ALFA Romeo test drive 164 1988 - 1998 sedan

$15.000

It is well known that cars for cars in Germany are much lower than in Russia. This delta, as boys from the new economic college say, also feeds a large tribe of distillers specializing in the delivery of specific cars to customers.
The autopilot claims that the prices for Alfa Romeo in Germany and Russia are approximately equal.
Italian in Russia
One such professional distiller responded to this brand unambiguously: I will not carry my own headache! He is firmly convinced that the Italian car will not last more than six months in Russian open spaces.
At the same time, there is a significant layer of people who, once sitting once on Alfa Romeo, can no longer change it to another brand, even if these are fraternal fiat or Lancia. Especially if it concerns the model with index 164, the most solid and serious of the entire range of sedans with the Alfa Romeo emblem. It is this model that is today the most popular alpha in our country, and every owner of the 155th or 33rd secretly dreams of moving to 164th. The circle of such people is quite narrow, but it is they who determine the prices for used cars of this brand, and many sixty -fourth for a long and successful life in Russia have already changed several owners.
The secret of longevity
Fans climbing on the Alfa Romeo 164 recommend buying only a car with a V-shaped twelve-valve engine of 3.0 liters. If you're lucky, you can dwell on a fairly exclusive Quatrofolio model. It differs from the usual 164th V6, which is extended from 184 to 232 hp. This engine was developed in due time for all -wheel drive versions of Alfa Romeo. And a simple engine still properly serves on Spider models.
Only this motor will allow you to completely enjoy the sports character of the car. But be careful - all these engines are quite capricious and require increased attention. Our drivers are generally unusual to follow the recommendations of the service book. Many profess the principle of good knock will come out and are engaged in the prevention of the motor only in exceptional cases. Alfa Romeo does not forgive such a careless relationship.
Firstly, in accordance with the recommendations of the manufacturer, it is supposed to change the gas distribution belt every 30-40 thousand kilometers of the mileage. Failure to comply with this, in principle, is simple for a competent mechanic of the operation, can lead to a slippage of the belt and the bend of the valves. As a result, you are flying to the bulkhead of the engine, which will cost you several thousand dollars.
The experience of five -year use by Alfa Romeo 164 in Moscow suggests that in the engine you need to use oil specially recommended by manufacturers. This is synthetic oil,
Selenia 10W/40 Special Formula Alfa Romeo, is on sale at any service station. In our case, an attempt to use cheaper Mobil oil led to the failure of the oil pressure sensor. The problem is not difficult, but it could have been worse. It is also advisable to purchase a filter through a proprietary network, although there are cheaper ones, for example, the popular Champion we have.
The horse Valdai
Alfa Romeo 164 attracts primarily functionality. In the parking lot near the office, it looks much more solid than, for example, Opel or VW Passat. Sports character allows you to easily leave the first from a traffic light, and on a good and even suburban highway to even feel like an almost professional rider. A spacious and comfortable salon allows you to think about expanding the family and buying a country house without the need to change your favorite brand.
In our case, the car even repeatedly went to Valdai for fishing, successfully overcoming 50 kilometers of a complex dirt road. To say that she got out of the lane as a new one means to sin against the truth. The pebbles shooting from under the wheels left several scars on the body of the 164th. Either in the laziness of character, or due to lack of time, these scratches are still not painted over the master and play the role of the corrosion of the body corrosion. More precisely, an indicator of its complete absence. The fact is that all bodies for Alfa Romeo 164 are subjected to bilateral galvanizing, and the company gives a six -year guarantee against rust. Several years have passed since that memorable trip to Valdai, and bare metal is still virgin white. Well, who said that the car is not for Russia?
Doctor, I will die? ..
The most contagious disease that affects almost all foreign cars, without exception, is an allergy to our roads. Naturally, Alfa Romeo is subject to her too. If only because it is a high -speed machine, and you simply do not have time to go around all natural obstacles. If you are lucky and get a car with automatic control of the rigidity of shock absorbers, then the suspension will last longer. The smart system itself will monitor the quality of the road surface and go on time from a sports, rigid mode to a regular one. True, the replacement of such shock absorbers will result in a penny. The usual, for example, Monroe firms, will cost much cheaper: about $ 110 for the front and $ 80 for the rear. At the same time, we will have to replace the levers complete with silent blocks. Frequent mechanics do not have fixed rates for such work, and at the proprietary station the cost of a norm-hour ranges from $ 35-45. And with normal operation, surgical intervention will be required after 90-100 thousand mileage on our roads.
By the way, if you proceed from the fortress of the suspension and adaptability to Russian reality, then the question arises - for which market are the Lada brand cars gathering?
Nikolai Sukhov, Alexey Ilyin (photo)
 

Source: "Autopilot"