2009 Alfa Romeo 159 JTS Review - So Much Soul 

Yeah it's pretty cool

@@KiwiCarLife 0p

The 3.2 came with a free oil well and refinery.

I'm sure, but this one has had one owner and a full alfa service history. Yet, it had a screaming power steering pump, and missfired numerous times with an engine light coming and going the entire time I drove it. While they are better than they used to be, they're certainly not all reliable.

@@KiwiCarLife I've owned 2 new Giulia's since 2017 and now I own the Stelvio. All 3 have had zero problems. Prior to these newer models, I owned a 1974 Spider Veloce, 1 1989 75 Milano sedan and a 1995 164L V6 sedan. All three of those gave me 0 problems. So, reliability is not an issue for my 6 experiences with the brand.

Reliabilty of well used cars is down to keeping on top of issues that arise this applies to all brands even honda.

@@KiwiCarLife the JTS engines, or at least the 2.2 4cyl form are pretty shite. dont know much about the 3.2 tbh but the jtdm diesels in this generation are really good, especially the later 2L one, very reliable: my dad took his 159 sportwagon, very similar to this but with the 2L JTDM, to spain and back and italy and back from England and it had zero issues at all. We've also been to the nurburgring and Milan in an older Alfa 155, which only suffered from a single sensor failing and therefore making it run a bit shit (good for a car from 1996 if you ask me) unplugged it and was fine the rest of the journey. ive seen really shit ones but usually just as a result of old owners not taking care of them

Thanks man!

Cheers!

True yeah their modern stuff is definitely a lot better than their older ones, but this one as an example has a screaming power steering pump and occasionally started misfiring as I drove it

Outside of Europe and Oceania those cars are a pain to own no parts available

@@nothing9271 yeah I imagine

@@KiwiCarLife having spoken to some 159 owners and mechanics, I realised reliability issues when it comes to 159 are an urban myth which only circles among those who have never actually owned one.

@@emilz85 I still own a 159 jts 2.2 ti from new since 2008 and have had very few issues with it other than it seems to go through 12v batteries - on average have to buy a new one every 3-4 years. the other issue was the power steering top hose was leaking and needed to be replaced - that what was causing the power steering to whirr. I bet your example KiwiCarLife has/had the same issue but the owner didn't check the fluid and let it run on too little fluid therefore damaging the pump. No other issues - though I am about to have the front bushings replaced on the double wishbone suspension, it is not necessary but I like to keep the car in top order. I always buy the correct tires (conti sports) etc. Also I should add I don't drive huge kms - my car has only 125,000 kms on the clock.

Thanks!

Why thank you

Very nice!

Lovely!

Yeah it's quite nice

Very true!

No thanks. 159 !😮

Oh yeah I imagine

I've just bought a 2.4 diesel with a remap making 240hp and 480nm. While there certainly is some turbo lag down low and it doesn't make a lot of power up high, at freeway speeds if you plant your foot the thing moves like a train!

Yeah they’re nice cars eh

Very nice! Yeah from reading the comments it seems a lot of people see these as reliable, but like with any euro you have to spend money to keep them happy

@@KiwiCarLife yes you’re bang on there, you’re also bang on about being surprised the first time you drive them. My brother had a 159 v6 wagon and he loved it, sold it and bought a v8 Volvo which was lovely (had the best exhaust noise just at idle even) but he always missed the Alfa. He has a Gulia now. If you find the right mechanic that appreciates Italian cars you’re on your way. Very lucky here in ChCh that we have the “Italian Job” based in central CHCH. They know all there is to know about Alfas and other Italian brands. This is crucial

Yep driven one, review coming soon

@@KiwiCarLife Great! Look forward to that.

Dont try crash testing the 156. 159 is extremely safe car on par with Volvo during these years. One of my pals smashed his 159 at 90kmh and walked away fine. He rear ended a taxi that jumped the lane with no lights. He had no braking distance at all. When I looked at the car, you cant say that it was an impact at 90kmh.

@@kamata93 my dad wrote off his old 159 lol, 20mph crash so not really bad and he literally just drove it home leaving a little line of coolant drops across the street but nothing else. honestly wasnt even that badly damaged

Nice!

Yeah they're awesome to drive

Nah all factory

@@KiwiCarLife Ooo very nice. İ never saw 159s with paddle shifters. İ think it's very rare. Nice car BTW!

Got one planned soon!

Hello!

It was more the radio screen that felt cheap, everything else was nice. I’d have the V6 - simple and reliable. And it makes a sweet noise

Coast road, wainuiomata

Yeah I don't really understand why cars at this power level need AWD. Honda's Accord V6 and Toyota Camry never came with AWD and they put down power just fine and feel very spritely. As you say, the extra drivetrain losses from the AWD setup definitely make it feel slower than it really is.

Lovely reliable vehicle

Very nice!

Hah good car, not reliable sorry. This one was a one owner, full service history NZ new, low k's car. Yet it still had a cooked power steering pump and the head gasket was on its way out along with an intermittent engine light and missfire. GM derived engine and italian electronics? No thanks

@@KiwiCarLife Doesn't happen with Mercs, BMWs and Audis? Please stop trashing a great car. What do you drive? An Accord, wow, how adventurous. Japanese cars are as bland as porridge.

Ah yes

2.2 JTS rocks. An Alfa should always be petrol engined. I've heard the 1750TBi, aren't as reliable as my Holden block 2.2.

True, but alfa did rework the top end to give it more of that alfa sound

@@KiwiCarLife Exactly. People still pulling this old, bad joke. The block could've come from Honda it wouldn't have made any difference. The engine is oversquare (like the old Busso), has DOHC, a metal intake manifold, quite large cams from the factory, is rev happy but unfortunately... it has direct injection.

Perhaps you need to understand what an engine block is. All the rest is made by Alfa, to their specifications. Even the timing chains are different from the GM, that's how much they changed it.

All Alfa got was the alloytec block and then Alfa put in forged internals, their own heads, cams etc.

Sure is!

The 156’s gear knob came off in my hand when I reviewed that haha

Ah yes

Probably

I do!

@@KiwiCarLife It's an Alfa, it deserves a bit of decorum.

Yeah we get all sorts of odd stuff. Probably about 10km/l

I suppose

Id have the v6 over the diesel personally, and the turbo one is cool, but it just doesn't have the charm of a colourful sounding v6

Alfas should ALWAYS be petrol. Diesel? Particulate filter causes problems unless highway driven. You speaking from experience or what you read from other uninformed punters?

@@ibanmayo2 oh but I thought alfas were immune from issues. You’re not telling me they have a problem are you?

Yeah and I get tired of biased Alfa enthusiasts coming on here claiming absolute nonsense like that Alfas are as reliable as the earth. They just aren't. Jokes be it generalized or not, usually always have some truth to them. This one for example had 1 owner from new and a full service history. Power steering pump was going, and engine we discovered afterwards had a blown head gasket. You can't make that up

Absolutely Ian, and it peaves me off. Mine has been more reliable than a Toyota. Lazy journalism.

@@KiwiCarLife So no other makes have those issues? How many cars have you driven with zero issues?

@@ibanmayo2 I don’t review cars that have problems normally, but I made an exception for this Alfa because it was a cracking car to drive. But it also had a head gasket that was showing signs of going, a ruined power steering pump, intermittent engine light and missfires, and numerous creaks and rattles. It’s had low k’s, one owner and a full Alfa svc history before they traded it at Honda and I filmed a review

Ah yes

True, but I reckon it looks far more unique than most other family wagons to come out of the 2000's

Ah yes

Yeah true haha

Boolshit. See my response.

Buy a Golf or Micra. With every unique car you learn how to repair it and maintain it by yourself.