Used Alfa Romeo Giulia 2016-present review

The Alfa Romeo Giulia arrived in 2016 as the brand's latest attempt at taking on the three, German executive car musketeers.

Who are they? Well, they've dominated the class for decades and are the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class.

Engines and performance: You have a choice of petrol and diesel engines in a number of different outputs – all of which are suitably punchy. Initially, the range kicks off with a 197bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol, but more power comes in the form of the 276bhp Veloce and Veloce Ti versions. The diesel range stems from a 2.2-litre four-cylinder with either 148bhp or 177bhp.

The top-dog Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio has a snarling 2.9-litre V6 that kicks out 503bhp. The QV (as it's also known) was built to go toe-to-toe with the BMW M3 and it certainly has the muscle to do so – we saw 0-60mph in 3.7sec during testing.

All Giulias come with an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Ride and handling: To drive, the Giulia is a lesson in how even a ‘common’ executive car can be made to handle well, because even an entry-level example is good to drive. The first thing you’ll notice is the light yet lightning-quick steering (you get used to its darty nature within a few miles). It helps create an immediate sense of agility, although it's not just a feeling: the Giulia truly is nimble for a car of its size. The steering also makes parking a breeze – you can get a lot of steering lock with relatively few turns of the wheel.

The ride has a fluid quality over bumps and is particularly good on Giulias fitted with the adaptive dampers (that came as part of an optional Performance Pack). They stiffen up in Dynamic mode, but when you enter a town or come across a poorly maintained bit of Tarmac, you can simply hit a button to slacken them off in an instant.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the QV is the best Giulia to drive of the lot, but, if you want to know more, you'll want to read our dedicated used review on the 2016-present Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio.

Interior and practicality: Inside the Giulia, the fit and finish can’t match that of the 3 Series or A4, but it is smarter than the XE. Space is also better in the Giulia than its British rival, although leg room in the rear still isn’t a patch on that of the A4.

The boot, although its opening is rather awkward and hampers usability a little, is among the deepest in the class, and on Speciale versions there's a highly useful 40/20/40 split-folding rear bench – standard feature from new.

Trims and equipment: The model initially came in four trims: Giulia, Super, Speciale and Veloce. The entry-level Giulia trim has 16in alloy wheels, cruise control, rear parking sensors, a chrome exhaust pipe, LED rear lights and a wealth of safety technology – including that autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning and forward collision warning – as standard. You have manually adjustable front seats, a leather-clad steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, automatic wipers and lights, and Alfa's infotainment system complete with a 6.5in display, a DAB radio, and USB and Bluetooth connectivity.

Seek out the Super trim and you'll see 17in alloys, aluminium door sills and part-leather seats are included alongside an uprated infotainment system with a larger 8.8in display and sat-nav, while opting for the Speciale adds numerous luxuries to the package. These include 18in alloy wheels shod in run-flat tyres, bi-xenon headlights, electrically adjustable and heated front sports seats, a heated steering wheel, electrically folding door mirrors and a sporty bodykit.

The range-topping Veloce model gets an unique set of alloys, an upgraded braking system, front parking sensors and lovely aluminium paddle shifters.

Facelift: In 2020 the Giulia was treated to a number of minor updates, with a redesigned centre console and the infotainment system being upgraded to a touchscreen affair, albeit still with a rotary dial to control certain functions, and the interior materials being improved.

Trim names were changed at the same time, to Super, Sprint, Veloce, Veloce Ti and Lusso Ti. The 2.2-litre diesel engines were enhanced to 160 (158bhp) and 190 (187bhp) versions.

Further updates in 2022 trimmed the range to just the 197bhp 2.0-litre petrol and the 276bhp 2.0 280 Veloce, as well as the Quadrifoglio. Trims were renamed Estrema, Sprint and Veloce.

Another update in 2023 brought in refreshed styling, with new LED headlights and tail lights, and a new digital driver's display. The 197bhp petrol engine was dropped, while a new Intensa trim was added.

"The Giulia is a genuinely appealing left-field choice, with exotic looks and a sporty driving experience. Every time I drive one I can't help but smile." – George Hill, Used Cars Editor

Interested in buying a used Alfa Romeo Giulia? Visit our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.

You can buy a used Alfa Romeo Giulia for around £8000, but for that kind of money, expect a high mileage diesel model from 2017 or 2018. If you raise your budget to around £13,000, you can find yourself a similar age diesel or petrol example with much lower mileage.

For a Veloce or 2020 car, have around £15,000 to spend. A 2022 model will cost you upwards of £20,000, while newer, 2023 facelift cars cost upwards of £30,000. Expect to pay the same for a Quadrifoglio.

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MPG

As long as you aren’t going for the Quadrifoglio (with its official WLTP fuel economy figure of 27.2mpg), it shouldn’t cost you the earth to run a Giulia.

Diesel models are particularly frugal, since both the 148bhp and 177bhp versions of the 2.2-litre engine get a combined figure of 53.3mpg. The 197bhp 2.0-litre petrol gets 36.2mpg, while the 276bhp version is a little down of this at 33.6mpg.

Road tax

Early four-cylinder petrol Giulias should cost you £195 per year in tax, while diesel models cost even less, at just £20. Any Giulia registered after 1 April 2017 will be subject to the flat rate fee for petrol and diesel cars, currently £195 per year. If your car was worth more than £40,000 when new (this includes the price of options), it will also be penalised by the £425 luxury car surcharge until the car is more than six years old.

Insurance and servicing

Alfa Romeo servicing can be pricey through main dealers, although the brand offers an Easy Care servicing package for used cars that allow you to set up direct debit payments for upcoming services.

Generally speaking (so ignoring the QV in group 46), Giulia insurance groups range from the low 20s to mid 30s, which is about average for the executive car class.

Warranty

From new, every Giulia comes with Alfa’s three-year, unlimited mileage warranty. That's better than Audi's cover, but the same as BMW and Mercedes.

Safety

The Giulia scored five stars out of five in its Euro NCAP test in 2016. On closer inspection of the scores, the Giulia outperformed the Volvo S60 in the adult occupant protection test, but scored lower in the child protection test.

Newer, facelift models are the best equipped for standard safety kit, with features such as automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control offered as standard.

Reliability

The Alfa Romeo Giulia has a patchy reliability record, according to real-world owner reviews in our latest What Car? Reliability Survey.

Electrical gremlins were common, with complaints about warning lights, faulty sensors and frozen infotainment screens. Suspension noises and brake issues were also reported. While some problems were fixed under warranty, owners often faced long delays for parts and inconsistent dealer support – one Giulia was even off the road for over three weeks.

Not all feedback was negative, but strong praise for aftersales care was in the minority.

Find out more about Alfa Romeo Giulia reliability on our dedicated page.

Engine

This depends on how you’re planning to use your Giulia. If you do lots of miles, you’ll need the cheaper running costs of one of the earlier diesel models. While it is a slightly noisier engine than you’ll find in some of its rivals, it isn’t overly so and the eight-speed automatic does a good job of quietening things down at a cruise.

As an alternative, if you can afford the extra money for running costs (or if your annual mileage is a little lower), we'd recommend going for 2.0-litre petrol Veloce model. It's quieter, smoother and more fun than the diesel.

Specification

The standard Giulia comes with plenty of equipment, but of the early cars it’s the Super version that we would recommend because it has a slightly better interior and part-leather seats that give it a more premium feel. Later cars are much better value now, especially Veloce, which offers heated, electrically adjustable front seats, leather upholstery, aluminium trim inserts, sporty exterior styling and a limited-slip differential (for improved cornering) as standard.

Our favourite Alfa Romeo Giulia: 2.0T 280 Veloce

The Jaguar XE puts a similar emphasis on being very nice to drive (like the Giulia does), thanks in no small part to firm yet generally forgiving suspension and precise handling. On the other hand, the boot is on the small side and rear leg room is poor.

The Giulia's most significant threat (critically and popularity-wise) is the BMW 3 Series. You'll need a few grand more to buy one of the latest generation, but it's more luxurious inside and more reliable, plus you can get it as a fuel-sipping plug-in hybrid.

The Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class are also worth a shout. The latter has glitzier looks, while the former is more practical and its interior is made out of nicer materials.

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Interested in buying a used Alfa Romeo Giulia? Visit our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.