2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia

The volume 2017 Giulia and Giulia Ti used the new generation's turbocharged 2.0-liter four; the substantially costlier Quadrifoglio supplied the range maximum.

The 2.0-liter's strong, early torque peak gives the volume Giulia unusually muscular midrange response for a contemporary four-cylinder compact luxury sedan.

The representative RWD 2.0T is scored using an instrumented result rather than Alfa's quicker claim; another contemporary MotorTrend test achieved 5.1 seconds.

There is abundant midrange thrust and good response in Dynamic mode, but the four-cylinder is less smooth and less eager to rev than the segment's best engines. Normal mode also softens initial response.

The ZF eight-speed is a standout: it selects gears intelligently, executes quick redline shifts, and supplies responsive manual downshifts with rev matching. Its fixed, oversized paddles are an ergonomic issue rather than a shift-quality flaw.

Q4 AWD was optional on both mainstream trims rather than reserved for an expensive top trim. It is a rear-biased on-demand system able to send up to half of engine torque forward, but lacks user-selectable terrain modes.

The launch-year U.S. range covered mainstream and extreme-performance needs with a 280-hp turbo four and a 505-hp twin-turbo V6, plus RWD or AWD on the four-cylinder. There was no hybrid, plug-in, EV, diesel, or U.S.-market manual.

The rear-drive 2.0T is the representative volume configuration; Q4 AWD gives up one combined MPG.

This is the EPA city rating for the representative rear-wheel-drive turbo-four model.

This is the EPA highway rating for the representative rear-wheel-drive turbo-four model.

A full 15.3-gallon tank at the EPA combined rating yields about 413 miles; the figure is distinct from the longer highway-only range.

EPA's standard 15,000-mile estimate reflects the cost basis for the recommended premium fuel and is less favorable than the raw 27-MPG figure alone suggests.

Regular unleaded is permitted, avoiding a strict premium requirement, but Alfa recommends 91 octane or higher for optimum performance and economy. That mixed message places it in the middle band.

NHTSA did not publish an overall NCAP rating for the 2017 Giulia, so the required numeric value is a conservative four-star estimate rather than a claimed test result.

Giulias built after May 2017 earned Top Safety Pick+ when equipped with optional front crash prevention and qualifying headlights, with Good results in every crashworthiness test then conducted. Early-build cars do not inherit the later reinforced front structure, and the award was equipment-dependent.

The volume Giulia did not include the modern five-feature suite as standard: the stronger forward-collision/AEB system, adaptive cruise, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-path detection were package equipment. Lane keeping was not offered.

The optional Forward Collision Warning Plus system performed extremely well in IIHS vehicle-to-vehicle testing, but it was not standard and there are no IIHS day/night pedestrian results for this model year.

Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path Detection were available together, but only as optional alert systems. There was no active blind-zone steering intervention, rear cross-traffic braking, or safe-exit warning.

The optional system only warned when the car departed its lane. The 2017 Giulia offered neither lane-keeping steering intervention nor continuous lane centering.

Optional Adaptive Cruise Control could bring the Giulia to a full stop and resume, a strong longitudinal feature for 2017. It was not standard and had no lane-centering highway-assist partner.

No hands-free highway-driving system was offered on any 2017 Giulia configuration.

The base and unoptioned Ti—the relevant volume configurations—received a Poor IIHS headlight rating because curve illumination was inadequate and low beams produced excessive glare. Optional curve-adaptive 35-watt bi-xenons rated Good, but were required for the safety award.

Forward visibility is unusually open and the large rear side windows mitigate the thick rear pillars, though the mirrors and pillars still create ordinary blind zones. A rear camera helps at low speed, but no surround-view camera was offered.

Two complete outboard LATCH positions and three accessible tethers make two-seat installation workable, and the anchors have helpful flip covers. IIHS nevertheless rates usability Marginal because some lower anchors are recessed and hard to maneuver around, while the tight rear area prevents an easy three-across fit.

The Giulia is a conventional five-seat compact luxury sedan.

Published base RWD dimensions provide adequate front headroom for the class.

Front legroom is generous for a compact sport sedan.

The domed roof preserves useful second-row headroom despite the sporty roofline.

Rear legroom is measurably tight and reviews consistently flag the back seat as cramped.

The manufacturer-published luggage volume is large on paper, though the opening and cabin storage reduce practical utility.

The tiny console and sparse small-item spaces are a notable everyday weakness; the 40/20/40 rear seat adds useful flexibility.

Front seats are supportive and comfortable, but the base cushion has limited tilt and rear occupants face restricted leg and foot room.

The Giulia combines excellent body control with a mostly pleasant ride, though sharp impacts and a firm bias remain.

Acoustic windshield and front-door glass suppress wind noise well, with average road noise on coarse surfaces.

Dual-zone climate is standard; heated front seats and wheel are optional on base and standard on Ti, but ventilation and rear climate controls are absent.

The entry 2017 Giulia RWD listed at $37,995 before the mandatory $995 destination charge.

The midlevel Ti is the representative volume trim; it adds the larger 8.8-inch display, heated seats and steering wheel, 18-inch wheels, SiriusXM, and wood trim without moving to the low-volume Quadrifoglio.

CarEdge's Giulia model estimate combines scheduled maintenance, wear items, and expected repairs while excluding warranty work; it is the best available five-year model-level projection rather than a trim-specific 2017 retrospective.

Giulia depreciation is unusually steep for the class; the model-level projection retains 38% of new value after five years.

The 2017 U.S. warranty booklet gives the Giulia a four-year basic term capped at 50,000 miles.

FCA did not provide the 2017 Giulia a longer separate powertrain warranty; factory-installed powertrain components fall under the comprehensive four-year/50,000-mile Basic Limited Warranty.

One year/10,000 miles of scheduled service is a useful but short maintenance benefit, supplemented by four years of roadside assistance with no mileage limit.

$40,990 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (38% retained, or about $15,576) leaves about $25,414 in depreciation. Add the projected $2,362 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $27,776 in total.

The inaugural U.S.-market Giulia has a below-average used-car reliability record, with recurring electrical/software, cooling-system, and accessory faults. Consumer Reports' survey-based history and contemporary testing both support a score below the compact-luxury norm, though the volume 2.0T is less troublesome than the Quadrifoglio.

Alfa Romeo re-entered the U.S. as a very low-volume brand and brought a historically weak quality reputation rather than a demonstrated multi-year dependability record. The new Giulia therefore had neither top-tier brand data nor an established U.S. service history to offset that risk.

Seven campaigns are heavy for a low-volume launch-year sedan, and several concern consequential hazards rather than labels or minor software alone. The record includes possible brake-fluid leakage onto the catalyst with fire risk and a fuel-pump failure that can cause loss of drive power.

The volume trim's 280-hp 2.0L GME turbo four and eight-speed automatic were new in this application, limiting the launch-year durability record. The ZF-derived automatic is well established, but early cars developed thermostat/cooling, relay, and electronic-control complaints, keeping the combination only slightly above the known-problem band.

Soft-touch dashboard surfaces, leather, and real wood or metallic trim make the volume Giulia convincingly upscale for its price. Cheap plastics around the shifter and portions of the doors keep it behind the best Audi and Mercedes cabins.

Launch-year assembly and component consistency fell below luxury-class expectations. Contemporary test cars exhibited a failed sunroof, intermittent connectivity, inconsistent trim execution, and sharp edges, even though some individual cars appeared well assembled.

Alfa Romeo's newly rebuilt U.S. dealer network offered acceptable support in major metros but was sparse compared with BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, or the FCA mainstream brands. Limited Alfa-trained service capacity is particularly consequential for an electronically complex first-year model.

The low-volume Italian luxury sedan has a shallower aftermarket and fewer qualified independent shops than established rivals, while proprietary electronic, cooling, and trim components can make repairs costly or slow. Some FCA-family and ZF-related component sharing helps, but not enough to reach average parts support.

The volume base trim uses a controller-operated 6.5-inch display; neither 2017 screen is touch-sensitive.

The rotary-controller menus are straightforward and reasonably responsive, but the small base screen and occasional Bluetooth trouble hold it back.

Neither wired nor wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto was offered for 2017.

Voice recognition is standard, while 3-D native navigation requires the optional 8.8-inch package; capability is basic by modern standards.

The standard eight-speaker system is adequate, with useful 10-speaker/400-watt and Harman Kardon upgrades available.

Analog gauges flank a useful 7-inch TFT information display, but there is no full-digital configurable cluster.

The launch-year system has no documented meaningful over-the-air map, infotainment, or whole-vehicle update capability.

The 2017 Giulia offered no digital key or rich vehicle-control companion app comparable with current luxury cars.

Three USB-A ports were generous for 2017, but there is no USB-C, wireless charging, or household outlet.

Remote keyless entry and steering-wheel push-button start are standard, but there is no phone key or broad remote-app functionality.

A rear camera is standard and front/rear parking assistance is available, but no surround-view camera or automated parking is offered.

No head-up display was offered on the 2017 Giulia.

Easy-access LATCH anchors and a 40/20/40 rear seat help, but tight rear legroom and a sloping entry complicate loading children.

Crashworthiness is excellent, but TSP+ eligibility and advanced driver aids depend on build date, headlights, and optional packages.

A quiet, composed cabin and useful trunk suit four-person trips, but the cramped rear seat and thin rear amenities limit long-haul family comfort.

The responsive 2.0T/eight-speed, compact footprint, good visibility, and comfortable ride work well daily; brake-by-wire feel can make smooth stops difficult.

EPA combined economy of roughly 26-27 mpg is competitive for a 280-hp luxury sedan, though premium fuel and luxury-car consumables prevent low running costs.

A 35.5-foot turning circle and compact dimensions make it agile in town, with a rear camera and available front sensors offsetting rear-pillar blind spots.

This low-slung luxury sedan has no published U.S. tow rating, payload-oriented body, or cargo bay suitable for meaningful work duty.

The luxury-oriented interior and launch-year build/electronic foibles are ill-suited to repeated jobsite abuse.

There are no bed tie-downs, onboard power, washable surfaces, racks, or meaningful commercial upfit ecosystem.

Supportive seats, acoustic glass, a mostly pleasant ride, and strong highway manners make it a good front-seat tourer; rear space and option-gated adaptive cruise reduce the score.

Available Q4 AWD helps on poor weather and gravel, but low clearance, no tow rating, and sedan packaging keep it pavement-focused.

A large published trunk and 40/20/40 folding seatbacks handle normal luggage and long items, though small cabin storage and the sedan opening constrain bulky gear.

Near-even weight distribution, 0.88-g tested grip, superb balance, and controlled ride place the volume 2.0T near the top of its class.

Exceptionally quick, precise steering retains meaningful on-center communication and feedback without becoming nervous.

Stopping power is competitive, but wooden and inconsistent brake-by-wire pedal feel makes smooth modulation difficult.

The 280-hp turbo four and responsive eight-speed deliver quick, well-timed shifts and strong throttle response, with only minor calibration rough edges.

The turbo four is well isolated and unobtrusive at speed, though its muted character is less evocative than the chassis.

The tight turning diameter supports excellent urban maneuverability for a sedan.

Core controls, visibility, and steering-wheel ergonomics are excellent, but the base seat cushion lacks tilt/support adjustment and some cabin details feel cheap.

Even the volume four-cylinder Giulia combines lively controls, character, speed, and chassis balance in a way enthusiast reviewers repeatedly recommend.

Even the base car included leather, 10-way power front seats, bi-xenon lamps, rear camera and parking sensors, proximity entry, remote start, Brembo four-piston front brakes, and a 7-inch driver display. The Ti added heated seats and steering wheel plus the 8.8-inch infotainment screen for only $2,000.

At $40,990 delivered, the Ti paired strong luxury content with a class-leading 280-hp engine, eight-speed automatic, rear-drive platform, and 5.1-second claimed 0-60 mph performance. That was standout performance and equipment for compact-luxury-sedan money.

The launch range covered base, luxury-oriented Ti, and 505-hp Quadrifoglio, with rear- or all-wheel drive on four-cylinder cars and Sport, Lusso, and Performance packages. It offered meaningful variety, though only one transmission and a large price jump to the halo model.

The new entrant achieved a credible 8,904 U.S. sales in its first full launch year and rose to 11,519 in 2018, but remained a small player beside established German and Japanese rivals. This was positive launch momentum rather than segment-leading acceptance.

Alfa Romeo brought authentic Italian design and motorsport heritage plus a charismatic enthusiast image, amplified by the Quadrifoglio. Limited U.S. awareness and reliability uncertainty kept its prestige from matching the established German luxury brands.

Alfa supported the launch with an aggressive $299-per-month lease on the base RWD car, giving buyers meaningful access below the nominal luxury MSRP. The offer was substantial, though time-limited and required $3,299 at signing.

The 2017 U.S. Giulia was the inaugural model year of the new 952 generation, on the all-new rear-drive Giorgio architecture, with no redesign risk. It represented a clean-sheet relaunch rather than a carry-over or facelift.

The launch Giulia was exceptionally well received for steering, chassis balance, speed, and character, earning multiple international and U.S. honors. Reliability and a few early-production quirks were the main reservations, not the driving verdict.