Your right Jason. The 159 unlike the 156 is not the cheaper alternative to the rival 3 series and Audi A4
.
This is probably due to the comparative rarity of the 159 (they were never great sellers) and the massive strides in Alfa quality
. IMHO the build quality was superior to the contemporary 3 series.
The high 159 prices in comparison to the competition particularly relates to the latter Diesel 2.0 170BHP Models
.
Enjoy the 166, it has always been high on my list of 'Cars that I should of owned
' together with more 131's.