ALFA ROMEO 166 1998 test drive - 2003 sedan

Alfa Romeo 166- Luxury in Italian

Alfa Romeo 166, the Italian representative of the E segment, or business class in our way, an interesting and beautiful car, belonging to a well-known and to some extent exclusive brand, no matter how sad it is unknown to our consumer. This car does not flash in the stream as often as German models, it is not advertised on the pages of fashion magazines. And on the Second Hand market it is generally almost impossible to find, unlike the same German models ...
Nevertheless, we managed to conduct a test - despite the fact that the Belarusian dealer Alfa Romeo is imported exclusively to order and in extremely small quantities. True, a little used - the last model year, but with a 2.5 -liter engine and in almost a top configuration, there is even xenon. Now, by the way, it is sold for only $ 19.980, so our wealthy exotic lovers have a chance to buy an interesting car cheaper, and besides, do not wait for three to four months, while the car is built and delivered to our republic. So, get acquainted ...
The debut of Alfa Romeo 166 took place at the very end of 1999, but it went on sale a little later - at the beginning of the new century. The triumphal procession of the incredibly beautiful Alfa Romeo 156, as well as the recognition by a car of the year of the year 147, fundamentally changed the opinion of the cars of this brand, but also forced the company's management to take a rather risky step. The new Alfa Romeo top model, according to marketers, should have been strikingly different from the predecessor. Alfa Romeo 164 has long required replacement, and her once fashionable design was already completely outdated by that time.
In fact, such cars are interesting even because they have a very special design. In this class, where the BMW of the fifth series and the eyes of Mercedes dominate, there is nothing to choose from a person - this car crowd does not shine with particular originality, except that the very fresh Audi A6 dilutes this traditional stiffness with their interesting design. And although there are proposals, one is more curious than the other, but with a closer acquaintance it turns out that not all of the modern business class models have even the moral right to be called a classmate of the same eye. Either some problems with quality, then the design is absurd, then the price is overpriced by sixty, and sometimes it also happens that this same business class drives is worse than a high-quality small-leaf from a more eminent manufacturer. For example, almost all Japanese models of this class flaunt a completely boring design, American ones are full of luxury, but at the same time, along with the latest bells and whistles, archaic technical solutions, which even Russian car factories do not use. The French recently rushed too boldly experimenting with the design, and their body is completely hatchbacks, and the Swedes, on the contrary, are too conservative - Saab has become a similar one. And Alfa Romeo is a brand, although well -known, but at the same time completely not burdened with various nuances like maintenance problems or high cost of spare parts. It turns out a very interesting option for people with taste ...
It is simply useless to tell about the appearance of this car: the photos speak for themselves. Although they say quite little: in life the 166th is much more interesting than in the best photographs.
Not bad and inside: the big Alfa Romeo, as if justifying its highest place in the company's hierarchy, simply amazes with its huge salon. Although, looking at the car, you can’t say this: the 166th, although it looks massive, does not make the impression of a limousine. But in all the catalogs, as if having conspired, there is a small remark that the 166th is a very spacious salon, and passengers of great stature will feel equally confident both in front and behind. And to be honest, it’s worth it to believe it: I was sitting on the back sofa behind a fairly high passenger, but the knees did not touch the back of the front chair. Although to the ceiling, if a height is about 200 cm, it seems that you will sometimes get it: the sloping roof is pressing, but not as much as in VW Passat. The disadvantage of this car, as the owner joked, is one too noticeable appearance. Even in such a rather dark and at all causing diplomat, the car simply attracts the attention of others, as if it were a supercar of the last model, and even bright red. It is interesting, and if the 166th were painted in a bright silver mother of pearl, and even had an interesting body kit from a prestigious tuning studio - who would be able to compete with her in the automobile stream? Unless the 156th in the GTA version ...
It is interesting that today the modification that has come to our test is no longer sold in our market: a 220-horsepower 3.0-liter, which can be equipped as a conventional 6-speed mechanics, has replaced the 2.5-liter version, which can be replaced. and automatic gearbox STEPTRONIC. Moreover, in both cases, the cost of the car does not fall below 28,000 EUR-after all, a business class!
Manageability is worthy of a sports car. According to the unanimous recognition of experts of leading automobile publications, the 166th in this discipline is only slightly inferior to the reference car-the BMW of the 5th series. It is really difficult to compete with him, because the Bavarians managed to create a car with an amazingly successful combination of sports control and smoothness, but all other models, even more expensive and powerful, simply rest. Neither Audi with its sophisticated systems of all -wheel drive, nor even more than Mercedes with its excessively comfortable suspension settings can boast of the sense of the steering wheel that Alfa Romeo gives. On a winding road, this big sedan will give you no less pleasure than a brisk sports compartment. And although it is not customary to drive a headlong on such cars, the fashion for powerful business class sedans did not appear by itself: if the 166th and 525th bimmers are buying, then there is a demand for dynamic and prestigious models. Moreover, the 166th, in contrast to the 147th, which we tested quite recently, even with such controllability, it has not been stiff or harsh, all the habits inherent in business class models have been preserved. And this means that the owner of the car, who in this class can drive both driving and on the back sofa, will not fully concentrate on driving, trying to cope with a powerful car. The 166th management is as much undemanding as all other businessmen. The principle of reasonable sufficiency dominates here, since everything possible is done to instill the 166th running qualities of a sports car, but not one of the bus classes will be affected. Although the designers of Alfa Romeo 166 had a full moral right to make a car sharp in managing, hard and not goodbye mistakes: after all, not Opel. With such a luggage in the form of a huge number of victories in various car racing, it was a sin not to take the opportunity and not make a modification that could wipe his nose with all kinds of AMG or BMW M5 there: the company has the potential. Remember at least a hurricane spider or GTV compartment with the same six -cylinder engine, the car is simply incredibly dynamic and maneuverable - 6.7 seconds from a place to a hundred!
In conclusion, I would like to say a few words that Alfa Romeo cars, regardless of the model and class, have always been intended for people with exquisite taste, who want to have not only a reliable vehicle, but also the subject of aesthetic pleasure. In the pictures, the 166th, especially in front, looks a little heavy, but in life it is a completely different car: beautiful, airy, swift. And most importantly, this external elegance does not stop the alpha stops at all prestigious, corresponding to the class. Such a car is not lost among other representatives of a business sector, especially against the background of ordinary Germans.
SUBJECTIVE OPINION:
(+) An interesting, unable design, spacious interior, high -quality finish, high degree of noise insulation of the cabin.
(-) The relatively high price of a new car.
Text: Pavel Kozlovsky and Sergey Mitskevich

Source: "Avtogazeta"