[alfa] Milano as a Daily Driver- Pro & Con

[mdpordes@xxxxxxxx]

As someone who has driven a Milano Gold for a couple of years as a daily
driver for a freeway commute 40 miles each way, here is my 2 cents:

Advantages: (this is a 2.5 Liter car, not a 3 Liter Verde - which is a
whole different driving car)
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Smooth, comfortable driving car

Very comfortable electric seats

Crisp, fun shifter linkage

Plenty of passing power

Good visibility to see out on the road

Nice nimble handling

Wonderful throaty italian song engine

True 4 seater with ability to transport 4 adults

Good, cold A/C from a decent sized compressor(It get's HOT around here in
the summer and I want to commume home cooled off!)

Parts new and used readily available from Alfa Parts or APE. (APE has a
TON of Milano Stuff)

"Fair" gas mileage for a V6 - I get around 24-25 on the highway

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Disadvantages:

Expensive to repair if you take it to an Alfa mechnanic. The car is pretty
solid but requires specialized knowledge. It is a "transaxle" car, with
the engine in front and trany in back, with inboard brakes like a Jag for
centered weight distribution. The brakes, fuel injection and exhaust are
not exotic. I just would not take the car to "Joe Mechanic" except for an
oil change.

Timing belt NEEDS to be changed every 30K miles like religion (and do the
water pump and tensioner at the same time , (This is $800-900 bucks at a
shop)- take a chance and lose a timing belt even at startup - INSTANT $2K
repair bill!

The Milano is a loud car at 70 miles an hour, but you get used to it. (Not
as loud as a 911!)

There are more electronics, relays, etc. to go wrong, but if you have a
car with the bugs worked out, this should not be a problem. If you get a
Milano with "gremlins" you can go crazy chasing them!

The steel on the Milanos is very prone to rust in the back of the wheel
arches and at the corners of the back window. This is not structural but
it is how "automobile skin cancer" starts.

Some quirky ergonomics that take some learning. The electric window
controls are above the winshield like aircraft switches or the old
Studabaker Avanti. Same for the rear window motor child lockout. The
parking brake handle is a giant "U" shaped horseshoe that seems clumsy at
first, but again, you get used to it.

The trunk is small, but deep. Don't expect to make a big Costco run in
this car!

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What I love about the Milano -  The way it drives, and that you rarely see
them.

People are always asking me, "what is it?" It looks as modern as a new
Jetta or Civic, but will blow the doors off these front wheel drive, rice
burning pieces of crap (did I say that?)

If you have love and appreciation for things Italian, the Milano is a
wonderful and "not as appreciated as it should be" type of car. I talked
once to an old Alfa Italian mechanic in San Francisco about my Milano and
he told me in almost hushed tones "take a care of a dis car, this is da
last of da REAL Alfas." And he is right!

Hope this helps,

Michael Pordes

95 164LS
91 Spider
87 Milano Verde
87 Milano Gold (For Sale  - see previous Alfa Digest)
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