LOL YW. Though I cannot fault the second RX8. Brilliant, brilliant car. That's the first car since my EG6 Civic that I regret letting go.
The Giulietta seems far better built tgan any previous Alfa and everything seems built down to a price these days. But, I'm going to test tge A45 AMG next week so, we'll what happens!
I remember the troublesome CTR, then the RX8, then you throwing a wobbly about unreliable Xbox 360s and that was the last I think I saw of you.
Hello again ! Pretty good car history, glad you enjoyed your RX-8s :-)
I'm liking the RX-7 I've had for a year and a half now:
also handles pretty awesomely, especially on track. I hear the 8's chassis is even better though.
Let us know what you think of the A45, I wonder how it will compare to the Impreza and Evo X to drive.
The A is very popular here amongst people who want a "cheap" AMG car, or a car that looks like an AMG car. It's OK but I reckon if you're going to buy a 4WD turbocharged hatch, go with the Japanese, who have been doing it for some time.
In my biased opinion, the A also manages the incredible feat of simultaneously giving off the "Boy Racer", "I'm a Badge Whore because I bought a Merc" and "I couldn't afford a more expensive Merc so I had to buy this one" (save perhaps for the A45) vibes.
I went through 9 replacement 360s in the end! Defected to PS3 and still have that, and it still works, though it did need the heat paste replaced! Not so sure on PS4. Keeps freezing when you try and turn it off just now.Originally Posted by Rob
Love the FD RX7. Still a candidate for the weekend fun car slot.
A45s are rare here.In black, grey or silver, with none of the over priced spoilers, they look like any other A. As for Japan, all that's left here is the STi, and one blown EJ25 us enough for me. The Evo hasn't been sold here for 2 years bar the fifty FQ440s later this year. It's Golf R, S3 or A45 only. We can't even get the X drive M cars.
Yeah, I'm interested in seeing what happens when they put the FA20DIT, with proper power, in the STI.
WIth the Golf R or S3 you're looking at VW/Audi petrol "reliability" - probably only slightly better than the Alfa.
Just get a weekend fun car, and for the boring stuff get an X3 or something.
Yeah, if you want a *new* car I'd be hard pushed to recommend anything Japanese, save perhaps the GT86 or a GTR if you have £70k. Or you could perhaps import a nearly-new 2.0 Scoobie from Japan, although that would be pricey. Nineties cars are getting a bit old, I have to admit, although that was when they made their best.
Nope. No SUV for me. Not now, not ever! The wife has a CX7 for those purposes. I just need 4 seats for occasional family use.Yeah, I'm interested in seeing what happens when they put the FA20DIT, with proper power, in the STI.
WIth the Golf R or S3 you're looking at VW/Audi petrol "reliability" - probably only slightly better than the Alfa.
Just get a weekend fun car, and for the boring stuff get an X3 or something.
The current STi definitely seems a stop gap model. Given how much better the new WRX is, I'm still surprised they hadn't upgraded the STI engine as well. I'd put bets on it being out in the next couple of years, but why be stuck with an EJ25 until then?
Know what you mean about VW, and the dealers are awful as well. I can't even get them to call me back to finalise a set of figures. They simply don't care, which doesn't bode well for any after sales care! As for Alfa reliability, you'd be surprised. Bar some early gearbox problems and a few blown turbos, the only major Giulietta issue is the gearknobs falling off from time to time. FIAT went through a massive restructuring back in 2005/6 and got a team from Japan, led by Professor Hajime Yamashina to shake up their quality woes and improve their reputation. The Giulietta is the first product t obe 100% affected by his work and it came 7th in last years JD Power survey. It also came highest in all non Japanese cars in an MSN survey on electrical reliability this year, and a recent survey on failure rates at first MoT put Giulietta way above every other car surveyed for pass rates, Japanese cars included. I just wish they'd make a 4wd GTA version!
Plus, I'm not sure I'm ready to join the aspiring middle classes in my street which is populated by ze German premium cars. I grew up on Italian cars, and Alfas especially, so they mean a lot to me, even now. They might not be the last word in finesse or performance anymore, but there's still something special about them, at least to me!
Last edited by Ali; May 18th, 2014 at 04:18 AM.
STI - The excuse they gave in a recent interview was that the STI's weakness was the handling, not power, so they didn't replace the EJ25. It seems inevitable though. I suppose they'll put the FA20 in after any teething problems have been ironed out, and as part of an obvious mid-cycle refresh.
If you've got an SUV already then obviously no need for an X3. I know what you mean about Italian cars, but man, still.
I have loads of friends with Audis, some of whom used to be big fans. I also know a few professional drivers who talk to lots of others. You probably know this, but the VW/Audi 2.0T has issues, including massive oil consumption (which I have heard many of them mention - and do an internet search!) and there are just quite a few examples of random and general problems, including rattling, with cars that are less than 2 years old and hardly used. It's put me off anything other than an R8 or an S6 Avant, both of which are not exactly affordable.
P.S. I know what you mean about Italian cars, which is why you know why I like Subs.
Cheers Ali! I miss my RX-8, but I'm really enjoying my Challenger R/T - especially now that I live in California.
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