A luxury saloon it may be, but one thing the 166 isn't is a sit-back-and-relax car. It requires real driver involvement, but much satisfaction will be derived as a result, and the smoother the road the better. It still looks sleek and, post-facelift, there'll be some good second-hand examples around. There isn't a bad engine in the line-up, but the V6 versions are a bit thirsty. The only real negative with buying an Alfa is the question of reliability and re-sale values. The 166 still looks gorgeous after all these years but it deserves a decent diesel engine to compete with the likes of BMW and Audi. The cabin is now starting to look dated to.
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