ITALIAN CARS

FIAT

The Italian small car specialist don’t sell many cars in Australia. In 2021 they reportedly sold 739 models in 2021, and in the five years before that they sold 2414.

That could be why we don’t see too many Fiats at Peugeotech. Like any niche European car, with small volumes, the Fiat is never going to be as cost effective as the top selling brands. However in a world where many car brands look the same, the Italian car which dates back to 1899, has stayed true to a car design like no other.

The question you have to ask your mechanic, is not about art but about reliabilty, so is the Fiat reliable?

ALFA ROMEO

Only 618 Alfa Romeo sold in Australia in 2021, that compare to over 50 thousand Totoya Hilux and over 50,000 Ford Rangers. That tells you something about the sorts of vehicles that Australians want and need.

The fact is that although the history of the brand is romantic, this poor man’s Italian sports car, which is owned by automotive giant Fiat Chrysler, is a very niche vehicle owned by enthusiasts rather than a family run around.

But is the Alfa Romeo reliable? The short answer no.

Which Car gave Alfa Romeo a rating of 214 for reliability, which is very poor. The UK Reliability Index takes into account the number of repairs, cost of parts and frequency of failures.

The average of all cars is 100. So the lower the number, the more reliable the car is. The test states that the average age of an Alfa Romeo tested was 4.9 years old and the average mileage is 54,857 miles. We don’t see too many Alfa Romeos at Peugeotech but that’s because there just aren’t many around compared to other brands, when we do see them the cost of parts and repairs is very high.

If you are looking to buy a car with your head rather then your heart, don’t choose a new or used Alfa, of course if money is no object and you want a great looking Italian sporty car then go for it, by the way the red ones don’t go faster.