Alfa Romeo 4C (2014-2019) review - Practicality, comfort and boot space
It may be more comfortable than a motorbike, but don't expect to carry more luggage
With a tiny boot, poor rear visibility, noisy cabin and stiff ride, the 4C won’t be bought for practicality. The standard exhaust and suspension with the 17 and 18-inch alloy wheel combination might improve comfort marginally, but there’s still no escaping the limited luggage space – you don’t even get a glovebox.
Size
At 3,990mm long the Alfa 4C looks diminutive in profile and will slot into the smallest parking spaces. The Porsche Cayman is 4,380mm long. The Alfa gives away that advantage when it comes to width - at 1,868mm it’s broader than the 1,801mm Cayman, although both are well-proportioned for the average British B road.
Leg room, head room & passenger space
Even getting into the Alfa 4C is a challenge, as the door opening is small and the sill wide, like a Lotus Elise. Once inside the space is tight too, particularly for taller drivers who are likely to find their knees splayed uncomfortably. Headroom is an issue for taller drivers who’ll need to hunker down to see under the windscreen top rail, and the low-set seats are uncomfortably upright with little lumbar support. Backache might be the price you pay for them looking so stylish!
Opting for the Spider eliminates some of the access issues, as with the roof off you can step into the car much more easily, but then you have to remove the roof in the first place, which is a fiddly and time-consuming affair - there's no one-touch power assistance here, just flimsy levers and fiddly press studs to deal with.
Boot
Whereas Porsche Cayman owners and their partner can happily set off for a weekend away with all their luggage stowed in the 275-litre rear and 150-litre front compartments, Alfa 4C owners will be standing on the pavement scratching their heads.
For starters, the front end doesn't feature any storage at all. The bonnet panel is fixed in place and cannot be opened without using tools. In the back, there's a small 110 litres space just behind the engine bay, so the car’s boot has room for little more than a couple of small bags. As the compartment is next to the engine you’ll need to watch out if you don’t want your shopping heated up, too.
If you’re driving the 4C Spider, you need the boot to store the rolled-up removable roof.
