“Feeling” down on power is a perception. There are a myriad of possibilities? Fuel, weather, and so on. Without a proper analysis, track times, dyno graph, log analysis you could be chasing my car feels down on power.

The way engineering, tolerances and manufacturing are achieved today, gone are I got a ringer from the factory.

 

I dunno... looking at the performance numbers that @AlfaRomeoSierraEcho puts down in their stock Q2, it suggests there is engine output variance. It stands to reason that if some can be surprisingly powerful, other could be surprisingly weak. It does seem odd, I admit, so I'm just saying I'm not ready to dismiss the idea out-of-hand.

In any case, to the OP, I might suggest throwing a piggyback ECM tuner on it (because they are easier to install and less expensive than ECM flash tunes) to see if that perks things up. You could try one for $500-$600, and if the results are dissatisfying, many, like the Madness MaxPower units, are returnable within 30 days for full refund.

I wouldn't waste time and money on a dyno, because you won't have another useful car to compare it to. There are dynos for Giulias out there on the web you could find, but I'd question the usefulness of those for comparison given the variables. If you took two Giulias to the same dyno on the same day, I can see that being insightful, but especially given we're talking about what is probably slight variance, I think factors like different dynos, different test procedures, and different climate conditions would easily blur comparative value.

 

Are you driving a Q4 and are the loaners RWD? Some say the Q4 has negligible drivetrain loss but I'm not so sure.

Also the butt is not a precision instrument for measuring acceleration. You might consider getting a draggy and comparing times with your peers before you get too worried.

 

As the title of the thread implies, I've felt ever since I purchased my Alfa Giulia that the car seems a little bit down on power. I'm comparing this to various Giulia (and Stelvio!) loaners I've had, and the car I originally test drove.

I've got a 2018 Giulia Ti Sport with about 13,000 miles on it (the miles, in this case, are irrelevant).

I've had the car at the dealer a few times over the past year due to various small (some would say nitpicky) issues that have mostly been resolved, and during those instances I would get a loaner. They gave me a Giulia twice, and Stelvios two times. In each case, it felt as though those vehicles had a little more oomph than my Giulia, particularly above 60 mph (but it was still noticeable throughout the power band).

Is it possible that I got a bit of a dud for an engine? I suppose it could alternatively be an issue with the turbo, or other components. I was debating whether it is worth it to get the car dyno'd, but I wonder if the dealer would even take that as proof of something being wrong (for replacing the engine under warranty).

Before I go and blow any money at a tuning shop to put the car on a dyno, has anyone heard of an issue like this, and is it something you think the dealer would consider (assuming there actually is something wrong with the car)? I'll tag @AlfaRomeoCares here to see if they can have any input.

Thanks in advance.

I’ll agree, after getting a same year Stelvio loaner that floored me. I asked my advisor, why an SUV felt quicker and handled sportier, I was told it was the engineering that went into it. Well shouldn’t the Giulia be crisper... same year or not? In it’s defense, I used to get the same sensations in my Infiniti loaners... which coincidently my naturally aspirated 6 cylinder, 3.7 didn’t feel as great as my Guilia, so I take it for what it’s worth.

 

change fuel

trust me, i always use V Power and switched to Mobil for a couple of tanks because it was cheaper at the time, and i thought i had done my pistons in, or the turbo had failed, it was that anaemic

switched back to V Power and its Papa time again !!!!

 

All sorts of things can happen. I hit a pot hole once and everything went to crap (in terms of driving performance, not just tracking) I thought. A wheel alignment (the tech said it was only slightly off) put it back on track - these cars are sensitive. Also-Blocked air filter?

 

I was going to say... check the basics. Air filter, spark plugs, gasoline, etc.

Do you have any modifications? I have "Race Mode" enabled on mine, which puts the ECM into Normal mode in D and Race, so when I drive a loaner that has full Dynamic mode, I can tell the difference.

 

Bad fuel can make a car feel sluggish. There’s been times where I’ll get 91 octane and press the accelerator and feel it takes a lot to move. If you can find 93 octane, this usually perks the the car up.

 

My car has definitely felt sluggish on sub-par gas, as I've documented on my 3K in 3 days drive post.

 

I doubt people who use these loaners are putting high octane gas in them. Most people put regular in a rental or loaner. Just seems unlikely cause of a power difference from his own car to a loaner.

 

As the title of the thread implies, I've felt ever since I purchased my Alfa Giulia that the car seems a little bit down on power. I'm comparing this to various Giulia (and Stelvio!) loaners I've had, and the car I originally test drove.

I've got a 2018 Giulia Ti Sport with about 13,000 miles on it (the miles, in this case, are irrelevant).

I've had the car at the dealer a few times over the past year due to various small (some would say nitpicky) issues that have mostly been resolved, and during those instances I would get a loaner. They gave me a Giulia twice, and Stelvios two times. In each case, it felt as though those vehicles had a little more oomph than my Giulia, particularly above 60 mph (but it was still noticeable throughout the power band).

Is it possible that I got a bit of a dud for an engine? I suppose it could alternatively be an issue with the turbo, or other components. I was debating whether it is worth it to get the car dyno'd, but I wonder if the dealer would even take that as proof of something being wrong (for replacing the engine under warranty).

Before I go and blow any money at a tuning shop to put the car on a dyno, has anyone heard of an issue like this, and is it something you think the dealer would consider (assuming there actually is something wrong with the car)? I'll tag @AlfaRomeoCares here to see if they can have any input.

Thanks in advance.

Hello racerchamp7,
As our team is not comprised of trained technicians, we do rely on our certified dealer partners to be our eyes and ears in the field. With this in mind, we are limited in the additional assistance we can provide and we would suggest having your dealer address your concern for proper diagnosis. If you decide to go this route, we would be happy to escalate a case in your behalf so a Case Specialist can work with your dealer to help find a potential solution to this. Please reach out to us privately if you are interested.
Laura
AlfaRomeoCares

 

Gotcha! I haven’t noticed diminished performance on my Stelvio, but I do have the dual map, so I guess I would be running phase 1. And in race mode it shifts really well, though my paddles are offline in race. Even my wife was like omg I love race mode.
do the Giulia not have a different transmission map in race mode?

 

I drove my Giulia today after almost 3, maybe close to 4 weeks. Oh boy. How I missed it. But I felt a serious loss of power. Was it stale gas? Or are there other factors for cars sitting undriven for this long?

Or was it just that my one true love (at the moment) was upset with the neglect????

 

You ANIMAL!

 

It is easy to get used to power. In my own experience, cars that seemed really powerful at first, began to feel less so the more I drove them. When new to a performance car I was often almost overwhelmed with the car's acceleration, then as my trepidation waned, all of them seemed wanting more, as I became comfortable with their performance envelope. Even in my GT3 and my Superformance Cobra, with a stroked race motor, eventually I wished I had "more power." My Quad now feels "down on power" but it is surely my just coming used and comfortable with its acceleration.

Just my opinion, of course, as to the OP's concerns.

All the best... NV

 

It is easy to get used to power. In my own experience, cars that seemed really powerful at first, began to feel less so the more I drove them. When new to a performance car I was often almost overwhelmed with the car's acceleration, then as my trepidation waned, all of them seemed wanting more, as I became comfortable with their performance envelope. Even in my GT3 and my Superformance Cobra, with a stroked race motor, eventually I wished I had "more power." My Quad now feels "down on power" but it is surely my just coming used and comfortable with its acceleration.

Just my opinion, of course, as to the OP's concerns.

All the best... NV

So kind of like a romantic relationship [emoji6]

 

I work for 27 years for Mitsubishi in Bloomington Illinois. At one time we test drove every car and I test drove a lot of the 2L turbo Eclipse, Eagles and Laser's. I can tell you they may all come down the same line but they aren't all created equal. Every now and then when you got to the test track and mashed the gas you knew you got one of those special cars. Then there's the other side of the coin where you ran into the occasional dog. It can happen and does.