Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon (00-05) - Review

Review by Parkers on
The 156 Sportwagon is a 'lifestyle estate', which in short means that it's trendy, respectable to have on the drive, but lacks the interior space of a traditional load-lugger. Its subtle and pure styling may give it the edge over rivals like the BMW 3-Series as the choice of a design-led individual, but it's neither as solidly built nor as spacious as its German rivals. It gives a lot of driving pleasure even with the smaller engines, and it's also much cheaper to buy.
3.5 out of 5

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3 out of 5

Comfort

Rear passengers will find that legroom is limited and it's a real squeeze with three in the back, but the seats are well sculpted and are comfortable for long trips.

3 out of 5

Practicality

Boot space is adequate but when you realise that the 156 saloon boasts more room with the rear seats in place the Sportwagon loses it's appeal somewhat. The load are is useable and of course you can drop the seats for extra carrying capacity but it doesn't compare to rivals like the Mondeo or V70 though.

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How does the boot space compare?
435 litres
420 litres
Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon (00-05)
360 litres
343 litres
3.5 out of 5

Behind the wheel

Drivers find no problems with the 156’s comfort - the driving position is fully adjustable, the switchgear is easy to reach, attractively styled, and there's generous head and legroom. However, visibility is restricted by awkwardly-styled wing mirrors and chunky rear pillars.