2011 Alfa Romeo Spider Malaysia Reviews & Ratings, Expert Car Reviews on LIVE LIFE DRIVE

Fabulous-looking, exclusive and attractively priced, the 2011 Alfa Romeo Spider makes for an interesting alternative to the German norm. But convincing it is not—not when the Germans set the benchmark so high.

2011 Alfa Romeo Spider quick specs

Body Style	Convertible
Class	Sports/GT
Assembled	-

Engine Range	-
Fuel Options	-
Seating Capacity	2

2011 Alfa Romeo Spider ratings (overall rating : 3.5/5.0)

Styling
Handling
Comfort
Quality + Reliability
Performance

Roominess
Running Costs
Value for Money
Equipment
Environment

Styling

Essentially an Alfa Romeo Brera without its roof, the 2011 Alfa Romeo Spider looks stunning, exuding aggression and elegance in equal parts. It is often said that Alfa Romeo only produces beautiful cars, and the Spider is once again testament to that. Having the hood up blemish the appearance a little, but with the roof down, the 2011 Alfa Romeo Spider creates a big visual impact wherever it goes, effortlessly.

Handling

The 2011 Alfa Romeo Spider shares the same chassis as the Alfa Romeo Brera, its mechanical sibling. Little surprise, then, that it inherits the agility, grip and quick, accurate steering found in the Brera. The chassis feels well-balanced and body movements are well-controlled. But chopping off the roof often has its repercussions: the chassis loses stiffness, exhibiting body flex and scuttle which affects both the handling and ride comfort.

Comfort

On smooth roads, the ride, particularly at lower speeds, is overly firm. Bumps can therefore be felt distinctly, in addition to causing body scuttles. Roof up, wind and road noise are kept within acceptable levels. Roof down, the wind deflectors do a good job of minimising wind buffeting. Suspension noise is a problem over larger bumps, however. The driving position is no longer cramped like in older Alfa Romeos; Two-way steering and seat-height adjustments are available, although headroom is lacking with the roof in place. All controls are well-positioned and intuitive to operate, too.

Quality + Reliability

The cabin looks and feels solid, thanks to the use of appealing materials and generally good fit-and-finish. That said, German rivals still boast higher-quality cabins. While the issue of quality has been addressed, the issue of reliability remains. Older Alfa Romeos have been known to be infamously unreliable. But since it has been on the market since 2006 and shares the same mechanicals as other Alfa Romeos, the Spider should remain trouble-free.

Performance

Paired to a six-speed Selespeed automatic manual gearbox, the 2.2-litre JTS direct-injection petrol engine churns out a strong 182 bhp at 6500 rpm and 230 Nm at 4500 rpm. However, the eager-to-rev engine puts in a lively rather than brisk performance, limited by the 2011 Alfa Romeo Spider's not insubstantial weight. Still, 0-100 km/h takes a decent 8.8 seconds. And thanks to some fiddling with the exhaust system, the 2.2-litre plays a great soundtrack resembling that of a V6's.

Roominess

Legroom is adequate, but taller people will find headroom to be limited when the roof is in place. Pressing a button activates the folding mechanism, although the roof takes a leisurely 26 seconds to completely fold away. Unlike the Alfa Romeo Brera coupe, the 2011 Alfa Romeo Spider makes no pretence at being a 2+2. Just as well, since the two rear seats in the Brera are next-to-useless. In their place are two small, lockable stowage boxes, which should prove to be more practical and are certainly less pretentious. Smaller bags can then be placed on top of them, supplementing the 200-litre boot with almost an extra 100 litres of loading space.

Running Costs

Alfa Romeos are relatively expensive to run for a couple of reasons. First, the fuel consumption is indifferent at 10.6 km/litre. Second, servicing and maintenance would be costly, though the same can be said for rivals. Lastly and more crucially, depreciation would be much higher than for German rivals, due to Alfa Romeos' poor perceived reliability and Malaysians' preference for the German brands. The Audi TT, BMW Z4 and Mercedes-Benz SLK are all likely to hold on to their values better.

Value for Money

Like the drop-dead gorgeous the Alfa Romeo Brera, the 2011 Alfa Romeo Spider looks great, handles well, feels well-made and is attractively priced against all key rivals. German rivals, however, possess the dynamics, comfort, quality and performance, if not looks, to outclass the Alfa Romeo Spider. To really compete, Alfa Romeo must fix the overly firm ride and reduce body flex issues. So, till then, the 2011 Alfa Romeo Spider would remain an interesting though unconvincing alternative to the German norm.

Equipment

The 2011 Alfa Romeo Spider comes generously equipped with standard items such as 18" alloy wheels, paddle shifts, keyless ignition, rain sensor, cruise control, bi-xenon headlamps, electric powered soft top, electrically adjustable and foldable side mirrors, leather upholstery, and 6-speaker audio system with radio/CD. Safety equipments include 5 airbags (front/side/knees), Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), Anti-Slip Reducer (ASR), and ABS + EBD + EBA.

Environment

Carbon dioxide emissions of 218 grams/km and fuel consumption of 10.6 km/litre rank the 2011 Alfa Romeo Spider as the least “green” among rivals, without the corresponding power advantage. Everyone of the Alfa Romeo Spider's German rivals consumes less fuel and emits less greenhouse gas, meaning that the Italian automaker still has plenty of room for improvement in this area.

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2011 Alfa Romeo Spider Review

2011 Alfa Romeo Spider at a glance