Alfa Romeo GT New Car Review - Car Reviews

Alfa Romeo GT

VERDICT:

Alfa Romeo's gorgeous GT coupe is gathering quite a following - and it's not half bad to drive either

Performance

The two-litre petrols of the Alfa Romeo GT are nicely free revving, but if you can't afford the 3.2-litre V6 range-topper then don't dismiss the JTD diesels. They may not be sprinters, but they pack four more lb ft (225lb ft vs 221lb ft) than the V6 meaning that in the real world they can keep up with nearly anything. The Selespeed gearbox doesn't really add anything, so for performance without the wallet-clenching mpg we'd go for the JTD M-Jet.

Driving

All variants have a tendency to a bit of torque steer and camber-chase, especially on the larger-wheeled options, but the GT does well for a car with sporting pretensions. A shortish damper stroke means they tend to bump-thump a bit over big potholes.

Space

That low-slung coupe shape robs rear head room. Front seat occupants will be fine (especially if they're under six-foot tall) but it's kids only in the back. And only if they've been really naughty - with little leg room, it's like a leatherlined coffin in there. The boot isn't up to all that much either, so if you're looking for cavernous, beware.

Build quality

Not as bad as Alfas as old, but you still wouldn't bet your first born on it surviving the decade untouched. Yes, the styling is funky with those tripled cowled dials, but some of the plastics have that over-shiny look that sets off your quality radar. It's obvious that Alfa has pulled its socks up with some softtouch dash materials, but the centre console and other addenda simply don't feel up to scratch.

Safety

Six airbags as standard on the GT means that at least Alfa are paying attention to the current safety trends. You also get standard stability control and traction control although it's not the most sophisticated of systems out there so don't go mad.

Owning

Again, the only choice here is to go for a diesel variant. As well as better depreciation, they cost far less to run than either of the petrol cars (especially if you're careful with your right foot). They also have the lowest insurance group at 15 and have the lowest company car taxation penalty at 20 percent - that betters the 2.0 petrols at 29 percent and hammers the V6 which slobs in at the top 35 percent band.

Value

The GT matches coupes like the Mazda RX-8 for price, but will it match the reliability? It might not be the most cost-efficient purchase you can make, but it certainly has the aura of a car £10k more expensive. The 3.2 V6 loses a cart load in depreciation, so if you can live with low 20s mpg then buy secondhand - if only for the gorgeous noise. The best value are the M-Jet diesels, thanks to lower running costs. Haggle hard down your Alfa dealer because there's savings to be had. At two grand off, the GT makes sense.

Verdict