Pete > wrote:

> >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
>
> How can you seriously compare a mundane family saloon with a luxury exec
> sport saloon? Vectra and Mundeo are comparable to the Alfa 156. Not the
> 166. You are starting on a false base-line. Compare the costs against a 5
> series or Merc E320 Elegance, These common panzerwagons have costs that
> will be similar to the 166.

I'd tend to disagree with your point about the 156 - it's smaller than
the current generation of Mondeo / Vectra / Passat - my Panzerwagen is
closer in size to a 166 than a 156. The 156 is, as was the 155,
somewhere between Focus and Mondeo in size - the same market sector that
was occupied by the BMW 3-series in it's E30 and E36 incarnations.

However, you're right about the 166 - it may be slightly smaller than a
5-series or E-class, but that's the sector it's marketed to.

> If you want the style of an Alfa 166 then you will have to go to the
> Maserati Quatroporte to buy better. Look how much a Maser would cost and
> the Alfa 166 is a bargain.
>
> As has been said - family first. Hope you enjoy whatever you buy.

Personally, I'd also consider the 156, but then I would, because we have
one.
--
Steve H 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
http://www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - MZ ETZ300 - Alfa 75 TSpark
Alfa 156 2.0 TSpark Lusso - Passat 1.8 Turbo SE - COSOC KOTL
BoTAFOT #87 - BoTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #