damn the 159 is a beautiful car. Too bad it is a dud build and driving experience....
perhaps the stick is better, but the selespeed i tried is freakin' schizophrenic. effin held 2nd gear and would not let go @ 70km/h and this was in 'normal' mode.... freakin terrible. The dealer tried to 'splain it away as 'adapting' to my driving style.... whatever... the slightest fuller depressing of the gas- normally requesting a little more in-gear accel, would instead kick down a gear but then stubbornly hold the gear even when decelerating.... stuble reduction of the gas which would normally instruct most auto boxes to push into a taller gear did nothing to stimulate this monstorousity.... i'm left to embrassingly engine brake all the way from 5k and then 'cruise', still in 2nd gear, @ the road limited speed of 60km/h... POS.... jmo.
Not a single seat did not have a fault in it.... some down right ugly.... The steering wheel while leather-clad feels like blow moulded hollow plastic especially where the 'grips' lay... and the overall steering feedback and weighting is far too light...
its a shame since it is an alfa and it looks to me, in the standard red, freaking beautiful.... the split/fold rear seats is also a bonus (to ferry around my italian road bike to the races!) but the driving experience was a total let down.... shoulda tried the stick !!
even so, i would have zero confidence in this car. Perhaps alfa should release an m3 beater when they get their sh*t togother on the 2.2 cooking model...??
also after this, i have lost what little confidence i once had in the motoring press...
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)