The Japanese brand has hogged the top position of J.D. Power’s annual customer satisfaction study since it became eligible for consideration.

Vauxhall was lumped with the booby prize of ‘worst manufacturer’ for poor dealer service and failing to deliver a single model that rated above the industry average score.

In another triumph for Lexus, the IS executive saloon bagged the highest overall score for the third time in its history. The RX luxury SUV also secured third overall, after coming attracting the highest overall score last year.

The study was compiled using opinions from over 16,500 British car owners on vehicles aged between one and three years. Scores were based on Vehicle Quality and Reliability, Vehicle Appeal, Dealer Service Satisfaction and Ownership Costs.

Remarkable

Jim Holder, Editor of What Car?, which published the results, described Lexus’ achievement as “remarkable”.

He commented: “Eleven years at the top of Britain’s most thorough customer survey is testament to its ability to build great cars and unstinting attention to customer service.

“The individual results for the IS [pictured left] and RX, with first and third highest overall satisfaction scores, should also give buyers of these cars unrivalled peace of mind.”

Richard Balshaw, Lexus Director, said: “We are delighted and immensely proud that Lexus has retained its number one position. It’s a great reward for the teams at our Lexus centres across the country, who work unstintingly to deliver the best possible service to our customers.

“Great products and great people are the key to success and we will continue to raise our standards to beyond the expectations of our customers. Our model range is also extending in new directions, notably with the full hybrid CT 200h which has had an immediate impact on the luxury hatchback market.”

“Great achievement” for Alfa Romeo

Meanwhile, Alfa Romeo felt that recent efforts had been recognised after securing a top 10 place.

Coming joint tenth with Toyota and Volkswagen in the Overall Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Index, the Italian manufacturer also recorded placed seventh in the Vehicle Appeal Index category.

Damien Dally [pictured], Head of Brand for Alfa Romeo UK, said: “This is fantastic news for both Alfa Romeo and our dealer partners as we enter our second century.

“To be placed tenth in overall customer satisfaction performance is a great achievement and clearly demonstrates the improvements in customer service, ownership appeal and quality that are being made at Alfa Romeo.

“We are encouraged by these results and will strive to continue improving all areas of the customer experience journey.”

For the latest special contract hire offers from Alfa Romeo, visit main dealer Chris Variava here.

Superb Skoda

The results also furthered an end to the lampooning of Skoda.

Speaking to the BBC, Jim Holder said consumers should be able to buy a Skoda “without feeling embarrassed”.

If Jim’s words don’t convince you then perhaps the Czech brand sharing third with Jaguar might, heralding its 18th year in the top 10.

The much lauded Octavia was Skoda’s star [pictured] which ranked number one in the Lower Medium car segment.

Brian Walters, Senior Director of European Operations at J.D. Power and Associates, commented: “Škoda’s performance in 2011 strongly reflects the brand’s focus on customer satisfaction and a desire to improve the key drivers of the ownership experience.”

Robert Hazelwood, Škoda UK Brand Director, added: “Customer satisfaction awards are always some of the most important to us at Škoda because they reflect the hard work put in by our retailers across the country. This result is a tribute to their dedication.”

It was the same old story for the Honda Jazz too which claimed the top spot in the supermini sector for the eighth year running.

The Hertz-owned car-by-the-hour business has agreed a deal that makes the Fiat 500 and Alfa MiTo key cars in its fleet. Rolled out initially in London, the car-share scheme is being prepared for wider use later this year.

Connect works by making cars available to hire for as little as an hour at a time. A special swipe card unlocks the pre-ordered vehicle, allowing the driver to use it for the time booked before returning it to its home point.

Both Hertz and FGAUK believe the Fiat 500 and Alfa MiTo will make perfect cars for this service, and the former has agreed to take 170 vehicles at the start.

“The Connect arrangement fits very well into our fleet strategy and is a high-profile, exciting deal,” says Andrew Humberstone, managing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK and Ireland.

“This gives us a significant retail platform as it’s exactly the right audience for our products,” adds Paolo Lo Monaco, finance and business development director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK and Ireland. “It puts the Fiat 500 and Alfa MiTo right where we want them to be – in the hands of young, environmentally-conscious individuals who are free-thinking about the car they want to drive.”

Bob Stuart, Senior Vice President of Global Sales at Hertz, says: “We are extremely excited to have formed this exclusive alliance with Fiat for our car sharing club offer in the UK. The addition of the Alfa Romeo MiTo and the expansion of our Fiat 500 fleet really demonstrate Connect by Hertz’s commitment to transforming the way we travel in the city. The Fiat 500 has been extremely popular with customers, so we are reacting accordingly by adding more of these to the service.  Both cars offer innovative and eco-friendly alternatives while remaining at the height of fashion – a perfect combination for our members.”

The 159 Sportwagon TBi TI costs £26,840 new, which is a competitive price compared to versions of the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class with similar equipment and performance. Indeed, if you’re looking for something different and want to save around £2,000-3000, the 159 would be very much in the frame. The official fuel consumption is a claimed 34.0mpg, but in real-world driving, we didn’t mange more than 24mpg, so it’s not going to be cheap to run, what with all those visits to the petrol station. CO2 emissions are also high, at 194g/km, so Band J road tax will cost a hefty £235 a year. Residuals aren’t particularly great (around 40% after three years), so the 159 will cost you right up to the point that you sell it.

Read the full Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon 1750 TBi TI road test

RoadTestReports.co.uk provides road tests reports written by members of the Guild of Motoring Writers. These reports are complemented by car reviews submitted by the members of the public who drive the vehicles day in day out.

Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon consumer car reviews
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Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon new and nearly new

Alfa Romeo Mito consumer car reviews
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Alfa Romeo Mito new and nearly new

The 135bhp 1.4 MultiAir Lusso is £15,165 otr, while the 1.4 Cloverleaf version retails for £17,895 otr, plus any optional extras. So yes, the new MultiAir models are indeed pricier than the equivalent outgoing petrol-engined MiTo’s, but the new 135bhp 1.4 achieves an impressive 50.4mpg (combined) along with 129g/km of CO2 (band D) – a 4.1mpg and 16g/km improvement while the 170bhp Cloverleaf manages 47.1mpg with 139g/km (band E) – a 3.6mpg and 14g/km improvement. Couple those figures with the previously mentioned 15 extra horsepower and it’s plain to see that the unique-to-Fiat/Alfa MultiAir system is a lot cleverer than its mundane name suggests.

Read the full Alfa Romeo Mito MultiAir road test

RoadTestReports.co.uk provides road tests reports written by members of the Guild of Motoring Writers. These reports are complemented by car reviews submitted by the members of the public who drive the vehicles day in day out.

The results are an increase in fuel economy, lower emissions and new VED and BIK taxation points. CO2 emissions have been reduced to as low as 142 g/km (on the combined cycle), meeting the Euro 5 standard and placing the model in VED Band F.

This high tech diesel powerplant develops 170 bhp at just 4,000 rpm, allowing it to cover the 0 – 62 mph sprint in just 8.8 seconds. Around town the fuel efficient 2.0 JTDM Alfa 159 returns an impressive 39.8 mpg and stretches this to 64.2 mpg on motorway journeys.  On the combined cycle, the Alfa 159 returns 52.3 mpg.

In addition to the new 2.0 JTDM diesel engine, a 1.9 JTDM 120bhp ECO diesel engine joins the 159 line up, offering even greater appeal to those seeking the lowest possible costs.  Emissions are reduced further to just 138g/km, giving fleet drivers just 19% BIK liability.

In terms of performance the ECO diesel-equipped Alfa 159 achieves a very credible 0 – 62 mph acceleration time of 10.7 seconds and a top speed of 123 mph.  A further attraction is the impressive fuel economy – 42.8 mpg around town; 64.2 mpg on motorway journeys and 54.3 mpg on the combined cycle.  This places the 1.9 JTDM firmly in the VED Band E.

Alfa Romeo 159 consumer car reviews
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Alfa Romeo 159 new and nearly new

This is the all new diesel offering from Alfa Romeo and it sits very comfortably indeed in the 159! The engine has been increased ever so slightly in size to 1956 cc but the major difference is the efficiency with which it creates the 170 BHP at 4,000 rpm and 360 Nm of torque at 1750 rpm. C02 emissions are actually lower in this new more powerful diesel than the previous 150 bhp unit at just 142 g/km and the sprint to 0-62 mph is covered in 8.8 seconds although the car actually comes into its own when accelerating through the higher gears. A satisfying shove in the back is evident when the accelerator pedal is pushed with just a little pressure and from that point onwards the car just seems to want to keep on going, the usual ‘run out of puff’ evident with many diesel units does not seem to exist here. It was inevitable that Alfa Romeo were going to have to offer a higher performance diesel to keep a balance with their stable of increasingly potent and innovative petrol models and It was always going to be a talking point in the car industry as to how well this would go.

Read the full Alfa Romeo 159 2.0 JTDm Lusso road test

RoadTestReports.co.uk provides road tests reports written by members of the Guild of Motoring Writers. These reports are complemented by car reviews submitted by the members of the public who drive the vehicles day in day out.

Alfa Romeo 159 consumer car reviews
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Alfa Romeo 159 new and nearly new

Decent performance is a traditional Alfa strong point, and the 200bhp TBi competently maintains that reputation. For a 1,742cc 4-cyl, 6-speed manual saloon the claimed figures are impressive enough – 0-62mph in 7.7secs, 147mph max, but it’s the TBi motor’s 236lb/ft of torque and throttle response which are perhaps most impressive. Get on the gas at 80mph in 6th gear and there’s instant, strong acceleration up to 120mph and beyond. This sub 2-litre four goes like a 3-litre six, and it has the brakes to match, but my test car lacked puff and was prone to stalling while pulling away slowly from a standstill.

Read the full Alfa Romeo 159 1750 TBi Elegante road test

RoadTestReports.co.uk provides road tests reports written by members of the Guild of Motoring Writers. These reports are complemented by car reviews submitted by the members of the public who drive the vehicles day in day out.

A firm favourite at last year’s British Motor Show, the Alfa 8C Spider – based on the 4.7litre V8 Alfa 8C Competizione coupe – will be joined on the hill by iconic motor racing cars from Alfa Romeo’s historic museum collection in Arese, Italy.

These include the 1924 P2 Gran Premio which won the first World Championship in 1925 driven by Gastone Brilli-Peri; the 8C 2300 tipo Le Mans which was purchased by Sir Henry Birkin in 1931; the 6C 3000 CM driven to second place by Juan Manuel Fangio in the 1953 Mille Miglia and the 33 TT 12 which brought the 1975 World Manufacturer’s title to Alfa Romeo.

Two Alfa Romeo concept cars have also been entered in the Cartier Style et Luxe in the “Serious Wedge – Studies in Angular Sports Car Design 1965-1980” category, both of which were designed by Bertone. 

The 1968 Alfa Carabo concept marks a revolutionary stage in supercar design, with its hydropneumatic-powered gull-wing doors and multi-coloured one way glass windows. Yet another demonstration of Bertone’s experimental forward thinking design is the 1978 Najavo, which represents a concerted effort for a new aerodynamics focussed direction in sporty coupe design.

The Alfa Romeo stand will feature both Alfa 8C Spider and Competizione supercars, as well as the new sporty compact MiTo, Spider, Brera S and 159.

Alfa Romeo is a proud sponsor of the 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

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Alfa Romeo new and nearly new car prices

The 4cyl, 185bhp 1,998cc motor is smooth, flexible, and ‘though quiet, sounds decently fruity, All well and good, except that even when driven hard the smaller-engined Spider doesn’t feel particularly quick. Of course, 0-62mph in 8.8secs and 135mph should be ample for most, but if you reckon a sports car should pack a proper punch, and your pockets are deep enough, then you’ll prefer the 3,195cc 260bhp V6. But despite 0-62 in 7secs, a 146mph max and a glorious exhaust note, the smoother and more flexible V6 version doesn’t readily deliver the sensation of neck-snapping acceleration. Instead it gathers momentum forcefully and convincingly.

Read the full Alfa Romeo 2.2 JTS & 3.2 JTS V6 Q4 road tests

RoadTestReports.co.uk provides road tests reports written by members of the Guild of Motoring Writers. These reports are complemented by car reviews submitted by the members of the public who drive the vehicles day in day out.

Combining eye-catching style with cost-conscious substance, the 1.3 JTDm diesel engine boasts 62.8mpg fuel economy in the combined cycle plus CO2 emissions of just 119g/km, putting the newcomer into the 13 per cent Benefit in Kind (BiK) tax bracket for company car drivers.

Better still, industry experts CAP have predicted a 49 per cent resale value after three years/60,000 miles – the best in its segment, while list prices that start from just £10,745 help keep Whole Life Costs low too.
All this, together with the style and performance you’d expect from an Alfa Romeo, ensure the newcomer appeals as much to fleet managers looking to reduce operating costs as it does to user choosers seeking a more exciting company car.

Adam Pumfrey, Fleet and Remarketing Director for Fiat Group Automobiles UK, says: “The Alfa MiTo’s low tax charges and impressive fuel economy ensure it’s an appealing option for user choosers. The good news is that the MiTo also scores highly when Whole Life Costs are taken into account, thanks to low P11D prices and impressive residual value predictions, which combine to make it a seriously cost-effective fleet car.”

The Alfa MiTo range, which also boasts a Euro NCAP five-star crash test rating, is priced from £10,745. Equipment lists include seven airbags, CD radio, Hydraulic Brake Assistance (HBA) for emergency braking, plus a dynamic vehicle control system, DNA, which the driver can use to tailor the car’s handling characteristics. DNA settings include Dynamic, Normal and All-Weather.

Engines include two diesels (1.3 JTDM and 1.6 JTDM) and three petrol 1.4s – two in turbocharged form, plus a normally aspirated version.

For deals on the car leasing deals Alfa Romeo MiTo, visit ContractHireAndLeasing.com.

Alfa Romeo Brera 3.2 JTS Q4 SV full road test report

Alfa Romeo Brera car leasing special offers
Alfa Romeo Brera new and nearly new cars

For maximum fuel economy the 41.5 (combined) mpg of the 2.4 JTD scores highly, but, as you would expect, this big 3.2 V6 Q4 is somewhat juicier at 24.7mpg. The upper spec SV model offers all the equipment you’d expect, including climate control and leather upholstery, plus quite a bit you might not such as diffused ambient interior lighting and puddle lights on the underside of the doors. The Brera also boasts a long list of hi-tech audio, navigation and communications options. But as any Alfa dealer or owner will tell you, Alfas are not about the detail, they’re about the passion, and the Brera has more of that than most.

RoadTestReports.co.uk provides road tests reports written by members of the Guild of Motoring Writers. These reports are complemented by car reviews submitted by the members of the public who drive the vehicles day in day out.

Alfa Romeo MiTo 1.4 Turbopetrol Veloce full road test report

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Prices at launch start at £10,745 otr (95bhp 1.4 16v Turismo), rising to £14,745 for the 155bhp 1.4 Veloce model tested here. The combined consumption figure for this speedy 155bhp 1.4 is a decent 43.5mpg, although if running costs are paramount, or if you plan on racking up a high mileage, then the 1.3 JTD manages 62.8mpg with just 119g/km of CO2. So, as ever, it’s horses for courses, but the 155bhp 1.4 would be the one for me, and trust me, I’m neither cool, young nor image-conscious.

RoadTestReports.co.uk provides road tests reports written by members of the Guild of Motoring Writers. These reports are complemented by car reviews submitted by the members of the public who drive the vehicles day in day out.