Review of My Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti

[gokcer]

For Anyone looking in to jumping ship in to a Alfa giulia, I can attest that you WILL BE SO GLAD YOU DID!!!

This car is amazing to drive compared to my previous BMWs.
2000 RWD 5-SPD 323CI E46
2008 RWD 6SP 328I
2011 RWD 6-SPD 335I
2012 X5

All except X5 were Sports Package, RWD & Manual. And I can say that driving the Alfa reminds me of a much better E46.

Acceleration is very good. 5.5 secs but may be not as good as some BMW models. It is very quick in higher take over speed 40-80+mph. Faster than most BMWs. 310 ft/lb torque.

Steering: is light years ahead of BMW. It is like driving a very stable & comfortable gocart. You can feel the imperfections on the road surface but never to a point where it is intrusive. Super quick ratio 2.1 turns from side to side more like a race car. You might think that this would make the car twitchy but it is super stable on highways. It turns on a dime and goes exactly where you want it to go. I feel like I am driving an exotic sports car in Dynamic mode which is where I leave it all the time.

Handling/Suspension: Rides and turns like its on rails. Super agile, front end is stable and does not understeer as easy as BMW and back end can be turned with some throttle application.
Suspension is light years ahead of BMW. I have 18 inch rims with low profile run flats. Let me tell you, I dont know how Alfa did it but they nailed it. This thing handles like sports car, little to no body roll and squatting upon braking. But it soaks up bumps like an oldsmobile. You can slightly feel the bumps and imperfections on the road same as the steering but just enough to give you an idea that they are there but not to a point it bothers or jars you. Any previous BMW I had with Sports package especially the e90s were quite punishing and uncomfortable to drive on bad roads. To a point where I had to ditch perfectly good set of runflats for regular ties to get some comfort. And this was with 17 inch rims. This car reminds me of e46 but better. Very composed, handles great but not uncomfortable.

Braking is better than BMW. Stops on a dime with no fuss, shakes and fade. It is a brake by wire so not much brake pedal feel to it but you get used to it fairly quickly.

Drive train: Super smooth. You cant tell whether you are 2000 or 6000 rpms other than the engine noise or the dash. Steering Wheel Aluminum Paddle shifter is a MUST. It turns this automatic car to an extremely fun sports car. They are huge and part of the reason for that is that they dont turn with the wheel but set in place. Since they are so large, you can blip them even while turning the car sharply as steering ratio is so quick. Gear changes are very quick especially in D mode. If you switch to MANUAL mode it will hold gears and will not auto change them and changes are more abrupt and quick. It will Blip the RPM and rev+match on down shifts which makes the car sound like a race car. One down side is the lower RPM 6000 redline. Onfirst gear it comes up so quick you almost donät have time to change gears if you are in manual. However If left on Dynamic mode, it always feels like it is in the proper gear for max acceleration.

Looks: Yes Everybody looks and complements the car. This is a first for me since I had my red 323ci coupe that was the first production year and nothing like that was on the road.

Interior: Some materials feel not as f plush as e90 but overall I love the design and functionality. It had just the right amount of buttons and Entertainment system is almost identical to BMW. Screen resolution is not as good for maps but overall I really like it. Again very driver oriented design reminiscent of e46. Compared to newer BMWS, I think it is not far behind as I think new BMW interiors have a cheaper feel to them than e90 or e46 materials wise.

Carbon fiber drive shaft is standard LSD is option for RWD TI Sports package. Optional rear moon roof for kids is a great feature as well.

I leased vs. buying it due to not knowing the reliability of this new Alfa however no problems in the first 2 months.

I am absolutely in love with how this car drives. If you had BMWs before and want to look at something more fun and more exiting to drive, go drive one. I am sure you will feel the same. Best drivers car I have ever driven so far by far. BMW used to be a drivers car but Alfa is the true king of drivers car as of now.

[gokcer]

I just switched to Alfa Giulia after 18 years of BMWs. Unless you have an M car, a regular Guliai Sports version is far more exiting and better to drive than any BMWs out there.

Steering is light years away. Reminds me e46 but with much better responses. You feel every little imperfection yet not intrusive where it bothers you. Super quick 2.1 turns end to end but very stable and not twitchy at high speeds. It is perfect as steering can get. You can place the car at exactly where you want.

Suspension is much much better than e90 sports package. Just like steering, it lets you know the road surface but soaks up anything big so you are not uncomfortable. My e90 was quite punishing when roads turn ugly. This thing is perfect.

Engine is pretty powerful 270hp-310ft/lbs. Slightly slow of the line but 30-80+ passing is on par with 335. It just takes off. Max RPM is low at 6K which is the only bad part but large aluminum shifters compensate for this where you can shift through 8 gears to keep the car in max power. And Dynamic mode picks the right gear almost all the time if you like to stay in auto.

If you haven't driven one, you owe it to yourselves if you really like drivers car.

BMW advertises as Driver car which it used to be but Alfa is the real deal now in my opinion.

The way it drives makes my manual e90 Sports RWD feel like a Toyota camry.

[FlaPatsFan]

Interesting, nice write up. I am very curious to drive one. Especially on a track.

[scanspeak]

So basically you're comparing the Giulia to you last car, the BMW X5. No wonder it seems great.

[yco]

some images can be nice..

[MJBO]

Originally Posted by scanspeak

So basically you're comparing the Giulia to you last car, the BMW X5. No wonder it seems great.

Yeah an odd comparison to be sure. Only similar car there is the 2011 335i, and it's about to be twice-replaced by the G20. A lot of development between then and now.

[Darth One]

You didn't mention what trim you had, unless I missed it. But from the numbers you quoted, it doesn't sound like you have the Quadrofoglio. But do you have the base, Ti, Ti sport, etc?

I watched a review (Matt Farah) that said the brake by wire is extremely difficult to modulate and is kind of like an all on/all off affair. Is that true? That setup would make my family motion sick in no time and would probably ruin things for me. He was reviewing the QF.

How's interior room for, say, driving four 6-ft adults around for a couple of hours?

[NoGuru]

The president of our company has one and he waited like 6 months for his to arrive, then it has been in the shop more then it has been out for the last 6-8 months.

Seems they still have some bugs to work out.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by MJBO

Yeah an odd comparison to be sure. Only similar car there is the 2011 335i, and it's about to be twice-replaced by the G20. A lot of development between then and now.

To be fair, it's not like the F30 was an improvement on the E90.

[Never_Enough]

No Quad model no care

[Tyresian]

Originally Posted by NoGuru

The president of our company has one and he waited like 6 months for his to arrive, then it has been in the shop more then it has been out for the last 6-8 months.

Seems they still have some bugs to work out.

This is exactly why I didn't get one.

But this is the HISTORY of Alfa. They don't really work the bugs out, they move on to the next fun thing.

When I test drove cars before ordering my 230xi the Giulia was BY FAR my favorite car that I drove, and can be had cheaper fully optioned than all the others I was looking at. But my dealership only had one Giulia THIS YEAR (I think it came in February), I drove it twice and it sat on their lot until a couple weeks ago.

That being said, the dealership here isn't even advertising that they sell Alfas, but they do seem to be doing well with the Stelvio.

I just didn't want to be stuck with my car in the shop all the time, the guys on Giulia Forums needing windshield replacements said it takes about 3 months as there are no third party manufacturers yet. And my dealer obviously wouldn't give me a Giulia loaner if I'd get one at all. So I can't spend that much money with such a high risk of being without a car. It sucks, because the car is SO good to drive and I just love the interior and exterior.

[Dog Face Pony Soldier]

I've noticed the maintenance schedule/costs for the Quadrifoglio are insane. Is the 4 cylinder version better?

[DerEisbaer]

Thanks for your comment & thoughts, nice comparison.
Would be interesting to know what model you exactly refer to, but sounds good - Ti Sport with LSD from what you mentioned?

Doesn't the TI come with 280 horses - 306lbft (you mentioned 270 - 310)?

X5 will lose this battle, but despite that, I personally appreciate, that there is another rival for the 3-series. That will hopefully wake BMW up and keep them on their toes

[bd307]

Okay and have fun.

[dgoldenz]

Originally Posted by glennQNYC

I've noticed the maintenance schedule/costs for the Quadrifoglio are insane. Is the 4 cylinder version better?

Where did you find that? Would be curious to see what's required/suggested.

[Dog Face Pony Soldier]

Originally Posted by dgoldenz

Where did you find that? Would be curious to see what's required/suggested.

There is talk of the 30,000 mile service being $2000 at the dealer (only the first oil change is allegedly included with purchase). Spark plugs need to be changed, as well as the drive belt every 30,000 miles.

When I look at the manual, I think it would be even worse for me because I would personally fall into their "severe duty" category and this service would be every 18,000 miles! Keep in mind I drive around 25-30,000 miles a year.

For this reason alone I rule out the Quadrifoglio from consideration.

https://www.alfaromeousa.com/content...lio-OM-3rd.pdf

[Never_Enough]

Originally Posted by glennQNYC

There is talk of the 30,000 mile service being $2000 at the dealer (only the first oil change is allegedly included with purchase). Spark plugs need to be changed, as well as the drive belt every 30,000 miles.

When I look at the manual, I think it would be even worse for me because I would personally fall into their "severe duty" category and this service would be every 18,000 miles! Keep in mind I drive around 25-30,000 miles a year.

For this reason alone I rule out the Quadrifoglio from consideration.

https://www.alfaromeousa.com/content...lio-OM-3rd.pdf

I'm glad I ruled them out before even looking at maintenance. Wowzas!

& I thought it was bad costing me $60 per oil change for the Hellcat (doing them myself). Guess not!

[10"]

i test drove a base Giulia during this past winter....JUST out of curiosity.

it is MILES AND MILES better as a driving experience than any current BMW, Audi, or Mercedes compact luxury sedan. The steering is great, the handling is great. It has funky looks and plenty of character. Very few cars on the market today have any character but the Giulia really impressed me. It blows the F30 3-series away in terms of driving dynamics.....no comparison even.

[Takumi587]

Own an 18’ Giulia TI and we traded our 17’ Giulia for it. The Ti comes with all the safety features and much better seats. The 18’ models also now have Apple Car play and it seems quieter and brake pedal feel is way better.

Absolutely a great car. Only thing they need to fix is the navigation system. IDrive system in our BmW is way easier to use.

[Germanauto]

I don't doubt that it's a much better driver's car, but I can't get over how sh*tty it's interior is and how cheap it looks when not in Quadrofoglio trim.

Still, given how the F30 drives, it's difficult to justify parting with one's money for one. It's just so mediocre compared to the E90. The A4 and C-class are snooze-fests to drive too. The Germans are so obsessed with appeasing to badge wh*res that they've all created the same exact car.

It's such a shame that a brand like BMW which built it's name on delivering a driver's car has sold itself out so badly. There was a time when even a base model 3-series was a hoot to drive.

[Dog Face Pony Soldier]

Originally Posted by Germanauto

It's such a shame that a brand like BMW which built it's name on delivering a driver's car has sold itself out so badly. There was a time when even a base model 3-series was a hoot to drive.

For me the jump-the-shark moment was when BMW thought it was legitimate to put a 3-cylinder engine with fake exhaust sounds in their halo car. The F30 is relatively benign compared to the i8 embarrassment.

[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by glennQNYC

For me the jump-the-shark moment was when BMW thought it was legitimate to put a 3-cylinder engine with fake exhaust sounds in their halo car. The F30 is relatively benign compared to the i8 embarrassment.

The entire i division is an embarrassment. Poorly thought out and poorly executed.

The i8 and the NSX suffer from the same problem: crappy complicated powertrain and overpriced. It's no wonder neither sells. A total waste of two fine designs.

BMW lost it with the E89 Z4. That was BMW's first attempt at making a numb grand tourer and every redesign since then followed suit. Driving an E90 E70 E60 etc. back to back with their replacements was like driving a car from an entirely different brand altogether.