Don't buy it then. Family comes first :)

Wear parts and servicing is easy enough.

£900? Random figure that. No idea.

Consider maybe a different Alfa model?

YES.

Go with something in between. Fiat?

Hi Dave,

If you're after a spacious, comfortable, executive car, then the 166 is  the
one to go for - but avoid the automatic like the plague.

Mine is a 2.5 V6. I would have liked the 3L (running costs are practically
the same and you get the extra power), but trying to source a used one with
a manual transmission - that didn't have stupid miles on and also had a full
dealer service history, was like looking for a chocolate tea pot.

Brakes: I paid £55/Disc and £45/pad www.autoplanet.co.uk (although I'm sure
someone in this forum will tell me I've been ripped off).

I've just had all the belts and tensioners changed on my T plate (52,000),
along with the water pump (just because they were there at the time and it
made sense), the usual oil change and filter, total bill from an independent
was £664.00 (you'll pay over £1000 from a main dealer for that little lot).

Fuel costs: I average about 28MPG in mine - which, given its size and the
weight of the engine isn't to bad.

If the car you go for is 99-2001 - make sure its had the recall to replace
the oil cooler.

Make sure the car isn't fitted with Xeon head lights, as these are prone to
failure on the 166 and cost a fortune to replace.

If cost is a real concern than why not go for a 2L TS. Sure, you won't get
to here that wonderful V6 exhaust note, but with the lightness of the TS
engine it should be adequate for your needs - you won't be kickin' ar*e if
you've got a baby in the back will you?

Go get one and enjoy it - they're fantastic cars and highly underrated -
Alfa really should have done a proper marketing job with this motor. As a
result, there's hardly any on the roads, which makes them kinda cool IMHO.

Hope this helps

J-P

The 166 will certainly cost alot more to run than say, a Vectra. Insurance,
fuel costs and servicing are all on the high side.

My previous car was a golf VR6, so I was used to high insurance premiums and
low fuel economy. However, the servicing costs for my current car (156,v6)
dwarf those of the golf. My experience is that Alfa servicing costs increase
each year until after the 72k (6,years) biggie, when they go back to the
original year 1 cost and the process starts again. On all other cars I've
owned, servicing costs are more or less the same each year, interspersed
with the occasional milestone service. The same may apply to other Alfas,
but is certainly not true in my experience.

Regarding servicing costs, I usually have to have the brake pads replaced
each year, even though I do a low mileage. According to my dealer, this is
because the pads are now made of a softer compound compared to the
asbestos-based material which was used earlier. Whether or not this is true,
I've no idea other than it usually adds £200 to the service bill. Ever other
year the dealer kindly pops another set of discs on as well.

The service which involved the cambelt change was gobsmackingly expensive. I
was quoted around £750, but once all the extras were toted up - including a
new alarm - the final cost was a fiver short of 2 grand.

If you are at all concerned about the costs involved, especially with a baby
on the horizon, then steer clear. Even if the car requires no repairs, a 3l
car the size of a 166 is not going to be cheap to run. My 156 averages
around 22 mpg - 28 if I'm lucky and there are motorways involved. Insurance
with 5 years no claims is around 1K.

Personally, I would be reluctant to buy a 166. My father-in-law had a 166
and being in one is just like driving around in a sofa - albeit a very comfy
one. The term "barge-like" springs readily to mind. Not that quick either...

p.s. I wouldn't include your real email address in posts. These posts are
spidered and you suddenly won't be short of sources where you can buy Viagra
and other lovely cocktails at amazingly low prices.

As an example, here's the front disc and pad prices:

https://sslrelay.com/buypartsby.co.uk/discs_details.php?recordID=186

A 166 is no more complex than any other luxury car in it's class - look
at how complex a MkIII Mondeo Ghia is, for example.

Don't go to a main dealer - cambelts are surrounded by myth and mystery
- however, my local back street mechanic is happy to replace the belts
on anything (the one on my Passat was quite complicated to replace, but
he did it for under £200) - I'd say he'd charge me about £300 for a
service and belt change on a 166.

Stay away from main dealers - find a competent local mechanic with a
cheap hourly rate, but also find a local Italian car specialist who can
do the more specialist jobs - not that you'll need them very often.

IME, Alfas are more expensive than mainstream cars to run. The insurance
is a bit more, but not massively so, and servicing costs *can* be
higher, although I know people who've paid silly amounts of money out on
servicing Volkswagens.

Go with your heart - the 166 is one of the undiscovered bargains on the
used car market. As you're new to Alfas, I'd definitely recommend buying
from a specialist or having the car you're interested in inspected.

As has been said by someone else - also consider the 2lt TSpark. It's a
great engine, if a little low powered for such a big car. However,
they're a lot more economical and the engine is certainly easier to work
on.

On the other hand, are you sure you need something as big as a 166? -
with the 159 on it's way, 156s are currently at bargain basement prices
- we bought a 156 2lt TSpark Lusso recently, on a 99V, with climate
control, for £2800 with a 12 month warranty, from a respected Alfa
specialist.

daveskirrow@btinternet.com wrote in
<1126927794.783161.326860@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com>

I'd avoid the auto and go for the standard gearshift box.

Find a good independent to do the servicing - my experience of Alfa main
dealers ranges from not good to appalling.

If you're looking for a large saloon that will gladden your hear every time
you drive it and make you look forward to a 300 mile drive home after a
day's work at the other end of the country, then the 166 is hard to beat.

My only regret about buying mine was that, by the time my 2nd 164 3.0
retired and there weren't any more decent ones to be had, I had to make do
with the next best thing - the 166.

How can you seriously compare a mundane family saloon with a luxury exec
sport saloon? Vectra and Mundeo are comparable to the Alfa 156. Not the
166. You are starting on a false base-line. Compare the costs against a 5
series or Merc E320 Elegance, These common panzerwagons have costs that
will be similar to the 166.

If you want the style of an Alfa 166 then you will have to go to the
Maserati Quatroporte to buy better. Look how much a Maser would cost and
the Alfa 166 is a bargain.

As has been said - family first. Hope you enjoy whatever you buy.

Pete

The Alfa will cost you more in maintenance than the Ford. No two ways
about it. If that's your concern, go with the Ford and buy the 166 when
you can better afford it, I.E. have both. The Mondeo for your head, and
the Alfa for your heart. That's what I did. I have a 2003 VW GTI for my
every day driving and my GTV-6 Alfa for weekends. The Alfa is still
maintenance intensive, but as a hobby car with few miles being
accumulated  (less than 10,000 miles in four years) day to day
reliability is not all that important.

I have a 2003 2.5L V6, my first alfa and i love it. Its done 28,000 miles

If I cruise at say 80MPG down the motorway I get 31MPG. My computer tells me
that my combined MPG is 27.4MPG (thats over 13,000 miles since I last reset
it)
I changed my front tyres after 20,000 miles. My rear tyres have still got at
least another 20K wear left in them.

My 12,000 and 24,000 mile services both cost about £230.00 from a main
dealer

Its great to drive, very comfortable, lots of toque, effortless even when
the car is fully loaded.

Would i buy another  - YEP :-)

I have had lots of company cars in my time and quickly got bored with each
of them, but I always look forward to driving the Alfa.

Rob

Well fellas, thanks for all your help.

I'm now the proud owner of a 1997 2.0 156 Sportspack 2. I was going to
get a slightly newer model with more gadgets and leather but after
hours of searching I managed to pick this one up for £1700. Couple of
scratched and scuffs but very well kept inside and runs very well.

How long she will last I'm not sure but for £1700 a couple of years
will do me :)

Thanks again for your comments, without them I probably would not be a
member of the Alfa club.

Cheers,
Dave