15th Sep 2008, 17:16
In the UK, the fuel economy of the 147 GTA is only of the considerations - on the new road tax band with 287g/km CO2 emissions, 2009 road tax is £440, rising to £455 in 2010...
Taking into account the low 20s mpg (with a light foot), huge insurance costs, huge repair and running costs then a Lear jet would be a practical alternative!
Even as a true Alfaholic and petrolhead who thinks the 147 GTA is the pinnacle of modern Alfa charisma, I could not justify the immense costs involved. As a daily driver and not just a weekend toy, it would be cheaper to lease a new diesel GT coupe instead - the lease cost will be cheaper than running a 147 GTA if you take into account the tax, fuel, repair, servicing, parts and so on. Then weekend hire something flash a few times a year to feel special.
147 GTA: a true petrolhead's dream but look at the whole cost before buying one. Buy carefully - good ones are rare now and the headache of fixing an abused or tired one simply outweighs any pleasure of owning it. Think of it as a base model Ferrari rather than a top spec Golf when considering running costs and repairs.
Best advice - buy a very very good one, enjoy it for a few months, sell it before it goes wrong, then remember it fondly as living out the petrolhead dream. Either that, or get the best warranty in the business and most vital; a good Alfa specialist who understands the GTA.
They are becoming rarer and more desirable and depreciation is minimal - but this may well change due to fuel costs, environmental concerns and when buyers start to understand the punitive costs of the new road tax bands.
1st Apr 2009, 18:43
Well luckily £ is no object for me, and out of my hot hatch collection it is always the 147 which I take out for fun.
Enough said!
28th Oct 2009, 14:08
Just bought a 147 GTA... agreed with above. F**k the money, you can't take it with you when you go. I have a Delta Integrale too... Italian sports cars are so full of drama. Not knowing if you will even get to your destination is part of their "charm" LOL.
The missus hates all of this car stuff as it just burns money, but who cares. For sheer thrills of ownership, passion and noise the 147 GTA is simply stunning. It makes no financial sense to have one, but what a car!
28th Apr 2010, 08:15
I've just googled 5 lap leader boards, including Top Gear and Fifth Gear, and the CTR beats the Alfa in all of them.
28th Apr 2010, 13:40
Re: 28th 0815.
CTR man, you've hit it on the head - the CTR and Japanese specials may be faster, but do not give you the romance of pure Italian charisma.
I know which I prefer. The Alfa leans to Lamborghini and Ferrari, the CTR leans to the NSX. Where's the soul?
30th Apr 2010, 01:52
There's certainly something to be said for those gorgeous Alfa engines! ;)
That said, I do wish Alfa would refocus on "performance" rather than "safety". The new Alfa Giulietta for example, pumps out quite a decent horsepower, but it's all watered down by the heavy bodyweight. Surely your typical Alfa customer buys the car for the performance, looks and charisma? If we wanted super-safe cars, we'd buy a Volvo.
20th Jun 2011, 04:12
*cough*cough*
"In the UK the magazine 'AutoCar' recently tested a number of these machines and the Alfa 147 GTA got the prize - in a straight speed test 0-100-0mph (up and down again) the 147 beat all comers with a time of 14.1 seconds to 100mph and just 4.5 seconds back to 0 (5.6 seconds 0-60mph). "
http://www.italiancar.net/pilot/mz_testdrive02.htm
... that's more that just a bit faster than a Type R...
20th Jun 2011, 18:43
Let's be honest, it SHOULD be quicker than a Type R. It's a 3.2 litre V6 for god's sake with 250bhp. I have owned 5 Type R's now; 3 dc2 Integras, and 2 dc5 Integras (same engine as the ep3, but with 20 more hp). The dc2 Teg with the tiny 1.8 litre engine with 197bhp, with which I have beaten 3 litre Supras (non turbo) 3 litre BMW's 330ci and 3 litre Z3 to be precise. 2.8 litre Golfs, Focus RS and numerous other cars with bigger engines. With the dc5 I have beaten Porsche Boxsters, WRX Subarus, Focus STs, Astra VXR within 2 corners, Audi S3s, Corrado VR6, Toyota MR2 turbo and a Pulsar GTiR.
And do you know what they all have in common? They all have much more torque than my Hondas, didn't help them though! People get too caught up on torque; my friend has Leon FR 170 diesel, which has about DOUBLE the torque of my dc5... he is still much slower than me though.
The point I'm trying to make is stop making this a one sided argument. Yes, I agree the Alfa is faster than a Civic Type R, I am not doubting that, but come on, I know someone with one that struggles to get more than 18mpg from his GTa; with my dc5 I average between 28-36mpg, depending on how its driven, and in straight line with 217bhp and about 200kg lighter than the GTa, there ain't much in it... until the first corner, when I am long gone, and before you ask, yes my friends GTa has the q2 diff... can't get close to me. Handling is king.
22nd Jun 2011, 02:41
You make a lot of valid points. I think that fundamentally the person that lusts after a GTA and the person that wants an R are not the same person. I personally like the looks of the R very much, and I'd grant that with its lighter engine it *should* handle better than the 147. Nevertheless, it would be the Alfa package that I'd go for - there's nothing to beat the deep rumble of the Busso V6 coupled with Alfa seats and styling etc. Hey, I've got two Alfas, and I agree that the fuel consumption is not the greatest... but if fuel consumption were that important to me, I would have bought a Fiat Panda. Horses for courses. People get too hung up over their cars. ;)
12th Apr 2012, 01:19
I find all the 'Hondas are better than Alfas' arguments very amusing - it's a completely fatuous argument, and one that can't be won by either party. And you know what they say about arguing with someone on the Internet - c'mon, don't be 'that' guy!
Anyhow, I bought a 2003 147 GTA recently and could not be happier. In real world terms it has gobs of torque, good handling, a wonderfully gruff exhaust note, and a very different leather interior. Best of all - it's a fairly uncommon vehicle in Sydney Australia.
The turning circle IS poor, the consumption IS bad... but these are all things I knew, I researched the matter carefully.
HOWEVER.
That engine note is completely intoxicating, and I forgive the car any of its shortcomings when it hits 4000RPM!
11th Feb 2014, 09:02
Taking a look at current prices (2014) for Alfa 147 GTa's and Civic Type R's from 2004, as per the Honest John website, we have a sales price of 5590-8120 pounds for a GTA and 4100-4900 pounds for a Civic Type R. Who's laughing now? And looking at some of the Fastest Laps times, the GTA manages to come out looking pretty good as well. On Balocco, for example, it was faster than two different Type-R's, a Focus ST, Megane RS and also the Golf GTI 6 amongst others.
8th Jul 2008, 16:58
The Alfa would never stand a chance against the NSX, the NSX competes with Ferrari's etc, the S2000 would leave your Alfa.