General Need advice

[FiatStiloJTD]

Hey guys,

This might come across odd going from new to old and sorry i've never been in the coupe pages before.

But i'm looking at getting a 2.0 16v non turbo Coupe to replace the Stilo jtd.

Its a toss up between the Fiat Coupe and the Alfa Romeo GTV 2.0 non turbo. They both look gorgeous!

What are they like to own, and which is the one to go for?

Cheers,

Matt

 

[hmallett]

The Fiat Coupe can be surprisingly practical. The 16V should be reliable if looked after.
The GTV's driving position is like sitting in a small bucket, and peering through a letterbox. The back seats are useless.

 

[turbo_jim]

I had an alfa 145 cloverleaf with the same engine as the GTV and the headgasket went at 100k miles. I dont know if that's a common problem, but my coupe 20v turbo has done the same mileage, and hasnt blown up (yet).

The difference between the fiat and alfa you will notice is the build quality - things like switches and interior trim are of higher standard in the alfa (although they are just as likely to break!)

Personally i would recommend the fiat 20v rather than the 16v, but thats just my preference (and changing the timing belt on a 20v is a nightmare!) Good luck whichever way you decide to go

 

[jug]

i'd go for a GTV because it has the right badge. well ok there are other reasons, the interior is much better and the twinspark is amazing and its better looking. i do love the 20v, but you cant compare it to the joy of a twinspark at 7250rpm. plus the GTV has plenty of newer examples available (even a 2006 model if you can afford it) where as the newest coupe is already 8 years old.

if it was a choice between a 20vT coupe and a V6 GTV i'd go for the coupe because the V6 may be one of the best engines on earth but it is also very heavy so it ruins the weight distribution.

actually i'd like a GTV with a 20vT engine that sounds like a V6.

 

[Hellcat]

16v sounds awesome, much more agressive than the 20v, but still as smooth thanks to the balancer shafts.

Still it's quite a change to go from an ecconomical JTD to a thirsty 2.0 16v.

 

[bridges]

The 2.0 20v is less thirsty and has an engine note to die for. especially if the induction is played with as it turns heads from 200metres away I prefer it to the Tspark I drove. 3.0 gtv is nice though
I have no reason to prove this but I have come across tooooooo many 2.0 twinsparks that have dropped cam belts. My uncle's, a friends, a collegues and a few in the salvage yard.
Not saying they do but that is a lot and worth investigating.

A 20v coupe is as special as a GTV the coupe has more of a hand made feel to it. The alfa is beautiful too Both are great cars.

 

[jug]

I have no reason to prove this but I have come across tooooooo many 2.0 twinsparks that have dropped cam belts. My uncle's, a friends, a collegues and a few in the salvage yard.
Not saying they do but that is a lot and worth investigating.

it is a very very common problem. owners ignore the 35k change interval (which was introduced 6 years ago) so imo they get what they deserve. you wont meet anyone who's suffered a snapped belt if they followed the service schedule correctly.

running out of oil is another big cause of twinspark death. if you dont check your oil every week you shouldn't own a twinspark, a toyota is probably more your kind of car.

 

[bridges]

that would explain it, neglect is what kills most performance engines.

 

[FiatStiloJTD]

Due to insurance it has to be either the 2.0 non turbo coupe or the 2.0 GTV.

Personally i feel the GTV looks so much nicer than the coupe but i've also heard its much less reliable and more thirsty.

Yep big change from the JTD but you only live once! The way fuel prices are going it'll be a matter of years before cars become a toy for wealthy people!

My choice of car would be a yellow Coupe 2000 (don't ask why yellow, best colour) or a GTV in royal blue with the revised wheels and in lusso spec.

Matt

 

[jug]

i've also heard its much less reliable and more thirsty.

both false myths.

 

[bridges]

agree. both a GTV and a coupe 20v will be thirsty, the GTV no more so.
have not heard of unreliability issues, other than the cambelt issue which Jug has cleared up. Both, if not looked after will throw faults at you.

 

[symonh2000]

I might be wrong but the 16V Fiat engine also suffers cam belt issues. In fact the Lancia Integrale Owners reckon it should be changed every 24k miles. It is thinner in section than the TS belt.

Out of the two mentioned I would have the GTV any day of the week. It handles better, looks better, has a better badge and was a more expensive car to start with.

Engine wise it's a close call. I think I prefer the TS even if it is a bit more fragile. It is just a bit more cultured, where as the 16V fiat engine is a bit raucous.

 

[circolo]

I might be wrong but the 16V Fiat engine also suffers cam belt issues. In fact the Lancia Integrale Owners reckon it should be changed every 24k miles. It is thinner in section than the TS belt.

That's interesting as I've heard almost the opposite to that. In that the 16v cambelt *should* be changed at it's correct service time, (clearly). But the 20v has a couple of issues where the cambelt cover could potentially foul against the belt and cause failure. Particularly if the belt cover has been bent to get to the belt, without proper removal of the cover.

That said, the most frequent causes of cambelt failure on both the 20v & 16v are (a) A worn belt, that has not been changed in time, or (b) failure of one of the other auxillary belts, which can take the cambelt with it.

Cambelt failure is not a frequent issue on these cars though, unless they've not been properly serviced, with on time belt changes.

On the subject of choice between a 16v/20v Coupe or the Alfa GTV. I don't think there's much in it in terms of reliability, styling, comfort, etc. You'll be buying a relatively old car now. Both *may* have some reliability issues, not neccessarily because they are unreliable cars, but because of the ages. In terms of styling, that's just personal preference. Some people prefer the more "conservative" styling of the GTV, others (like me) love the 90's 'Ferrari-esq' styling of the Coupe. Comfort is going to be similar on both models. Some say the Alfa has a better suspension setup, others say the Coupe communicates much better than the Alfa. So again it's personal preference with this.

Practicality, both the GTV & Coupe are coupes, so there not going to be as practical as your current car. But both are fairly practical for a Coupe styled car. The Coupe can fit four adults, rear legroom is a little restricted, but it's not as bad as you'd think. Rear headroom can be limited, if you're over 6ft. In the Alfa, rear legroom is poor, and really you'd be kidding yourself if you think you could get four adults in the GTV. Two adults upfront, and a couple of kids in the rear might be okay though.

Lastly, costs. Again both will be more to insure than a JTD Stilo. But this depends on your location and age. I'm 35, live just outside of Harlow in Essex. And I'm paying £470 per year for both the Coupe, and the Bravo on a multi-car policy. If you're younger, and have more points, or live in a higher risk area you'll be paying through the nose for either a GTV or Coupe. Fuel is going to be a massive change for you too. The 16v 2.0 engine has a habit of being a thirsty bugger. This is where the GTV may win, as these are slightly better in terms of fuel economy. That said, either one will appear to guzzle fuel compared to the JTD Stilo.

After all of that. It sounds like I'm trying to put you off this idea. I'm not - promise!

Both the GTV & Coupe are thoroughly rewarding cars to own and drive, they're both rapid, and look stunning on the road when clean and polished.

Good luck.

 

[bridges]

Nice post.

 

[jug]

On the subject of choice between a 16v/20v Coupe or the Alfa GTV. I don't think there's much in it in terms of reliability, styling, comfort, etc. You'll be buying a relatively old car now.

GTV was manufactured until 2006, coupe until 2000. 6 years is a big difference, and a 2 year old car is hardly old.