Is the Alfa Romeo Giulia Reliable?
The Alfa Romeo Giulia provides a style-first alternative to tenured luxury sports sedans like the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4. It’s not just style, either; the range-topping Giulia Quadrifoglio is a Ferrari-esque tire-shredding super sedan. Still, is the Alfa Romeo Giulia reliable enough to be a viable alternative to other premium sedans, or are the Giulia’s issues a deal-breaker?
Is the Alfa Romeo Giulia reliable?
The modern Giulia is a far cry from the issue-prone GTV6s of yesteryear. However, the presence and world-class aesthetics remain. Of course, the Giulia isn’t without its issues; CarBuyer UK reported that 28% of owners cite at least one flaw in the first 12 months. Most of those issues are related to electrical gremlins.
Still, when Car and Driver wrapped up their 40,000-mile experience with a range-topping 2019 Quadrifoglio, they were saddened; they experienced electrical issues that a dealer couldn’t solve within the first few thousand miles of testing. Moreover, the bad news continued. Testers had to hand the car over for 31 days for a 10,000-mile service in which the differential required replacement.
Are Alfa Romeos more reliable now?
However, Alfa Romeo also came in second in owner satisfaction for 2019 and ninth the following year, beating many industry giants. Moreover, the Giulia was number three out of the top 100 cars in the UK a few years ago. CarBuyer UK is adamant that the high owner-satisfaction ratings suggest that the electrical issues, while bothersome, aren’t deal-breakers.
Unfortunately for fans who want an Alfa Romeo Giulia or Stelvio SUV in their garage, the bad news in Car and Driver’s long-term test of a modern Alfa is disheartening. Nobody wants to invest in a new Giulia Estrema or Stelvio Lusso and leave it at the dealership for lengthy, expensive repairs. Of course, an Alfa Romeo could add some joy to your drives if you can live with the occasional issue. After all, Alfa Romeo placed just behind Lexus in ownership satisfaction just three years ago.
How expensive is a Giulia to maintain?
A bit of good news for potential Alfa Romeo Giulia owners is that the marque offers the first maintenance visit for free. Moreover, the automaker’s four-year, 50,000-mile warranty is on par with a BMW 3 Series or Audi A4. Barring unforeseen issues, which Car and Driver asserts is inevitable, the Giulia’s maintenance intervals are every 10,000 miles. The six-year or 60,000-mile interval is the most expensive service, which costs around $1,171.
According to Edmunds, a 2020 Giulia could cost over $5,000 to maintain over five years. Just be prepared to remedy your darling Italian sports sedan’s issues as they arise.
Which Alfa Romeo Giulia trim should you consider?
Should you choose to get yourself an Alfa Romeo Giulia anyway, the marque offers some variety. Car and Driver’s most significant issues pertained to the range-topping 505-horsepower Quadrifoglio. Still, it is common that higher performance goes hand-in-hand with less reliability due to higher stresses, higher heat, and more advanced components. Instead, the lower trims like the Lusso might suffer fewer mechanical follies with their 280-horsepower four-cylinder mill.
Of course, most of the reported issues are electrical, so the Giulia will likely have problems at any trim level. Still, owners rave about the looks, performance, and handling of the Alfa Romeo sports sedan. Love it if you dare.
