In article .com>,
wrote:

> I'm thinking of buying a used 166, maybe a '99 and almost certainly a
> 3l V6 auto. The problem is that I am rather scared of the costs
> involved after I purchase. There's a baby on the way and I don't have
> much cash so the last thing I want is a massive bill when something
> goes wrong.
>
> Can anyone give me an idea of prices of common parts such as brake
> disks and pads and service parts.
>
> I can handle most jobs myself on older cars but my experience is
> limited on anything in the last 10 years with the exception of simple
> stuff like a Fiat Punto, so I'm worried I might get in over my head
> with all the gadgetary in a 166 and end up with a huge Alfa main dealer
> bill that I can't afford.
>
> Is a cam-belt change on one of these involved? And if it is, are they
> costly from the dealer?
>
> And is there any other advice anyone can offer?
>
> What I'm getting at is, is a 166 going to cost me a lot more to
> maintain than something dull like a Vectra? CShould I wait till I am in
> a beter financial position before becoming an Alfa owner? I'd hate my
> first experience with an Alfa to be a bitter one.
>
> My heart says Alfa Romeo, my head says Ford Mondeo
>
> Cheers,
> Dave

The Alfa will cost you more in maintenance than the Ford. No two ways
about it. If that's your concern, go with the Ford and buy the 166 when
you can better afford it, I.E. have both. The Mondeo for your head, and
the Alfa for your heart. That's what I did. I have a 2003 VW GTI for my
every day driving and my GTV-6 Alfa for weekends. The Alfa is still
maintenance intensive, but as a hobby car with few miles being
accumulated (less than 10,000 miles in four years) day to day
reliability is not all that important.