Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon 1750 TBi Turismo 5dr Car Review - January 2012

The 159 Sportwagon has a good driving position but could have scored more with firmer handling. It still measures up to the Mercedes C Class even though it feels jittery on bumpy tarmac. If you like to feel in control when behind the wheel, the 159 will disappoint you because it does not give that kind of fun and flexibility.

It has a powerful engine though, producing 200bhp at 5000 rpm and a torque of 236 lb-ft at 1400 rpm. This high torque is an indicator that it handles well in all gears. The engine is a 1742cc, 4-cylinder, 16-valve and achieves a top speed of 146 mph. 0-62mph takes 7.9 seconds.

The Alfa Romeo 159 is a 5-door 5-seater estate car with plenty of cabin room. It can comfortably seat four tall adults as there is plenty of leg and head room, both in the front and in the rear.

It takes the lead in the looks department among cars in its class, thanks to its sleek, Italian design and sturdy build.

Standard equipment and features in the 159 are generous, much more than what rivals come packed with. Owners will enjoy VCD stability control, alloy wheels, central locking, climate control, electric door and front window mirrors, cruise control, front and side airbags, driver airbags, passenger airbags, alarm and immobilizer. That’s not all. It comes with a standard media package complete with MP3 connectivity, Bluetooth and CD player.

Optional features available at a cost will make the interiors of your 159 cosier. But with the wide range of equipment that is standard in this trim, you may want to give them a miss. Just in case you want to upgrade, your budget should read something like this: £1100 for sat-nav, £1200 for leather seats, £320 for rear parking sensors and £520 for metallic paint.

It is the most spacious estate car in its class but only for cabin room. At 445 litres with the seats up, boot space is in the range of a saloon’s. With the seats down, space increases to 1245 litres. Most of its competitors have larger boot space. In the best of situations, you have to make a sacrifice between passengers and luggage where both need to be transported.

The boot opening is very small as well, making it almost impossible to fit large luggage in the boot. The loading sill is also high. Fitting things in will be hard work.

The 159 got the EuroNCAP maximum rating of 5 stars for safety.

Under insurance group J, the Sportwagon is not the cheapest estate car to insure. It is also a thirsty car, returning only 34 mpg (combined). There are also state cars with much lower CO2 emission levels.

While the 159 is cheaper than the BMW 3 series, resale values will be poor. Be ready to part with £24,765 and put up with high maintenance and running costs: high insurance premiums, expensive spares and regular services.

The car has a three year warranty and unlimited warranty on mileage with a 21,000 mile service interval.