The Alfa Romeo 166 is an executive car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo since 1998. It is one of the oldest of all vehicles in the Australian passenger market.
It was modified in 2004 for a sleeker front look which worked well, but overall the vehicle is starting to feel its age. There are some noise and vibration suppressions and it lags a bit behind that of the competitors.
Even in Europe the use of front-wheel drive isn't common in this class of car, and this means that there is good interior space but if the front seats aren't moved forward a few notches the back seat can be a bit tight for larger adults.
However, the car does have a lovely feel on the road and is an excellent motorway cruiser.
It only really shows its age on twisting back roads as it pushes a bit and can be bumped around by rough surfaces.
The steering doesn't have as precise a feel in the Alfa Romeo 166 as the newer Alfas, even though it has plenty of grip, and the suspension can get a little behind the action at times on some rough surfaces.
The next Alfa Romeo 166 update is expected around April 2009. The Alfa Romeo 166 will be replaced by the Alfa 169. This new car will be based on the Maserati Quattroporte platform, and will be the first rear wheel drive Alfa in almost 20 years. It is expected to be available with V6 and V8 engines.
