Alpha Stelvio for college car?

We are getting my daughter a college car in probably a year. Right now she has an LR3 which is a fun vehicle, but I am not comfortable sending her 400 miles away in a 10 year old Rover. Of course we can go with the reliable Toyota, Lexus or Nissan, but I was wondering about the Alpha Romeo Stelvio. Their resale values are dropping like a stone, which means I might be able to snag a gently used one for mid $20s. Does anyone have experience with these? Are they reliable? I kind of like the uniqueness of it.

 

The quad version is a blast to do drifting. Sooo get her the standard one. Lots of room. And they are a looker.


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I am leasing one for my college son. We are pleased so far.
Simple, yet unique, solid , perfect size.

 

A car for your daughter should clearly be reliable and safe. I don't know why you disqualify Toyota and Lexus; it seems like you are showing a bias towards a car that YOU would like to enjoy vicariously through her.

In my humble opinion, cars like the Alfa Romeo, Jeep, Fiat, and other cars that score at the bottom of JD Power's rankings (or Consumer Reports) should be carefully considered as not acceptable for your daughter...leave Car and Driver or Road & Track recommendations for adults and those who are mechanically inclined.

By the way, I'm a father, too.

 

Clearly the Toyota or Lexus would be the wisest choice. I don't always choose wisely. She's really enjoying reading up on the Stelvio.

 

Clearly you raised you daughter well!

 

poor kid

 

One thing to consider is the proximity to a dealer or good independent shop should the car need service or maintenance. That’s easy to find for a Toyota or Honda, but not so much for an Alfa.

 

Just make sure there is an Alfa dealer not too far away. Dealers are few and far between.

 

i like this thread because i am in market for a daily driver and considering leasing a stelvio for 36 months. is the 2019 and 2020 sorted. other option is macan. havent driven stelvio yet because covid disruption. should i scratch it from list to testdrive or keep it on list? the stelvio in stromboli gray with black/red interior is pure italian and sweet. but looks arent everything, right!

 

Test drive it! FWIW, had mine (QF) for 2 years and done some 25,000 kms. It drives very well and I've had no problems

 

Alfa Romeo has the fourth highest initial quality score of all manufacturers according to JD power. Unfortunately, it is like golf, where the higher you score, the worse you are. Alfa has roughly twice as many complaints per vehicle as the top scoring brand.

 

I would wonder about those scores. Got a 19 Gulia, zero issues. Car feels to be really strong. Its way way way better to drive than any toyota snoozemobile.
One is an appliance that goes from a-b, the alfa does that too, but its actualy enjoyable.
From what I read anything that goes wrong with a 18 or newer alfa is not he type of thing that causes the vehicle to fail to proceed.
If youre a car person, frankly there is no other choice, except maybe a porche and even then the alfa is a nicer drive.

My only caveat for a younger person is that even the 4cyl 280 hp motor yeilds a really quick machine, esp compared with a CVT honda or toyota.
If youre thinking Asian reliability vehicles then I would look at KIA or Hyundai, they too drive really well.

 

Alfa’s have a pretty well documented problem with batteries that can cause total failure, albeit temporary. But I agree they are the best drive / $ out there.

 

About a month ago, i watched my 40 yo daughter hop into a Huracan spyder on Collins Ave in Miami. She drove out of sight, pulled a quick huey and NAILED it.

I just looked at my SIL and grinned.
He knows what he's got. LOL

 

JM2 has one, believe he could mention a few things but read only positive comments to date. I’m shopping too, btw.

 

Correct, I had one, the lease ended back in Jan and I did not replace it with another Alfa.
The Stelvio was great. I had absolutely 0 problems/issues. My personal issue was driving a CUV/SUV. Just wasn't me. The Alfa 'experience' left something to be desired, in that for a Premium Brand, the dealer/service situation wasn't very Premium in my mind. My wife's Chevy SUV is/was a better experience regarding the dealer/service situation.
The interesting dilemma is the FCA Corporate HQ is several miles away, so you'd think FCA would have a showcase Alfa presence locally. Not quite.

BUT, the car itself was awesome. I got routine compliments wherever I went. Mechanically, performance wise it delivered the goods. But the competition these days is brutal. Sometimes it's more than just the car.

I wound up getting a sedan again. Old habits die hard.


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She’s still interested in a Stelvio. I’m thinking a 3 year old certified one a year from now in the mid $20s.

 

Yes their technical response is like it’s from some consulting company. The dealers are a mixed bag

I drive a gulia and the. The stelvio back to back. Good as the stelvio may be to drive. In the end it’s still taller wider and bigger than the sedan, the difference felt vast to me when pressing on.

there’s always that dilemma of an suv for snowy clines, but an awd sedan works great and puts a smile on ones face.

for a college car a stelvio is awesome, Roomey quick without being too fast, fun, still does the practical suv stuff, rides talk which many prefer. yet does not have the negative stigma of some German brands. Can’t think o of something that would be better.

 

I think the dealer experience is dependent on whether or not they are already a high-line dealer ... I got my Giulia from a dealer who handles Bentley, Lamborghini and Maserati out of the same facility, so I anticipate my experience will be in line with my expectations. It could be very different from a stand-alone dealer, or someone who has brought it on along with Jeep, Chrysler, etc. etc. My bigger fear would be whether or not Alfa makes it work in the US, which is why I leased for 2 years instead of buying or taking a longer lease, or seriously considering a preowned car ... last thing I wanted to do was wind up with an orphaned brand. A lot of dealerships seem to be closing or on shaky ground depending on where they are located, but I felt pretty safe here in Boston, there are two Alfa dealers and the one I bought from is a huge group with just about every car imaginable ... except Ferrari

 

The viability/success of Alfa in the US is indeed a big question mark. My pals at FCA say otherwise, but it’s going to be a big ‘we’ll wait and see’

 

I have had my QV since Dec. of 16, and from day one I said the only thing that will sink Alfa is their dealer network. It is few and far between in some parts of the country and being linked to FCA Dodge/Chrysler dealers can pose another problem as well. While my dealer is a Ferrari/Maserati/Alfa dealer, I believe that my dealer's service culture is what makes them good. If a dealer has a mediocre service culture to begin with, it doesn't matter how many brands they represent or who they represent, the service will be sub-par. My son just got a 19 Giulia in January, he leased it from my dealer in CT, but lives in Boston. The service he received in Boston has been very good, even though he has not driven his car for sometime. But when he got it, a week later someone backed into his car causing damage to some sensors. The Alfa dealer he brought it was professional & timely, the body shop they recommended and brought the car too did a great job.
Unfortunately for Alfa they have a perceived reputation for lousy reliability and initial cars played into that. But worse than that, the dealer network was suspect. It seems that many of the dealers people complained about have closed, which is a good thing. Alfa can never be Chevy or Toyota in the volume department, nor should they be. They should concentrate on tightening up the dealers they have and make sure that the service experience in on par with other recognized brands.
net net, right now the only advice I give people interested in an Alfa, your buying the dealer as much as the car, make sure the one near you is quality. IF your buying out of state because you don;t have a local to you dealer, don't buy the car.

 

Doug knows his cars

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHxiXUsF0b5/?igshid=1g9lnkf8sg1to

 

wait a min.. aside from a few aesthetic changes and the media system, what is changed for 2020?

 

For servicing I visited 3 dealers. One was Fiat Alfa and i wouldnt leave a 10 yo Fiat there by the looks of the service cave. The next was a maserati dealer too, and it was marginaly better than the first.
Drove 15 miles to a dealer who is part of a larger enterprise selling and servicing aston to Maclaren to mercedes. The experience was great.

BTW if you call the Alfa service hotline you're talking to a marketing company consutancy, what theyll do is make a booking at a dealer, as place to call they're clueless.

Car is the best new car I have bought by far and simply a joy to own and drive. No regrets or questions, in fact it continues to be better than I imagined. But as others have said you're buying the dealer as much as the car.

If Toyota figured out in the 90s that the dealer experience was paramount, you wonder why that is still a mystery to FCA 25 years later.