Category: Compact Executive 
Price Range: £28,545 to £28,545
Styling, performance, driving enjoyment, practicality and, above all, character; now very cheap second-hand buys.
Slightly cramped in the rear, the dealer network is not the best, poor reliability record.
Great to look at and great to drive, it makes a refreshing alternative to a BMW or an Audi, if not the most sensible option.
Alfa Romeo made a big effort to improve quality for the 156 and a lot of the company's well-documented problems were sorted: rust's not an issue these days, for a start.
The 156 has, nonetheless, scored very poorly in reliability and customer satisfaction surveys; it's not so much that the car is hideously unreliable (many owners have done high mileages trouble-free) as that when a problem did arise, the dealers weren't particularly helpful or sympathetic. There have been some mechanical issues - do some research of owners' internet forums and the like before buying - though most glitches have been related to electrics, electronics and so on. The complex Selespeed gearbox has been problematic, in particular.
However, given that these early cars are now nearly 10 years old, a well-maintained 156 of this age with the right service history need be no more risky a buy than any other. Many owners have found skilled, enthusiastic independent Alfa specialists to service and maintain their cars, so don't necessarily look for main-dealer stamps in the service book.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Alfa Romeo 156
wrote on 10 10 2007