Used 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia

The Alfa Romeo Giulia is among the freshest luxury-sports sedans to take on stalwarts like the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4. The Giulia may not be a household name, and Alfa Romeo itself only recently returned to America, but this Italian car deserves notice. It is more powerful than rivals, boasts the requisite rear-wheel drive (RWD) of a sports car (all-wheel drive [AWD] is optional), and has luscious looks. Starting just over $38,000, it’s also on the lower-priced end of the segment. Perhaps most vital, it performs like a real-deal sports sedan. For drivers craving serious firepower, the Giulia Quadrifoglio packs a Ferrari-derived engine with over 500 horsepower and a nearly $74,000 price tag. The Giulia’s long-term reliability is still unknown, but there’s no denying the Giulia’s passion.

The Alfa Romeo name may be unfamiliar, but this Italian brand has been making distinctive cars for over a century. Its expertise is blending passion and performance, and the Giulia delivers. Even a base Alfa Giulia is very quick. Its 280-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder enables 0-60-mph sprints of just 5.5 seconds — that’s among the best in its class. A standard sport suspension and balanced chassis lend well to tearing around corners, but the trade-off is a stiffer ride quality. The smooth 8-speed automatic transmission shifts eagerly whether left to its own devices or controlled via the large — perhaps too large — steering-column-mounted paddles. If you have deep pockets and desire an alternative to the BMW M3 or Mercedes-AMG C-Class, turn your attention, and right foot, to the Giulia Quadrifoglio. Its twin-turbo V6 unleashes 505 horsepower, and has an exhaust note that can only be described as intoxicating. Available in rear-wheel-drive only, this Alfa Quadrifoglio is an absolute blast that’s track-ready. Just be aware that its suspension is appropriately performance-car stiff.

Inside, the 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia looks and feels like the Italian sports sedan it is. We dig the details. For instance, the Giulia puts the engine start button on the leather-wrapped steering wheel, just like its Ferrari relative. Soft Italian leather is standard and sport seats are available on the Ti trim. There are plenty of soft-touch materials and the large flowing dash is offered with real wood accents or brushed aluminum and carbon fiber for a more performance-oriented style. A 6.5-inch screen is standard in base models, while an easier-to-see 8.8-inch screen is available. The optional paddle shifters mounted to the steering wheel are huge, almost ostentatious. Rear-seat room is only adequate, similar to others in this class. Trunk capacity is also about average, and we like its 40/20/40-split-fold seat with ski pass-through.

Few eyes will argue that the Alfa Romeo isn’t a beautiful car. Finely sculpted and even better proportioned, it has that hunkered-down, flowing shape of a modern luxury sedan. It has somewhat similar lines as the Infiniti Q50 and Genesis G70, but retains an Italian distinction. That is most apt up front. Look at the Alfa’s scudetto (“little shield”) grille. Where everyone else has gone with massive, horizontal shapes, the Giulia has an inverted triangle. New for 2019 is the Nero Edizione (Black Edition) that gives the Giulia a darkened appearance to the grille, mirror caps, exhaust tips and more. Wheels range in size from 17 inches to 19 inches. The high-performance Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio stands out with its quad tailpipes and the 4-leaf clover emblem mounted above the front-wheel arches. That symbol may as well say, “I’ll leave you in the dust.”

Q4 ALL-WHEEL DRIVE
Available on the base Giulia and the Giulia Ti trim level for an extra $2,000, Alfa’s Q4 all-wheel drive turns this rear-drive sports sedan into an all-season tourer that grants more confidence on slick, traction-compromised roads. The system has the ability to deliver up to 60 percent of the engine’s torque to the front wheels.

GIULIA QUADRIFOGLIO
Yes, it’s a mouthful (and translates to “4-leaf clover”), but the Quadrifoglio is a legitimate high-performance sedan. If an engine derived from Alfa’s cousin Ferrari isn’t proof, look at the numbers: 505 horsepower that enables 0-60-mph blasts of just 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 191 mph.

The 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia comes with a nice roster of standard features. For example, where many rivals have faux-leather upholstery, the Giulia has the real thing. Other notable standard features include 10-way power-adjustable front seats, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and push-button start, bi-xenon headlights, heated and power-folding side mirrors, rain-sensing windshield wipers, universal garage remote, and a 7-inch digital dashboard display. The Alfa’s base infotainment system bundles a 6.5-inch central screen and 8-speaker AM/FM audio system with Bluetooth, USB inputs and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. In addition to one of the most powerful engines in its class, the small Alfa luxury sedan also boasts Brembo performance brakes.

All-wheel drive can be had on both the base Giulia or the better-equipped Ti model. The Giulia Ti, available in Sport or Lusso (luxury) form, includes heated seats and heated steering wheel, a larger 8.8-inch central infotainment display, and 18-inch wheels. Options include a dual-pane sunroof, 14-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system and navigation. We recommend adding the collision warning and automatic emergency braking system for $500. Other driver-assistance systems include adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning and blind-spot monitoring. Performance upgrades include an active suspension and limited-slip rear differential. At the top of the Giulia lineup, the Quadrifoglio packs a high-powered engine, a host of performance upgrades, and many of the optional items on the standard models. If you’re looking for the ultimate stopping power, the Quadrifoglio offers carbon-ceramic brakes, but at $8,000 they are anything but cheap.

Like other entry-level luxury-sports sedans, the Alfa Romeo uses a turbocharged 4-cylinder, but the Alfa’s engine punches above its weight, making 280 horsepower and a stouter 306 lb-ft of torque. That oomph is sent to the rear wheels or, in Q4 models, all four. In standard form, the Giulia is one quick and satisfying machine to drive. As for the Giulia Quadrifoglio, it’s a beast. That high-performance Giulia uses a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 derived from Ferrari. It sends 505 horsepower to the rear wheels and performs like a rocket. Both engines are linked to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The Giulia has a drive-mode selector with three modes called DNA: Dynamic, Natural and Advanced Efficiency. Quadrifoglio models have a fourth mode called Race, which optimizes the car for exactly that. At up to 33 mpg in standard form, the Giulia is surprisingly efficient considering the power it packs. Like other new cars, the Giulia has an engine start/stop system that cuts power at idle. If you don’t like the restarts, the system can be disabled via a button next to the headlight switch.

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4
280 horsepower @ 5,200 rpm
306 lb-ft of torque @ 2,000-4,800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 24/33 mpg (RWD), 23/31 mpg (AWD)

2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6
505 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm
443 lb-ft of torque @ 2,500-5,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 17/24 mpg