Faults:

I have had the car for 6 months and, touch wood, it's been plain sailing so far.

General Comments:

The 1.6 Twin Spark handles very well for a performance car at this level, and is generally very fun and responsive to drive.

However I would prefer a greater torque as this version can feel quite pedestrian in terms of performance unless you really push the revs up. I actually test drove a model up in the range and really noticed the difference in terms of engine responsiveness.

The interior of the car is beautiful, mixing function with design effortlessly. And of course externally the 147 is a very, very smart looking car. I have it in black with 17 inch alloys as a minor upgrade and I am delighted with the look of it.

I would recommend this car without hesitation as this stage (I've had it 6 months now).

Faults:

The dash display starts up with the Rear Hatch is open, and sometimes stays on for the journey, sometimes not, but is always there until you release the handbrake.

The drivers seat has developed a squeak similar to a romp on an old mattress..

Paint work appears soft and marks very easily.

General Comments:

Fantastic looks, appreciated by girls, guys and kids in the street.

Great engine noise, and decent power, even in the 1.6 TS.

Nicely spec'd and great interior, gives the feeling of driving a £15K motor.

The overall vision out of the cabin is restricted, but you soon get used to it.

The handling is superb, for a reasonable sized hatch, the steering is very responsive and overall a really good fun car to drive.

Took it for a long run from Glasgow to London, and the ride can be a bit hard and engine noise quite high, but it's worth listening to!

Faults:

Clutch judder on take up which started off in reverse on hills only and has now spread to the other gears.

Clonking from offside front on full lock (suspect outer CV joint is about to depart this mortal coil)

Gearchange has become vague and baggy.

Central locking doesn't always lock the passenger door necessitating a check every time the car is left.

General Comments:

So much about this car is wonderful. It's gorgeous to behold, the JTD engine gives excellent performance yet returns 42 mpg average according to the computer. The interior is stylish and dynamically it runs my previous Focus very close. Build quality seems good too and the interior is squeak free and made out of much nicer materials than the Focus.

Reliability is good in terms of not leaving me stranded, but the car has faults at 8,000 miles that I would normally expect at 10 times that mileage. Dealers are nice people and seem to try hard, but it appears they get little backup or support from Alfa.)

So much cooler to be seen in than a BMW and I've never owned a car which women seem to be so attracted to, or notice so readily. Wasted on me as I'm happily married, but there you go. Life has its little bonuses.