You could buy the BMW, and be boring. You could buy the Mercedes-Benz, and be smugly content. You could be the Audi, and play it safe. You could buy the Lexus, and be comfortable enough. Or… you could buy the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, and be a hero.
If you make the heroes choice, you now have 505 horsepower at your disposal thanks to a Ferrari-derived 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine. It works magic to the rear end through an eight-speed gearbox.
On the outside, you have a muscular and mean machine with a perfectly poised stance. Inside, the Alfa gets down to business with its thin-rimmed suede and leather steering wheel and massive paddles to control the transmission. The seats are excellent, which is good because you’re going to want to fling this four-door beast through the corners.
It’s not cheap. It’s definitely not perfect (keep your warranty information handy). But it is the most thrilling machine in its segment.
[Disclaimer: Alfa Romeo tossed us the keys to the Giulia QF and included a tank of fuel. We had to fill up the car three more times…]
The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is the best sports sedan out there
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12 responses to “The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is the best sports sedan out there”
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Really hoping that these depreciate as fast as other FCA cars and hit the CPO/Carmax market in a few years. I would have to seriously consider one with a nice extended warranty. More likely to get a Stelvio and avoid additional marriage discord though.
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I would be shocked if they didn’t… also “a nice extended warranty” some key words right there.
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“I’ve been driving this all week, and I’ve only had a few things pop up…”
A few faults in a week is a few too many in a new car.-
Two faults at the end of the week.
One happened when I pulled hard from dirt to tarmac. A torque vector system fault.
The other happened when I tried to do a brake stand. Got the electronic throttle fault.
Both times I was doing something purposefully dumb with the car. The rest of the week I had zero issues.
I can’t ignore what others have experienced with the Giulia. But the only two issues I had were when I tried to coax it into such a situation. Still, no other car has given me issue while trying to do those two things…-
so, your conclusion is that this is like no other car. we can use that. hmmm. “A car like no other”!!
holding the brake and flooring the throttle is going to get the engine management system in a dithering tizzy. extreme changes in traction will send the ESC into orbit, similar to hitting 90kph in 50cm of slush while traveling a sweeping turn. that should buff out….
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great review, really enjoyed it.
someplace else, some time ago, I read (maybe it was the tst podcast?) that it is not unheard of for a test car to develop some issue (warning lights or things like the ones you mentioned about the alfa). I’m interested to know if that has been your experience.
has any other car had similar “fails” when reviewing? (and being treated the same way)-
Pre-production cars might have a random issue, but that’s usually final transmission tuning, minor fit and finish, nothing like warning lights exploding all over the dash.
I’ve had a Range Rover stereo just stop working for a day. An Infiniti sedan wouldn’t start and had to be towed out of my driveway a few years back. But other than that, nothing that springs to mind.-
I really wanted the issues with alfa (in general, all others journalists experiences) to be a perception thing, something that could be attributed to the extra attention because of the “tainted” history… sadly it looks like it’s real. Let’s hope Sergio is a patient man…
(if I could afford it, I’d buy it anyway, even with the issues)
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I’m at 11,000 miles on my Alfa and zero problems. An Alfa Romeo is only as dependable as the owner and their chosen mechanic.
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Yeah, but how is the garden variety Giulia Ti? I’m just a humble insurance broker considering an ill-advised lease deal, not a fancy pants journalist with access to cool cars like you, Jeffery.
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I agree, because that’s the model I’d be forced to consider as well. I fear that– other than a pretty face and great handling– the weaker sibling might not do enough to distract from the inherent flaws that big-brother Q minimizes so well.
I’ve read that the turbo 4 is adequately powerful, but doesn’t like high revs, and has the unenthusiastic sound of a muffled diesel– nothing close to the aural splendor you get when you rev the 2.9 V6. I’ve also heard that the (strong) brakes have a vague feel, and that you cannot turn off the stability and traction control as with the Quadrifoglio. And you have to dish out more for the Sport package if you want paddle shifters.
My biggest beef is that the Ti cannot be equipped with a manual transmission. I understand why the 505-hp V6 is auto-only. But I think if Alfa had dropped in a rev-happy four and a six-speed into the Ti, the driver could enjoy running it through the gears to extract every ounce of its less-lofty horsepower. It might even make it a serious consideration for those who CAN afford the Quadrifoglio.
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Great review, Jeff. I think if you just gave the Giulia a chance, you might eventually appreciate it.
Someone drank deep from the Kool Aid well. Nice job Alfa.
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