2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia - 1yr/17k mile Review

[Ws6]

Originally Posted by RamFan
Originally Posted by Vikas
So what stopped *you* from diving head first for the QF?


Frankly speaking I wanted a strong performing and balanced year round daily driver. Where I'm at, I would never consider driving a Quad in the winter. Not only from the salt factor, but you're talking about a lot of power to the rear wheels in slick conditions. If I were in a Southern state or in an area where salt wasn't used and the roads didn't get too slick for too long, then yes I would have considered it. The other car I was considering was a 392 Daytona, but for the same reasons chose not to.

Secondly, cost. Jumping into a Quad not only adds $20-30k in sticker price, you're also increasing insurance prices, gas intake, maintenance costs, etc. For a daily driver in my area it just wouldn't have been worth it.

Also don't they have some legit powertrain reliability issues?

 

[RamFan]

Originally Posted by Ws6
Also don't they have some legit powertrain reliability issues?


Not from what I've seen on the boards. I know one of the major auto magazines (Motor Trend maybe?) had consistent issues, but when looked at they were typically reduced to electronic gremlins and software updates/reflashes. They got a bad one it would appear.

 

[Ws6]

Originally Posted by RamFan
Originally Posted by Ws6
Also don't they have some legit powertrain reliability issues?


Not from what I've seen on the boards. I know one of the major auto magazines (Motor Trend maybe?) had consistent issues, but when looked at they were typically reduced to electronic gremlins and software updates/reflashes. They got a bad one it would appear.

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a23145269/alfa-romeo-giulia-quadrifoglio-reliability-update/

This?

Seems like this one had issues, too...went into limp mode 3x in a short 15k miles, needing new turbo boost valves, etc.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-revie...alfa-romeo-giulia-quadrifoglio-long-term

This one had some gremlin in it, too...

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ca...quadrifoglio-2017-long-term-test-review/

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/aut...-stumbles-through-30000-miles/ar-AAAOpP0

I'm sorry, but I'm not impressed by the aggregate of these reviews at all, in a long or even short term sense. I literally cannot find a single "long" term review that would cause me to go within 10 ceet of this car with even my worst enemies wallet. If the 2.0t Stelvio/Guilia is anywhere near this bad, I'm glad I took a 3/4 second acceleration hit and stuck with a proven vehicle. Oof! OP, it's a beautiful car andnI hope it continues to do you a solid.

 

[DriveHard]

Originally Posted by Vikas

Why didn't you go for the ultimate aka QF? I mean once you have conditioned your mind to take the plunge for the Guilia, why not go all the way? At least that is how I convinced myself when I went complete nuts in my own purchase. I mean these type of purchases have no logical rationale behind them. They are strictly emotional purchases. I mean nobody *logically justify* anything other than a beigembile such as CamAcord for 4-dr family sedan.

So what stopped *you* from diving head first for the QF?


Quite simply, the cost of entry is still very high. Not only the initial investment, but also the increase in insurance premiums. This is a vehicle for my bride, and she doesn't use the performance it has to begin with, so I would prefer the cheaper insurance, cheaper fuel bill, and cheaper maintenance costs. Honestly, when you start comparing what I paid for this car compared to other small/midsized premium SUV's, it is quite competitive. One thing this car has over almost anything else is exclusivity. She gets attention everywhere she goes...almost like we drive an exotic.

 

[dareo]

Just to make sure: i was joking. The Regal TourX is made in germany by Opel, while it does have a chevy engine from the USA it is far from an american car, more of a world parts bin vehicle.

 

[Skippy722]

Originally Posted by pandus13
Originally Posted by RamFan
Originally Posted by mclasser
We need pics of this beauty

Ha, crazily enough I've not taken any pics in her glory. Crazy I know!

This is from when I signed the papers.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEAUTIFUL!

Many more miles to enjoy!

Now, my "scratch my head" moment: How are you dealing with low profile tires on IL roads?


Very, very carefully.

A quick look on Tirerack shows they use a 225
/40r19, a 225/45r18, or a 225/50r17. I was expecting a wider tire

 

[DriveHard]

Originally Posted by Skippy722
Originally Posted by pandus13
Originally Posted by RamFan
Originally Posted by mclasser
We need pics of this beauty

Ha, crazily enough I've not taken any pics in her glory. Crazy I know!

This is from when I signed the papers.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEAUTIFUL!

Many more miles to enjoy!

Now, my "scratch my head" moment: How are you dealing with low profile tires on IL roads?


Very, very carefully.

A quick look on Tirerack shows they use a 225
/40r19, a 225/45r18, or a 225/50r17. I was expecting a wider tire



No way...they are wider then that...mine are 255/45R20

 

[RamFan]

Originally Posted by DriveHard
Originally Posted by Skippy722


Very, very carefully.

A quick look on Tirerack shows they use a 225
/40r19, a 225/45r18, or a 225/50r17. I was expecting a wider tire



No way...they are wider then that...mine are 255/45R20


He's right. I've got 225/40-19 on mine. Went with ExtremeContact DWS 06 as a replacement to the stock Pirelli run flats.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted by RamFan
Secondly, cost. Jumping into a Quad not only adds $20-30k in sticker price,
Yup, this was a major deterrent for me as well. I did not want to pay all this money for a Giulia and only get a 4 cylinder engine (regardless how powerful), and the jump to a V6 QF was just too steep.

My other worry was unknown reliability of Giulia in general and limited dealer/service network, and adding a complex supercharged V6 engine to the mix would be only making it more complicated and potentially costly and cumbersome to fix. This is partially why I ended up with a Charger, for its relatively crude and simplistic nature. But I had to give up the sexy looks, and I do miss the refinement/luxury aspects sometimes. However, as I stated in the past, that unrefined behavior somehow helps deliver a more thrilling driving experience as there is very little separating the driver from the engine's raw power.

 

[gregk24]

Originally Posted by dareo
Just to make sure: i was joking. The Regal TourX is made in germany by Opel, while it does have a chevy engine from the USA it is far from an american car, more of a world parts bin vehicle.


Glad to hear. I do love how they look. Hope it treats you well for years to come.

 

[Vikas]

Quote
...almost like we drive an exotic.


What do you mean "almost"? It *is* an exotic! Don't you ever forget that and don't let anybody else tell you otherwise.

 

[Alfred_B]

My wife wanted one when Giulietta was the only model. But I don't plan to buy another car for at least 10 years. I wish we had older cars because I would love to have a Giulia

 

[CincyDavid]

That is a beauty! I wound up cheaping out with a '19 VW GLI...my local Alfa store had a couple of leftover Giulias in the low 30s but I chickened out and got another VW.

 

[lovcom]

Originally Posted by RamFan
Good evening, folks.

Saturday 9/21 marked the 1 year anniversary of taking home this Italian beauty. In that time I've racked up slightly over 17k miles of year-round daily driving usage. I wanted to share my experience thus far for anyone who may be in the market. Vehicle in question is an '18 Giulia Ti Sport Q4 w/ Performance Package. For a complete write up please check out my 5k mile review here. Nothing has changed regarding driving dynamics, looks, etc. So this will be short and sweet.

In 1 year the Giulia has seen the dealer 5 times. Twice for a passenger side door rattle, once for a recall and free oil change, once for a recall/oil maintenance light reset (after DIY change) and once for a valve stem replacement. That's it. No doom and gloom stories from me on this one. Total maintenance costs have been $164.28. $78.78 for the oil and filter and $85.50 for them to reset the oil light. Yes, you read that correctly. They charged 1/2 an hour of labor to reset the oil light. While there have been some, I repeat some, horror stories of Alfa ownership. Most board members seem to have similar experiences to what I've shared. One or two initial growing pains then smooth sailing from there. One of the things that attracted me to this car was the efficiency to power ratio if you will. She's a great performer and will put down power when you need it, while also delivering a 24.1 lifetime mpg average. Considering I have a 50 mile daily commute of suburban stop & go traffic, I truly can't ask for more.

Positives

• Undeniably beautiful
• Powerful yet efficient
• Comfortable seating
• Unique cabin
• Smooth and adjustable suspension

Negatives

• For the love of God give owners access/ability to clear codes and reset maintenance lights
• Harmon Kardon is simply subpar for the cost
• No spare tire (an un-patchable nail resulted in an $1,100 bill for a new set, while this isn't really an Alfa issue, it's an annoyance that modern AWD vehicles bring)

From a Honda/Toyota owner's point of view, your experience with that Alfa is TERRIBLE! Raise your standards, man! Alfa has never had a decent reputation for making reliable decent cars. Looks are not everything...

 

[MCompact]

And now the acolytes of deadly dull anodyne travel pods begin to weigh in...

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted by MCompact
And now the acolytes of deadly dull anodyne travel pods begin to weigh in...

It is simply amazing. I think it is good that this guy did not compare it to Prius.

 

[Skippy722]

Originally Posted by lovcom
Originally Posted by RamFan
Good evening, folks.

Saturday 9/21 marked the 1 year anniversary of taking home this Italian beauty. In that time I've racked up slightly over 17k miles of year-round daily driving usage. I wanted to share my experience thus far for anyone who may be in the market. Vehicle in question is an '18 Giulia Ti Sport Q4 w/ Performance Package. For a complete write up please check out my 5k mile review here. Nothing has changed regarding driving dynamics, looks, etc. So this will be short and sweet.

In 1 year the Giulia has seen the dealer 5 times. Twice for a passenger side door rattle, once for a recall and free oil change, once for a recall/oil maintenance light reset (after DIY change) and once for a valve stem replacement. That's it. No doom and gloom stories from me on this one. Total maintenance costs have been $164.28. $78.78 for the oil and filter and $85.50 for them to reset the oil light. Yes, you read that correctly. They charged 1/2 an hour of labor to reset the oil light. While there have been some, I repeat some, horror stories of Alfa ownership. Most board members seem to have similar experiences to what I've shared. One or two initial growing pains then smooth sailing from there. One of the things that attracted me to this car was the efficiency to power ratio if you will. She's a great performer and will put down power when you need it, while also delivering a 24.1 lifetime mpg average. Considering I have a 50 mile daily commute of suburban stop & go traffic, I truly can't ask for more.

Positives

• Undeniably beautiful
• Powerful yet efficient
• Comfortable seating
• Unique cabin
• Smooth and adjustable suspension

Negatives

• For the love of God give owners access/ability to clear codes and reset maintenance lights
• Harmon Kardon is simply subpar for the cost
• No spare tire (an un-patchable nail resulted in an $1,100 bill for a new set, while this isn't really an Alfa issue, it's an annoyance that modern AWD vehicles bring)

From a Honda/Toyota owner's point of view, your experience with that Alfa is TERRIBLE! Raise your standards, man! Alfa has never had a decent reputation for making reliable decent cars. Looks are not everything...


Bet if it was a Toyota/Honda with those issues it would be no problem, just some initial one off teething issues

 

[edyvw]

Quote
Bet if it was a Toyota/Honda with those issues it would be no problem, just some initial one off teething issues

It would be lemon.

 

[paoester]

It is a work of art. Very exciting to drive. If you have lots of money and patience (repairs, gremlins), then this one will float your boat.

 

[SJUMBA]

Irrespective of the virtues or vices of this car, my main question would be if Alfa and it's parent company Fiat are going to be in the US market in two years.....