Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon (06-11) - Review

Review by Simon Harris on
Last Updated: 25 November 2009
The Alfa 159 Sportwagon is a far more effective estate than its predecessor the 156. The earlier car was an afterthought, that appeared three years after the 156 saloon - but the 159 Sportwagon was developed alongside its saloon counterpart, launched in 2006. The Sportwagon is much stiffer than the old model, making it feel better on the road but one of the biggest improvement is to its load carrying ability. It also looks very attractive, but list prices set it against rather prestigious competition, which have a greater depth of ability.
4 out of 5

Other Alfa Romeo reviews

3.5 out of 5

Running costs

Lower volumes than the 156 should mean better resale values for the 159 while good equipment levels also mean a used model could be quite desirable. The diesels are quite frugal, although petrol models are relatively thirsty. Insurance groups for mainstream models range from 11 to 14, while the faster 2.4 JTDM is in group 14 and the range-topping V6 is in group 16.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,705 - £2,668 *

Diesel

£1,187 - £1,831 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

Two years/18,000 miles. Newer 1750 TBi and 2.0 JTDM models are two years/21,000 miles.

Warranty

Three years/unlimited miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£120.00 - £475.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

3 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
    137
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
    288

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

The 159 performs adequately in terms of CO2 outputs and despite being a sporty brand, there are even ECO models available. Powered by the 1.9 JTDM engine with power lowered to 120bhp (from 150bhp), they emit 140g/km of CO2 while returning 53mpg. This isn't bad, but it lags behind alternatives from BMW and Audi.

Find the exact engine and CO2