Alfa Giulia First Drive C&D

[12,000 RPM]

The 3er is only a nA inline 6, manual transmission, better steering rack, and much better suspension tuning away from being good

You could literally say this about any car in the segment

[CaminoRacer]

You could literally say this about any car in the segment

Except the Caddy

[Raza]

The rankings from 2nd to 9th seem almost random.

I do like the "This car is the best riding and handling car here, but the infotainment system isn't great, 6th place" about it.  I don't quite like the organization of the article, because they broke it up by characteristic rather than focusing car by car, so it's kind of hard to compare the cars because you don't really have a centralized section about a specific car.

[12,000 RPM]

I kind of prefer this format to a car by car one.... Seems like they cheap out and miss a lot of details when they go car by car.

[cawimmer430]

But are people really going to buy cars based on the comparison tests they win?

The only car which really interests me in this group is the Mercedes C-Class because I am familiar with the brand and the qualities of the car. I also adore the design of the current C-Class - give me a C220d Wagon and I'm all set.

How these cars drive on a track or the 'Ring doesn't interest me in the slightest. And most shoppers in this class also do not care about those traits.

Strangely, my second choice based purely on aesthetics would be the Infiniti; it's a sharp-looking car.

[Tave]

Jag/Alfa
Merc
Lexus



everything else

[12,000 RPM]

How these cars drive on a track or the 'Ring doesn't interest me in the slightest. And most shoppers in this class also do not care about those traits.

Did they take these cars to the track?

[Raza]

Jag/Alfa
Merc
Lexus



everything else

The Jag, Alfa, and Caddy are the only ones that interest me, personally. And I'd probably go Caddy, because you can still have a manual.

[68_427]

Did they take these cars to the track?

but they talked about speed and handling and not expected life of a coil pack!!!!!

[MexicoCityM3]

Local prices in little pesos for the Giulia just came out. The Quadrifoglio Verde is priced about 10K higher than a comp pack M3. The 4 pot is priced about the level of a 340i.

I am tempted by the QV. I could sell the M5 and look into it. Still a lot of green but the QV seems to be a very special car. And if I trade the M5 I would be "upgrading" in reliability too. Lol.

[Rich]

Doooooo itttttttttttt

If anything just to experience something wholly new/different.

Twin terbow 90* V6!!

[12,000 RPM]

How far do you live from the Chrysler dealer

[cawimmer430]

Did they take these cars to the track?

The obsession with 0-60, handling etc. is something that might be important to enthusiasts, but not to the majority (average) buyers.

[MexicoCityM3]

How far do you live from the Chrysler dealer

Alfas have a separate dealer network here. There is a dealer in Leon and a few in Mexico City. That's all I'd need.

[MrH]

The obsession with 0-60, handling etc. is something that might be important to enthusiasts, but not to the majority (average) buyers.

...who do you think reads Car and Driver?

[MexicoCityM3]

The obsession with 0-60, handling etc. is something that might be important to enthusiasts, but not to the majority (average) buyers.

What I like about the Giulia reviews so far are not the raw performance specs, but rather all the talk about the balance between great performance and also liveability. That used to be BMW's main appeal. The M3 CP that I drove and rode in very recently was a fantastic performer but a bit too skewed towards performance over liveability IMO. Ride is hard.

[cawimmer430]

...who do you think reads Car and Driver?

Hmmmm...

[cawimmer430]

What I like about the Giulia reviews so far are not the raw performance specs, but rather all the talk about the balance between great performance and also liveability. That used to be BMW's main appeal. The M3 CP that I drove and rode in very recently was a fantastic performer but a bit too skewed towards performance over liveability IMO. Ride is hard.

I wasn't attacking the Giulia. It's definitely an impressive car and a wake-up-call to the other established cars in this segment.

My intent was to point out that the placements of these cars in magazine tests/articles has no effect on the spending habits of the car-buying public. I also think most enthusiasts, for the most part, may remain loyal to their favorite brands. 

[Laconian]

...who do you think reads Car and Driver?

Me, on the toilet.

[Laconian]

I wasn't attacking the Giulia. It's definitely an impressive car and a wake-up-call to the other established cars in this segment.

My intent was to point out that the placements of these cars in magazine tests/articles has no effect on the spending habits of the car-buying public. I also think most enthusiasts, for the most part, may remain loyal to their favorite brands. 

I agree with that. Enthusiasts are emotional about their cars, and attachment is a strong emotion.

[ifcar]

I wasn't attacking the Giulia. It's definitely an impressive car and a wake-up-call to the other established cars in this segment.

My intent was to point out that the placements of these cars in magazine tests/articles has no effect on the spending habits of the car-buying public. I also think most enthusiasts, for the most part, may remain loyal to their favorite brands. 

Reviews contribute to the conversation ongoing about a car. Alfa has gotten a number of wins -- that's great buzz surrounding a car that will rely heavily on conquest sales. If it was coming in last, or even lost somewhere in the middle, there's less incentive for someone to pay it much attention. But this review can certainly make a BMW owner want to find out what they might be missing.

[12,000 RPM]

The obsession with 0-60, handling etc. is something that might be important to enthusiasts, but not to the majority (average) buyers.

Most of the stuff they talked about in this article had nothing to do with driving dynamics or performance. Hell most of this thread isn't either. What are you talking about?

[68_427]

Enthusiasts are also probably more likely to switch brands if one offers a better product because they're actually going to know about it rather than buying whatever Camry is on sale when they need a new car.

[MexicoCityM3]

I swung by the "Alfa" dealer today to look at the Giulia. Turns out I was mistaken. These are actually Chrysler/Mitsubishi/Fiat dealers that also sell Alfas. More on this later.

The car

They sell only one version for the time being (no a la carte options). The 2.0T in what i would guess is a fairly loaded spec. The looks are fantastic. Easily best in the segment IMO. The interior too. Beautiful. Far better than a 3er. It is a lot more cramped than a 3er. I can't fit behind "myself" at all. The trunk is also a lot smaller. The electronics are ok but inferior to the germans, especially to BMW and Audi. The driving position is perfect. The steering wheel is fantastic. The shift paddles are best in class and column mounted too like a Ferrari.

Did I mention it is beautiful?

It is priced too high here, level with an optioned 340i instead of competitive with the 330i. Still, did I mention it is beautiful?

The dealer initial experience

OH MY FUCKING GOD. They had two cars on the floor. It took forever for someone to see me. When the girl got there with the key. I start the car.....and the starter turns....and turns.....and turns....until I press the starter button again to put it our of its misery. Turns out the car had NO FUCKING GAS at all. So we fo to the other car. It starts (with warnings and errors on the screen). It runs for 20 seconds. AND IT RUNS OUT OF GAS TOO. Imagine this was my car and they had it cranking on the showroom floor sucking air.

I ask for a spec sheet. They don't have it. I ask about the Quadrifoglio. They have no idea when it'll be available. 6 months she says...."but they told us 6 months for the base model and it took a year so we'll let you know".

The girl was nice and did her best. But what a crappy crappy experience. Also, both cars had warnings and errors on.

[68_427]

Hard to buy a car in the US?

[Raza]

Hard to buy a car in the US?

Impossible now, with the wall and how busy Mexicans are raping everybody when they cross the border.