Take a look at this beautiful red saloon in the accompanying pictures and tell me you don’t want one. From that menacing front end that appears ready to devour anything that stands in its path, to its elegant shell that curves in all the right places and that butch rear end, the 159 seems universally gorgeous and I don’t think we’ve ever had a long-termer that’s garnered so many admiring glances.

Yet it’s a car of paradoxes, the 159.

Perhaps our judgment was swayed by the highly enjoyable 156 that preceded it, but in many ways the 159 is so much more refined. The solid build quality of the interior and smart materials used throughout are just the tip of the iceberg. 159 rides more comfortably, damps out more noise and feels more solid and rigid than the 156 and it’s also bigger and safer.

This is all good, for more mature Alfa fans that seek these qualities, but we’re disappointed that its newfound Audi-like refinement has put a damper on its Alfa soul. Of real concern is that it’s become too heavy threaten its German rivals in the performance and dynamic stakes, although the imminent updated version has shed some weight.

Our 2.4-litre JTD turbo-diesel hardly embodied much Alfa spirit. Its corpulence, combined with the turbo’s reluctance to spin at low engine speeds, lead to substantial turbo lag, or launch failure. One can’t even compensate with a clutch because this car is only offered with an automatic gearbox.

The gearbox was also too slow for our liking and not conducive to sporty driving. While this car cruises pleasantly once on the boil, we tend to expect more from a 5-cylinder turbo-diesel engine with 147kW and 400Nm on command.

In fact, there were times when only a fraction of this urge seemed willing to spring to life, especially when the car went into limp mode. Our 159 had this bizarre tendency to suddenly lose power and then splutter and spurt as if it were going to cut out, which happened about once a month. On all but one occasion, the problem could be solved by simply stopping and restarting the engine, although the problem would often resurface the same day. We suspect it was an injector problem, as described in the previous issue, but despite the car being looked at by dealers on numerous occasions, the problem was never solved.

On the upside, we’ve heard that the problem only affects a number of the earlier cars built, so those buying a new one now should have nothing to worry about. And if you are stuck with an older one, chances are you will be able to wangle a free injector-system overhaul out of Alfa Romeo, one of our readers with the same problem has.

In all fairness, the engine was a pleasure when it was working at full steam. Though slow off the mark, it was pleasingly tractable during overtaking manoeuvres on the open road and surprisingly economical too. In fact, when used by staffers Jesse Adams and Stuart Grant on last year’s Total Economy Run, they managed to average 7.034 litres per 100km, and they weren’t necessarily running at granny speeds either.

It must also be said that this car’s combination of massive interior and luggage space, comfort and economy made it a favourite among our staffers when it came to long-distance journeys. In six months, the car did two trips to Durban and back and a Cape Town loop too.

That’s the essence of this 159 JTD. It’s no longer your Friday night boy-racer ride, but rather a stylish, comfortable and relatively efficient steed for those that rack up numerous long-distance trips. Just settle down in those cosy leather buckets, crank up the tunes, set the cruise control and the rest of the world becomes a blur.

The 159 JTD is not a cheap option though, as the price tag of R345 000 makes us question whether it’s really worth it. Yet despite its whims, we really miss having a car that’s as stylish, comfortable and efficient in our fleet. Holiday travels certainly won’t be the same.