[elambo]

The QV did get a lot of compliments, with many people not recognizing the model or the brand, thinking it was exotic. Here in LA, BMWs are intensely popular, making them common and ordinary, so the Alfa stood out in the crowd. However, I find that more people stare at the BMW than the Alfa, probably because it's Portimao Blue and a convertible, the latter of which is, oddly enough, *not* so popular in sunny LA.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by Germanauto

Pros of the BMW
-Heavier steering, albeit artificial-feeling until you get used to it
-Engine feels naturally aspirated. Giulia definitely has lag below 2k and it's annoying. I believe 0-60 is similar in both cars but the Bimmer delivers it better
-Better build quality, tech, more modern feeling interior
-Better sound, albeit piped in (doesn't bother me)
-More trustworthy ownership/dealership experience

2 months in and I'm loving every minute of this very special car. I only drive it in Dynamic mode aside from highway cruising. The 330 M Sport was simply too expensive in comparison, too common, and 3-series are not the visceral driver's car it used to be. I figured this is my chance to go Italian until I likely end up back in a BMW or Porsche. I was pretty dead set on a G87 M2 for my next car but will take a strong look at the Quadrofoglio once my lease is up.

If you're a true driver, the Giulia/Giulia QV is a car to take a hard look at. This thing picks up where the E90 left off.

Is turbo lag below 2k a major disadvantage of Giulia? My 2013 F30 328i had no noticeable turbo lag, and this current 2021 G20 330i is even more subdue wr.t. any ag.

[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by elambo

The QV did get a lot of compliments, with many people not recognizing the model or the brand, thinking it was exotic. Here in LA, BMWs are intensely popular, making them common and ordinary, so the Alfa stood out in the crowd. However, I find that more people stare at the BMW than the Alfa, probably because it's Portimao Blue and a convertible, the latter of which is, oddly enough, *not* so popular in sunny LA.

I see a fair number of Alfas in LA, obviously not even close to the number of 3-series. Glendale is 3-series central. And yes color matters. I wasn't about to get an Italian car in any color other than red. BMW I'd only do blue.

[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

Is turbo lag below 2k a major disadvantage of Giulia? My 2013 F30 328i had no noticeable turbo lag, and this current 2021 G20 330i is even more subdue wr.t. any ag.

I'd say the lag is the Giulia's biggest downside from a driving perspective. I only drive in Dynamic Mode which mitigates it a bit but it's definitely still there. I've learned how to modulate it and live with it. I still enjoy the hell out of the car every time I'm behind the wheel.

Nobody does engines like BMW that's for sure, it's in their name after all.

[EXE46]

Originally Posted by Germanauto

I'd say the lag is the Giulia's biggest downside from a driving perspective. I only drive in Dynamic Mode which mitigates it a bit but it's definitely still there. I've learned how to modulate it and live with it. I still enjoy the hell out of the car every time I'm behind the wheel.

Nobody does engines like BMW that's for sure, it's in their name after all.

I just saw a 2022 Veloce trim in red, sweet car. Is that what you have? the circle wheels are unique and very nice.

[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by EXE46

I just saw a 2022 Veloce trim in red, sweet car. Is that what you have? the circle wheels are unique and very nice.

Thanks. That's close but I have different wheels called "Miron Y spoke." The Quadrofoglio-looking wheels they put on Ti Sport models are the best, wish I had those. Mine is like this but with yellow calipers.

[VICG20M]

I test drove the Ti model and liked it however the tech is not up to par with the other German competitors such as their infotainment system.

Beautiful design and great sports sedan however the issues with those vehicles really turned me off and I didn't want to roll the dice on it despite a great lease offer I received.

[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by VICG20M

I test drove the Ti model and liked it however the tech is not up to par with the other German competitors such as their infotainment system.

Beautiful design and great sports sedan however the issues with those vehicles really turned me off and I didn't want to roll the dice on it despite a great lease offer I received.

Yeah that's fair. Personally I don't really care about tech, I just need Apple CarPlay, so the car met my requirements. But most buyers are not like me so that's an area they need to work on.

I will say, a simple drive through local canyons may make you fall in love with this car. It shines in that environment and is a total joy to drive. You may overlook some of the tech flaws.

[VICG20M]

Originally Posted by Germanauto

Yeah that's fair. Personally I don't really care about tech, I just need Apple CarPlay, so the car met my requirements. But most buyers are not like me so that's an area they need to work on.

I will say, a simple drive through local canyons may make you fall in love with this car. It shines in that environment and is a total joy to drive. You may overlook some of the tech flaws.

I agree about the drive mainly I was discouraged by its reliability flaws and the tech but I still like Alfa's a lot maybe when they really dial them down I'll get one in the future. Enjoy yours and keep us posted!

[Jimbon1973]

Originally Posted by anselansel

an unreliable piece of crap. you would have to be out of your mind to buy that car with all its problems

What a load of utter b*ll*cks.
I've got a giulia that has done 42.000 miles. It had new discs because the previous ones squeaked. That's it.
Prior to that I had an alfa 159, 60.000 miles had an alternator, nothing else. Etc etc. Claiming they're unreliable is for people that have never owned one. They're fantastic motors.

I'm getting a m340i touring as I need more practicality and don't like the stelvio much.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by Jimbon1973

What a load of utter b*ll*cks.
I've got a giulia that has done 42.000 miles. It had new discs because the previous ones squeaked. That's it.
Prior to that I had an alfa 159, 60.000 miles had an alternator, nothing else. Etc etc. Claiming they're unreliable is for people that have never owned one. They're fantastic motors.

I'm getting a m340i touring as I need more practicality and don't like the stelvio much.

I guess driving style and road conditions(etc, etc) can affect how reliable these fine German and Italian machineries can last.

E.g. my DD driving in mild NorCal weather is not that stressful to any car.

My old E39 530i i6 NA was sold after 12 years and 100k miles without much repair(except for cooling and suspension refresh for next 100k miles). The current owner has over 230k miles on that car, but he does spend $1.5k(including maintenance, repair, tires) per 10k miles.

My 2nd bimmer was F30 328i i4 turbo, that car had $0 repair in first 8.5 years and 80k miles, and the current owner has 100k miles on it now with $0 repair bill at this point.

My current G20 likely will see 100k miles with minimal repair.

[elambo]

Originally Posted by Jimbon1973

Claiming they're unreliable is for people that have never owned one. They're fantastic motors.

I owned one for a couple years and I believe I've illustrated its issues above. I LOVED the car (still one of my all-time favorites) but it was too fragile. I got tired of waiting for the next issue and sold it. I do miss it though, but not the trips to the service center.

[SpiveyCJ]

Every article I've read about the Giulia has said the reliability is atrocious

[Turkish Pickle]

I drove a QV yesterday and the ride is so much more compliant than my 330i.

That and the comfiness of the seats stood out as positives.

Negatives? Dash is too high, rear visibility is terrible, steering wheel is too thin, harman/kardon audio too tinny (though 99% of HK systems I've listened to sounds tinny). Oh and, ever have the misfortune to look at one of these in front? God what an ugly car from the front.

tldr: my alfa friends (one of which owned the car i drove) have been bagging on me to sell my bmw and get an alfa, but i can't. i'm not connected to the car, it managed to feel mediocre in every aspect. OH AND, it's a 2020 car, doesn't have wireless carplay or touch screen?

Also the Auto H lacking was a big miss on this car too. I'm really not a fan. The ride (not handling, i drove highway only, won't comment) was great though. Honestly what I expected out of my 330i, almost felt like running into an ex who got hotter, made you go "wait shit did i choose wrong". Will revise this after i get tires though, most everyone has said the ride is TERRIBLE in the g20 because of the fuck ass bridgestone runflats

[Jimbon1973]

Originally Posted by SpiveyCJ

Every article I've read about the Giulia has said the reliability is atrocious

I'd love to know why as reliability surveys don't show that as a fact either, I genuinely think it's linked to the 80's cars.
Carbuyer survey here had the brand as 2nd out of 30 in 2020 yet whatcar survey had it as 26th out of 30. Genuinely doesn't make sense.

Certainly me and a bunch of about 15 giulia owners i know have had barely any issues. Perhaps it's that we're all very conscientious owners?

[TruthOne]

Originally Posted by Jimbon1973

I'd love to know why as reliability surveys don't show that as a fact either, I genuinely think it's linked to the 80's cars.
Carbuyer survey here had the brand as 2nd out of 30 in 2020 yet whatcar survey had it as 26th out of 30. Genuinely doesn't make sense.

Certainly me and a bunch of about 15 giulia owners i know have had barely any issues. Perhaps it's that we're all very conscientious owners?

I just remember the test car broke down and stranded journalists when it first came out a few years ago. That's not a good look. They weren't even shocked as they knew the reputation of the brand.

[Jimbon1973]

Originally Posted by TruthOne

I just remember the test car broke down and stranded journalists when it first came out a few years ago. That's not a good look. They weren't even shocked as they knew the reputation of the brand.

Yeah, reputation from the 80's as I say. It's bizarre as it's plainly just not true. I wonder how many of them had 3 Alfa saloons in a row over 18 years so were knowledgeable to judge?

How many journalists were stranded? Do more than one go in each vehicle?

[TruthOne]

Originally Posted by Jimbon1973

Yeah, reputation from the 80's as I say. It's bizarre as it's plainly just not true. I wonder how many of them had 3 Alfa saloons in a row over 18 years so were knowledgeable to judge?

How many journalists were stranded? Do more than one go in each vehicle?

I don't know but it's enough to make me cautious of getting one.

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...bility-update/

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/big...a-quadrifoglio

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...giulia-issues/

[elambo]

Originally Posted by Turkish Pickle

I drove a QV yesterday and the ride is so much more compliant than my 330i.

That and the comfiness of the seats stood out as positives.

Negatives? Dash is too high, rear visibility is terrible, steering wheel is too thin, harman/kardon audio too tinny (though 99% of HK systems I've listened to sounds tinny). Oh and, ever have the misfortune to look at one of these in front? God what an ugly car from the front.

tldr: my alfa friends (one of which owned the car i drove) have been bagging on me to sell my bmw and get an alfa, but i can't. i'm not connected to the car, it managed to feel mediocre in every aspect. OH AND, it's a 2020 car, doesn't have wireless carplay or touch screen?

Also the Auto H lacking was a big miss on this car too. I'm really not a fan. The ride (not handling, i drove highway only, won't comment) was great though. Honestly what I expected out of my 330i, almost felt like running into an ex who got hotter, made you go "wait shit did i choose wrong". Will revise this after i get tires though, most everyone has said the ride is TERRIBLE in the g20 because of the fuck ass bridgestone runflats

Perhaps beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but a LOT of beholders complimented my QV during the time it was in my garage. And I felt that it was a marvelous success, aesthetically. The front is a departure from the cookie-cutter designs of today, so I suppose that's shocking, but shocking in the best of ways. It did too closely resembled an Accord from a few years ago, from certain angles, but it was essentially a beautiful ride.

That Ferrari-derived steering wheel is sorely missed. I loved it.

The radio required a custom eq setting from the factory to get it sounding great, same as my BMW M440i (which I've posted on this forum).

I'm quite surprised to see anyone mention the word "mediocre" when describing the QV. It had plenty of quirks, but mediocre it was not. The only way to get that incredible steering outside of a Ferrari is via the QV. And the immediacy of that engine, and how she practically rode on rails when going around corners... I miss those things every time I'm in the BMW.

No car satisfies everyone.

[elambo]

Originally Posted by Jimbon1973

Perhaps it's that we're all very conscientious owners?

I was active on the QV forums and the issues were prevalent. I'd be amazed if all of those owners were unconscientious. I absolutely babied the car, far more pampering than most would have provided, yet it still suffered issues. I think it's silly to suggest that an owner's irreverence is a culprit for these circumstances. It would have been possible to treat the car with an elevated degree of care, but that would have required garaging it far more often -- and not "using" the vehicle -- but what's the point of having a spirited, hard-driving, 4 door Ferrari if that's the approach? Yes, I suppose the showroom model will fail less often than the test driver, but *not* extracting the sheer joy from their potential is the true fail.

[Turkish Pickle]

Originally Posted by elambo

Perhaps beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but a LOT of beholders complimented my QV during the time it was in my garage. And I felt that it was a marvelous success, aesthetically. The front is a departure from the cookie-cutter designs of today, so I suppose that's shocking, but shocking in the best of ways. It did too closely resembled an Accord from a few years ago, from certain angles, but it was essentially a beautiful ride.

That Ferrari-derived steering wheel is sorely missed. I loved it.

The radio required a custom eq setting from the factory to get it sounding great, same as my BMW M440i (which I've posted on this forum).

I'm quite surprised to see anyone mention the word "mediocre" when describing the QV. It had plenty of quirks, but mediocre it was not. The only way to get that incredible steering outside of a Ferrari is via the QV. And the immediacy of that engine, and how she practically rode on rails when going around corners... I miss those things every time I'm in the BMW.

No car satisfies everyone.

"Shocking, but in the best of ways". I'd actually use that statement for the G8x than for the Giulia. The G8x looks very aggressive, and has a gorgeous presence.

I can see about the radio. Any H/K system I've listened to without playing with it has sounded meh, so I get that.

But.... yeah. Maybe mediocre isn't a great word to describe it, but I just didn't feel anything towards the car. Like when I first drove the G20 M340i in 2019 I absolutely fell in love with it and made it a goal of mine to get one.

Also you (and really everyone else who has a Giulia) describing it this way really makes me wonder if the car I drove was just fucked in all sorts of ways. I seriously feel like my 330i has tighter steering with more feedback. The QV really felt too soft for me. I just didn't feel like I was driving anything special. I get the immediacy of the engine (also, it's 2022, why is this car trying to let its rear end loose when I'm driving on the highway on a dry 85F day?)

Anyway yeah I think it's obvious that the Giulia is NOT a car for me

[elambo]

I'd wondered if the car wasn't up to snuff based on how you'd described it, being that it wasn't like my experience with the QV, and I've driven three of them. It's remarkable, and the steering in particular is always flagged in reviews as being ultra sharp and nimble, and I'd agree fully. I've driven more expensive cars, and some equally nimble, but none more agile. And with the standard Pirelli Corsas it's absolutely on rails (as long as it's not below 40F degrees). I threw it around Mulholland Dr. on a regular basis and it just laughed at me. We can say many things about its aesthetics and electronics (electronics are weak and dated, no doubt), but performance is another thing altogether. If it didn't blow your hair back, and I'm sorry if it didn't, then something might have been awry.