Faults:

The parking sensors were not working, headlamp washers had issues, the A/T lever grille was misshaped and I needed to be harsh with the lever to change gear when I purchased the car.

Others than above mentioned, everything looks and feels OK.

General Comments:

I was thinking about a 156 or 159 from time to time for a few years, however was not sure whether to step in. Beside the general opinion and comments, the image of an Alfa stamped in my mind was a rusting car with the front suspension collapsed (with the back in the air), front bumper always detached and hanging down on one side, badly finished in the interior and prone to fall apart etc. This image was mainly due to the 33s, Sprints, Alfasuds and some 75s and 164s seen around during the 80s and the early 90s.

I reasoned by the look (the 10 year old or more models circulating around) of the more recent types and by reading comments that the above mentioned era was gone for good and that it is time move ahead.

Anyway, I can not comment on reliability or long term tenure as I only did few hundred km with it, however it is a very good surprise.

I like the driver focused interior, especially the driver's seat and the steering column with a huge adjustment range. Rear seats are cramped, but who cares?

Surprisingly comfortable and silent despite being a diesel. Basically, the same noise level as my 9-5 aero, however the suspension looked quieter. The seats are good.

Headroom is OK, unlike the 9-5 (I am 190cm tall).

Looks good and sexy. Saab is good and handsome but not sexy. Germans are neither handsome nor sexy.

I should precise here that putting huge chromes here and there, LED lights and other such do not make a car look good nor sexy in the same way that makeup does not make a woman look good or sexy.

One downfall is the rear visibility.

Build quality in the inside is more than OK, no trim noises; however not the same level as the 9-5, nor the Germans.

The buttons on the dashboard partially lost their color, and the Alfa badge on the steering wheel faded. Scratches here and there, but nothing irremediable or critical.

Very happy with the purchase. Long term comments will follow up later on.

Faults:

108000 km: Some oxidized wires made the license plate lights blink. The dealer replaced the wires under warranty since I've just bought the car from them.

108000 - 112000 km: The Have Engine Checked (HEC) light blinked, let's say, 2-3 times a month. Had the car checked, a couple of error codes came out: U1600 immobilizer, U1601 CAN bus & P0016 camshaft/crankshaft position sensor. After some conversations with the dealer, the local Alfa dealer and some other garages, I decided to have the timing chain replaced. All error codes disappeared, and haven't seen the HEC light ever since (it's been 2,5 months now since the chain was replaced). Some say the timing chain should last a lifetime, but it doesn't. Expensive, but worthwhile. The dealer covered a big share of the costs (a hint: fight for your rights, even for an oldish car).

110000 km: The error code B1001 engine oil level sensor appeared once, gave some false information of the oil level for a couple of days, but the problem disappeared by itself.

113000 km: The back left door hinge snapped. A 100 eur repair at some garage.

The car creaks a bit every now and then, but hasn't got any worse during the seven months of my ownership, so I don't mind. Minor creaking seems to be characteristic to some Alfa Romeos.

General Comments:

The car is in excellent condition considering the age of eight years and the harsh, wet and salty winter conditions in Finland. Everything works.

109000 km: Had the car checked by a local official AutoDoctor. No problems whatsoever.

Very smooth to drive, especially on the highway with the cruise control. The car is quite heavy from the front, so go easy on the turns to avoid unnecessary part wearing.

163 hp is quite powerful when driving and overtaking on the highway, but the engine lacks some torque when accelerating the heavyish car from zero.

Just beautiful design from the inside and the outside all over. Shiny chrome door handles, even the Design Giugiaro logo on both sides close to the front tyres. The Alfa Romeo 159 face is both mean and beautiful at the same time.

The car is very low, so go easy on the bumps. You don't wanna lose your oil pan (the previous owner apparently lost his/hers, ain't gonna repeat that mistake).

If you have to use your personal funds for a used car, why buy a 20000 eur boring excessive priced car with a "good reputation", if you can get a same spec Alfa Romeo for 10000 eur. The difference = 5000 eur of repair and maintenance money for your Alfa and the other 5000 eur takes you to Hawaii. Think about it.