Used Alfa Romeo 147 review and buying guide (2001 to 2010): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Alfa Romeo 147 should you buy?

A 1.9 JTDM diesel with the manual gearbox is the 147 to go for, because the petrol Twin Spark engines have a record of cambelts letting go early. The diesels need their belt and water pump done too, and specialists want that done every 72,000 miles or 5 years, sooner than the official 90,000 miles. Whichever car you're looking at, ask for the receipt for that job first.

There's little on record against the 147 beyond a handful of editorial notes, one owner's long list of complaints and a few recalls, and that's thin evidence rather than a clean bill of health. What there is keeps pointing at the same things: Twin Spark belts, the Selespeed gearbox and failing airflow sensors. Skip the Selespeed and you've dodged its actuator trouble and the long waits for parts that came with it.

The car ran from 2001 to 2010. Early cars came with 1.6 and 2.0 Twin Spark petrols, the 1.9 JTD diesel joined in March 2003 and the 16 valve Multijet followed that August. A JTDM from 2007 to 2010 gets you the newest example with the engine that makes most sense, but check the brake and tyre recalls that cover 2007 and 2008 cars were done.

Which 147 engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The 1.9 JTD and 1.9 JTDM diesels are the lesser risk, provided the cambelt and water pump have been renewed every 72,000 miles or 5 years, which is what specialists advise. That's well ahead of the official 90,000 miles, so don't accept a car that's only followed the book. Don't treat the pump as optional: it's driven by the belt, and when one fails on a diesel it can throw the belt off.

The 1.6 and 2.0 Twin Spark petrols are the ones to be wary of. Their belts have been known to fail after as little as 25,000 miles, and a service bulletin in September 2002 brought the belt and tensioner change forward, so the original schedule can't be trusted. Only buy one with proof of a recent belt, tensioners, rollers and pump. There have also been several reports of 2.0 litre engines in the 156 failing from oil starvation, with the oil pump suspected.

Avoid the Selespeed semi-automatic. Its actuator gave trouble early on, replacement parts took ages to arrive, and the paddle shift isn't pleasant to use anyway. One owner's Selespeed wouldn't select a gear when cold, usually on roundabouts, and four trips to the dealer didn't cure it. The manual is the gearbox to have. The 3.2 V6 GTA arrived in October 2002, but there's too little on record to judge it.

What should you check when viewing a used 147?

The cambelt paperwork decides everything else. On a Twin Spark, where belts have failed as early as 25,000 miles, you want a receipt showing a recent belt, tensioners, rollers and water pump; on a diesel, one within the last 72,000 miles or 5 years. If there's no receipt, don't drive it home assuming the belt's fine, and factor the job in before you agree a figure.

Ask whether the airflow sensor has ever been replaced, since the Bosch units fitted to these have been failing. Then check the charging light stays off, the power steering fluid sits above minimum and the climate control holds the temperature you set. One owner's 147 had all three faults, along with rattling door trims, rear seats that wouldn't lock in place and a sunroof that refused to open, so try every one of those too.

If it's solid black, look closely at the paint, because the lacquered black finish has had problems. Then ask for proof of two recalls: one on 2007 cars whose brakes could fail, and one on 2007 and 2008 cars running Pirelli P Zero Nero 215/40 ZR18 tyres, which could crack in the sidewall and lose pressure. If the car's still on that tyre, inspect both sidewalls.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What does a used Alfa Romeo 147 cost to run?

What do 147 owners like about them?

It's the looks that sell it. The front end takes its styling from Alfas of the late 1940s, so it's a striking hatchback even now, and there's a fair case that it's a better-looking car than the Giulietta that came along in 2010. That's the part of owning one nobody argues about.

It's also a car that rewards a keen driver. On a JTDM diesel built from late October 2007 with the limited slip diff, drive keeps moving between the front wheels as the grip changes, so it holds its line and keeps its traction when you're accelerating hard out of a bend on a slippery road.

• The Alfa Romeo 147 features stunning styling, reminiscent of classic Alfas, and is built on the 156/Tipo platform.
• Available with 1.6 Twin-Spark, 2.0 TS, and JTD engines, the Alfa 147 was voted European Car of the Year in 2001.
• Launch models in February 2001 included 1.6TS and 2.0TS engines, with a 2.0TS manual five-door version offered from May 2001.
• A high-performance 3.2 V6 GTA version, producing 250bhp, became available for the Alfa 147 in October 2002.
• The 115bhp 1.9 JTD diesel engine, introduced in March 2003, achieves 48.7mpg and accelerates from 0 to 60mph in 9.6 seconds.