[elambo]

I owned a Giulia QV for a few years (this is the performance model) and it was an absolute rocket. A 4-door race car. If you'd blindfolded me and placed me in the driver's seat and said, "drive this Ferrari" I'd have believed you (and then I would crash, because... the blindfold). But I only drove the 2.0 model once so I'm no expert.

In the case of both models, yes, accelerator lag is a known detriment. It's why the 3rd party throttle controllers are practically mandatory for those who take performance serious. Honestly, I never could understand why Alfa didn't apply that quicker mapping from the factory. Sans upgrade, takeoff did feel slow and lethargic. With the new controller, there was zero lag, and I have yet to experience a car more responsive, at the throttle and especially the steering wheel. Steering was nothing short of incredible.

But being a small company with a history of quirkiness, the Giulia had its oddness and flaws. And, yes, not the greatest interior craftsmanship. But they didn't care. It was a pet project of Ferrari's former top boss, who wanted a 4-door version of the prancing horse, but he knew he couldn't develop it under that famous sports car marque, so Alfa got the job, with a lot of help from Ferrari people. And I do still think it's a tough car to beat, in some ways.

That said, I sold it for a BMW M440i conv. and I'm happy with the trade. The Bimmer's performance is very impressive, and there's just not comparison when it comes to tech, local dealer support, and overall ownership experience. (And the convertible part). And there's no accelerator lag. Regarding turbos, I personally don't feel them intervening. In fact, it's a wickedly smooth car.

But if I had to choose one on track day, it would be the easiest decision of my life. The Giulia is a fun car (The QV at least). For personal use, with ALL things considered, obviously I already made that choice, and only regret it occasionally, on the twisty roads.

[wtwo3]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Reading comprehension is not his strength.

[wtwo3]

Originally Posted by elambo

I owned a Giulia QV for a few years (this is the performance model) and it was an absolute rocket. A 4-door race car. If you'd blindfolded me and placed me in the driver's seat and said, "drive this Ferrari" I'd have believed you (and then I would crash, because... the blindfold). But I only drove the 2.0 model once so I'm no expert.

In the case of both models, yes, accelerator lag is a known detriment. It's why the 3rd party throttle controllers are practically mandatory for those who take performance serious. Honestly, I never could understand why Alfa didn't apply that quicker mapping from the factory. Sans upgrade, takeoff did feel slow and lethargic. With the new controller, there was zero lag, and I have yet to experience a car more responsive, at the throttle and especially the steering wheel. Steering was nothing short of incredible.

But being a small company with a history of quirkiness, the Giulia had its oddness and flaws. And, yes, not the greatest interior craftsmanship. But they didn't care. It was a pet project of Ferrari's former top boss, who wanted a 4-door version of the prancing horse, but he knew he couldn't develop it under that famous sports car marque, so Alfa got the job, with a lot of help from Ferrari people. And I do still think it's a tough car to beat, in some ways.

That said, I sold it for a BMW M440i conv. and I'm happy with the trade. The Bimmer's performance is very impressive, and there's just not comparison when it comes to tech, local dealer support, and overall ownership experience. (And the convertible part). And there's no accelerator lag. Regarding turbos, I personally don't feel them intervening. In fact, it's a wickedly smooth car.

But if I had to choose one on track day, it would be the easiest decision of my life. The Giulia is a fun car (The QV at least). For personal use, with ALL things considered, obviously I already made that choice, and only regret it occasionally, on the twisty roads.

Thanks for that perspective. Glad to know I'm not totally crazy in experiencing slow throttle response!

The QV is on my list to check out when I'm due for a new car next year. Very much looking forward to that test drive.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by elambo

That said, I sold it for a BMW M440i conv. and I'm happy with the trade. The Bimmer's performance is very impressive, and there's just not comparison when it comes to tech, local dealer support, and overall ownership experience. (And the convertible part). And there's no accelerator lag. Regarding turbos, I personally don't feel them intervening. In fact, it's a wickedly smooth car.

But if I had to choose one on track day, it would be the easiest decision of my life. The Giulia is a fun car (The QV at least). For personal use, with ALL things considered, obviously I already made that choice, and only regret it occasionally, on the twisty roads.

Have u compared your M440i to M340i as far as twisty roads?

[Benjamin_Nicholas]

Turbo lag is a deal-breaker for me. I learned the hard way.

I once had an SQ5 for exactly one month and then traded it to get into an M5. The lag was just unforgivable. It made the whole car feel unsure... And me with it.

[elambo]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

Have u compared your M440i to M340i as far as twisty roads?

I have not. Would there be markedly different feels between these two?

[elambo]

Originally Posted by Benjamin_Nicholas

Turbo lag is a deal-breaker for me. I learned the hard way.

I once had an SQ5 for exactly one month and then traded it to get into an M5. The lag was just unforgivable. It made the whole car feel unsure... And me with it.

It's not the car, per se, it's the mapping. And it's a simple fix; a small, 3rd party box inserted just above the accelerator pedal, controllable via Bluetooth, with some cool options for altering throttle aggressiveness, Teenager Mode, Valet, etc. What I avoid are cars with lag that can't be fixed. Thankfully for Alfa owners, the Giulia is not one of those.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by elambo

I have not. Would there be markedly different feels between these two?

I haven't driven G22/24 4-series, but there was one poster who complained that the latest gen of 4-series does not handle as well as G20 3-series.

[elambo]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

I haven't driven G22/24 4-series, but there was one poster who complained that the latest gen of 4-series does not handle as well as G20 3-series.

Interesting. IMO, at least in Sport+, the 4 handles the road fine, though the driver is certainly somewhat disconnected. For comfort driving, that's not a bad thing. For spirited twists and turns and hills when you've left the rest of the family at home, I do wish it offered more direct feedback and a more aggressive tack.

I wonder why the G20 3-series would have better handling? With all the handling options between cars it can be tougher to get an apples-to-apples comparison. Maybe that was involved, or maybe they're different. I'm curious.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by elambo

Interesting. IMO, at least in Sport+, the 4 handles the road fine, though the driver is certainly somewhat disconnected. For comfort driving, that's not a bad thing. For spirited twists and turns and hills when you've left the rest of the family at home, I do wish it offered more direct feedback and a more aggressive tack.

I wonder why the G20 3-series would have better handling? With all the handling options between cars it can be tougher to get an apples-to-apples comparison. Maybe that was involved, or maybe they're different. I'm curious.

I remember that poster complained about 4-series body lean, and specifically said G20 330i had no such lean.

Things that are different between G20 and G22/G24 can be weight and 50/50(G22/G24 tend to be heavier than G20).

Also I am not sure G22/G24 have G20's lift related dampers(need to check parts numbers on these), which supposedly are key components that make G20 handling close to E46/E90.

[elambo]

Interesting. I don't sense such lean with my car, installed options and Sport+ engaged. Comfort mode, yes, it's there. In any mode, it's a different feel than the Giulia (bringing it back to the topic) -- the frame and body just didn't budge.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by elambo

Interesting. I don't sense such lean with my car, installed options and Sport+ engaged. Comfort mode, yes, it's there. In any mode, it's a different feel than the Giulia (bringing it back to the topic) -- the frame and body just didn't budge.

Yeah I haven't driven G22/G24 so I can't tell. I did testdrive Giulia before and the handling was good, but I liked my N26's peppiness at the time(in spite of soft suspension) so I didn't go for Giulia.

The G20 330i though was a keeper after a brief test drive. I would say G20 330i(even non-M sport) is as such footed as Giulia, and a bit more refined too than Giulia.

[moodyhank82]

Originally Posted by wtwo3

Question for those of you who have driven the Giulia - in comparison to the 330i. Is there significant throttle lag on the Giulia? There seemed to be an eternity between me pressing the accelerator and the car actually moving.

I haven't driven a 330i, so I'm not sure if it drives similarly or if it's much better. But man I just couldn't get over that glacial throttle response. I don't see any mention of it in reviews. I had to keep making sure the car was in "dynamic" mode.

It is all relative really, I am coming from a Tesla and even the M850i I drove at the UDE felt laggy and lacked the urgency of an EV. Chances are, you are spoiled by the smooth inline six so any boosted four banger will feel slow to respond and laggy...

[wtwo3]

Originally Posted by moodyhank82

It is all relative really, I am coming from a Tesla and even the M850i I drove at the UDE felt laggy and lacked the urgency of an EV. Chances are, you are spoiled by the smooth inline six so any boosted four banger will feel slow to respond and laggy...

Yeah that may very well be a big part of it. I guess you don't truly comprehend the difference till you drive a tier below what you're used to driving.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by wtwo3

Yeah that may very well be a big part of it. I guess you don't truly comprehend the difference till you drive a tier below what you're used to driving.

It's definitely part of it. Pretty hard to find a more impressive combination like the B58 and ZF8.

[VipinLJ]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

The crazy thing is that G20 B46 likely sounds similar to F30 N20/N26, but G20 330i drivers are mesmerized by ASD such that it sounds like a I6 NA pulling strong.

That surprises me while pushing a bit after my B46 accumulates some miles. To my ears the ASD is slightly off from analog rpm actions.

The N20 doesn't sound like the B46. Atleast, my cars didn't. We had the F25 X3 till earlier this year and we have the G01 X3 and G20 330i. I turned the ASD off in the X3 (F25 didn't have it). The B46 sounds refined compared to the N20 (or was it N26 in American cars?).
On the outside, it's very obvious. The N20/26 sounds like a tractor. The B46 is significantly more refined.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by VipinLJ

The N20 doesn't sound like the B46. Atleast, my cars didn't. We had the F25 X3 till earlier this year and we have the G01 X3 and G20 330i. I turned the ASD off in the X3 (F25 didn't have it). The B46 sounds refined compared to the N20 (or was it N26 in American cars?).
On the outside, it's very obvious. The N20/26 sounds like a tractor. The B46 is significantly more refined.

I haven't stood much outside my 330i when engine was on, but I did pick up the telltale direct injector tick-tick when window's down in garage.

[HalbyVA]

I test drove a Giulia a year and a half ago. I love the exterior and the handling is nimble. I ruled it out for 3 reasons. First, I didn't like the power delivery of the 4 cylinder. There's turbo lag, a wallop of torque for a few thousand RPMs, and then nothing up top. It was no fun to wind out. I guess that's a tradeoff with many powerful modern 4 cylinder turbos hauling around relatively heavy cars. The engine in the 330 I test drove recently felt more tractable even if it's a slower car. The second issue was the rear seats. The leg room is tight (although not a deal-breaker) but the big problem was a lack of foot space under the front seats. The final issue was reliability/reputation. I know cars today are far more reliable than before, but I was worried about Alfa's reputation and Stellantis' long-term commitment to the brand.

The other car I strongly considered was the G70. The 3.3 engine is plenty powerful and fun. The interior is very nice and features / value proposition is excellent. The deal-breaker was the front seats which I only realized during a longer test drive. After 20 minutes, the seats are too hard and uncomfortable for me.

[elambo]

Road & Track's article about reliability has been a javelin in Alfa's achilles heel. It is referred to so often (and they love repeating it), but the general consensus amongst Giulia owners is quite different. It's generally a reliable car, though temperamental to be sure, as Italian cars often are. I'd call them quirks, but not so much questions of reliability.

That said, one reason to run from the Giulia (at least the performance model) is repair costs. Two things scared the daylights out of me. 1) I hit a hidden curb at about 10 MPH at only a ~30 degree angle -- a subtle impact, I thought -- but it damaged a wheel and elements of the suspension. Repair estimate: $10k. True story. I had to file a claim for the repair. 2) A parking block at a soccer field was raised slightly on one side, enough to settle under and grab the corner of my front bumper, unbeknownst to me. When I pulled away, the corner of the bumper came loose and separated about an inch from the car. This is just the plastic outside cover. Minor in appearance. Repair estimate: $4k. (they wanted to replace the entire front bumper, and that model has expensive components).

Of course, neither of these were covered by warranty.

[3ismagic#]

I owned a 2017 Giulia for 2 years. Honestly it's a much better drivers car than my G20. It has a very quick turning ratio and it corners very well. Despite being slightly heavier than the BMW it feels a lot smaller and lighter. It's also faster. The georgio chassis is very well sorted and the suspension and zf tranny are tuned really well.

At the time the interior is what let it down. The tech was old and the base seats kind of suck. With the refresh in 2020 alfa improved the interior a lot. Also the sport seats are the way to go.

Honestly When my lease is up next summer I'll be looking to get back into a Giulia.

As for reliability I never had a single issue. If you spend anytime at all on the Giulia forums you'll find out that the 2.0 Giulia are pretty reliable. People saying otherwise are not speaking from experience. The QVs had some issues early but I doubt they are any worse than a typical M car.

[Germanauto]

I'm late here.

I test drove each extensively, of course the 330 M Sport since that is on a level playing field. My conclusion was that each car was fun to drive in its own way, with the Giulia taking the edge in playfulness and reminding me of my E90.

Pros of the Giulia
-Go kart like handling that is fun at any speed. Genuine road feel/feedback through the steering. I may be wrong but I've read the steering ratio is as quick as that of a Ferrari 458? What other car in this price bracket is going to give you the opportunity to experience that? This car makes the steering in Porsches feel slow
-Interior being pretty nice, mine is with brown leather with open pore wood and people love it. Little touches like the Alfa crest on the headrest, Italian flag on the gear selector, dual-pane sunroof are appreciated. The 2020 refresh cleaned up a lot of the interior issues
-Uniquely Italian flair. Parts of Southern California look very Italian and driving this car here makes it feel even more special
-Beautiful/expensive styling. People think this car is way more exotic than it is, especially in my spec
-Compact sporty feel in comparison to the 3er's huge size
-My loaded Ti leases about the same as every base poverty leatherette 330i you see at every stoplight
-Uniqueness/exclusivity factor. Again, the BMW is so common that nobody looks twice at it unless it's say a Portimao blue M Sport

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.

[wtwo3]

Originally Posted by Germanauto

I'm late here.

I test drove each extensively, of course the 330 M Sport since that is on a level playing field. My conclusion was that each car was fun to drive in its own way, with the Giulia taking the edge in playfulness and reminding me of my E90.

Pros of the Giulia over the BMW
-Go kart like handling that is fun at any speed. Genuine road feel/feedback through the steering. I may be wrong but I've read the steering ratio is as quick as that of a Ferrari 458? What other car in this price bracket is going to give you the opportunity to experience that? This car makes the steering in Porsches feel slow
-Interior being pretty nice, mine is with brown leather with open pore wood and people love it. Little touches like the Alfa crest on the headrest, Italian flag on the gear selector, dual-pane sunroof are appreciated. The 2020 refresh cleaned up a lot of the interior issues
-Uniquely Italian flair. Parts of Southern California look very Italian and driving this car here makes it feel even more special
-Beautiful/expensive styling. People think this car is way more exotic than it is, especially in my spec
-Compact sporty feel in comparison to the 3er's huge size
-My loaded Ti leases about the same as every base poverty leatherette 330i you see at every stoplight
-Uniqueness/exclusivity factor. Again, the BMW is so common that nobody looks twice at it unless it's say a Portimao blue M Sport

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.

Thanks for the write up. Totally share your thoughts on steering. I think I was so thrown off by the lag though that it was tough for me to focus on anything else. Part of that I think was actual lag and part of that was me being used to my m340i which almost eliminates any lag. But at least I can rest easy knowing I'm not crazy!

I definitely need to drive a QV.