Alfa Romeo Giulia review
The Alfa Romeo Giulia is a sleek, stand-out saloon car that’s spacious and enjoyable to drive. Audi and BMW alternatives beat it on interior quality.
- Cash
- £36,363
- Monthly
- £563*
- Used
- £18,000
What's good
What's not so good
Find out more about the Alfa Romeo Giulia
Is the Alfa Romeo Giulia a good car?
If you’re looking for a mid-size saloon car, but don’t want to lose it in a corporate car park among all the BMWs and Audis, the Alfa Romeo Giulia is a solid contender. Its characterful looks are joined by efficient engines and pretty good practicality.
Unlike similar alternatives such as the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series, the Alfa Romeo Giulia has a much bolder exterior design and is a sure head-turner if you spec it in Alfa Romeo’s signature bright red. There are, of course, tamer colour choices but even in grey, the Giulia looks more exciting than its German alternatives.
The stylish design continues inside. There, you’ll find a cockpit that’s slightly angled towards the driver, giving you better access to all the knobs and buttons. That said, some of the plastics you touch, such as around the centre console, are a step behind what you’d find in a BMW.
Unfortunately, the Giulia’s infotainment system is also a step behind the iDrive system in a 3 Series. As standard, you get a 6.5-inch infotainment system, but it doesn’t have sat nav or smartphone screen mirroring so it’s worth updating to the 8.8-inch system. This does have sat nav, but the graphics, ease of use and functionality aren’t up to par with the best in class.
The Giulia claws back some points thanks to it’s great driving position that puts you low down, a bit like in a sports car. There’s good amounts of space up front and good kneerom in the back, once you’ve maneuvered around the protruding rear wheel arch, that is. Headroom in the back is better than in German alternatives, but the middle seat is too narrow for an adult passenger.
The Alfa Romeo Giulia is a car you buy mostly with your heart, but there's more than enough practical reasons for your brain to be happy too
You can get the Alfa Romeo Giulia with a selection of petrol and diesel engines, but there’s no hybrid yet. There’s also a 510hp performance model, but the 2.0-litre petrol should serve you well without the crazy running costs of the quickest model. Only pick the diesel if planning to do lots of long journeys since it’s a little loud and grumbly around town.
Arguably the Giulia’s best feature is the way it drives – put simply, there isn’t an alternative that can match its agility around fast corners, the directness of its steering wheel or the planted feel you get on twisty roads. The Jaguar XE comes close, but can’t quite match the Giulia in overall joy of driving. If there had to be a criticism, it has to be towards the ride, which is a tad unsettled over bumpy roads.
If you’re a keen driver, it’s worth going for the performance pack, which adds adaptive dampers and a limited-slip differential that’ll help shuffle power between the rear wheels for better traction. It’s a worthwhile upgrade not only because it improves the handling experience, but also because the adaptive dampers, when set to the softest setting, do take the edge of the worst bumps in the road.
All this adds up to a car that’s an absolute joy to drive with head-turning looks and an individualistic interior design. Yes, German alternatives beat it on quality and technology, but by looking at out Alfa Romeo Giulia deals, you can treat yourself to a level of equipment that may be out of budget on a BMW, for example.
How practical is it?
The Alfa Romeo Giulia will let anyone get comfy in the front, but it’s not quite as spacious in the back; and, although the boot seems quite spacious on paper, it’s not as easy to use in daily life
It seems to have been ages coming, but finally here's an Italian executive car with a decent driving position
Basic Giulia models get front seats with six-way manual adjustment that’ll let you get comfy no matter how tall or short you are. The steering wheel also moves for height and reach, and the Giulia doesn’t suffer from the long-arm/short-leg driving position that used to be the preserve of Italian cars. Speciale models and above have seats that offer the same range of adjustment but move electrically.
Getting into the back of the Alfa is restricted by a wheel arch that eats into the door opening, but once you’re in knee room is plentiful. However, anyone over six foot will find headroom is tight – if not quite as tight as in the back of a Mercedes C-Class or Jaguar XE, but for most passengers, most of the time it is going to be absolutely fine.
Unfortunately, the Giulia’s not great for carrying three people in the back because the middle seat is a little bit uncomfortable and the hump in the floor means there’s not that much room for everyone’s feet. However, this is a common problem the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class and Jaguar XE also suffer from.
You’ll find it is easier to fit a child seat in those models because in the Alfa you have to navigate the larger top half of the seat around the protruding wheel arch. Once it’s in, though, it’s easy to fit the base of the seat.
The Alfa Romeo has a 480-litre boot – it’s exactly the same size as the load bays in the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class, and 25 litres bigger than the Jaguar XE’s. However, it isn’t quite as usable as the on-paper figures suggest – the thin shape means it can’t quite carry as much as an Audi A4. It isn’t jampacked with features, either, but you do get a smaller storage area on the left-hand-side of the boot and a hidden cubby under the floor where you can hide valuables such as a camera.
The boot’s shape means a set of golf clubs has to be wedged in, but there’s plenty of space for a stroller and a soft bag or two. Because boot floor’s not very wide, it can only carry one large suitcase with a smaller one wedged in alongside it – again, you’ll fit more in an Audi A4.
Rear seats that fold and split 40:20:40 – so you can carry two rear-seat passengers and something long (like a snowboard) through from the boot – are standard on Speciale and Veloce model and a £255 option on the rest of the range. With them fitted, the Giulia can swallow a bike with its front wheel removed.
Ready to buy your next car?
What's it like to drive?
The Alfa Romeo changes direction like a cheetah that’s been fed pure caffeine and it has a decent range of engines, but it’s neither as comfortable nor as quiet as some German alternatives
The Giulia's suspension is a little unsettled in town but only the Jaguar XE can put as big a smile on your face
What's it like inside?
The Alfa Romeo has a lovely looking interior that makes alternatives look about as sporty as a La-Z-Boy sofa, but its build quality is hit and miss
Alfa Romeo Giulia colours
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Solid - Alfa red
- Free
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Special solid - Alfa White
- From £350
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Metallic - Anodized Blue
- From £700
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Metallic - Misano blue
- From £700
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Metallic - Vesuvio grey
- From £700
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Metallic - Vulcano black
- From £700
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Tinted clear coat - Etna red
- From £2,500
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Tri coat - Lipari ochre
- From £2,500
- Cash
- £36,363
- Monthly
- £563*
- Used
- £18,000
Build your own Giulia on carwow
Save on average £2,540 off RRP
*Please contact the dealer for a personalised quote, including terms and conditions. Quote is subject to dealer requirements, including status and availability. Illustrations are based on personal contract hire, 9 month upfront fee, 48 month term and 8000 miles annually, VAT included.