Alfa Romeo 156 2.5 V6 24V vs BMW 328i vs Audi A4 Quattro

Host: Gran Turismo 2

By Matej of GTP

Alfa Romeo 156 2.5 24v

The introduction of this gorgeous model back in 1997 resolved many speculations among Alfa Romeo enthusiasts, in regard to the uncertain future of this manufacturer's existence. Alfa Romeo had gone through some really difficult times, always struggling to keep its own place on the market. When it appeared, the 156 was a sign that Alfa Romeo seriously planned to emerge from its crisis. And indeed, the 156 had a very successful career on the market, more than any other model before or afterwards.

It also received numerous acclaims and awards in this or that segment, giving the manufacturer's reputation a wealthy dose of refreshment. Journalists were impressed, along with Alfistas, commonly called Alfa Romeo supporters, who spent the next several years searching for their favorite 156 model. More importantly, overall sales justified the entire development, allowing key people of the manufacturer to sleep peacefully at night, and be open for some more pretentious ideas.

For instance, how about challenging some main holders of the premium saloon segment to a battle?  Could Alfa score some points there too?  Mind you, until that moment Alfa Romeo had very little success in this class, basically none at all if we compare it against verified German products. That is why today we are going to face the 156 against two German flagships: the BMW 328i, and Audi A4. Some of you may mention how this comparison isn't really fair, but many journalists of that time conducted similar tests very accurately, which means they had been assured that a test like that could produce very interesting results.

Three different cars, three different drivetrains, almost identical performance figures, and one intruder among VIP personals. Let's see how that goes in Gran Turismo 2.

Because this review is dedicated to the bravery Alfa Romeo demonstrated back then, we are going to start with the 156 first. Some parts of the review may not appear in natural order as you would expect, but that is the approach I used specifically for this occasion.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Let's start by clicking on the East City icon, and heading straight to the Alfa Romeo dealership. Usually, this is a very exciting move for any Alfa Romeo supporter eager to try out his favorite machines in the game. Imagine that, free of charge, you get to drive one of many fast Alfas you might never be able to afford in real life.

Especially if one of them could be the 3.2 liter V6 156 GTA model that debuted in January 2002. Oh yes, for true supporters of this year (and of that month) are being preserved in a very special place, inside their hearts. From that date, it finally became possible to lay their hands on the just-recently revealed higher-performance 156 model, that would soon raise numerous discussions regarding FF drivetrain abilities once again.

Until that moment, we all had to rely on the 2.5 liter V6. This model may seem a bit under-powered, but in reality it does offer quite a powerful punch to 156 owners. Young generation of gamers used to driving GTA models from GT4 onwards could complain about this, but back in 1999 that was all we had, which is why inclusion of the 2.5 liter V6 156 in GT2 is reasonable.

Another sports-oriented 156 model in the dealership is powered by Alfa's 2.0 liter Twin Spark engine. Because that model delivers substantially less ponies, it is not going to be a very popular choice. Besides, if anyone would want to drive a 'Sparky', both the 146 and 155 (powered by the same engine) are still very engaging models, in spite of their age. You have to keep an eye on diversity, too. Two Alfa Romeo models contain enlarged 3.0 liter V6 units, but neither of them can actually outclass the 2.5 liter V6 model, especially once you tune them to their maximum levels. Size is not always important, you know.

Now, there is one factor that makes Alfa Romeos fans prone to headaches - the price. You see, Alfas tend to be quite expensive. And even though we are playing with virtual credits here in GT2, if we start comparing cars of other manufacturers, we can find potentially uncomfortable conclusions that won't go easy on us. For the price of the 2.5 liter V6 156, nearby house icons offer things like the 'Coupe Turbo' and 'Delta Integrale', both which offer perceptibly more for almost identical cost.

Ah, whatever, at least we don't have to pay for the gas. Not that Alfa Romeo enthusiasts would care about money expenses that much either, but with the Croatian gasoline price of around 1.32 USD per liter, they shouldn't take their wealth for granted.

BMW 328i

Okay, let's head North and see what BMW has to say in defense. Hm... was I trying to explain that the 156 is not a reasonable choice? Oh, allow me to apologize, it certainly is reasonably priced when we reckon the price of the 328i. That thing demands around 16 grand more for exactly the same performance numbers. Of course, we are paying for the brand here, just as we partially did for Alfa Romeo. Just notice how certain models do not hesitate to display 6-digit sale price to customers. Should I mention that those particular models are (performance-wise) sometimes disappointing? Hm, better not. Ups, too late...

The 328i is backed by several other Series 3 models, of which I would highlight the Compact (323ti) for people wishing to drive something smaller and lighter, and the Coupe (328ci) for cost-effective nuts. The 320ci and 323ci models are under-powered, notwithstanding still very expensive, so they can't be recommended. Honestly, I'm not sure why they even appear in the game. To boost reputation of the brand?  Ah, yes, that is what it is.

You may have noticed how there are no high-performance M-badged roosters to be found in GT2. It has been believed how this had something to do with licensing issues, or more precisely, Electronic Arts's rights on M models. Naturally, we aren't happy - although decently powerful, all 'Beamers' in GT2 are still overly slow for video game standards. Even so, if they weren’t here, we wouldn’t be able to do this review, so I’m glad they're here somehow.

Audi A4 2.8 Quattro

And while you're there, lurking around North City trying to find the most affordable product, you can inspect how Audi keeps its own house icons clean. And 'clean' this one really is, because there aren't many models that would keep workers occupied. Plus, almost everything is visually-based on either Audi's A3 or A4 model, not allowing for much diversity. There are no high-performance RS models here, but we do get to buy S-badged ones. Sadly, today we are not dealing with any of them, but for the purpose of keeping a thought in your head, just check out the price of the Audi A4, and its sportier brother, the S4. Their prices are completely out of proportions, almost as if they were accidentally replaced one with other. I wonder what kind of excuse Polyphony would bring to redeem for the loss this dealership has suffered because nobody wanted to buy such a ridiculously over-priced A4...

Hm... even if the A4 really is that expensive, it is still cheaper than the 328i, which doesn't even offer 4WD. Yeah, if we look from that perspective, I presume its cost can be justified.

There is another amusing fact about the A4. Regardless of what color you pick, the bottom side of the car is always darker, just like it is on crossover cars, which usually arrive with plastic or metal protection for their undercarriages. The A4 as a crossover?  I checked the entire history of the A4 squad, and it seems that crossover editions weren't available until 2009, with introduction of the A4 Allroad Quattro. Well, Polyphony's mistake at least tried to be sensible this time; with those sweet-looking 5-spoke wheels and 4WD system, the A4 is not a bad candidate for off-road missions. Certainly it would be the most useful of the three.

We have now seen how even in a video game, a car's price can be of crucial importance for those seeking opportunities to buy something useful at bargain prices, something Gran Turismo has been successfully rendering since earlier days of Gran Turismo 1. Alfa Romeo is naturally going to be more expensive than Fiat models of the same range,  due to the sportier character Alfa advertises.

BMW and Audi are pushing things even further, demanding slightly more for the luxury you get within them. I'm not stunned by this, given how the same situation is present on Croatian market too. That is why people over here tend to wait for the price to drop before commencing with the purchase of one of those 'privileged' vehicles - buying a car brand new is never a good decision, especially in this case.

Alfa Romeo is naturally more vulnerable on our market, as you can't find many people willing to live with an almost irrational call to buy a car that demands too many compromises, to become simply an affordable daily commuter. Both BMW and Audi can always rely on abundant number of government people or rich entrepreneurs that tend to glorify German products as par excellence among everything else. How can Alfa Romeo possibly survive on market like ours? Or anywhere else?

Um, they can.

They can because the community involved with Alfa Romeos is always lively. And most importantly, devoted to what they esteem. Discussions revolving around certain model, parts, or engine are usually very interesting and lengthy. Tons of useful informations await those who are ready to spend some time taking care of their favorite pet Alfa. The Croatian Alfa Romeo club is not an exception either - if you need any information, there is almost certain chance you will get it. I wish I could verify the same for BMW or Audi forums, but there was no way of entering without registering myself. You know, privilege, VIP, black-suited snobs and all that...

Well, I doubt it would be the same. Nothing beats the traffic of Italian manufacturer forums. It is just different surrounding, different people.

And a lot can be learned about these three manufacturers by inspecting the' image' you allegedly get while riding one of their cars. I'm going to summarize how it works in our country, mostly by collecting data from my friends and other car forums:

ENGINE/DRIVETRAIN

Remember how we said that the 156 is powered by a 2.5 liter V6 engine?  What we didn't say is that the engine produces 190 reasons to become juvenile again. Now, the 328i also delivers exactly the same amount of authority albeit using its slightly larger 2.8 liter L6 engine. Once again, size doesn't matter because our 328i cannot be upgraded with turbo kits, meaning you'll have to bear with 370 ponies provided by NA parts when all of them are installed. For some reason the Coupe version (328ci) does get turbo parts. Ah, who can possibly understand Polyphony...

I searched the internet in order to find some informations regarding the 328's engine, but without much success. I presume that wouldn't be the case if the engine in question was a diesel-type, dominant option for BMW owners. It doesn't matter anyway, a few tests carried out in the game efficiently proved how good this engine really is.

It delivers smooth torque delivery from low to mid rpm range, all that you need to successfully launch a car in dashing manner, in case the police arrives and you get caught unprepared. Power occupies its high rpm area, with slight drop-off before redline. Nothing you should be worried about, this engine is generally very smooth in operating, so the automatic transmission can be used without doubts. However, below 5000 rpm the engine becomes less effective, so I recommend buying a Close gearbox as soon as possible. It is a perfect upgrade that shortens those gears just enough to ensure shifting will never cause our rpm needle to fall below the 5000 marker.

If you decide to leave the stock gearbox in operation, you may notice how it almost perfectly matches the German Autobahn's 250 kph standards - you will reach that speed in the highest, 5th gear, just before the redline. I'm glad to know BMW used the maximum potential of this engine while following Autobahn rule. Probably to ensure the car could be used for gateways effectively, without sacrificing potential at lower rpm range too much.

Audi was jealous of BMW, seeing how they're trying to defend the German homestead from the Italian invasion, managed by Alfa Romeo using larger weapons. In order to join the show, Audi thought and thought and finally decided to launch... (drum playing)... their 2.8 liter V6 engine!  Using the same power by combining virtues of the other two engines on test?  Interesting, but for the third time, neither size, nor the fact that we have a V6 unit on the field, won't make any difference.

First, just as the 328i, the A4 cannot be upgraded with turbo parts. Maximum possible power stops at 342, something I can't really welcome. I mean, that is good enough for touring cars in case you ever want to build one, but what if I want more?  Ah, yes... I should buy the S4. Forgot about that.

The 'first' leads us to the second; although delivery of power and torque follows the same pattern found on 328i (performance numbers are identical! ), on certain segments both values sharply change their slope, making this engine slightly less smooth. Just imagine someone drawing an engine chart for the 328i and while copying the same sample for the A4, someone nudges him here and there.

Moreover, the gearbox is composed of five, widely-aligned gears that don't match characteristics of the engine. At the Test Course I couldn't hit 5th gear at all, probably due to the fact that power-loss before redline significantly reduces potential of the engine to go through its entire rpm field as quickly and easy as possible. By using a manual transmission, that may be done, but I clearly doubt the car could reach 250 kph as easily as the 328i did.

On circuits with corners, going below 5500 rpm won't produce good results. Again, it is the wide gearbox that doesn't match well with its given power-torque chart. I bought a Close gearbox, hoping that would increase potential of the engine, but I failed to notice any improvements. You may try it by yourself, but if money is of big concern to you, I'd rather recommend collecting funds for the Fully Custom gearbox.

Generally, the engine feels slow and inactive, so I'm not happy with it. It becomes peppy once you install all those response parts and additions, but until that happens, the engine will be the most responsible factor for overall lap times. I never found anything wrong about this engine either, people rarely emphasize anything, apart from its reliability. Eh, but nothing is more important than that, right?

Another V6 engine lurking by a nearby pit entry awaits for my inspection and sympathy. Unlike the two previous engines, this one does have an information sheet regarding history of its roots. We know that the 2.5 liter V6 unit belongs to Alfa Romeo's so-called Busso V6 family. This family generated many offsprings, ranging from 2.0 to 3.2 liters of displacement, initially debuting in 1979 on Alfa Romeo's 6, as a 2.5 liter unit. The 2.5 gradually developed through years, reaching climax of its development in 1995, when engineers decided to install an additional set of valves (12 to 24 V). This boosted overall power from 150 to 190 hp, and that is what we get to ignite on the 156.

The engine also received positive feedback from critics for its smoothness in operation, and even became International Engine of the Year reward in 2000. Some connoisseurs claim that the V6 engines of Alfa Romeo are one of the best engines they have ever made, and even one of the best V6 samples in the world. Do you really need more?

And look at that, this engine really is something else!  It offers its familiar 190 ponies from its slightly smaller block, in contrast to the two German executives. Not that the Accord SiR models couldn't embarrass it with their own VTEC 2.0 powerplants, but who would ever want to challenge a Honda in engine domain?  The fact that the 156 has outmatched two Germans cars in displacement is already more than enough. You even get to upgrade its turbo kits, and boost overall power to 463 hp. If you prefer NA machinery, a wealthy 387 hp is still above what the 328i offered, let alone the A4. Mind you, there is no such Accord in GT2 that can reach over 340 hp, regardless of the upgrade. In your face, Honda!

But is it really recommendable to install turbo kits?  That is another question which requires another answer, obviously. Torque happily sustains the entire rpm field, to ensure an owner would never complain about lack of punch. Power, on the other hand, aims for the high rpm range only. Even though there isn't any power loss on that field, the tachometer should never point below 6000, below this, the engine begins to grumble, losing its efficiency. Upgrading turbo kits can only make the chart spikier than it already is. Besides, I couldn't stand driving an Alfa Romeo with turbo upgrades, unless it is factory built. Those driving Hondas should understand this well.

Another problem is the gearbox. The 156 features a sports 6-speed manual transmission (!), a rarity in this class. However, because those gears aren't aligned properly, you can hardly take advantage of the extra gear, or feel need for it anyway. 3rd gear, for instance, is the one you'll be using the most, yet also the one that negatively affects acceleration. Our situation improves as you move through higher gears, but because you rarely use them, this is not really a good argument to justify the gearbox. Installation of a Close gearbox is mandatory. Although it may not deliver enviable result as on the 328i, the effectiveness of the engine will increase, nevertheless.

In sound department, engineers of our three car manufacturers were hard-working in order to bring good compositions to our stores. GT2 always had sweet tunes, among the best in the series, so I wasn't afraid of poor 'vacum' sounds.

The 156 sounds good while stock, better if you keep revs lower. By installing the Sports muffler tip, you get a really deep and frightening sound, that still stands as one of the most memorable tunes from the entire GT sound collection. If you can't stand the brutality of that pitch, switch to the Semi-racing tip, it leans towards realism more.

The A4 sounds the best without any muffler tip. Sports is trying to replicate the sample from stock 156, others are not that memorable, but they do sound better on higher revs.

The normal sample works best on the 328i too. Other muffler tips could do the job too, but for some reason I forgot them quickly.

To conclude this part; the 328i owns the most refined engine, one that could be used effectively whether tuning is being considered or not. The 156 poses many interesting attributes, but neither of them can be used to your advantage, really. I would recommend using NA upgrades to raise the power, and focusing on  the fun you can experience in the handling department. The A4 isn't that good either. Its unusual gearbox wasn't cooperative during the test, and I don't like being a solo player in all this, you know. I'm sure this engine owns some virtues in the real world, but in Gran Turismo 2, you'll have a better future if relying on those great turbocharged engines Audi is known for. Basically, what I'm suggesting is to keep an eye on that S4 model, yes.