[Jeeper1941]

Originally Posted by C300

Congrats Jeeper. What a car! Giulietta is one my favourite cars on the road down under. Let me know if you drive down to Melbourne with the beuty. Would love to check it out

Thanks C300. Yeah will definitely PM you the next time I'm in Melbourne (probably next weekend).

Originally Posted by fiat_tarun

Lovely, Lovely car there Jeeper. Love the interiors too. Does this come with the same blue & me system that most fiat's use ?

On the other hand, how's fuel pricing down under ? Diesel more expensive than petrol.?

Thanks tarun. Yes, it has the blue & me system. Diesel is more expensive than petrol, but the problem is that the petrol Alfa only takes premium unleaded (95 or 98 octane), which is more expensive than diesel anyway, and the diesel gives almost twice the mileage than the petrol one. So decided to get the diesel.

[Jeeper1941]

Hi everyone,

Just thought I'd post a long term ownership review of my car. Its now been 8 months since I first took delivery (it had done 3 km when I took delivery, my odometer now reads 20,082km). That is a lot of driving, and the experience has been great so far. The car I opted for is a 2.0L diesel with Alfa's TCT gearbox.

I didn't really consider another car, I've always wanted an Alfa, and settled on the diesel after a quick test-drive back in January this year. Had to wait 3 months for the car as it had to arrive from Italy. Took delivery on April 7th (a Saturday). Keen readers of Team-BHP will note that I posted a few pictures of a silver Alfa - this was the car I took delivery first but didn't like the colour..even though I liked it initially. I only kept that car for a month and sold it privately, and actually broke even..so didn't lose any money there (lucky me haha). I fell in love with the new "bright white" colour and decided to go for that.

The total on-road price was AU$46,285. I got the sports pack ($3000 extra) for free as it was a factory special Alfa were having as an introductory special. This added alloy wheels, red brake discs, darkened rear windows, leather interior, bi-xenon headlights and sport pedals.

Onto some pros and cons now:

Things I like:

1.The styling. Its just simply gorgeous (in my opinion, others may disagree!)

2. The power and economy. I've driven a lot of long distance in this car, most recently did Melbourne-Perth and Perth-Adelaide (just 2 weeks ago). Overtaking was effortless. Fuel economy was brilliant, I averaged 4L/100 km for the whole trip, I easily get 1100km on one tank of diesel.

3. Build quality: excellent. The fit and finish is excellent, far superior than previous Alfa Romeos, way better than most Japanese and even American cars on the road here.

4. The daytime running lights.

5. Interior comfort and space: The car is very spacious, very smooth. The diesel rattle is not there, and it honestly it doesn't even feel like a diesel, there is no turbo lag that I can feel anyway.

6. Practical storage space, luggage space. The boot is quite big, it can hold 2 large suitcases plus other stuff. The car has many cubby holes, drink holders etc. placed strategically throughout, which is very nice and thoughtful of those Italians!

Things I don't like

1. The start-stop function. It is nice most of the time, but I've had instances where the car just didn't start after stopping. I had to turn off the car and start it again, a bit annoying. Alfa need to improve this system. Thankfully it can be turned off by the press of a button on the dash.

2. Rear leg room. The car is quite spacious, but if someone decides to push the front seats all the way back, there is virtually no leg room in the back.

3. Only one air vent for the back row. They could have at least put 2!

4. Cigarette-lighter very flimsy and doesn't work. I don't smoke, but this could be an issue for people who do. The cigarette-lighter takes a long time to work (more than 10 minutes).

5. No option for front sensors. There is simply no option to put in front sensors (for parking etc.) even as an aftermarket fitment. There are sensors in the rear though, very useful when backing up into tight spaces.

The sales and service is excellent (the dealer I go to has been handling Alfas for over 50 years) so no issues there at all. The car comes with a service plan for regular service, so I don't pay for labour etc..the only thing I pay for is if any parts are replaced (hasn't happened so far).

Anyway..time for some pics, took these today outside our house. The car on the left is my dad's ML300 CDI.

I think Alfa are talking about entering India with the Mito, hopefully the Giulietta will also be available soon. IMO if it is priced well, this car will sell.

[vb-saan]

Congratulations! And thanks for sharing the review.
IMO, the Giulietta is the best looking Alfa in recent times. How is the steering feel? Please update the thread regularly.

[clevermax]

I love the way it's back looks. Not a big fan of the front looks though, it somewhat looks odd compared to other alphas. Anyway great car to have!

[shankar.balan]

Deliciosa! I love this car and not least because I saw the ad for it with Uma Thurman as the protagonist sometime in 2010 or 2011 in the UK and if I remember right the same ad was being aired in Oz in April May 12.
I saw one of these in Bright Silver on the road in London on the Bayswater stretch and again in Sydney near the Rocks in a Crimson shade.
Beautiful car. I would love one but I live in India so all I can do is to drool at your car's pics!

[dZired]

Thanks for sharing this mate. Honestly, it is the first time I have heard about this car and it really looks great. The best thing about its design is that it is proportionate throught and those alloys are something to die for. Are they standard or an after-market fitment? ( Pardon me if my questions are too stupid )

Take Care and Drive Safe!

PS: Now I know from where Chevrolet was inspired for the location of Beat's rear door handles.

[Jeeper1941]

@vb-san: The steering feels great, I love the F1-style "paddle shift" gears. Only thing is the car tends to feel very jumpy above 200 km/h, not that I'd take it up that high on a regular basis!

Just saw this BTW; don't know how true it is.
http://www.autoedizione.com/alfa-rom...thin-one-year/

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Jeeper1941

Just saw this BTW; don't know how true it is.
http://www.autoedizione.com/alfa-rom...thin-one-year/

Its an old article.

Considering FIAT revealed its detailed strategy till 2014, I dont think the brand would be introduced in the country - atleast not before 2015.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...re-inside.html

[iliketurtles]

I remember noting how beautiful the Giulietta was on a recent trip to Italy, it was stunning to witness in the flesh. The Italians sure know how to design a looker, you have to give them that! Beautiful, beautiful car. Enjoy!

[MYB]

Congratulations! And the car looks sweet. I love that front design. Just a little though must have been given to the number plate position. It seriously damages the look of the car. And the Hyundai HB20 launched in Brazil recently seems to have borrowed heavily from this particular model while designing the rear!

Anyways, wishing you many more miles of happiness with the car. Cheers!

[SUPERSPORT]

Although I had seen many pics of the Alfa I was never mad about its looks. I like it but there were many other cars which looked better in my mind. But once I saw this thing in flesh in Switzerland I just went crazy. Kept on snapping pictures of each and every Alfa I saw. Giulietta looks awesome in reality. Even my family members were asking about these every time they saw it. Enjoy your beautiful ride.

[Jeeper1941]

Hey everyone, this is my first long term ownership report on team-BHP. I've been following this forum for several years now and I absolutely love the way BHPians write about their cars!

Anyways, my Alfa Romeo Giulietta diesel just clicked over 35k, so thought I'd post my experience with this car.

I've owned the car for about a year and a half now (bought it in April 2012), and I do quite a bit of highway driving. The diesel engine seems to have settled down now as I get excellent mileage (4.5-5L/100km - about 20 kmpl on long runs and about 15-16 in the city). I can easily go 1000km on a tank of diesel.

What I love about my car:

1. Looks. I love it, its a real head turner. There aren't many Alfas in this part of the world and wherever I go people look at it and give me the thumbs up etc.

2. Quality of fit and finish. The Italians seem to have really worked on improving Alfa's reputation, as the quality of the materials and the fit and finish seems top notch. I haven't had any issues with any noise, rattles etc. Also the car feels solid and reliable, unlike the reputation Alfas had a few years ago.

3. Fuel efficiency. As I've already said above, I get over a 1000km on one tank of diesel (60 L), so I don't have to really worry about running out of fuel once I fill up. With the amount of driving I do, I usually fill up every week.

4. Comfort. I drive hundreds of kilometers every week and comfort is important. My car hasn't let me down in this department!

5. Practicality. I love the numerous cup holders, coin holders, coat hooks, charging sockets etc. that are distributed in the cabin. The 12V sockets are very useful for charging my phone, GPS etc.

6. Dealer/Service. I bought my car in Melbourne from a dealer who also sells high end cars like Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Jeep and Lotus. So the service I receive from the dealer is top notch. I always get a free loan car for the day and its just been a pleasure dealing with this particular dealer.

7. Service intervals. The diesel has service intervals of 15,000km, compared to the petrol, which is every 10,000km.

8. Alfa D/N/A system. This thing really works. Its a switch near the gear lever, and it has three modes - D: Dynamic, N: Normal, A: All weather. I generally use it in N (normal) mode, but have used the A and D modes as well. The A (all weather) mode increases traction and I've used this when we drove to the snow fields here.
D (dynamic) mode is the most fun. The engine revs higher, the steering becomes stiffer and the whole car behaves differently, I shall not mention what speed I have driven my car to in dynamic mode

More info here: http://www.alfaromeo.com/com/#/technology/dna

Things I don't like/could be improved

1. Diesel engine rattle. Yes, the engine rattles when idling, and when I drive into the garage it sounds like a truck. Wish they could have refined this a bit more.

2. Start/Stop: I really don't like the start/stop system (thankfully it can be turned off). Its supposed to turn off the engine at lights etc. to save fuel, but I really wonder if it does. I calculated my fuel usage with and without the start/stop and found that I actually used more fuel with the system engaged. Also, sometimes I find that that my car doesn't engage the stop/start system even though I've activated it.

3. Rear leg-room. Its a bit cramped in the back, especially when the driver's and passengers seats are pushed back.

4. Passenger seat can't be raised or lowered or even reclined. I hate this bit. The passenger seat is fixed and it can't be reclined or raised or lowered. Its a real pain when my friends want to sleep on long trips, they have to do so sitting up!

5. Service costs. I've gotten my car serviced 3 times so far (one at 1000km, then 15,000 and 30,000). Average cost is around $800, which is quite expensive.

But, overall, I am very happy with my car. I intend to keep it for at least 5 more years, may change it when the next RWD Alfa comes along!

Some photos:

[HammerHead]

Thanks for sharing mate.
This is one my favorite hatchback. Looks stunning!

I use to stare at these pics on netcarshow and I still do



What were the other cars which you shortlisted before finalizing Giulietta?

4. Passenger seat can't be raised or lowered or even reclined.

This sounds odd. Could you share some pics if time permits?

[Octane_Power]

One just can't go wrong in the looks department with the Alfa Romeos and Maseratis.
Arguably makers of the most beautiful cars in the world.

Great car Sir, and looks spotless clean at 35k kms!

800$ for servicing ?? That's exorbitant according to Indian standards (Rs.45k approx), what all does the servicing include ?

-Bhargav

[nipcarlover]

That is an absolutely stunning car!!

The Italians can do styling that no one else can.

Hope you enjoy this Italian beauty for many more years!