Alfa Romeo 146 - capricious legend
They say that money does not bring happiness, but the things that you can buy with it give pleasure. Having at your disposal the amount of PLN 6, you can make yourself a pretty nice gift. Not even one. For example, go on a ten-day exotic vacation with your loved one on the wonderful beaches of the Ivory Coast.
You can spend a very romantic and even more luxurious weekend for two in Paris. 6 thousand PLN is also enough to try the wild nature and survival - hide somewhere in Bieszczady for a few weeks and live in harmony with nature.
For PLN 6, you can also indulge in sporty elegance and become the owner of a car you once desired. For example, the Alfa Romeo 146. The 146 is nothing more than a five-door version of the Alfa 145. Basically, both cars are almost the same - the same aggressive face, the same brand name, the same sporty elegance. Changes appear just behind the middle pillar. Where the 145 has already ended, the 146 has an extra "piece of sheet metal" that makes for a pretty pleasant ride for passengers in the back seat. They not only have an extra pair of doors at their disposal, but also enough space for luggage.
Model 146 is almost 4.3 meters long, 1.7 meters wide and 1.4 meters high. This is a good 15 cm more than the Alfa 145. The high trunk line with a thin spoiler looks dynamic and aggressive. Yes, the car is definitely stylistically different from modern Italian standards, but for a model with fifteen years of experience on the market, it looks pretty good. Facelift models are especially well preserved, in which the redesigned front looks more than attractive.
Inside, the situation is quite similar - in cars before modernization, the claw of time is clearly felt, in cars after modernization (1997) it is much better. The rear seat, although theoretically a three-seater, is best suited for a two-seater configuration due to its special profile.
Models 145 and 146 stood out from the competition, in addition to design, another element - the engines. In the initial period of production, i.e. until 1997, boxer units, known for their perfect balance, worked under the hood. However, due to the high cost, troublesome and rather costly operation in 1997, these units were discontinued, and a new series of engines was proposed in their place - the so-called. TS, i.e. Twin Spark units (there were two spark plugs for each cylinder). Units 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 were not only more reliable, but also consumed significantly less fuel than similar boxer units.
Alfa Romeo 146 is a specific car. On the one hand, it is very original, extraordinary and pleasant to drive, on the other hand, capricious and with its own mood. Undoubtedly, this is a car with a soul, but in order to fully enjoy its unique character, you have to put up with some shortcomings, which, unfortunately, it has enough.
