Used Alfa Romeo Giulia long-term test: report 6

The car 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.2 JTDM-2 190 Speciale  

Run by Mark Pearson, used cars editor

Why it’s here To find out if buying a used Alfa is now an undertaking to be considered with both the head and the heart

Needs to Add a dash of Italian charisma to the daily grind, as well as cope admirably with all that an executive car should do

Mileage 4850 List price new (2019) £37,795 Price new with options £41,765 Value now £28,000 Test economy 36.6mpg Official economy 51.4mpg

19 May 2020 – No cause for alarm

It was perhaps to be expected, like the changing of the seasons or the hardness of diamond, that after a few weeks of only very short and intermittent use my Alfa would start to complain.

Roughly six weeks into the coronavirus lockdown the Alfa Romeo Giulia came up with a symbol on its dashboard indicating that the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) needed a good blow out. For those who don’t know, the DPF is a filter that traps exhaust soot, but if the car is not used regularly and for a reasonable time and distance it can become blocked. The easiest way to cure this is usually to go for a long and hard run, so when restrictions were eased slightly I took it for a slightly longer dash down my local dual carriageway on the way to do some essential shopping. Reassuringly, the symbol disappeared. 

Meanwhile, the car's alarm system continues to have a life of its own. The Alfa Romeo Giulia might be locked down, but the alarm is still indecently active, especially in the early hours of the morning. Perhaps it’s just the car’s way of telling me to get up, or maybe it's just reminding me it's still there, waiting for better days…

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