My Giulia Qv... loving it so far

I’ve now had my Giulia Quadrifoglio for 6 weeks and a little over 1,000 miles. There have been many reviews, mostly good and some bad, and thought that I would provide my early impressions of the car. Now, keep in mind that I’m by no means a pro… driver, writer or otherwise. Also note that this is my first Alfa and don’t consider myself an Alfa “fanboy”. I’m just an enthusiast whose had a few nice sports cars and am looking for the ultimate daily driver.

It was with a rather large amount of anxiety and trepidation that I purchased this car. We’re all aware of the less than stellar reliability history of Alfas, especially being a brand new model and all the niggles that come with that. Being used to the early adopter issues with my Mclaren and intoxicated by the beauty of the car, I pulled the trigger. It was an emotional decision that I haven’t regretted yet.

The Giulia QV is an amazing car. The steering is subline. Very direct, responsive and communicative. I do wish the steering wheel was a hair thicker, but that’s nitpicking. The car feels very well planted and flat in the turns. It inspires great confidence and no drama when pushed. The suspension is firm yet compliant in the soft settings. Dialing in the dynamic or race mode stiffens it significantly. Soft setting is not available in Race mode, so one can either have a great sounding exhaust OR soft suspension. It would be nice to have separate suspension, exhaust and traction control settings. My ideal setting would be Dynamic mode with soft suspension and open exhaust. I am considering a remote exhaust valve controller to address this issue.

The engine is also exceptional. Very smooth revving with steady power delivery. It goes without saying that acceleration is brisk with over 500 Hp. I do find the gears to be a little short and the redline at 7,000 rpm a little low. It is quite easy to hit the limiter if not paying close attention. I hate to admit that I’ve done that more than once.

I know this may come as a shock to some of you but, the car feels very solid and well-made. My car doesn’t have a single jiggle, vibration or rubbing noise in the cabin. Even when going over bumps or rough pavement, it remains silent. I’m very impressed with the build quality so far. The interior is very well laid-out and practical. The combination of leather, alcantara and carbon fiber look great. I love the integration of the screen into the dash. As others have noted, there are a few subpar materials in the cabin and the Nav/entertainment system could be better, but they are not reasons to buy or not buy this car. After all, this is a driver’s car, not a cushy luxury cruiser. I realize that it’s in the “luxury sedan” bracket, but it really is a four door sports car.

The brakes, I’m afraid, are my biggest issue with the car. I have the standard brakes that work very well in stopping the car at speed. My problem is with the low speed and “coming to a stop” modulation. The “brake by wire” system feels more like an On/Off switch, rather than a progressive controller. I’m still working on getting it right, yet keep coming to jerky stops. I’ve come close to hitting the car in-front of me a couple of times in stop and go traffic. I’m not sure why Alfa decided to go with this rather than the typical hydraulic system. I would think twice about buying this car if you have a long, stop and go commute. It takes a good deal of concentration to stop smoothly.

Alfa Romeo have really done a great job with this car. It is excellent and a great daily driver. There are minimal quirks and niggles that don’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the car. I haven’t had a single issue so far and hope that my short term experience with reliability continues. I do, however, find myself driving a little anxiously waiting for something to fall off or for some warning light to come on, but nothing yet. AR have a real winner with the Giulia. Now will see if they can get their dealers and reliability up to snuff.

I’m off to drive…







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I think the turn signal problem is more accessibility, since they're behind the large shift paddles. There's been some reviews that complain about that. They seem fine for me, though. I gave no problem operating them.


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2,000 mile update... car is still great! No issues. Brings a smile to my face every day.
Alfa called me out of the blue last month and scheduled my car for "updates". I took the car into the dealer and had it back in 5 days. All was well.
I really love this car!


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Agreed. It is a long time. They did multiple software updates that apparently take a long time... or so they say. I'm just happy to have it back!!


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So far my QV has been perfect, no issues.
The Giulia is first and foremost a driver's car. The luxury sedan thing is second. Don't get me wrong, the interior is very nicely designed and the materials are better than you would expect. There are definitely more luxurious cars out there, but none funner to drive.
If your commute consists of sitting in heavy traffic for prolonged periods of time, the Giulia may not be for you. Not because of the Sat Nav, radio or interior, but because of the brakes. They are very tricky to modulate at slows speeds and stop and go traffic. You may be better off with a cushy Camry or Lexus.
If you mostly drive side streets and secondary roads like me, there is no better car out there. This really is a sports car dressed up as a four door sedan. The steering is sublime, acceleration sublime and exhaust note addicting.
Go see and drive one, then decide. Don't listen to what other people say or don't say. You will be impressed.


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I did clear bra for front, hood, fenders and side rocker panels.


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