes it does not have the touchy feely plastics that the current crop of VWs use but just take a stroll through the mk4 forum to finds out how those last. 
Anyone that thinks modern VWs even know the real meening of build quality don't have a clue what that actually meens... You should see the state of the cars coming off transporters that VW factory class as QC passed.. there shocking...

PS when alfa had a red paint problem with stone chips they retrofitted stone guard film to the cars and stopped manufacturing the colour and offered people who had orders in the system a metallic red instead free of charge. What do VW do when they had similar paint issues...

[R32UK]

^^^ yes but VW make money 

[am1w]

We replaced our Alfa 159 V6 Q4 Auto Lusso with the Mercedes C Class 350 CDI Sport March 22 this year. The GTi arrived the same day.
The Alfa never went wrong even once but its fuel consumption was dreadful. It was just as well made as a premium German make. However, the Mercedes is a far superior car and is perfectly made. Completely faultless unlike the GTi.