General A3 Sline Driver Converted!!

[mikez328]

I completely agree with Chris,

You have to question what a 51 yr old man who appears to have no interest in GP's is wasting his time even posting on here.

I would have thought it would have been "well beneath" him

I do apologise if my comments caused offence. There was no intention to do so . I made a mistake in buying the GP, after years of owning quality motors. Don't get me wrong - there is nothing wrong with the quality of engineering - but the quality of the interior leaves a lot to be desired... Perhaps this is why the Fiat Motor Company feel able to price the Alfa 147 way above the GP?

I might add that in 1997 I bought a used Ferarri 355 Spyder & was absolutely disgusted by the poor quality of the interior.:bang:

 

[mikez328]

very true...but you do get (and i'm not saying mikez328 here as I haven't read this thread through closey yet) argumentive types,there is also the other side of the coin that states if you have nothing helpful/constructive (or funny) to say then dont.Personally I like all the 'banter' but i'll stop it when it gets personal.

Back to the brera...I like driving it & it does look good but i'd never buy one cause of the depreciation,dubious build quality (for a car of this price) and lack of dealers.....unless I was a millionaire.....well ok a multi-millionaire

As far as the GP...well you do get a basic interior after all its a cheap car,you dont get blue & me/abs/air-con for nothing so corners are cut but I feel the GP interior is ok with controls easy to hand & cluster clear to read which is important to me but i'm not everybody.

I generally agree with you but I'm afraid that the AR build quality for the Brera is as perfect as AR can -or will ever get. The interior leather seat & stitching quality is on a par with Aston Martin (I had a demonstrator AM V8 Vantage for 2 days last year). Even a leather equipped 147 is a VERY nice place to be in.

Alfa Romeo depreciation will always be an issue - but as I bought a £30,000 12 month old car for less than £20,000 I think I'm the winner...

What you rather have - a (very competent) GPS 130 with nasty shiney plastic & low-rent interior or a very desirable coupe dripping with leather & all the toys - excepting "Blue&Me"?:yum:

 

[brickdog]

What you rather have - a (very competent) GPS 130 with nasty shiney plastic & low-rent interior or a very desirable coupe dripping with leather & all the toys - excepting "Blue&Me"?:yum:

I love my GPS - which, being re-mapped to 170, is great fun to drive - and the interior, whilst nothing to shout about, doesn't strike me as an attribute which spoils the whole car.

And anyway I'm usually looking outside the car when I'm driving :yum:

The Brera certainly sounds like it's got the features and style that you want - I think it's all about realising what you're getting for your money with a GP, which in my opinion is a lot

 

[mikez328]

I love my GPS - which, being re-mapped to 170, is great fun to drive - and the interior, whilst nothing to shout about, doesn't strike me as an attribute which spoils the whole car.

And anyway I'm usually looking outside the car when I'm driving :yum:

The Brera certainly sounds like it's got the features and style that you want - I think it's all about realising what you're getting for your money with a GP, which in my opinion is a lot

Glad you are happy with it - a great car for the price. Enjoy it for years to come. Nothing will come near it for performance against the minimal running costs. Run it into the ground over the next 6/7 years then give it away.

My wife bought a 6600 mile 6 month old Fiat Bravo in early 2001 for about £7000. When we tried to trade it in during August this year (with 97,000 miles on it) our local Fiat dealer offered us a laughable £600 against a new GP. We walked down the road & got £1000 P/X from Citroen for an ex-demonstrator C2 VTR (56) with 6000 miles. We haggled further & got a years Road Tax, Full tank of petrol & a glass sunroof fitted - Plus a further £250 off the £7995 asking price - which was already £4000 less than list.... But we know that the car will depreciate horribly-being a Citroen. It doesn't matter to us as it will be run to 100,000 miles then probably given away. By which time I will have popped my clogs & not have any worries in this world!!

 

[T14086]

What you rather have - a (very competent) GPS 130 with nasty shiney plastic & low-rent interior or a very desirable coupe dripping with leather & all the toys - excepting "Blue&Me"?:yum:

I'd have the GP & the rest of the difference in cash which is a sizeable lump to take the family on a few good holidays.

As for interior I dont really care,its features like airbags/ABS that i'd rather have than cowskin under me & if a passenger moans that they dont like the look of my interior its simple....they walk but if you want a bit of luxury thats your call after all its your money to do as you wish.

As for the blue & me check microphone is in right place....normally its mounted on passenger side (for european market) of interior light & nobody can hear you clearly.

 

[Dangerous!]

I generally agree with you but I'm afraid that the AR build quality for the Brera is as perfect as AR can -or will ever get. The interior leather seat & stitching quality is on a par with Aston Martin (I had a demonstrator AM V8 Vantage for 2 days last year). Even a leather equipped 147 is a VERY nice place to be in.

Alfa Romeo depreciation will always be an issue - but as I bought a £30,000 12 month old car for less than £20,000 I think I'm the winner...

What you rather have - a (very competent) GPS 130 with nasty shiney plastic & low-rent interior or a very desirable coupe dripping with leather & all the toys - excepting "Blue&Me"?:yum:

To be honest, if you are complaining about the GPS so much, go and join an AR Forum, and leave the rest of us to really enjoy the cars I, and i'm sure most of the other people on the Forum, worked very hard to pay for. Yes the car has its downfalls, but the people who bought one enjoy it, and will do for quite some time!

 

[T14086]

To be honest, if you are complaining about the GPS so much, go and join an AR Forum

cause all they talk about on AR forums is does anyone know where any Alfas dealers are cause they all gone:devil:

 

[mikez328]

cause all they talk about on AR forums is does anyone know where any Alfas dealers are cause they all gone:devil:

You are very wrong my friend. After many years (33) of ownership of Porsche, BMW etc. we have a new AR UK CEO, & the owner, FIAT (who also owns Ferrari.....) has extreme determination to redeem AR's poor past customer service performance. They did that for me last week when I was sold an ex press fleet 13,300 mile AR Brera (bought unseen) from a major AR dealer with terrible 3mm tyres. I complained to AR UK & within 48 hours I was promised relacement tyres.

Nobody can complain at that.............. I certainly will not.

 

[minnnt]

i still can't understand why we are comparing a GP to a Brera?! if the GP is £12,800 new and the Brera in question is £30,000 then why are we even talking about them in the same sentance? let alone 'my brera is better than your GP.'

i owned a megane trophy, and whilst not quite as erm, stylish as the brera, apart from the leather interior of the Alfa being better, it would nail the Brera in every other way.

i had a play with a new spider from the lights, no idea what engine it was, but he only beat me because he nearly rammed me into the kurb. i suspect his ego was a little bruised. if my GP was mapped or even just me in the car i would have hammered him, so i don't see where the GP has anything to prove? i could buy a GP for £12k and spend £18k making the interior better, you could buy the Brera for £30k and have nothing left to make the reliability better.

just my opinion. we enjoy our cars, they're not the best out there, but not the worst... i hope you enjoy yours!

 

[mikez328]

i still can't understand why we are comparing a GP to a Brera?! if the GP is £12,800 new and the Brera in question is £30,000 then why are we even talking about them in the same sentance? let alone 'my brera is better than your GP.'

i owned a megane trophy, and whilst not quite as erm, stylish as the brera, apart from the leather interior of the Alfa being better, it would nail the Brera in every other way.

i had a play with a new spider from the lights, no idea what engine it was, but he only beat me because he nearly rammed me into the kurb. i suspect his ego was a little bruised. if my GP was mapped or even just me in the car i would have hammered him, so i don't see where the GP has anything to prove? i could buy a GP for £12k and spend £18k making the interior better, you could buy the Brera for £30k and have nothing left to make the reliability better.

just my opinion. we enjoy our cars, they're not the best out there, but not the worst... i hope you enjoy yours!

But you & your totally spoilt generation will never understand whilst you spend 3/4 + of your income paying off your borrowing .

 

[tozzleozzle]

y do some many of theys threds just explode into sumptink sorta non relivent or a fight, you agrsive lot you

 

[mikez328]

i still can't understand why we are comparing a GP to a Brera?! if the GP is £12,800 new and the Brera in question is £30,000 then why are we even talking about them in the same sentance? let alone 'my brera is better than your GP.'

i owned a megane trophy, and whilst not quite as erm, stylish as the brera, apart from the leather interior of the Alfa being better, it would nail the Brera in every other way.

i had a play with a new spider from the lights, no idea what engine it was, but he only beat me because he nearly rammed me into the kurb. i suspect his ego was a little bruised. if my GP was mapped or even just me in the car i would have hammered him, so i don't see where the GP has anything to prove? i could buy a GP for £12k and spend £18k making the interior better, you could buy the Brera for £30k and have nothing left to make the reliability better.

just my opinion. we enjoy our cars, they're not the best out there, but not the worst... i hope you enjoy yours!

But you & your totally spoilt generation will never understand that whilst you spend over 3/4 + of your income paying off your borrowing - which can only end in tears , I could easily buy a Bugatti Veyron on credit today but I can't possibly afford to run it long term - nor afford the repayments. - however, I am sensible.

VERY few of you lot will ever afford to actually ever buy your own house & will end up in rented accomodation for ever. That comes of voting Labour!!!!! I bow out of this forum to move abroad & laugh my head off at you all under Gordon Brown. His only interest is Scotland & FREE everything North of the Border................................................:yuck:

 

[puntokris]

But you & your totally spoilt generation will never understand whilst you spend 3/4 + of your income paying off your borrowing .

But my car is what I choose to spend my extra money on.

Some people spend hundreds on hobbies and will never see that money back.

My car is my hobby therefore i'm happy to spend more money buying it and I can safely say it's more of a worthwhile investment than most other hobbies our generation enjoy.

 

[minnnt]

lol, you make me laugh. i don't need to justify myself to anyone, but for your information i am buying a house and own the GP, so i don't understand your totally out of order comments.... please explain why you think they were appropriate when you don't even know me or anything about my finances or position in life.

 

[Noclu3]

Typical - "You Bought a Fiat because could not afford anything better" opinion.

 

[puntokris]

But you & your totally spoilt generation will never understand that whilst you spend over 3/4 + of your income paying off your borrowing - which can only end in tears , I could easily buy a Bugatti Veyron on credit today but I can't possibly afford to run it long term - nor afford the repayments. - however, I am sensible.

VERY few of you lot will ever afford to actually ever buy your own house & will end up in rented accomodation for ever. That comes of voting Labour!!!!! I bow out of this forum to move abroad & laugh my head off at you all under Gordon Brown. His only interest is Scotland & FREE everything North of the Border................................................:yuck:

Mike you are a cock

You have come on here to start arguments and talk out of your a*se.

Everytime you 'think' you know something you get shot down and then try to respond with a comment relating to 'our generation'

When you were young I bet you had more then your dad did at that age. Like my children will have more at 19 than I have at 19. Thats how the world works.

You can't get credit to buy a veyron. So don't lie.

Like minnt said, you don't know anybodys financial situation and therefore are in no position to comment.

You bow from this forum? because you are tired of being wrong about everything. You are arguing with everyone? because you are wrong about everything.

The only thing you are not wrong about is Labour and Gordon Brown, there I have to agree.

Spoilt generation? I think you are part of the 'Jealous' generation

 

[tozzleozzle]

But you & your totally spoilt generation will never understand that whilst you spend over 3/4 + of your income paying off your borrowing - which can only end in tears , I could easily buy a Bugatti Veyron on credit today but I can't possibly afford to run it long term - nor afford the repayments. - however, I am sensible.

VERY few of you lot will ever afford to actually ever buy your own house & will end up in rented accomodation for ever. That comes of voting Labour!!!!! I bow out of this forum to move abroad & laugh my head off at you all under Gordon Brown. His only interest is Scotland & FREE everything North of the Border................................................:yuck:

Blooming hek m8 i agree with puntokris you rely are harsh! i have my car on finance and im 18 AND 17 when i got it, i dont cere! cars are my "thing" i want a nice 1, end of!

And to quote puntokris you cant get finance on a Veyron you need more like 3 morgeges!

 

[T14086]

You are very wrong my friend.

No i'm not I know cause I spend alot of time working on Alfas & thre general feeling in the motor trade is Alfa are alienating themselves by trying to improve their image.

Alfa ARE cutting back on dealers to a projected 50 across the UK...FACT! However in reality dealers are turning their back on Alfa as Alfas demands are too excessive.....resulting in dealerships across the country telling them to f*ck off.

I dont know why you were going on about tyres for? I can only assume you mean the great customer care they give? Well this has only recently started (giving in to customers to retain their custom) because sales are poor...then again the amount you pay for the car initially is over priced for what you get so I guess your paying for this 'customer care' anyway.At this rate Alfa will be forced to pull out of the UK in the coming future.

But you & your totally spoilt generation will never understand that whilst you spend over 3/4 + of your income paying off your borrowing - which can only end in tears , I could easily buy a Bugatti Veyron on credit today but I can't possibly afford to run it long term - nor afford the repayments. - however, I am sensible.

VERY few of you lot will ever afford to actually ever buy your own house & will end up in rented accomodation for ever. That comes of voting Labour!!!!! I bow out of this forum to move abroad & laugh my head off at you all under Gordon Brown. His only interest is Scotland & FREE everything North of the Border................................................:yuck:

Mike.......why are you here? You have no facts to base your arguments on & to be honest i'm tired of your snide remarks to other members of this forum.
We dont care how much money you got,you dont know how many houses we got (some of us may well choose to live in council/rented accomodation because we choose to) or our financial situations.

Having a swipe at the younger generation is pretty pityful,i'd love to be 10,20,30 years younger but it aint gonna happen (no matter how much money I got or what car I drive) but I dont hold it against the younger people here.

One good thing about age is it brings hindsight & greater wisdom...which you seem to have lost or missed out on.You can brag as much as you want on here about how much money you got etc...but you'll never earn the respect of the good people of this forum with that attitude.I really cant work out what you are trying to achieve/prove? Surely with all that money/cars etc you have more to do than annoy the younger generation

Enjoy your life abroad & to prove its nothing personal I wish you well & a happy/healthy life........but with your attitude I fear it will be a pretty lonely one.

(sorry DelG 1.2 but it seems your good thread has been hijacked..i'll clean it up later)

 

[low610]

Sigh :bang:

Think we should ignore this dude, he obviously enjoys trying to wind us "young-uns" up

Mind you, i'm feeling old at 29!

Nice comments all by the way.

 

[hmallett]

...I was sold an ex press fleet 13,300 mile AR Brera (bought unseen) from a major AR dealer with terrible 3mm tyres. I complained to AR UK & within 48 hours I was promised relacement tyres.

Nobody can complain at that.............. I certainly will not.

So you were sold a car with terrible tyres and you don't complain?
I'll always remember Evo magazine saying the Alfa Brera was their most disappointing car of 2006.