I was loath to buy an Alfa Romeo - I had one back in the eighties and I had so many problems with it that I had to get rid of it. I loved the looks and the sporty feel but it was no good in the end. When I saw the Alfa Guilietta though, I really wanted it. It's probably the best looking road car I've ever seen.
And it turns out that Alfa Romeo are obviously making an effort to sort out their reliability issues. Doing a bit of research before buying this I saw hardly any problems with the car and I have had no issues since buying mine earlier this year. It's also a lot safer (apparently) than previous Alfas and a lot more comfortable than my previous car.
The performance is out of this world, really, I can't believe I'm in a hatchback sometimes. It comes with what Alfa call the 'DNA system' which does something or other with the steering and throttle... I'm not sure exactly what it is but it makes for a great drive. It can also reach 62mph in under 8 seconds. Not bad!
I absolutely love the styling of my car, think it looks really great, pair this to the punchy 2.0 litre diesel and you have my two favourite things about the car.
The Giulietta 2.0 JTDm engine always gives a good blast of power and has loads of electronic driver aids to keep you on the straight and narrow including ESP (Alfa’s own version), hill-holding and Dynamic Steering Torque. The other thing I love is that the performance is always there, regardless of which mode you have the DNA gadget in although Dynamic is possibly the best setting. The stop-start can be a little irritating, it’s a bit jerky on start up but this is a sacrifice I’m willing to make for the generally good performance.
I get about 45mpg out of it although I expect I could get a little higher if I spent a little more time in Normal. As I’ve said, performance is good but it’s also great to cruise with, it’s really smooth and very comfortable.
I love the inside of the Giulietta as well, really stylish and there is plenty of room all round. As you can probably guess, I really do like this car, so much more than the bog standard Focuses I’ve been running for years. Put the great Alfa styling with a really exciting drive and you get a really great car, the Giulietta.
Alfa's have come a long way since the days of awful reliability. I'd say the modern Alfa is as a good as say Ford or Vauxhall for reliability - and that's why it didn't put me off a Giulietta. This is Alfa's newest model and serves as a replacement for the 147. The main aspect that drew me to the 'etta is the looks - it's typical Alfa: aggressive, beautiful and taught.
Driving it is superb; it has Alfa's new DNA system which means you can change how it behaves by switching a knob on the dash. The steering wheel is nice and small and the whole car just feels well made and bulky. Alfa's new Multi-air engines are brilliant also. They are economical but powerful - it's pretty remarkable, to be honest.
If you like Alfas, go for the Giulietta. it's a modern day 147 with all the toys and technology you'd expect, just without the annoyance of breaking down every 10 feet.