Faults:

In 18 months, only one significant fault: one of the rear electric windows stopped working; repaired under warranty.

One minor fault (though important to resolve!) : petrol filler cap came apart in my hand.

General Comments:

Well, a couple of minor faults aside, I love this car.

Performance: the 1.6 is hardly fast by Alfa standards, but it is a joy to drive hard. Using the gearbox and keeping the revs high it certainly does no harm to the Alfa reputation. The engine is so willing, it almost begs you to red-line it at every (safe) opportunity. And as it's not especially powerful (120hp), you can do that a lot without breaking the law!

Handling/ride: Steering is so sharp when driving quickly, and the overall levels of handling and grip are very good, but it is not difficult to reach its limits, even in this 1.6 guise. The ride is fairly hard/harsh: comes alive on country roads, but can be tedious on the motorway.

It's hard to talk about this car without referring to its looks. Suffice to say that every time I see it, then get into the drivers' seat, it makes me grin. It is surely the most stylish saloon on the market, and does not look dated even after several years on the market.

If I were a rich man I think I'd buy two: one to drive now and one to keep under wraps for posterity.

Faults:

Minor Electrical Errors - Nothing Costly as yet.

I was initially a little concerned by Alfa's reliability reputation, but I've been proved wrong so far...

The seating feels a little uncomfortable at first, but your seating position is racy.

General Comments:

I truly love this Car! It's sleek, sexy and a Beast all at the same time!

The Red leather interior is unbelievable. I'd never have requested this by choice, but from the moment I saw it I was in love.

Performance wise it's a dream and the Salespeed Tiptronic is wicked. It reaches near 100mph in 3rd gear with little effort and acceleration is brilliant!

The Bose sound system is LOUD and I've had no need for any upgrades.

The dash board and center column is very very nice, but I've kinda come to expect this from the Italians.

I've previously had a BMW 232 and I've not missed it one bit and the performance of the Alfa is more than comparable. The growl is pretty cool!

In terms of the exterior I truly do love this car and the sleek Italian design is obvious. From the front grille the sexy lines flow down the vehicle to the very back and sweep up to the Spoiler! Beautiful!

The rear door handles being hidden in the window arch is really kewl and the front door handles in obvious chrome to draw your attention really does make it look like a Coupe.

Faults:

Dealer installed alarm did not control the windows properly.

Electric window motor died.

Plastic covers inside the trunk keep falling off.

General Comments:

This car delivers very comfortable ride - quite silent with suspension well mathing Polish bumpy roads. Bumps on a corner does not influence handling. I do not use low profile tires.

It is much softer than my previous Alfa, yet it handles very well.

Engine delivers plenty of torque in a very wide range of revs, so the car does not feel very sporty - engine works effortlessly. But surprisingly other cars are left far begind.

Overtaking lorries on single lane roads is a pleasure - quick acceleration and precise steering.

The only problem is fuel consumption - over 10l/100km on the road.