Reviews - Nissan

Overall Rating

Spider carries on the proud tradition of Italian soft-tops with its distinctive styling, but like the GTV coupe, it's now feeling dated and outclassed. Its main advantage now is falling prices.

• Classic soft top Alfa still looks sexy
• Engines sound good and deliver driving pleasure
• Stylish cabin is well equipped

• Ride and handling are compromised by convertible bodyshell
• High noise levels reduce refinement
• High running costs and depreciation on V6

The 2.0 JTS and 3.2 V6 engines sound fantastic, but the Spider is plagued by many other noises too: tyre roar, wind squeal, road-surface feedback and no end of shakes, rattles and rolls. In comparison to, say, a TT or an SLK, or even an elderly MX-5, it is crude, harsh-riding and not nearly rigidly-built enough scuttle shake is terrible. The cabin is cramped, the boot tiny, the soft-top roof is hardly state-of-the-art and security and safety kit are not to modern-day standards. The four-cylinder JTS is the nicer drive, as the V6 is really too powerful for the chassis limitations grip is poor, and the body flex spoils otherwise agile responses. Reliability has been dodgy, and dealer back-up is said to remain poor. It's difficult to find good reason for opting for a Spider these days, but at least it's getting increasingly cheaper and better-equipped as Alfa tries to keep it competitive.

Best Models: 3.0 V6, 2.0 TS

Worst Models: None

Replacement: 2005

• Audi TT
• BMW Z3
• Toyota MR2 (2000-)