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Pretty, isn't it?
If it's looks you want, don't look any further.
I think this is one of the most beautiful cars around.
Even though it's quite affordable.
Italians are quite good at that.
This 159 is fitted with a 3.2 liter V6.
It's also got the Ti package, which means it's even more sporty.
But real Alfa enthusiasts will agree with me when I say...
...that the previous V6 was much nicer.
It looked better, it sounded better.
This 3.2 liter V6 isn't originally from Alfa...
...it comes from GM.
You'll find a modified version of it in Opels...
...or even in Cadillacs, Ruben told me.
It does 0-62 in 7.2 seconds.
That's not very quick.
On paper it has 260 hp and I have no reason to doubt that.
But you wouldn't say that when you drive it.
Maybe it's also because it's quite a heavy car, 1700 kg (3748 lbs).
The V6 needs to rev quite a lot to really move.
Ironically, it can't rev very high.
The 3.2 comes with 4WD as standard.
If you floor it in a corner it'll initially understeer.
But when you keep pushing it, I sometimes manage to neutralize it...
...or to get it into a little 4-wheel slide.
But other times it just keeps sliding over its front wheels.
You need to know how to handle it.
I, for one, haven't worked it out it yet.
But it does give you the feeling you're working the car...
...you're involved in the driving.
That's why it's such a shame that the engine isn't very convincing.
Maybe the 2.2 JTS 4-cylinder is a better choice.
Or maybe even, excuse me, the diesel.
There's a 2.4 JTD with 210 hp...
...and that's just a great engine.
The interior is styled like the 156'sи
...but the 156 seemed more refined to me.
This looks quite solid, but it's still very nice.
There are three gauges; one for the petrol, one for the water temperature...
...and even one for the oil temperature. Very important of course.
The speedo and the rev counter are also very much Alfa Romeo.
They're very stylistic. If you don't use them, they hang all the way down...
...and if all is fine, they point upwards.
In this case I'm doing 106 mph at 5000 rpm.
That's just nice.
This isn't the best car in it's class.
But to put it in terms everyone can understand...
...this is like a hot girl. Everyone wants her.
She can't cook and she doesn't do house work...
...but you still crave for her.
It's way too busy in Holland, you can't drive fast anyway.
So its performance doesn't really matter, we're all in the traffic jam together.
When you leave your house and walk to this car...
...and you catch a glimpse of its nose and 19 inch wheels...
...you just know you've made the right choice.
The interior doesn't disappoint either, the leather upholstery is beautiful.
It's very nicely finished, certainly better built than in the old days.
Cars like this make me intensely happy, you drive it and your mood lightens up.
A BMW M3 does the same thing, but at a much higher price.
Even a basic model could give you lots of fun.
Why would you choose an Alfa and not a better handing car?
Do I really need to answer that, Ruben?
BMW's boring, isn's it?