Alfa Romeo 147 Monza 2.0 and Volvo C30 2.4i
Smack in the middle of our price bracket, the five-speed manual C30 2.4i's S version wears a $34,450 pricetag. The LE model costs $38,450. As five-speed automatics, both are upped by $1500.
Beyond which, the Volvo offers seemingly more options than all our contenders combined. Among its extensive (and expensive?) array of goodies are $1550 metallic paint and $2150 sunroof.
Those are the only options available for the 147 Monza; at $945 and $1950 respectively. The Italian's equipment list brims with features, including full leather trim and dual-zone climate control.
Moreover, the 147 alone offers three and five-door variants. They're priced at $36,990 and $38,990 as five-speed manuals, with the (controversial) automated Selespeed device for $2000 extra.
Launched in 2000, the 147 is this group's longest-running model. But such is the Alfa's agelessly attractive styling and pervasively sporty ambience that it still looks and feels as good as many models less than half its age.
Scarcely two years old, the C30 has a cool, modern look of its own; very much a 'personal' style statement.
Where most engines these days are hidden beneath gormless plastic slabs, the Alfa's is presented with pride in the fact that it's a classic four-cylinder twin-cam thriller. With 110kW and 181Nm maximum outputs, the 147 has the same power and a little less torque (and a little less weight) than the Golf 2.0 FSI, but evokes an entirely Italian sense of brio.
The C30 2.4i has Volvo's distinctive and highly regarded 2.4-litre five-cylinder engine which, in this non-turbo guise, delivers 125kW and 230Nm.
At a class-topping 1440kg, the C30 is close to 200kg heavier than the 147 Monza and a tad larger overall. Even so, it's one of our group's leading performers, capable of dispatching 0-100km/h in just over eight seconds. The Alfa needs about a second more for that particular exercise, but sounds and feels enthusiastically urgent.
Both models take premium petrol, of which the Volvo officially consumes a little less than the Alfa, with scores of 8.7 and 8.9L/100km respectively.
The C30 is a dedicated four-seater with two separate rear pews where the 147 has rear belts (if not ample width) for three. Although the Alfa's 292-litre boot isn't vast, it's usefully larger than the C30's 233-litre cubby.
On the Redbook resale-value front, the C30 2.4i hovers around 64 per cent, the 147 Monza about 62 per cent.
WHICH ONE?
The comparatively lavishly equipped 147 Monza is a modern Italian classic, all heart and a born romantic. Although the Alfa isn't the fastest drive here, it's among the most involving. So it could well be the one for shoppers seeking a tangible, personable blend of zippiness and charisma.
There's an undeniable logic to the Volvo, however. It has brisker performance than the Alfa, may be a bit thriftier on fuel, and is a generation ahead in the crash-safety stakes. The C30 is hospitable enough, too, but ultimately just a touch contrived.
So, depending whether you're seduced by design or swayed by driving, tick the box for Swedish cool or Italian flair.
See also
» Mazda 3 SP23 and Golf Pacific FSI (more here)
» Citroen C4 2.0 VTS Coupe and Astra 1.8 SRi Coupe (more here)
» Renault Clio Renaultsport 197 and » Honda Civic Type R (more here)
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Article by Mike McCarthy. Updated 2009 by the Carsales Network