2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia diesel 180 HP
Faults:
Nothing went wrong with the car. I had it as rental during a trip to Italy. Renting a car in Italy, it had to be a Giulia and nothing else!
General Comments:
The general impression was very good. Legal speeds are achieved very easily and with very little throttle input. The comfort in general and seats were good. The only thing I may reproach on the car was that the rear suspension was a bit too jumpy for me while passing over the paving junction sections on motorways, such as in and out of bridges and viaducts. The sound proofing is a real step better than the 159.
The driving position is good (much better compared to the 159). I found the navigation/ audio very well integrated in the dashboard and very intuitive. It doesn't look like a "smartphone glued or bolted to the dash".
The luggage space is only average and not the most practical (not very high), but still enough. There are many storage spaces all around inside, which is good (again a very big step forward from the 159).
I would like to have one but... the but is that the car new is worth ten times my current 159. So, to me, it would be a complete nonsense get rid of my 159 and pay ten times the 159 to get a Giulia. Just is not worth that much.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 8th July, 2019
20th Feb 2021, 09:32
Also , one of the downfalls with the Giulia, unfortunately, is the absence of an entry level model. The base model is 2.0 lt 200 HP, whereas most constructors offer 1.6 lt 200-225 hp models. The lesser cubage means less taxes while buying and while owning. If a 1.6 lt 200 hp existed, then it would have much more such against the competition. Then, maybe, it would be within a range of price that I would accept to put in a car.
4th Aug 2021, 20:12
As someone who works in one of the busiest Alfa Romeo dealerships in the US, I can tell you that the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is the top seller every single quarter. The American market has been driven for the past 25 years by SUV's.
If you want an incredible sport sedan, the Alfa Romeo Giulia is a top contender.
24th Sep 2021, 09:14
Yes, in the USA, OK.
But in Europe you have to offer smaller engines to have competitive sale prices, due to taxes for bigger engines.
In Europe, nowadays it is the norm for a 1.6 turbo to have 180 to 230 hp while you need to get a 2.0 engine to get a 2.0 Guilia with "only" 200 hp. That was point I was making.
To be competitive, Guilia has to offer a 200 hp 1.6 engine... like everybody does.
27th Sep 2021, 16:55
As mentioned, the North American car market is very different than the European or Asian markets. Conservative mentality. Still, Porsche and Mercedes sell very very well and even Ferrari is doing fine for its segment. It seems it's all a matter of 'prestige' before anything else.
12th Apr 2020, 01:46
Thanks for reviewing this Italian car. It's unfortunate AR sells so little in North America - ironically there are a lot of Italians in the US.