The return of Top Gear, I've never laughed so much!

[WhipLash]

I've never laughed so much at a car review as I did last night. Which car? The Afla 147 of course! Why?

Well first of all Jason Barlow compared the sculptured sides to an Austin Maestro! lol!!! :D (btw, thats my opinion too!).

Next? The ride. Very uncomfortable around town at typical low speeds. The ride only feels right at higher cruising speeds.

What else? The restrictive rear view. The dreadful turning circle which they demonstrated - again very enjoyable comedy!

And then...they showed some of the tacky parts used in the interior. The rather flimsy indicator stalks. And did you see the H-configuration diagram on the gear stick? A little soft rub and it started to come off - its just a lousy transfer!!

I have to say that I've never laughed so much at a car review - they really showed up the flaws of the 147!

[ivo]

Alfa , it seems, have missed a real oppurtunity.

In the flesh, it still looks great but the interior is not as good as we were led to believe.

Yet again, the car was built with a view towards Euorpean mainland drving where the roads and weather are better and Insurance, taxation etc. is more competetive.

Absoloutely nothing innovative was put into the engine, suspension and chassis materials or components.
Contrast that with the work done on Audi's new A2 and A4 models which extensively use Aluminium parts to lighten weight.
Hence, the 147 is a havy car whereas Audi were able to lengthen and widen the A4 wheelbase and Chassis , freeing up more interior space without a loss to performanvce

[BeCos]

I have to say that I couldn't dissagree with anything he said in the review.

However here was a car that is biased towards a sporting tradition but did he give it a good lash..........NO!

Who is going to buy this car............somebody looking to squeeze their entire family in...........NO!. How many A3's do you see with anything more than ONE occupant........NONE!

That gearstick thing is a bit strange alright, but it wouldn't stop me buying one, nor would a stalk that felt distant from the solid oak ones used in Audis !!!

I still suggest that these reviews and indeed the contents of most magazines should be taken with agrain of salt..............I mean they are still praising the new Mondeo and I myself discovered enough qaulity issues to keep Ford thinking for a few years!!

Go drive these cars yourselves........it's the only way!!

[Anders]

Obviously Audi had to improve the A4, it couldn't get much worse could it? That's not much of an argument. Alfa took the 156 platform, which is apparently very good, and made the 147. I seem to recall there were some minor handling improvements in the 147 too. If you have a close look at the A3, you would have to wonder why spend the extra money when you can get an equally soggy Golf for less money?

I'm sure if you took a Porsche 911 and applied sensible family motoring attitudes, it would seem like a totally stupid car too.

I didn't see the program, but most reviews I have read considers the 147 a fun car to drive. I'm sure it has the usually appalling build quality and the usual incompetent dealers and would be about the last car on the planet I would buy, but never the less a review should be geared towards the type of car it is.