Uh oh! Just got my new Alfa 159 and...

S

smcgiff

Guest
I took delivery of my 2.4l JTDM 159 this afternoon. It's top of the range and I pretty much loaded it with everything.

I've never driven a car with cruise control before and didn't really know what to look for, but I had this niggely feeling in the back of my head not long after setting out on the journey home.

I got home (about an hour ago). Sure enough, the Cruise Control stalk is missing! This was supposed to be a standard feature! And it's not here.
It still says on the website that this is a standard feature of the TI - I've taken a screen shot. I'm also 99.99% sure I've a paper spec sheet from the garage showing the Cruise Control as standard.

Cruise Control was a must have for the car I replaced my SAAB with. So, now that it doesn't have it I feel deflated. Not good on day one of a new €54k motor.
So, any advice? How do ye see this panning out. What do you think the dealer will say when I call them on Monday? Will I be appearing on some solicitor's christmas card list?

*Flowery language removed to make post acceptable*
 
smcgiff said:
I've never driven a car with cruise control before and didn't really know what to look for, but [...]
Cruise Control was a must have for the car I replaced my SAAB with. So, now that it doesn't have it I feel deflated.
Click to expand...
I'm struggling a little with your logic here...
 
ninsaga said:
Is it on the spec? .... as opposed to what is on the web?
Click to expand...



The TI is very new, and isn't in the normal 159 brochure. I was given a paper addendum/price list that says it is standard. On the current brochure the spec below it (sportivo) also has it as standard.
 
Ah, tigim anois.
smcgiff said:
I was given a paper addendum/price list that says it is standard. On the current brochure the spec below it (sportivo) also has it as standard.
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It sounds like you have a case, so. A (friendly:)) 'phone call to the dealer should sort the matter out?
 
DrMoriarty said:
Ah, tigim anois.
It sounds like you have a case, so. A (friendly:)) 'phone call to the dealer should sort the matter out?
Click to expand...

I hope so. Chances are the dealer doesn't even know it's missing. It's just another sale to them, but it's my baby! :)
 
smcgiff said:
I took delivery of my 2.4l JTDM 159 this afternoon. It's top of the range and I pretty much loaded it with everything.

I've never driven a car with cruise control before and didn't really know what to look for, but I had this niggely feeling in the back of my head not long after setting out on the journey home.

I got home (about an hour ago). Sure enough, the Cruise Control stalk is missing! This was supposed to be a standard feature! And it's not here.

*Flowery language removed to make post acceptable*
Click to expand...

What exactly do you mean when you say it's missing?? Is there a hole where it should be?! Are you certain it's not in another area of the cockpit?!

Why didn't the sales person sit into the car with you and explain the features before you drove off the forecourt? Cruise control can be a death trap if you've never used it before.

Sales manager won't be impressed,but I suppose you have a case if you can back up your claim of the car having C.Control.
 
Hi Remfan,

100% sure there's a separate stalk for CC.

It could be that the salesman didn't mention the CC because he knew it didn't have it! :) All he pretty much said was that this car had everything. Bit vague, but I'd not even sat in it at that stage.

BTW, I've now found the addendum for the TI and I can confirm it mentions the Cruise Control as standard. The sad thing about it is that it's only €350 as an extra and even if it weren't standard I'd definitely have paid the extra 350.

With that said, I'm going on the basis that this will be news to the garage.

It should be interesting because the garage owner said he was getting the exact spec as mine, just without the sunroof. :)
 
If I was you I'd be around to the dealer at 7:00am tomorrow morning with all the paperwork you have including the printed screenshot which clearly shows that it comes as standard, ask the salesman to point out where the CC controls are located, if he tries to tell you it isn't included ask him to show you his paperwork which confirms that, then show him yours and explain that you bought the car with the expectation that it conformed to the specs which you have and that at no point was it suggested that the feature was not included and that unless they provide you with a car which matched your expectations you'd be returning the car......


As an aside, if you don't mind me asking but why did you choose an Alfa?
I'm assuming its your first Alfa because I'm reminded of the old saying that lots of people buy Alfas, but nobody ever buys a second Alfa......
 
I'm not sure which model you have but reading the reviews here
[broken link removed]

It does say CC is standard on all the 2.4 models.

I looked at a few of the Alfa Romeo dealers in Ireland websites, and for your model none of the ones I looked at had tech specs listed, they had them for almost every other car and model that I checked which I found strange. Is it possible some one from the group dealership has seen this thread and had them removed in advance of your visit?
 
ASFKAP said:
As an aside, if you don't mind me asking but why did you choose an Alfa?
I'm assuming its your first Alfa because I'm reminded of the old saying that lots of people buy Alfas, but nobody ever buys a second Alfa......
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice, ASFKAP. As I live approx 60 miles from the dealer I'll be phoning first thing tomorrow. From what I've learned (in the last hour or so) the fitting of the Cruise Control is not a big deal.

As for why I chose an Alfa - I've owned one A6, and one A4 in the recent past. My last car was a Saab 93, and the BMW never did it for me (and a Merc would not even register as a possibility).

So, the looks of the 159 was it's first draw. The reviews of it were quite good, and the build quality seems to have been set right by the German GM. Also, for the same spec a BMW/Audi would have cost a lot more.

Italian looks, with German ingenuity - Seems like a winner. :)

So, far I've been impressed overall.
 
ASFKAP said:
I'm not sure which model you have but reading the reviews here
[broken link removed]

It does say CC is standard on all the 2.4 models.

I looked at a few of the Alfa Romeo dealers in Ireland websites, and for your model none of the ones I looked at had tech specs listed, they had them for almost every other car and model that I checked which I found strange. Is it possible some one from the group dealership has seen this thread and had them removed in advance of your visit?
Click to expand...

Gulp - You had me worried there for a sec. :)

Mines the 2.4 JTDm TI. It's still there under the price section...

[broken link removed]
 
I looked at a few dealers I found on carzone.ie and followed the links to the new Alfas, on the few I checked they were all the same as in this example....
[broken link removed]

If you click on the link for aeach of the models you'll notice that the 2.4 model is the only one that doesn't give the spec to tell you what comes as standard, all the other dealers I checked (I din't check them all mind you) were exactly the same......
 
The cruise control stalk is built into the same stalk that controls the indicators on the new Seat Leon. It might be the same on the Alfa.

I'd check the manual if I was you.
 
Indeed - could be another case of RTFM or PEBKAC (or in this case PEBSWAC) :)
 
the cc stalk should be separate from the others. On the GT it is on the left side of the steering wheel
 
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