164 a sports sedan?

[C M Smith <cmsmith@domain.elided>]

I am not especially objective but I can tell you that a 164 is definitely 
NOT a sports sedan.

The Milano is.

The BMW 3 series is (especially the M3!) and the  2002 is (especially the 
Tii or the turbo). The Berlina is though the giulia and giulietta versions 
(especially the TI) are more sports sedan than the bigger Alfas.

Mercedes does not and never has built a sports sedan. No North American 
manufacturer has come close to offering a sports sedan, except possibly the 
interesting Mondeo (Contour) SVT.

FIAT, Renault, Citroen, Lancia, Jaguar, Triumph, MG, Jensen, Opel, SAAB, 
Lexus, Honda, Infiniti, Mazda, I am sure there are others, have built 
sports sedans.

The 164 is a very good handling, heavy luxury sedan. It is a great car, if 
that's what you want. It was not intended to compare with a sports sedan 
like the Milano (in Europe the 155 was the closest equivalent.)

Torque steer is a major problem with the 164. The SAAB 9000 is not too bad 
in that department unless you buy the Aero which has it big time (well, 
depending on your def'n of torque steer.) I don't think the 9000 suffers 
much from torque steer properly defined, but the 164 does, especially the S.

I really love the way my 164 drives, but it ain't no Milano that's for 
sure. The GTV6/Milano was one of the sweetest handling packages Alfa ever 
built, or anyone for that matter. Anyone who drives a Milano or GTV6 and 
then buys a BMW is certifiable. No one built a car like that in modern 
times, and you'll never drive cars like those again. Too expensive to build 
one with that level of sophistication, and what did they charge for them? A 
steal, even with the build quality problems.

Cheers


Michael Smith
Calgary, Alberta,Canada
91 Alfa 164L
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