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Pondering which Giulia to buy....Thoughts

8K views 45 replies 26 participants last post by  John Smith 
#1 ·
Hi all
Really my first post. I have driven a Stelvio I4 and Giulia I4 and they are a kick to drive.
But (don't laugh)I've also driven a Honda 2.0 Touring loaded model. The Honda actually has more amenities than the standard Giulia.
And performance is quite good with the 10 speed auto even with less horsepower.
To me the real find is the Giulia Quadrifoglio. But out of my budget and as a 510 hp car driving in Los Angeles? (I know I got blown off of Wilshire Blvd. the other night by a Ferrari.)
I wish there were an in between V6 .....say 350 HP with a fold down rear seat, moon roof and the Quad-style suspension tuning and exhausts.
Kinda like the Corvette Grand Sport using Z06 pieces minus the huge Horsepower. or an SS Camaro 1LE in leu of the ZL1 .
And yes I need the fold-down rear seat! :) Has this been discussed? And yes I'm seeing more and more Giulias and Stelvios on the LA highways in LA every day!
Great forum BTW!
Take care,
Jay
 
#5 ·
Your biggest bang for the buck is a BASE Giulia with the SPORT package. Love mine and would recommend to anyone. Base seats are great, has most of the bells and whistles. Mine doesn't have lane departure and adaptive cruise control but I really don't need them. MSRP was $44k and I purchased out the door including sales taxes for $38k.
 
#7 ·
The best seats are highly subjective.


I just had a loaner base Giulia with the sport exterior and base interior while my Ti Sport was in 30k service. So the the loaner had the base seats, and I really disliked them. They offer very little support and there is at least 1.5", if not more like 2", less headroom with the base seat vs the sport seat. Both the base loaner and my Giulia have the sunroof, and in the loaner with the base seat I had about a finger width of space between the top of my head and the sunroof surround with the base seat in the lowest position. In my Giulia with the sport seats, I have at least 2" of space here in my normal seating position. In fact, on track days, I'm still able to put on an SA2015 spec helmet and have just a bit of clearance to the sunroof surround in my Giulia. No way that would happen with the base seats, as I barely have any room without a helmet.


I love the sport seats, they have a break-in period to get the bolsters to be a little more conformable, especially on the base of the seat (the back side bolsters were OK from new). But they're very supportive and secure feeling in spirited driving. While with the base seat, even in normal driving, my body would want to shift enough to make the difference instantly noticeable to me. I'm 6'2" and 220lbs.
 
#6 ·
Honestly:

Accord, Pros: Higher reliability, wide dealer network, more included features, softer ride, quieter, best resale. Cons: Numb steering, anonymous styling, higher theft risk.

Giulia, Pros: Excellent handling, much superior ride (and the DNA options), better safety suite when upgraded, stylish and individual. Cons: Look at me styling, lack of some features, weak dealer network, weak resale.
 
#8 ·
I can't make any sense out of your priorities; on the one hand, you are satisfied with Accord performance but then pine for a 350hp Giulia and the Quadrifoglio sound and handling... You're all over the place, yet don't seem to value the primary Giulia attributes, so I really don't know what you're looking for or asking from us.

So, what I'll say to you here is that a Stelvio or Giulia can be easily modified, for under $2k, to offer more power and more aggressive sounds.

For example, look at Madness Autoworks' MaxPower Pro and Ragazzon axle-back offerings for Stelvio: https://madnessautoworks.com/2018-Alfa Romeo-Stelvio/start-shopping-cid1/performance-upgrades-cid3

While the power ratings are not at 350hp, I run MaxPower Pro on a Giulia and it really improves vehicle competence and transforms the car. I've got a Dragy verified 4.3sec 0-60mph, which is currently the quickest proven 2.0L 0-60 on the forum, so the tune works. I've also got an AFE intake and Remus axle-back exhaust, both of which add satisfying sounds otherwise absent in the stock car.

Again, if you're satisfied with Accord then you should find a tuned Giulia stunning.
 
#11 ·
So I thought is was just me, but you seem to find a way to insult just about anyone here. Does it make you feel better?

You could have easily left the insults out and got right to your point about the Mods.

Sorry @funckcity, @chaadster can't help but offer an insult before he gives his $0.02
@funkcity , if you want something you can modify to a degree, stomp on the gas and forget it, buy the Q4. It's proving to be a great car.
 
#9 · (Edited)
It’s an odd bag of attributes tbh.

Ok. We’ve all been there.

How about an E90 M3? Sounds epic, four doors with folding rear seats, cheap (looking on autotrader in the uk they are circa £20k, so what, $25k plus / minus?) and apparently great to drive. 0-60 in 4,7 seconds so quicker than a base Giulia, you’re getting a V8 that sounds very special and it’s apparently very tuneable. AND it’s interesting And a talking point. You can be like “nah, I considered an M3 comp, Giulia QV, but you know I just needed eight cylinders, they don’t make cars like this anymore, it was this or an accord, it was a tough choice because they’re so similar, etc, etc.”

So a lot of car for the money, practical, fast and has character and heritage.

Or an Audi RS4 estate? Or a late 90s V8 jag (XJ).
 
#13 ·
Totally agree in that if you have some cash and love cars there are a lot of great options that are fairly unique. But you have to be up for a used car. For cheap, if fwd works for you, I'd say find a 2015 Volkswagen cc manual. Rare. Cool. Understated. Apple carplay.

But perhaps you've decided on brand new. Seriously, why not consider the Tesla model 3? Other than that frog face it's truly amazing.

I have to disagree with the comments on the Accord's looks. I honestly can't help but stare at them: very nice for once.

If you already like the performance you can't go wrong with a manual transmission Accord.

A lot of experts will tell you that in that bracket you should love the Mazda 6. I found it really pedestrian. And I really wanted to love it sadly.



If you want something crazy engaging ( but more expensive) that you can really enjoy forever you may want to consider the Giulia. But it really is not a practical choice. I think it either gets you as soon as you take it for a spin, or it doesn't. For me it was a quantum leap in engagement above everything else. Make sure you try all the modes too. They are very different.

Good luck. I'm jealous... New relationships are exciting
 
#15 ·
Thanks Guys!

I'm OK with the Chaadster's comments.
I've driven both the lowly Honda and the 2.0 Giulia.
And yes RWD is always better. But my experience with Honda and Acura has been flawless!
The turbo 2.0 10-speed Accord while not a track car is a very well engineered car with more room, power etc...
The Giulia QV really turns my switches but for me the 500+ HP is excessive.
MY heart goes Alfa and my logical side goes Honda and I knew I'd get flamed here but I had to bring it up.
And yes I'm really on the fence here.
I will study the archive here. I just wish this website wasn't so **** slow!
 
#17 ·
I'm OK with the Chaadster's comments.
I've driven both the lowly Honda and the 2.0 Giulia.
And yes RWD is always better. But my experience with Honda and Acura has been flawless!
The turbo 2.0 10-speed Accord while not a track car is a very well engineered car with more room, power etc...
The Giulia QV really turns my switches but for me the 500+ HP is excessive.
MY heart goes Alfa and my logical side goes Honda and I knew I'd get flamed here but I had to bring it up.
And yes I'm really on the fence here.
I will study the archive here. I just wish this website wasn't so **** slow!
If you have to think between an Alfa and a Honda, do the Honda. Honestly, you can never go wrong with a Honda/Acura. There's a reason why they are so common. They last forever, they will always perform up to your realistic expectations. If your heart/logic ratio is 50/50, go with the Honda, it's the right decision. Most Alfa owners defies logic and find whatever reason to justify sitting in the waiting room of the service department.

Yes I love my QV, but logic tells me a G70 would've been just as good 99% of the time for half the price. I just threw logic in the trunk and made sure my 2017 doesn't have rear seat access. :wink2:
 
#16 ·
When I commented to my son that so many Honda's have faded paint, and wondered if Honda uses a less durable paint, he suggested that many people who buy a Honda consider and treat them like "transportation", and likely never wax or coat them with sealant. Perhaps many owners neglect the maintenance schedule too. Honda's have an enviable regulation for durability but as a brand, they too have their share of recalls and production design problems. One of my daughters had to have a new transmission in her Odyssey. I have had one sort or another of a "performance" car since I first started driving in the early '60's. So for me, a top consideration for any car or SUV over the years has been something with good "handling" and I like all the power I can get. For a decade and over 140K miles, my 427 Cobra was my daily driver. It took immense commitment to do that, though.

Best wishes for you in your search and I am sure you will be quite happy with whatever you choose.

NAM VET
 
#18 ·
I have a Giulia Q4 base. I didn't actually cross-shop it against them, but one of the things I have come to admire is that it really is a viable daily-driver alternative to the basic Japanese sedans. Thanks to a hefty discount, it was/is possible to pay more for an Accord or Camry than I paid for my Giulia. Sure, at that price, the Accord or Camry will have more electronic gadgetry, but they will never match the Giulia for style, performance or, in my case, AWD. After 20K miles of use as a daily-driver, I would say reliability has been, perhaps, ever so slightly below Japanese standards, but still certainly on par with other European brands.
 
#23 ·
Hi Jay,

First and foremost welcome. Second, not sure how many more amenities you need? Well I guess sitting in traffic you may need more than most. lol Alfa is a driving car, I think the amenities are fine. I can't figure out most of them or even bother with most of them anyway. That's me though. I'd rather drive an Alfa rather than a fully loaded honda with a 10 speed auto. You only need 1,2,3 in LA traffic anyway! ;) (I grew up in Torrance! I Get it!)

I think the 2.0L is fantastic. Despite Alfa's numbers, stating it is a 280Hp car it is not by any means 280hp, it's 300hp and the torque is much more as well. With a small tune, you are close enough to 350hp. You'd be happy sitting in traffic in that, looking good sitting still. Plus the 8 speed trans is quick as lighting to blib that thing to 2nd gear and back to first! Ok. Enough traffic jokes. Ok, one more. The steering is faster than most too so you can steer yourself quickly out of the way of a sleeping caltrans worker!

There are many cars out there with more "things" to it. Maybe a more powerful engine but none of them will be as fun to drive. I have owned some cool Audis in the past and they are just not as fun or cool to drive. Alfa is still fairly unique as well. Shows you have style. You will be able to buy a quad in a few years for less money. I also wait for that time. Alfa should come out later with something in-between. Some mid range v6 I hope. We all pray for a manual but I suspect that may be a special edition which will then cost more.

Go for it. You won't regret it. Like I said there are simple ways to bring the hp/tq up but this car is really very fast as is.
I'd go for the best model you can afford. Sport package, leather package , 19" wheels etc and so on. Leases are coming back in too. I bought mine 22K off sticker with 7800 miles on it. New to me, not even broken in in my opinion! lol

Good luck!
 
#28 ·
@chaadster is right... what are your priorities? Do you want a performance car or not?

If you drive hard, buy the Alfa.

If you don’t, you’ll be wasting the car and your money, so buy the Honda.

It’s that simple.
 
#33 ·
A lot of people think it is ridiculous to cross shop these two cars but a base Giulia is actually cheaper to lease than a Accord 2.0T sport, so I understand why someone who is looking to lease a 4 door sporty sedan for a $300-350 a month lease would look at both.

When I was shopping around I almost pulled the trigger on an Accord. The moment I realized I could work a deal on an Alfa I did not think twice. I got a base, and yes the Accord is better equipped. But you know what? I get asked about my car everyday, people think its way more expensive that it is (selling price was $34k).

I have taken it up into the Canyons (socal has so many to choose from) and it was brilliant. Best drive on my life. Turn the steering wheel let the boost build and in the Accord you get understeer, in the Alfa you get sideways ( TC snaps you back into place quick tho, which is for the best).

For daily driving the base sound system is good, it has android auto, it has a back up camera, the transmission is smooth, it gets great mileage, and pretty girls pull up next to me and smile ( I am a married man, darrnit)


Also performance gains are cheap on this car, 3C Performance exhaust in Mid City LA made me a custom axel back for $350 and it sounds amazing. Im going to buy a BMS intake for $120 and JB4 for about $500. So for less than 1k ill have a 12 second RWD sports LUXURY sedan.

You'll never get that from an Accord, you'll have a boring FWD Honda that you see every day on the road.
 
#35 ·
Is it a widely-held belief the Accord is a sporty sedan?! If so, man, am I out of touch. Also, if so, what would be less sporty?
 
#34 ·
Don't drive hard, but still love my Giuli
a! Got mine last Friday and broke bones in my foot et al on Monday. May not be able to drive it for weeks. However, the few miles I have driven it make me feel as if I am in car heaven, even though I have only touched the surface of its capabilities. Love the steering, and the sophistication of It's
handling. This car puts a smile on my face the moment it starts and the grin keeps getting bigger. I will probably never experience it's full capabilities and I will miss some of the joy it offers, but for me the difference in driving my Giulia and a Honda, Toyota, Subaru, etc sedan is well worth th price.
 
#38 ·
Hey @funkcity, i’m going to go out on a limb here. If you haven’t already decided – go for the Alfa. The world needs great Italian cars and so do you. They’ve made an enormous effort creating the Giulia and the Giorgio platform. Every model has a carbon fibre prop shaft, sharp steering and looks stunning. Every car comes with that incredible heritage. Your car has been built down from the QV, unlike the M3 which has been built upward from a much more please-all, do-everything platform. That’s why it’s the best to drive in the class. It’s a very special thing. You won’t regret it.

Also, we and every other Afla owner need more people to buy these cars. Honda makes great cars, they are an innovative company but they have no commercial issues. Alfa are fighting hard to get back in the black. They totally deserve some love!
 
#39 ·
I just like Alfas. The Accord is like sugar free vanilla ice cream. It will do the job but will never satisfy.
Alfa dealers in LA are giving away Giulias. You can get $9,500 off sticker just by asking and that makes a Giulia Sport Ti less than a loaded Accord by a couple of thou.
It looks better, handles better and has all the basics you need in a car and some features that are options everywhere else, like one touch windows up and down and Apple/Android capability which makes the whole idea of an OEM nav system seem very silly indeed. The sport seats are comfortable and really hold you when you drive the car with a little vigor, (which you simply can't do in an Accord)
This is a no brainer for a car guy. on the other hand if you are a tree hugging environmentalist, get a used Prius. There really is nothing in-between for around $40K.
 
#42 ·
Hello John,

Is there a case created on the customer care side in an effort to get this resolved? Send me a direct message as I'd be glad to create one and help however I can.

Jasmine
Alfa Romeo Social Care Specialist
 
#41 ·
I was seriously considering a 2.0t touring accord as well before I got the Giulia. My wife basically talked me out of it, she said those cars are a dime a dozen, you won't be happy in it because you like cool cars. Mine ended up being 10k off the sticker price just like Alexor said, it was cheaper than any deal I could get on the accord I was considering. In the fun to drive category, the Giulia wins hands down. Every time someone tells you how beautiful your Giulia is (and they will) you can remind yourself that nobody would be complementing your accord that way. Ultimately I wanted to feel like I got a good deal, and with the Alfa I did. Honda doesn't need to cut any deals to people, they will sell tons of those accords without even trying, and you will see them everywhere.
 
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