i know but i`m not too keen on it`s looks

Dan >>> how are you enjoying your golf R ?

Thread resurrection... to give some feedback on the Giulia.

Mrs G eventually swapped her Giulietta for A Giulia (still have trouble spelling both !).

We got the Veloce version with 276bhp, but without the adaptive suspension or LSD. Would have been nice, but this was the only ex-demo they had. Saved a good few quid over new price.

I was going to give a lengthy review, but I guess if people want to know specifics, they can post on here and I'll try and reply. So, I'll try and be brief:

First impressions
Yes it looks like a BMW and somewhat old fashioned against some more modern angular stuff... but it is a looker and the neighbours have been ogling it.
The tan leather interior is stunning and the quality of materials and finish is very good. Even REAL metal bits like the flappy paddles it shares with the QV.
The BMW style infotainment works well. Apparently improved over the older version.
Stereo is good, even without the H&K option.

Performance and handling
It is rapid, but without too much drama. No real turbo lag. The chassis is very taught and agile.
The steering is extremely direct - you have to be careful with inputs.
It has different sized front and rear tyres, and the track is 10cm wider at the rear. oooooohh
8 speed ZF auto is awesome.
Will do 35+mpg on a run.
The battery is in the boot and the bonnet seems to be made of 1 micron thick aluminium it is that light.
Brakes are "by wire" so they feel a bit odd, but plenty of power.

Some semi-negative observations
Ours has 19" alloys. Personally, I think 18" would be the better all round tyre choice (cheaper) and offer a smoother ride.
It redlines at 5,500rpm.... more like a diesel. But it revs very freely.
It is missing some nice-to-haves.... ski flap, boot tie-downs.
Wish they did a hatchback.
Wish it was a 5 or 6 pot. Sounds ok, but come on, it's not a V6.
With stage 1 remap, it'll do 320bhp.... just waiting for the warranty to run out first.

I'm pleased that you chose the Alfa.

But,

How many pain killers and Kalms have you gone through ?

I've had a 156 and Giulietta, loved the 156, liked the G.
But 'things' always seemed to happen, which were aggravating.

I test drove the Giulia when they came out and really loved everything about it.
However, it's out of my budget.

I hope that you continue to enjoy it !!

Paul

Thanks Paul

So far so good on the niggles front, but it's early days.

Our Giulietta did have a catalogue of niggles, mostly minor but lots of them. The clutch slipped occasionally in D mode since we had it too... Never got worse though.

Otherwise it was OK and mechanically it was fine. It looked awesome too, but I never 'loved it' maybe it's because it was a diesel.

I'm hoping the new G will change the reliability reputation. Budget wise they are pricey, and Mrs G has a big loan!! But it's a bit of a mid life crisis last petrol head hurrah before we go all sensible with a hybrid/electric.