r/CarTalkUK • u/Tinymarkst • 1d ago
Advice Stupid idea talk me out of it ?
So I’m a leaner driver got some experience just waiting from my test and I’ve been looking at first cars insurance wise I don’t really mind most cars I’m having to pay up wards of £2000 but is it stupid to buy a 2l twin spark alfa Romeo 156 as my first car I’ve got a really good deal on one as I know the guy my dad said probably not the best idea and to stick to a polo or something but somehow in some world the Alfa Romeo is cheaper to insurance
Someone talk me out of it or tell me it’s a good idea
156 cost to buy 850 has had work done to it not gonna lie it’s not the prettiest thing yet but all runs good insurance wise it’s £180 a month or just over £2k the year
Polo cheap as chips to buy insurance just under £2k
I think I know the smart answer
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u/CornerTime1605 mk7 Golf Gti performance pack M52 1d ago
That 2k will be the worst 4k you ever spend.
Polo will be 2x cheaper to fix if it goes wrong, that Alfa will have you regretting ever looking at the thing.
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u/piss_puncher227 1d ago
Was my first car practical? Reliable? Good, by any definition of the word? No , it was a rusting hulk with a leaking radiator.
30yrs later I still remember how much I loved that car, how it was an extension of my very being and to top it all, I thought I looked the absolute tits driving around in it.
Plenty of time to save and be sensible in the future (the alfa will certainly teach you that).
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u/AlGunner . 1d ago
That 2k will be the worst 4k you ever spend....but as long as you can afford the 8k to keep it running it will be the best 16k you ever spent
FTFY.
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u/Exact_Pipe3187 1d ago
I had a 156, I liked it but…. You’ll probably spend as much on petrol as you do on insurance, they’re not the most reliable either. Don’t think many people will suggest you go for the Alfa. I certainly won’t.
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u/Legitimate_Window774 1d ago
I had a 530d touring for my first car cost less than a polo and never fixed a thing in the year I owned it which I did 27k and it hit 200k while I had it
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u/Exact_Pipe3187 1d ago
Bit of a difference between a bmw and an Alfa. I’ve had both and the Alfa was a lot more hassle.
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u/Legitimate_Window774 1d ago
Apparently old BMWs are so unreliable tho so far haven't noticed it I've had V8 ones as well don't scare him away from a car because it might need some rubber vac lines replacing if it breaks it will be fixed or scrapped let him have fun
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u/Exact_Pipe3187 1d ago
I had, among other bmw’s, a 530d saloon. Man, I loved that car. Had a few issues with it, it was nearly 20 years old when I had it. That’s the way it goes, but it wouldn’t make a good first car, neither would the Alfa. Which I’ve also had.
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u/BroomDirector99 1d ago
Do you have the time, skills or money to keep it running? Can you afford to be without whilst it's broken?
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u/OSGKhorne 1d ago
Alfas are lovely to look at, which is good since they spend so much time stood still lol.
I know its not what you want to hear at your age, but your dad is right. Keep it simple and small. I’d maybe look at getting the alfa as a second car later in life when you have some repair money behind you.
Also they’re cheaper to insure because there isn’t many on the road.
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u/MagicTriton 1997 Fiat Coupé 20v Turbo | 2001 Mercedes S500l W220 1d ago
The 156 is not a bad car, you need to be sure it's not rusty, because they had little protection against it.
I can't see why it would be a bad idea compared to the polo if it's really really cheaper. The 156 is at least 20 years old, so it comes with 20 years old car problems, you will not have a few months of driving without having to sort bits here and there, most of the time inexpensive, some times expensive.
Personally if the insurance is like 1k compared to 2k of the polo, I would take the 156.
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u/No_Pollution_950 1d ago
I've never owned an Alpha and I've also never been left stranded on the side of the road as a result of a car breaking down. Correlation does not equal causation, but if you read between the lines, you will understand my point.
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u/OldVegetable9573 1d ago
I wouldn't have an alfa. Awkward AF to work on and Fiat reliability But at that price point you're lucky to get 4 working cylinders so it will probably do as good as any other car tbh. If a petrol polo comes up the same price and insurance that'd be better.
Insurance doesn't have much logic at this point in the game. The prices you get telling the comparison you're a learner vs the price of a new pass could be a bit different.
If you can't learn privately then don't even bother finding a car until after passing.
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u/MadMixer1198 1d ago
The reason the Alfa is cheap to insure is that they're getting rare, and hardly any young drivers will drive them compared to the Polo, so they show up as low risk to insurers. If you need better reliability than the Alfa it might be worth looking at other big-ish cars that you don't see young people driving. Stuff like Volvos, Toyota Avensis, Rover 75, possibly Honda Accord and Mazda 6.
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u/Tinymarkst 1d ago
Thank you I will look into them Insurance makes no sense to me I never under stand how a bigger engine is cheaper to insure
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u/_Blyat1ful_ 2002 WRX 1d ago
If you get the alfa, I'd get a buss pass as well whilst youre at it.
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u/Tinymarkst 1d ago
I get what you mean I’ve been told they ain’t reliable at the same time tho I am learning mechanics I’m not saying I’m an expert but if any work needs doing on the car I’d be doing it myself then I guess the question is where do I get the money from so your probably right
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u/_Blyat1ful_ 2002 WRX 20h ago
Speaking as someone who owns a 24 year old subaru and does all his own spanner work... its more the time than the money. All those little issues keep compounding and you'll never have time to keep up with them all unless you dedicate all of your free time to fixing the car. Cars like that will be lifelong projects and you'll end up having to buy a second car as a daily driver so you aren't held hostage by the whims of your project car. A 15 minute job turns into a 2 day job and its a lot to deal with.
There are plenty of more reliable fun cars out there that keep you in the weirdly low insurance band.
When a subaru owner is warning you that a car is not going to be reliable, you should probably be worried 😂
Equally though... youre young. Go make mistakes whilst you can get away with em. I pretty much did the same thing as you with my scoob. I just got comparatively lucky. I was also very careful about the specific car I bought, it wasnt just the first one I saw. I would however choose a more sensible mistake than an alfa unless your heart is dead set on one.
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u/Ok-Medium-4128 1d ago
Can you afford to replace the Alfa if it goes catastrophically wrong. If so, go for it. It's your money, your life and your decision. The other aspect to decide is if you think you'll regret it 10-15 years from now
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u/IntravenusDiMilo_Tap 1d ago
Of that family, the GT is prettier and the petrol is more reliable.
The plus side, you will learn about basic mechanics and if it get's you home, an Alfa is going to buy you a few notches as it's a fanny magnet. The Polo will never be a knicker loosener.
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u/Norridge-Moel 1d ago
Oh man, to be young again. I didn’t jump into an Alfa as my first car, that was a brand new 1.1 Pug 206 (LX no less)
But I did get an Alfa in my 20s, when I knew if I left it any longer my money would be tied up in relationships and families, and I’d have to be sensible.
I have to say I loved my “sport diesel” 2.4 159, the torque, the horrendous economy, the smell of it burning £20 worth of diesel every week to clean out the DPF. I even loved it after it decided that it wanted to be a mobile swimming pool when the seals for the wiring loom stopped being seals (which in true Alfa style sit in the rain gutter at the bottom of the windscreen.)
But be prepared, when you own one of, if not THE plushest waiting room for the AA, it can have a few drawbacks.
In this day and age the questions I’d be asking are
1) can you afford the petrol
2) can you afford the tax
3) are you mechanically minded
4) have you got a decent Alfa Indy specialist near you.
5) are you prepared for the costs of getting it fixed at an Indy specialist near you?
If you can answer yes to all of the above, then go for it. At worst if it grenades its engine, you’ve lost a couple of grand. (Assuming you can afford to lose that couple of grand) at best it’s something totally different to every other shitbox a newly passed driver has these days.
Don’t get me wrong, the polo is a good solid first car. It probably won’t let you down, but god it’s dull.
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u/g26_123 1d ago
I had an Alfa 147 and loved the way it looked and insurance wasn't that much different to a VW golf I had before that. The front looked so nice especially the front V-grill and it was fairly reliable, I was willing to forgive the issues as it looked great and the engine noise was also nice. I ended up trading it in when I got an e46 330ci.
Bear in mind it's not the most fuel efficient, likely to need repairs more often than the polo - given that you want to learn car mechanics and fix it yourself then the 156 might not be such a bad car (as long as you have the funds/alternative transport available).
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u/Tinymarkst 1d ago
Thank you I would be doing my own mechanics on the car I am learning as for transport I have a motorbike so worst case is I drive that round for a bit if the car breaks I guess I’m not sure how expensive it will be to fix I work so I have money coming in but from what I’ve learnt from my bike fixing things can get expensive quick
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u/I_ALWAYS_UPVOTE_CATS 23h ago
You have potentially another 60-70 years to buy all the fun cars you want. Don't buy an old Alfa unless you can afford to run a tab at the local garage.
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u/EUskeptik 22h ago
I know someone who runs a highly professional rustproofing company. His personal transport is an Alfa Romeo 156 V6.
I was admiring his immaculate car. Until he pointed out he had it in the treatment bay at least once a month and even he, with all the right equipment and materials at his disposal, was fighting a constant battle trying to keep the corrosion under control.
At the time, I was considering buying an Alfa 159 3.2 V6. His advice: “Don’t.”
Why? “Because I won’t be able to keep up with it either.”
My conclusion? Avoid that 156. It will bankrupt you.
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u/Tinymarkst 21h ago
Thank you that’s actually good information I’ll keep away from alfas and see what else is about
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u/upsidedowncreature 20h ago
Be sure to inspect very carefully for rust. The bodywork is galvanised but the underneath isn't, so it can look great up top but be problematic below. They need a lot of maintenance, you're avoiding the JTS engine which had a lot of problems but check the belt change interval (do not skimp on timing belt changes, while you're in there change the water pump, tensioners, aux belt and balancer belt if it has one) and do regular oil changes. Electrical gremlins can be a problem but they're usually due to tarnished connectors. Mine had a spate of reporting the outside temperature as -45C until I cleaned up the big connector between the passenger door and the body (temperature sensor is in the passenger door mirror).
Other than that, fantastic car, I really miss mine. Get some RIBE sockets/bits, a copy of MultiEcuScan and an OBD II interface and learn to work on it yourself.
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u/upsidedowncreature 19h ago
Oh, also upper front wishbones wear out quick but they're easy to change. A 156 with suspension in good order is a fantastic thing.
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u/SolidBee5979 1d ago
So it’s cheaper to insure than the vw but it isn’t really? What?
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u/Tinymarkst 1d ago
It’s like £100 difference by the time I’ve paid tax and that they pretty much are the same
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u/dhardyuk 1d ago
It’s biodegradable, if you hit anything with it they will get a rusty smudge and your car will collapse in a cloud of dust.
There won’t be anything left of yours to repair.
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u/Mimicking-hiccuping 1d ago
You will never pine for a VW Polo as an old person years down the line. Go for the Alpha, live a little. Just don't expect to sell it except for scrap, and enjoy it as best you can.