Category: Large Family 
Price Range: £28,545 to £28,545
Stylish looks, value for money, performance and character, a well-priced second-hand buy
Slightly cramped rear accommodation, driving position not to everyone's tastes, build quality still a little behind the Germans
A thoroughly entertaining car that's a real alternative to its German rivals. Storming GTA is wild and visceral and new direct injection 2.0-litre petrol engine shows Alfa has its finger on the technological pulse
Alfa has bolstered the 156's active and passive safety levels. All models now get a non-switchable electronic stability governor dubbed Vehicle Dynamic Control that quells over- and understeer, while the antilock brakes now get Brake Assist, which provides maximum braking performance during emergency braking manoeuvres. Curtain airbags join the front and side airbags, bringing the total to six. Piercing Xenon headlamps, standard on the GTA, are now an option on all other models. There's also the added function of the Alfa's Connect system, which offers a one-touch emergency assist button to summon assistance. The 156 has not been NCAP crash-tested, but if other Fiat Group cars are anything to go by, expect average rather than class-leading results.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Alfa Romeo 156
wrote on 10 10 2007