I think the styling has aged incredibly well, it still looks crisp and elegant, plus the rarity factor means it will turn heads in the way an Audi or BMW never will. Facelift models look better still. Definitely a future classic.
I had two of these, a twin spark and a 2.5 v6 manual. The V6 made the car come alive, and what's more it was very (whisper it) reliable - no significant problems in three years and 30,000 miles. It only died when an incompetent mechanic (not me) botched a cam belt change and the belt de tensioned on the way home, but you can hardly blame the car for that.
Journalists have destroyed the work of car engineer's in a short sentence of verbal dysentery. The alfa 164 166 were ( are ) still great cars .The problem with these people is they think they could make a better car when in reality they can only make a NOISE .Bless alfa ,ive driven everything at 72, alfa dna is about feel ,driveability ,handling a four wheel ducati everyone else makes souped up shopping baskets.
now compare this one with is rivals in 2017... ahahha bmw audi etc are crap ugly interiores and exteriores terrible cars alf cars stay beautiful for years
Recently sold my 2002 Alfa Romeo 166 for new mito QV, although i really love the mito. It Will never be able to replace the 400.000 kilometers i did with my reliable modified 166.
I don't agree with this nonsense about cheap plastics and poor build quality. It's no worse than any Ford, Peugeot or Honda of that time. Sure the German rivals win in that department - but that doesn't automatically make the alfa cheap and tacky. Its so false. And it's worth knowing that when it comes to building great cars, build quality is not everything . It's almost as if the motoring press fabricate this myth to justify buying the German stuff instead.
It winds me the f**k up when journalists talk about "cheap" interiors when they mean random parts of the dash that NO ONE EVER TOUCHES. How many times have you driven along and reached across to touch the side of the dashboard or a random flap of plastic in the footwell?
A lot fake pedastals the journalists hang Germans on. I worked at BMW and the door trims were peeling even before getting to customers on 5 series, the e36 was similar, each time we had to do pollen filter the clips ripped off kick panel, front end rattles from day 1,overheating with endless water leaks, leaking viscous couplings and more.
This era of car programs, when they covered engine sounds with loud awful music. "Listen to this!" `ROCK MUSIC I think Top Gear first actually thought people would like to hear the engines
What is wrong with the car and with it's hand built Busso V6? Oh the MB W210 is so pretty or BMW 5? Well it's italian design it will always be interesting. What about the MB W210 corrosion? It's impossible to get one without that problem. Alfa is cheap to repair and this V6 engine is a masterpiece and bulletproof. I had Lancia thesis 3.0 V6(busso)...what a car for a couple peanuts. I sold it, and after one year I bought Thesis again with it's amazing 2.4 5 cylinder JTD diesel from fiat. This engine unit is just remarkable, quiet, powerful, torqy...even for todays standards. When you have Berlusconi edition of a car, you don't need to look after Benz, BMW or audi ever again.
Yes, these alfas feel a bit cheap on the inside, but so does a lower spec bmw, mercedes, or audi of the time. Late 90’s/early 00’s interiors are not that great most of the time
Cannot agree with that. IMO Giugiaro did a pretty good job in screwing up Walter de Silva's work on both 156 and 166. You'd need specific rims to make the facelift look better.
I always loved them, I always wanted one, but truth is: I am driving Honda all my live. I am used to get a 100 % of reliability out of my cars. I just can not imagin I will get the same if I would end up buying a 10 year old Alfa...
I have Alfa, my brother has Alfa, my father doesn't but he is selling RELIABLE german boring car and buying Alfa :) We haven't any situation when our cars stopped in the middle of road, always from start to finish :) The most important thing - have professional mechanic with passion and knowledge in Alfa Romeo and regular services - oils, timebelt (good name for this in English? I mean complete timebelt set with waterpump), suspension.
@@FrightfulAccountant 166 are very reliable. Honestly, there isn't really anything that goes wrong in them. A much safer bet than an e39 5 series for example. The V6 Alfa engines are bulletproof and the 166 had very strong suspension components. They have great electronics too so nothing at all to worry about. Obviously they are an old car now so it depends on the owner but if you can find a clean one I would bet these will outlast an Audi or BMW equivalent.
Not to point fingers or anything, but you won't find this "my car is better than the alfa counterpart" on any bmw forums/videoclips. You know, it kinda suggest some level of frustration from the alfa owners towards BM owners. Just saying.
it is a matter of reputation, not frustration, and reputation is deserved because reliability was poor, but the thing is bmw's reliability is not much better than alfa's and only few of the people know that....
Lol I have a friend with a BMW who used to constantly mock kne for driving an Alfa, saying they are unreliable shitboxes - even though his X6 had a ton of issues during the time he owned it, while my Alfa considering the age has been amazingly durable. Anyway i think the reason why many Alfa fans bring up BMW is because almost every review of any modern Alfa is going to at some point bring up comments about poor reliability and build quality, and I think many Alfa fans / owners are just tired of hearing it because they know its largely bullshit, and that BMWs / Mercedes and especially Audis have at least as many issues as Alfas do (if not more) and when things do go wrong they tend to cost significantly more to fix. I owned an Alfa 147 which i sold to buy a Lexus IS200 -i did this because so many people hype Lexus for their quality and reliability, etc. That IS200, despite being Japanese, cost me more in insurance, more in fuel and more on parts and was also less reliable and IMHO was worse put together. And the Alfa was also more comfortable on long drives, quicker AND more fun overall to drive. I test drove an E46 318i when i bought the 147 and by comparison the BMW was incredibly dull to drive, with no character at all. I do feel it would be a different story if i had driven a 325i or 330i, but I was comparing it t ok a 147 2L Twin Spark so the 318i is the more fair comparison. In fact i liked the Alfa so much that after I offloaded the thoroughly dissapointing Lexus I went on to buy a 147 GTA and then a Giulietta QV. Both have been great cars. Just recently sold the Giulietta and have considered buying a C Class to replace it s a daily driver (still have the 147 as my fun weekender). Anyway theres no question the Germans maje great cars too, I just think people dramatically exhagerate how far the Germans are ahead of the Alfa's. They are certainly better at some things, but an Alfa can often be every bit as much a pleasure to own and drive.
Very ugly car, however its an alfa so it does have a soft spot in my heart, mainly because I own an alfa, it is fast though so that contrasts big with the looks
@Hazique Farhan My Alfa Romeo is a MiTo it's a Veloce edition which is far better than the standard first edition one, it has 170bhp but mine is tuned to 201bhp, the car is often mixed up with the old first edition one and said to be crap, but 2009 and after the MiTo is really a good car, sorry I'm going off track. The MiTos gearbox is very good and i have had no trouble with it, the car has passed all its MOTS never failed
John Stots Alfa can not be spelled without marvelous Using "infected anus" and "appealing" togeather in a sentance is enough for anybody who took ur oppinion serriously to throw that thought away
***** I will move in ur neighborhood and park 2 of those on the drive way And then for the sake of making you puke last cristmas's turkey, i will make my GF buy Fiat Multipla also :)
![2000 ALFA ROMEO 166 3.0 V6 REVIEW on AUTOBAHN [NO SPEED LIMIT] by AutoTopNL](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LNu2yRiuWbE/mqdefault.jpg)
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
I think the styling has aged incredibly well, it still looks crisp and elegant, plus the rarity factor means it will turn heads in the way an Audi or BMW never will. Facelift models look better still. Definitely a future classic.
Mice to hear, shiuld i grab one if it's ok sale for 850€?
I had two of these, a twin spark and a 2.5 v6 manual. The V6 made the car come alive, and what's more it was very (whisper it) reliable - no significant problems in three years and 30,000 miles. It only died when an incompetent mechanic (not me) botched a cam belt change and the belt de tensioned on the way home, but you can hardly blame the car for that.
If i could get a twinspark for 850€, should i go for it?
@@Emppu_T. Hell yeah! I'd personally go for a 164 (bit prettier imo), but Alfa's are really nice cars.
@@anselmopereira3785 i saw one on sale years ago for 1500€ that is a cool one, but the 166 could be nice too
I have two twin sparks a Red and a blue I love the best car
Alfa Romeo 166 is awesome car.
Journalists have destroyed the work of car engineer's in a short sentence of verbal dysentery. The alfa 164 166 were ( are ) still great cars .The problem with these people is they think they could make a better car when in reality they can only make a NOISE .Bless alfa ,ive driven everything at 72, alfa dna is about feel ,driveability ,handling a four wheel ducati everyone else makes souped up shopping baskets.
It's still a nice car. A bit sad-looking front (I prefer the restyling, way more sporty), but it has a cool driving.
I think it looks "bored". Like, "ok, lets cruise all day at 65 mph, using 10% of the engine, great"
Its a great car. (the 2005 model) my grandpa has one and holy fuc*. Its got everything you need and even more.
in brazil the price of 166 and 156 (98 to 01) is rising because of the collectors and the car timeless prestige
now compare this one with is rivals in 2017... ahahha bmw audi etc are crap ugly interiores and exteriores terrible cars alf cars stay beautiful for years
the 166 has aged a bit, but the 156 still looks unbelievably modern. Are there any other mid 90's cars that still look that... new?
Recently sold my 2002 Alfa Romeo 166 for new mito QV, although i really love the mito. It Will never be able to replace the 400.000 kilometers i did with my reliable modified 166.
What engine did You had in 166?
@@jareknowak8712 3.0 V6, did have the intake manifolds from a 3.2 GTA
@@jareknowak8712 Also had a custom made supersprint exhaust, just the most glorious sound i have ever heard. Still miss that car
After this awful review, which a very young Richard Hammond did yonks ago.....I'd still drive one, I think its a fab car...
Eric George i do drive one, and i can say that pretty much everything he said is true...
The legend is 164
I don't agree with this nonsense about cheap plastics and poor build quality. It's no worse than any Ford, Peugeot or Honda of that time. Sure the German rivals win in that department - but that doesn't automatically make the alfa cheap and tacky. Its so false. And it's worth knowing that when it comes to building great cars, build quality is not everything . It's almost as if the motoring press fabricate this myth to justify buying the German stuff instead.
It winds me the f**k up when journalists talk about "cheap" interiors when they mean random parts of the dash that NO ONE EVER TOUCHES. How many times have you driven along and reached across to touch the side of the dashboard or a random flap of plastic in the footwell?
A lot fake pedastals the journalists hang Germans on. I worked at BMW and the door trims were peeling even before getting to customers on 5 series, the e36 was similar, each time we had to do pollen filter the clips ripped off kick panel, front end rattles from day 1,overheating with endless water leaks, leaking viscous couplings and more.
@@Negativvv exactly, Richard is good at that.
Da possessore di alfa 166 restyling e unica
Or especially the Germans
Sadly that Alfa Romeo missed a 166 Sportwagon
This era of car programs, when they covered engine sounds with loud awful music.
"Listen to this!" `ROCK MUSIC
I think Top Gear first actually thought people would like to hear the engines
I'm on my 9th alfa , I wish I could have kept all of them , ALFA driven to be different !!!!!!
Baby Hammond wow he has not aged one bit
Early top gear was very basic back in the day. Still better than modern one but not the level they were later
this is not top gear
What is wrong with the car and with it's hand built Busso V6? Oh the MB W210 is so pretty or BMW 5? Well it's italian design it will always be interesting. What about the MB W210 corrosion? It's impossible to get one without that problem. Alfa is cheap to repair and this V6 engine is a masterpiece and bulletproof. I had Lancia thesis 3.0 V6(busso)...what a car for a couple peanuts. I sold it, and after one year I bought Thesis again with it's amazing 2.4 5 cylinder JTD diesel from fiat. This engine unit is just remarkable, quiet, powerful, torqy...even for todays standards. When you have Berlusconi edition of a car, you don't need to look after Benz, BMW or audi ever again.
I replaced my 156v6 I'd had and loved for 13 years with a 159 diesel. Needless to say I sold the 159 within months. Too much tech, not enough grunt!
Yes, these alfas feel a bit cheap on the inside, but so does a lower spec bmw, mercedes, or audi of the time. Late 90’s/early 00’s interiors are not that great most of the time
all Alfas are to keep for life so.... why care about depreciation....
Rivals: BMW 3 series . bhahaa yeaaaah right !! It was 156 !
The facelift was much better looking
Cannot agree with that. IMO Giugiaro did a pretty good job in screwing up Walter de Silva's work on both 156 and 166. You'd need specific rims to make the facelift look better.
those headlight are really too small, bigger ones are better ;)
I get what you mean, but the original lines feel more unique, unlike modern cars with there huge headlights and massive front grills.
Early 90s fish face styling
I always loved them, I always wanted one, but truth is: I am driving Honda all my live. I am used to get a 100 % of reliability out of my cars. I just can not imagin I will get the same if I would end up buying a 10 year old Alfa...
Life is not that long... to only drive reliable cars
I know, if I would have the possibility of a 2nd car, this one would be an option. But I need something that can get me on the job, everyday ;)
I have Alfa, my brother has Alfa, my father doesn't but he is selling RELIABLE german boring car and buying Alfa :) We haven't any situation when our cars stopped in the middle of road, always from start to finish :) The most important thing - have professional mechanic with passion and knowledge in Alfa Romeo and regular services - oils, timebelt (good name for this in English? I mean complete timebelt set with waterpump), suspension.
timing belt, but that's same thing ;)
@@FrightfulAccountant 166 are very reliable. Honestly, there isn't really anything that goes wrong in them. A much safer bet than an e39 5 series for example. The V6 Alfa engines are bulletproof and the 166 had very strong suspension components. They have great electronics too so nothing at all to worry about. Obviously they are an old car now so it depends on the owner but if you can find a clean one I would bet these will outlast an Audi or BMW equivalent.
Not to point fingers or anything, but you won't find this "my car is better than the alfa counterpart" on any bmw forums/videoclips. You know, it kinda suggest some level of frustration from the alfa owners towards BM owners. Just saying.
it is a matter of reputation, not frustration, and reputation is deserved because reliability was poor, but the thing is bmw's reliability is not much better than alfa's and only few of the people know that....
Lol
I have a friend with a BMW who used to constantly mock kne for driving an Alfa, saying they are unreliable shitboxes - even though his X6 had a ton of issues during the time he owned it, while my Alfa considering the age has been amazingly durable.
Anyway i think the reason why many Alfa fans bring up BMW is because almost every review of any modern Alfa is going to at some point bring up comments about poor reliability and build quality, and I think many Alfa fans / owners are just tired of hearing it because they know its largely bullshit, and that BMWs / Mercedes and especially Audis have at least as many issues as Alfas do (if not more) and when things do go wrong they tend to cost significantly more to fix.
I owned an Alfa 147 which i sold to buy a Lexus IS200 -i did this because so many people hype Lexus for their quality and reliability, etc.
That IS200, despite being Japanese, cost me more in insurance, more in fuel and more on parts and was also less reliable and IMHO was worse put together. And the Alfa was also more comfortable on long drives, quicker AND more fun overall to drive.
I test drove an E46 318i when i bought the 147 and by comparison the BMW was incredibly dull to drive, with no character at all. I do feel it would be a different story if i had driven a 325i or 330i, but I was comparing it t ok a 147 2L Twin Spark so the 318i is the more fair comparison.
In fact i liked the Alfa so much that after I offloaded the thoroughly dissapointing Lexus I went on to buy a 147 GTA and then a Giulietta QV. Both have been great cars.
Just recently sold the Giulietta and have considered buying a C Class to replace it s a daily driver (still have the 147 as my fun weekender).
Anyway theres no question the Germans maje great cars too, I just think people dramatically exhagerate how far the Germans are ahead of the Alfa's. They are certainly better at some things, but an Alfa can often be every bit as much a pleasure to own and drive.
vamilta finale 16
6 v6 3000
What a Sad Looking car
Very ugly car, however its an alfa so it does have a soft spot in my heart, mainly because I own an alfa, it is fast though so that contrasts big with the looks
@Hazique Farhan My Alfa Romeo is a MiTo it's a Veloce edition which is far better than the standard first edition one, it has 170bhp but mine is tuned to 201bhp, the car is often mixed up with the old first edition one and said to be crap, but 2009 and after the MiTo is really a good car, sorry I'm going off track. The MiTos gearbox is very good and i have had no trouble with it, the car has passed all its MOTS never failed
@Hazique Farhan no problem
The ugliest car ever made.
...is a VW golf with Harold-Sweat-Head behind the wheel
John Stots Alfa can not be spelled without marvelous
Using "infected anus" and "appealing" togeather in a sentance is enough for anybody who took ur oppinion serriously to throw that thought away
John Stots u probably never seen one live, far from driving it
***** I will move in ur neighborhood and park 2 of those on the drive way
And then for the sake of making you puke last cristmas's turkey, i will make my GF buy Fiat Multipla also :)
The rag and bone man wouldn't even take this shit away.
i dont like alfas at all, just came here to see the competitors of Peugeot 607(e 320, 166 etc).and this alfa is particularly UGLY!VERY UGLY.
Ralph Fontana It's nice, not ugly.