• Summary

    4 out of 5 4.0

    What does this car say about you?

    Mmmmmm........ definitely an individual, not concerned about what my peers think of my car choice. someone that wants speed, economy and style for a reasonable price.

    What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

    They like it but would probably not buy one cos they feel the need to fit in. my son loves it cos if anything happens to me he'll get it!!!!

    Would you buy this car again and why?

    Yes, I would. for the one or two things they could have done to make it about perfect it is still a lot of car for the money. I don't think I would buy new unless there was a great price on offer. reasonably new secondhand makes more financial sense. I would also do my best to get one in alfa red, when I got mine there were none available that fitted my age, price, location criteria.

    What are you likely to buy next?

    Mmmmmmmmmmmm .... not sure yet. I do like the look of the Honda civic tourer but I just don't like paying the high price it commands. I know it will still have to fit the financial criteria I set. in short it'll be practical and reasonably fast and fun to drive.

  • Buying experience

    4 out of 5 4.0

    Type of dealer you bought from?

    Independent

    Did you buy this car new?

    No

    What price did you pay?

    £12,200

    When did you buy the car?

    June 2014

    Did you get a good deal and why?

    I think I got a reasonably good deal. I had no trade-in which helped. The car was cheaper than all the private sales I'd seen. Very low mileage and immaculate with a complimentary service plan included.

    Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

    Bought as a second car. other car is a Honda accord estate used for work.

    What was the dealer like?

    Really good for a change. He'd been in business for a long time and because I dealt with the owner he had the power to do the deal without all the toing and froing between salesman and sales manager that you get in the multi-site car sales operators.

  • Driving it

    5 out of 5 5.0

    What's it like to drive?

    I find it a good car to drive. the gearbox is so smooth and it is very responsive. really good for town driving and goes like hell when you want it to, so no sitting behind slow drivers. the cruise control works well although I feel it would benefit from a cancel switch on the steering wheel instead of having to touch the brakes to disengage it. alfa should also have fitted a clutch foot rest, there is one now available as an after market add-on. I really enjoy driving it and I feel the petrol 1.4 multiair is the model to have.

    What's it like to park?

    Easy to park due to the rear sensors. alfa should also have fitted front ones, but, I manage to park o.k.so it can't be that bad!

  • Living with it

    4 out of 5 4.0

    Have you had any problems with the car?

    Nothing wrong so far. the car has only done 16,000 miles and is 30 months old. it is booked in for a service in January so i'll know then. I don't expect any shocks though.

    What's most practical about your car?

    I think the most practical thing is the fact it is great fun to drive but you can still get 40 mpg driving quite hard and fit 5 people in if you need to.

    Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

    The gadget I like the most is the rear bumper proximity sensor. it is very accurate and as I am particularly rubbish at parking, I love it. the different driving modes are great too but not used much, the sport setting is just brilliant but I find the ordinary mode provide enough go for me.