22 Feb 06
It wouldn't be an Alfa if it was perfect, however, and there are still some hitches. I've yet to meet the person Alfa designs its seats and cockpits for - they must be a most peculiar shape - though the driving position's not nearly as awkward as it once was and there is some degree of adjustability to the driver's seat and to the steering column. Rear legroom is better than before, but still some way off the class-leaders and not all versions come with folding seats or access to the boot from the cabin - saloon buyers may not, by definition, be after a load-lugger, but most want a certain amount of versatility these days.
Most annoyingly, the manual gearbox in the RHD cars driven so far (all very low-mileage) has been a little awkward, with sticky progression from gear to gear and a less than instinctive slotting-into-place of cogs. This just leaves the 159 short of achieving acclaim as one of the great driver's cars on the market - though we'd give it some benefit of the doubt on this, as these gearboxes may well loosen up with a few more miles on the clock.
Benefit of the doubt? Yes, a long-time Alfa-sceptic has teetered towards the ranks of the apologists, swayed by the sheer pleasure of driving this car. Flaws and all, this is a thoroughly convincing attempt at a midsize compact exec/sports saloon and, while it may not tempt lovers of Teutonic efficiency out of their BMWs and Audis, it's got the potential to lure back plenty of strays from the Alfa fold.
Let's hope the company gets it right this time round with the after-sales support and goes on to deliver the service this car deserves to back up its striking initial debut.
