The Alfa Romeo 145 Was A New Era For Alfa! (Furious Driving Cloverleaf 2.0 Twin Spark Road Test)
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Most modern Alfa Romeos are launched by the press with headlines like “Alfa’s Last Chance?” or “The Car To Save Alfa!”. Alfa’s modern era was brought in by the 145, a practical family hatchback that proved you could own an Italian car for more reason that its looks and character. Designed to take on the Golf, Astra and Escort, the 145 offered style, sporty handling, fizzy engines and even a saloon variant in the form of the 146. Was it enough to take on the family car establishment and ‘save Alfa Romeo’? Joe took a late 2-litre Cloverleaf for a drive to find out!
Thanks to Matt of Furious Driving for loan of his lovely 145.
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I had an early 145 1.6 Twin Spark - had it for 130k miles, and 7 years. It never let me down, (I had a lambda sensor fail, and the common noisy cam variator issue - both easily fixed) and considering it was always kept outside (and was a little neglected towards the end of time with it), never had any MOT advisories for corrosion. A terrific car - possibly my favourite out of the various cars I’ve owned. Matt’s is a lovely example.
I had this car with the same color but 1.9jtd, what a car, so much travel and memories, loved it!
That is proper content for the ordinary car geek. Shedding light on a somewhat forgotten classic hatchback, love it!
Thanks for watching!
Shame we didn't get these in Australia cool looking alfa
I had a 1.9TD Fiat Tipo, the sister from Fiat, is amazing hearing the diesel clatter but then having a car that turns as well as it turns, that platform is amazing.
I used get lots of compliments when I had my black 1999 - 145 Junior edition, 1.6 twin spark, it looked cool, stood out from the Golf, Peugeot of plenty, after a sensible head decision between a black 146 2.0 cloverleaf - insurance cost was silly for a 26 Yr old.
I intended to keep it as a future classic, unfortunately for me it was written off 2007 by a drink driver when parked outside my first house purchase, on the first day of getting my keys!
Great review! The 145 cloverleaf is great hot hatch and I’m pleased Matt at FD. Has it despite its occasional electrical gremlins and oxidizing body-shell. I had a 1998 156 2.0 TS from new as a company car for 3 years. The 2L TS is superb engine, great noise higher up the rev range which was highly addictive. I put 120k on it in 3 years, it was very reliable and fun but the only real issue was the Fiat-based garage servicing, which was woeful. I have a 2020 Giulia now and can report the servicing situation is much improved and smiles per mile are much the same.
Great video Joe! I've always loved that model, especially the 146....which is odd because I'm more a hatchback guy than a saloon guy, but there's something about the rear-end styling on the 146 I just like more!
Also...the color on Matt's 145 is glorious!
Loved my old 'N' reg 146...not exactly the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned, but it was a huge load of fun 😊
I test drove a boxer engined 146 - it sounded utterly wonderful, and I liked the interior - however, the T Spark was an absolute screamer - even the base 1.6 went like stink, and could easily show a Golf GTi a clean pair of heels.
Looks like that one has been assembled in a breakers yard - every panel is a different shade of blue
I had an alfa 146 ti same engine it was quick but sadly the floor fell off I'd love the 2.0 twin spark engine in a Caterham seven
Also there was no diesel or 1.4 petrol exported to Uk. Just the 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 twin sparks. Which were all gems!
Along with the galvanised body Alfa designed the floor pan as 'box section and seamless' or something like that , the idea being that there was no moisture traps , seams or areas for rust to take hold - keen to turn around the rust reputation from the last generation cars.
To be fair it worked , of course all cars will rust eventually and that floor pan was carried over onto newer models whilst many German and Japanese cars of the late 90s into the 2000s cars were rusting very badly or unexpectedly early.
The original project was going to be the replacement of the Lancia Delta (it was a 5 door hatch)
I had a brand new V plate. Loved the car but was terribly unreliable. 1. Found a hair in the paint on day 1. 2. Engine would stall at the lights if ac was on. 3. Passenger seat could break loose, send passenger forward and on occasion would trip fuel switch. 4. Airbag lights constantly on/off. 5. Engine would miss fire, lots of trips and was just a faulty spark plug. 6. 3rd stopped working and new box fitted. There was probably more. After 2/3 decided to sell asap as warranty was going to expire. I did however love the shape and was a super fun drive. But you do need a car to “work” 😊
Lovely car 🚗🚙🚘👍👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️
I worked for Alfa when these were launched in 1995. The boxer engined 145 and 146 were absolute pigs. Heavy and underpowered they were dog slow and even the 16v was a joke compared to the Astra GTE and RS2000 that would eat it alive and the new 318Ti Compact that was a proper car. The styling was considered......odd....and they were only worth having when they dropped the hopeless boxer and fitted the 2.0TS engine. Only then was it any good, assuming it didn't have engine issues. They were the palest of shadows compared to the light and superbly balanced Alfa Sud.
The boxer in its predecessor the 33 16v wasn't at all slow. At 138 bhp it was a GTI eater at the traffic light grand prix and even more so on the twistys , so too was the FIAT Strada abarth, even the 1.5 with twin down draft webber carb as standard could take on most of the hot hatches of the day.
Alfa sud was a rusty piece of shit compared to this.
I have a very early 145 1.6 boxer with under 20k miles and it’s an amazing little car (I’m an alfisti so expected)
The 146 is a hatch, not a saloon. It was styled as a small saloon but a practical 5 door hatch.
146 was a hatchback, not a saloon....
Think they still had crap steel, and their boxer engines were still a nightmare to repair when go wrong. They suffered from a lack of local dealers, that did reasonable service prices.
I only use independent Italian car specialists - I’ve generally found the parts and servicing quite reasonable (I’m on my 3rd Alfa). The main dealers, to be honest, I’d avoid.
@@simonhodgetts6530 That's the way! There are quite a few about. There is a fabulous one in Cardiff, great-grandson of an actual Welsh-Italian. 👍🇮🇹
I really like the 145
But it's still an Alfa
that 145 as had a new door. that colour match is terrible
145 A very Modern Classic Design love the style 👍👍👍 but the 146 was a Desperately Ugly looking car
I remember the reaction when the first one arrived from Alfa GB. Err..........
I always liked them, and they certainly were charismatic, but rose tinted glasses are a curse. Reality was they were off the pace compared to everything else it was up against. Bad driving position, dreadfully under powered in Boxer form and the fit and finish was straight out of 80's Fiat school of quality when VW and the likes were just ramping up perceived quality to new levels. It's easy to love a bad car. I loved and owned many. Sadly the 145 was a five outta ten car for a reason.
Golf gti is boring as hell compared to the 145 2.0 TS. The interior of a Golf 4 is bad and looks like crap this days because it wasnt high quality...you comparing a thelephone book with Goethe...
Yeah it's very Chris Bangle. I know it's loved by many but I think it's horrible.
I agree.chris bangle,designer disaster with everything he did.