Help me choose!

I have two options:

Alfa Giulia veloce, (276 bhp), metallic paint, 19" rims, yellow calipers, tints, 8spd zf auto.

Or

Golf R, (310bhp), base spec, cloth, manual.

Both leased for 2 years, similar cost.

Can't decide!

Thanks

Well without any technical or logical thought whatsoever I'd go for the Alfa

When our 500X PCP is up I'll be hopping on the lease wagon for a Guilia. The extra power of the Golf would be nice but in the real world they'd be pretty damn close I reckon and the Alfa looks a hell of a lot better.


I assume the monthly cost for each is around £300, is that about right?

Let's see more Guila's in the UK!
I am in the process of considering a Golf GTI v a Guila, but I have come across some pretty good deals on a GTI which the Guila cannot seem to get near?

3 years, 10kpa and £260pm inc VAT?

Its going to be the alfa, although the golf is a weapon, 2 years will be about enough so that you want to chuck it back at alfa!

what deals are to be had?

I wouldn't be so sure on the performance thing according to this dataset from Car and Driver...

1,650kgs and 280bhp don't seem to go far

Even so though, that is particularly poor straight line performance - it should be a LOT quicker than that given the specs.

Funnily enough the Giulia has very closer power to weight as a standard Fiat Coupe 20VT at 169 bhp per tonne and a very similar 1/4 mile time 14.2 Alfa vs 14.5 Coupe.

I assume at 4WD the golf is fairly heavy albeit lighter than 1650(!) and would transmission losses factor in once rolling?

Is there a Car and Driver for the Golf R Trappy?

It is of course each to their own, personally I think the Giulia looks fabulous and I'm sold for lugging the family about with decent power to pootle about with. I've got a few mates with Golf R's and they love them, so fast off the line and loads of grip.

Golf R Hatch 2016 (manual)

Golf R Hatch 2016 (DSG)

Golf R Hatch 2016 (Manual)
This car has different tyres and more miles on he clock (3,000 vs 900 for the first manual).

From what I can see, the Golf R ranges from just under 1500kgs in the hatch with a manual gearbox up to 1600kgs in the estate with DSG.

As the Giulia is reckoned (arguably) to be the best Alfa for 30 odd years, then it's a no brainer. The Golf is hugely capable, but come on, it's a Golf.

If only they did a warm V6 version too i.e. a ~300bhp version of the 2.9, then that would be perfect (just for the noise). However, the 2 litre turbo should fit the bill.

Mrs G has one pencilled in to replace the Giulietta.

What sort of deals are you looking at for both? Golf estates (all have DSG) are on a deal at the moment so might be worth a look. There's a limited supply of them coming in in March April apparently and they're much cheaper than the hatch.

I've just ordered the Golf. For me the Giulia Quadrifoglio is just about the best car in the world right now. The lesser models though, are pretty average compared to rivals and don't look half as sharp.

That's a surprising difference between manual and DSG for quarter mile half a second is, what a length or two?

Would be interested to see what you decide Dan.

Golfs are boring, but I'd only EVER drive a manual box.....

I actually already ordered the Giulia in November. It was already built at the time of order so was expected to only take 2-3weeks. On the 11th December I was told it was due at the dealer in a few days. It never arrived. After chasing them and being fobbed off for over a month, they've finally told me that due to a technical issue the car can't be released.

They have me the following options: place a new factory order of identical spec for the original cost for March delivery, cancel and get my deposit back, or take a base spec car they have in the showroom for (unbelievably) the same cost as the car I'd originally ordered which had £2500 of options.

That's why I'm considering getting the golf instead.

That’s FCA for you - kin hopeless.

Had the 500 serviced recently, they tried to sell me all sorts of things I didn’t need at exorbitant prices (£350 for front pads and discs - WTF) And yet they left an item “Investigate noise from O/S rear brake £112” which they didn’t even bother to tell me about when returning the car. Took me 10 minutes to investigate - including getting the trolly jack out. Delaminates rear brake shoe.

Why you’d trust these people to service a 4C or Giulia QV, let alone sell you one, I have no idea. There’s a cure for Virus Alfa after all...

I have no experience of leasing, but if the Giulia is leased directly from Alfa Romeo, can you get any extra discount with the Fiat Affinity Scheme? The reason I ask is because my local Alfa dealer will accept the scheme, even thought it is from the sister brand, albeit that was in relation to buying rather than leasing.

The Giulia would be my choice for what its worth

I was invited to the Giulia Quadrifoglio launch,I was really interested in the car ..................everything was a shambles ,uninterested `Alfa Specialist Advisors` and no idea how to respond to customer requests and down right clueless when trying to organise test drives !!! and of the car itself ,lovely looking outside,fit and finnish inside ,is still beaten by any Jap mobile,never mind the likes of Audi, VW or BMW
I LOVE Alfa`s I`m currently still searching for the `right` GTV V6 just now,BUT I wouldn`t touch a new one and have to go near a dealership EVER...
My money leased or bought would go on the Golf R with DSG and i`m not normally a auto lover,my son had a DSG GTI and it was totally faultless in 2 years of `hard ownership` and brilliant to drive...select car leasing was doing Golf R estates for £199 pm i didn`t need one ,but i was sooooo tempted after i drove one ..............
of course all above only my opinion

We all know about Alfa's failings. Hopeless dealers, questionable reliability, flaky residual values etc.

However, picture being asked what car you drive. Now picture yourself stating the answer....

1) A Volkswagen Golf, but its a fast one....
2) An Alfa Romeo - its red....

If you were an HR department agency looking for a new actuary, Golf Man will score.

If you're looking for someone with a bit of passion / style (but probably no money), Alfa Man is the one

Alfa for me, every time, but the Golf is probably a better car in absolutely every respect apart from looks

Yes - I’m not sure there’d ever be a choice to be made in the Golf vs Giulia discussion but I utterly despise the way FCA treat customers so someone could be forgiven for making the VW choice. The reason I’ve generally opted for the 3-pointed star in my choice of day-to-day cars is that Alfa started making bland cars like the MiTo that were hateful to drive and badly build with it. If I’m going to drive a car with less passion, I’d rather it were well-built with at least average customer service.

I've just run those data sets through the calculator. It looks lik that 13.7 is a typo, it should be 13.6s @ 102.7mph.

When the DSG crosses the 1/4mile it would be 18.8metres in front. That's four car lengths.

If I put the data set for the second manual into the calculator, it says 5.4 metres, just over a length. However that second manual was a tenth quicker to 30mph so it gets the jump on the DSG. I think it might be the different tyes on the car.

If anyone asks me what I drive, I will just say Golf estate. Sensible, practical and reliable (hopefully).

I'll still have the coop if pressed

He Nigel ,it doesn't bother me what people think about the car I drive ....
I have a real passion for cars,I love my coupe ,my Ferrari,my classic 500,and I will love 'my' Alfa GTV V6 when I find the right one

BUT as my daily driver the Golf r would win every time.....
but then maybe my age is making me tooo sensible

I went for the Golf R in the end! Had it for a week now. I'll report back on what I think of it once I've had a chance to put a few miles on it.

let us know what you think after a couple of weeks --- please dan
I'm looking to change my daily driver (currently a VWTouareg ) seriously thinking about a Golf R as well .....just might be a bit tight for space though

Golf R estate

Bit harsh IMO. I had a MiTo and liked it - the MultiAir engine was great, it looked lovely inside and out and I certainly wouldn't say it was hateful to drive. A Fiesta handles better but that doesn't compensate for its dullness compared with the Alfa. As for a Golf - well, long ago I traded in a Golf GTi for an Alfa 33, so I'm not really typical. Never seen a salesman look so happy.

Agreed. Our Giulietta has a few idiosyncrasies, but it is 100 times better looking than a Golf, and the ride and handling is probably 90% as good. Interior is good, Golf quality slightly better, build quality has been good too. Certainly nothing dull about it.

We currently have a Giulietta and it's really good. Does everything that modern cars do and it looks lovely. Ride is significantly better than that of the MiTo - and better than the Coupe for that matter.

Until I got the MiTo, I was an Alfisti through and through - having had 13 or so Alfas (including 3x 33s). But the MiTo was badly built (bits fell off or didn’t work and the dash set up is a joke - I defy anybody to leave the side lights on without the manual), it drank fuel, if you set it to Sport, the steering was heavy but still lifeless, the A-pillar was way too wide for proper visibility etc. Yes, it was pretty (silver with red leather and carbon effect dash) but it cured me of virus Alfa (after over 25 years). Given the choice of the 155bhp MiTo or the 69bhp Fiat 500 Lounge on the drive, I’d take the Fiat - it was a far more rewarding experience. And, once the bubble is burst, it’s hard to get it back. I test drove the 4C and came back thoroughly underwhelmed. Despite being a really capable car, the new Giulia QV doesn’t even do it for me.

I think the Giulietta is a better car all round then the Mito. Alfa have tried hard to make it a refined machine.

I do agree with the Giulia comment to some degree. It could do with looking more dramatic. I'd still love to have a go in one though.

Just caught this thread and fascinated by the interesting debate. Read Evo's review on the Veloce (their Sports Saloon of the Year if remember correctly) and got all excited. Phoned a couple of dealers for a test drive but it seemed a bit hard work for them !
If I forgive Auto Italia for their disaster last year and enter their gates this year will take a look at one in the flesh then.
I so want to like it and hear that Alfa have finally turned the corner.

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.