1995 Alfa Romeo 146 1.4 - Pros and Cons

[Pedrocas]

So, how good/bad is a 1995 Alfa Romeo 146 1.4?

[_HighVoltage_]

Well...let's put it this way, it won't be any faster, more economical or more comfortable than your ZX. It's definitely not an improvement on yoyur current car. If it was your first car - it's not such a bad choice.
Reliability is similar to that of VW's, but build quality is not so good.

The main problem with these Alfas is maintaining them - you have to research if there are a lot of mechanics willing to work on it. I can say that they are not very popular in Eastern Europe - most mechanics specialize in German cars, and a lot of them refuse to work or anything with a Boxer engine and Italian electrics (it's not just a cliche - they really are bad!).

The only valid reason to buy an Alfa 146 is if looks/style is your top priority. And remember - only geeks like us acknowledge the Alfa style. Regular people see them as "just cars".

[rowd22]

146's are pretty rare i hear
We didnt get any in AUS, im assuming it was a Europe only car, but we did get the Alfa 33
33's have got boxer engines but come in 1.3, 1.5 and 1.7IE(injected)
And yes, you'll have to research some good mechanics, and then research where the cheapest parts are...
Wouldn't be my first choice

[Pedrocas]

So, this 1.4 is a boxer engine? I thought it was a regular 4L type of engine.

In comparison with my ZX, the Alfa is more equipped - it's got ABS, 2 frontal airbags, manual air-con, electric mirrors and an open roof. Camel colored seats with dark interior. Alloy wheels. And the exterior looks like new, no scratchs nor bumps.

[VR6]

Originally Posted by Pedrocas

So, this 1.4 is a boxer engine? I thought it was a regular 4L type of engine.

In comparison with my ZX, the Alfa is more equipped - it's got ABS, 2 frontal airbags, manual air-con, electric mirrors and an open roof. Camel colored seats with dark interior. Alloy wheels. And the exterior looks like new, no scratchs nor bumps.

Manual air-con, what does that mean?

[tquattro]

i have a 1994 alfa 145, 1.7 16 boxer engine, 130hp....but it feels slow(i drove an alfa 145 with the 1.6 I4 120hp twin spark engine and felt more responsive), you have to rev the nuts out of the little boxer engine for overtakings and then the fuel consumption skyrockets. I got mine at about 183000Km and at about 194000km the engine failed, it needed a new crankshaft(it appears that this is a weak point in all alfa boxer engines)and other bits, so it was cheaper to find another engine than to rebuild it. All of the plastic bits from inside look cheap and ratle(to be fair this may be because of the poor road conditions in our country,but then again my audi 100-from 1990 is still solid like a rock), over 100km/s it's very loud inside so i like to drive it only on short distances(journeys up to 100km and around town).

The pluses: nice handling, i like the design very much, the sound of the engine, cheap to buy(but almost impossible to re-sell ), roomy inside for it's size

If you want a 145/6 you should search one built after the facelift(1997) with a TwinSpark engine.Facelifted models also have a better built interior.


Edit: On facelifted models you also get "auto air-con"

[narf]

Originally Posted by VR6

Manual air-con, what does that mean?

You get a knob for hotter or colder, no way to set a specific temperature or even have separate settings for driver/passenger/back seats. Basically a heater that also has a compressor for cooling.

[rowd22]

Originally Posted by tquattro

i have a 1994 alfa 145, 1.7 16 boxer engine, 130hp....but it feels slow(i drove an alfa 145 with the 1.6 I4 120hp twin spark engine and felt more responsive), you have to rev the nuts out of the little boxer engine for overtakings and then the fuel consumption skyrockets. I got mine at about 183000Km and at about 194000km the engine failed, it needed a new crankshaft(it appears that this is a weak point in all alfa boxer engines)and other bits, so it was cheaper to find another engine than to rebuild it. All of the plastic bits from inside look cheap and ratle(to be fair this may be because of the poor road conditions in our country,but then again my audi 100-from 1990 is still solid like a rock), over 100km/s it's very loud inside so i like to drive it only on short distances(journeys up to 100km and around town).

The pluses: nice handling, i like the design very much, the sound of the engine, cheap to buy(but almost impossible to re-sell ), roomy inside for it's size

If you want a 145/6 you should search one built after the facelift(1997) with a TwinSpark engine.Facelifted models also have a better built interior.


Edit: On facelifted models you also get "auto air-con"

True that^

All the torque's above 5000 and the 16valve boxers i think have weaker cranks than the 8valve ones

Gotta love the engine note though....