The GTV is quite similar car to the Coupe- introduced in the 90's, Pininfarina were involved, looks-wise both are aggressive and sharp.

But which is the better car?

all i can say is there slower than coupes std and miles less tunable also id i prefer the looks of a 'nice' coupe so 2-0 to the coupe for me.

Most people, including myself, will say the Fiat Coupe, that's why we're here and not on the Alfa Owners forum

None of them are any better or worse than the other, it's down to personal preference on styling and engine types.

I them both but I prefer the Coop slightly more purely for the turbo . If I had the room and could afford to,then I would run both because they're the cars I only dreamt I could own when I was at school/college in their production years.

Baz

have owned both, a common thread this one

I would say very similar but different character, coupe is more practical, slightly quicker, more economical.

GTV there are more good ones still around and the interior finish is more classy i think, specially the tan leather.

Both a bargain, and having bought a 20VT again, im looking for a GTV V6 again when i find the right spec

I like them both but the alfa is let down badly by the inconsistent rear styling eg the front, nice round head lights but who let the apprentice practice on the rear, the straight across lights on the back......Fugly

I love them both. I reckon the GTV has got a bit more presence on the road and generally is more known and respected. But the GTV is a car you would expect from Alfa (nice V6, nice lines, pretty interior). You wouldn't expect the Coupe to be a Fiat, it's very unique (most people don't even seem to know what it is). I like that underdog position and also love that 5 cylinder engine!

I looked at both before I bought my coupe. I love Alfas and have a 166 2.5V6 aswell as my coupe but at the time I was looking for a daily driver that was a bit different, sporty, fast when you want it but also practical. The things that helped me make up my mind were as follows.

Looks: - both beautiful but the coupe is just that bit rarer, especially in Ireland.
Performance: - 3 litre Alfa is too expensive in Ireland for road tax and insurance. 2 litre turbo, better performance, cheaper running costs (allegedly ) definitely more fun, in a straight line anyway!!
Practicality: - can fit my golf clubs in coupe boot. Lucky to fit a mars bar in Alfa boot. I was stunned at how small the boot was, also space saver spare wheel takes up half of what little space there is.
I would love a 3 litre V6 though and may own one some day!!

Its a tough choice but I don't have any regrets on choosing the coupe! but GTV still turns my head!

I think the Coupe/Chris Bangle design has stood the test of time much better, also it's clearly a more usable car. Then it's also faster, both as std and especially tuned..

Strangest thing is why the GTV is so fearsomely cramped and the Coupe not, when they share the floorpan.. I know it has a different rear suspension but still.

like most i had a list of 3 cars
1,fiat coupe 2ov or 20vt
2,afa gtv 3.0l v6
3,peugeot 406 coupe 3.0l v6
peugeot was the first to be crossed off,higher insurance higher fuel consuption,and not really a drivers car but better motorway journeys
alfa got crossed off because of lack of rear leg room,made the choice of the fiat so easy,always on my to own list(old poster from years ago sprint blue coupe with caption"in italy nobody wants to be a train driver")

woman up my road has a very nice looking gtv - she stopped me a few weeks back and said she'd always wanted a sorted coop like mine....i offered to swap cars for the weekend then withdrew the offer....she'd never have let me have it back..

I am a big Alfa fan and have had 4 (and am saving my pennies for a Brera) but in my opinion there is no contest in the coupe and GTV!

The GTV now looks very dated where as the Coupe looks like a classic shaped Sports car.

The difference was the coupe was always ment to have a classic shape while the GTV (although very nicely styled) had a modern shape, with any modern shape it then looks dated after time.

Trust me Im a designer :-)

Outside, the coop is better looking, but only just!

Inside it's even really, the Alfa Interior is stunning but the centre console lets it down, the coop is also stunning, let down by the standard seats.

Horses for course really, I'd love one and if the right car shows it's head at the right price, I'll have a 3.0 GTV. I've had the 2.0, nice car, and out of the box was a better handler than the Coop. The GTV is better still IMO, but the rear suspension is troublesome I'm led to believe.

G

I think we discussed the Peugeot when you had a look over my coop, I nearly bought one, very pretty and really practical, but handles like a very average saloon, and the interior is awful!

G

I would give it to the Coupe as well.

But it is all personal opinions

There was a 3.0 and a 3.2 if I remember correctly. Wasn't the 3.2 a non Alfa engine?

No, the 3.2 is the GTA engine (although with 240bhp instead of 250). The 3.2 in the 159 and brera is the non-alfa one (General motors) and isn't a very good engine at all!

In reference to the original question, I don't think either is the better car. Prepare yourselves for an essay!

Both have the different pros and cons. The looks of both are down to personal preference. There are aspects of the Fiat I preferred, namely the rear end, however I prefer the side and front view of the Alfa. (Ironic considering my sig is of the rear of the GTV ) I think they have both dated very well also, the later GTV's still looked good when new in 2005. The engine in the Alfa is a masterpiece also, the chrome pipes are a classic touch.

Interior wise also is very much a personal opinion again, however I maintain the Alfa feels a lot better put together and the materials feel/look slightly better than the Fiats. The main let down with the Alfa is the passenger airbag which unfortunately looks like it was added after the cockpit had been developed.

It's the little touches that make the Alfa feel more special, like the instruments in the centre, the heater dials, centre console stowage area etc. The seats look a whole lot better than the Standard Fiats however they offer no more support than the Coupe so they just look pretty really. Steering wheel is crap in the GTV though, I don't think its even leather. Definitely something I miss from the Fiat is the chunky leather clad wheel.

Overall the GTV feels more special when you're sitting in the drivers seat, to me the Coupe always felt like a average saloon that was only saved by a few nice touches like the dash coloured strip etc. The GTV seems to wrap around you, granted you feel like you're driving a pillbox, but to me that adds to the effect, even the oddly shaped footwell which has a well at the bottom again adds to the effect. Frameless doors also help again.

Speed wise there is no contest, the Fiat would take it anytime of the week. If I'm honest I miss the rush as the turbo kicked in on the Fiat, it was exciting when it happened (mine was completely standard) The Alfa is very smooth and pulls like a train in most gears, but just lacks that extra surge provided by the 20VT.

Handling I think the Alfa is much better, that fancy rear suspension does make a difference and you can feel it working which is un-nerving at first but you soon get used to it. Cross country, I don't think there would be much difference between a standard Fiat and a standard Alfa. I do miss the LSD of the Fiat though, it allowed you to be fairly reckless when exiting corners as it just seemed to tighten up nicely, slow in fast out, whereas the Alfa is quicker in slower out. I'm considering fitting a LSD, however I don't think I'd use it to its full advantage.

The noise again I find awesome, especially recently as my front flexi joints have split and it’s rather loud (£140 to fix, Ouch!) Despite my Fiat being louder, the Alfa is the only car where I’ve had people turn around when they’ve had their backs to me walking and I’ve gunned it a little (not at them  ). Yeah I know, a little bit immature, but it brings a smile to my face!

Practicality wise, no contest, the Alfa rear seats are useless, and so it the boot. That rear suspension really does take up a massive space. Meaning the Fuel tank is mounted vertically, hence you lose so much space!

I could go on for ages and I know most of you probably wont agree with what I’ve said above, so please remember this is all in my opinion! I do miss my Fiat, and the only reason I sold it was because it needed more money spending on it, and it just killed me to spend anymore on it. I had £3K to spend so thought I’d try the Alfa. Insurance is about £200 a year more than the Fiat though, and it does an average of 23 to 25MPG. 30MPG is just about possibly if you mince down the motorway in 6th! Oh and it uses *no* oil at all!

on the subject, i have a nice 2001/51 reg GTV V6 for sale.

Nice one Rog Ever the opportunist

Rog you're a hi-jack whore

my sincere apologies, now stop taking this off topic jim, you should know better.


The fiat coupe is a better car than the GTV, but the GTV does handle alot better IMO.

I prefer the GTV over the coupe, but have owned 2 coops and no GTV's, so not sure what that means...

It means you are a muppet.

I looked at both before I decided on the 20vt. I much prefer the looks of the Fiat. I think it's the more unique design and it will always look good whereas I believe the rear light of the Alfa looks dated now and will only get worse.

I believe the Alfa is the better handling car although I think you dont need to be a super talented driver to keep up in the Fiat.

For me I prefer the interior of the Fiat although it does need plus seats to achieve this. The centre console as mentioned before lets the Alfa down.

I think the Alfa needs large wheels to look good whereas the Fiat can pull it off on standard wheels.

Sound is a tough one. I love the 5 cylinder warble although the Alfa v6 with a raggazon would be very very nice to have day to day.

Samples of sound;

20vt - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jqi4XUyAhDk&feature=related

Alfa V6 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWywZQHvSlA

What sealed the deal for me were as follows;

1/. Smaller wheels on the Fiat whilst maintaining its superb looks with the cheaper cost of tyres.

2/. Its fantastic pace that really does punch well above its weight.

3/. Its amazing, and most importantly unique looks

4/. Its ability to be a complete hooligan or a sedate practical tool.

5/. LSD.

But the GTV CUP makes EVERYTHING else look tame It has alot of road presence...handles far better and soooo much more of a nicer place to be than a coop with a sexy engine and smoottthh powerband BUT...

WIth Flea and his tuning it makes the coop a no brainer for raw power but thats all I can think of....owned 5 coops (4 les) and 2 gtv cups soooo....but at the end of the day its down to personal preference, oh and people like the sound of an alfa badge rather than a fiat

Oh and fiat is cheaper to maintain than an alfa!

IMO the GTV has a really ugly butt , while the coupe's is the best bit of the car, love the lights

I'm sure Top Gear of many years ago when Quentin Wilson was in it did a test on the 20vt, GTV and a Honda Pelude.

The GTV came out tops but only won on the handling, the Coupe unsurprisingly just understeered it's way around the test track.

Love your sig, gj88

Doesn't this thread just show how much peoples' opinions on cars can vary even on a forum which obviously leans towards Italian coupes.

This is a much discussed topic which I've contributed to before as I curently own a 3.0GTV and the Coupe.

The bottom line is, it's personal taste. They are both fantastic cars offering incredible style and performance for very little money.