Alfa Romeo Giulietta hatchback review - CarBuyer

The Alfa Romeo Giulietta is the best family hatchback the firm has ever made. Buyers are offered plenty of choice, with four trim levels - each of which is well equipped - and five engines, all of them economical. It's good looking, and the interior strikes a good balance between user-friendly simplicity and appealing style.

[gooo]

10 years later and he is still making car videos. Love this guy!

[Av]

"If you jack up the front seat, your head will start touching the ceiling". Well thank you captain obvious, I would never have guessed that.

[e.c.]

So disappointed by this review from this channel. Looks like they're inventing problems where there aren't any. And I'm not talking for the drive modes and the feel they transmit to the driver, because this is his opinion, but for the toggle switches, the glove box, the driver seat height etc. Have you seen any car, of this segment, in which the glove box doesn't touch the passenger's knees when it's fully opened? And why would you want to jack up the seat so high that your head touches the ceiling? If you're tall, or average height, you don't need to jack up so high the seat. If you're not that tall, then the problem doesn't exist (except in Mat's head).

[markperrin]

The infamous reliability issues with Alfa's are in the past; the Giulietta scores higher than the VW Golf in the most recent reliability tests. So, stunning looks, reliable, fabulous performance for the delivered economy... who could want for more?!

[rodrigorosatoalves]

It seems like he was trying really hard to find problems in the car. I mean... complaining the seat jacks too far up? Seriously? But the best part was "it seems Alfa is doing their best to put you off this car".
No, fellow, not Alfa. You.

[DAGATHire]

All the flaws he mentioned are gone since 2012 and the updated interior. SERIOUSLY! all of this flaws are gone. all have been addressed. It is now as incredible inside as it is on the outside... Best car i have ever owned and i have had a CLK and 335i in my history. But my Alfa QV.... It's my baby! 

[danielgriffiths]

He forgot to mention that if you wind the window down and stick your head out it can get quite breezy. What a stupid review

[TheJoeMB]

I'd buy one. It's so much more.... alive than any other crummy hatchback. It stirs the soul.

[jorge]

I like CarBuyer reviews, but this guy is in love with VW...

[SONAR]

Thanks for the review!
Alfa Giulietta is really the best small hatchback Alfa Romeo ever!
Definitely much better than golf,
in all matters, safety, price, design and reliability for the both diesel and petrol engines.

[yoitsdan]

I'm really glad that people think the Alfa Giulietta is unreliable and badly designed. Saved me a fortune when I picked up a used one this year! I actually like how the car feels in Dynamic mode, a bit hairy for a new driver like myself but so much fun!

[tomisthesound]

Putting the seat up that high is for shorter people. Where did Carbuyer find this guy?

[ConstantineJoseph]

The Alpha Romeo is like a woman. Exquisite elegant woman in a beautiful red dress. It needs a gentleman to ride her

[GFar]

You don't buy an Alfa for its function, you buy it because it looks mind-blowing.

[benfearnhead]

The flaws he mentioned like seat height and door bins are just daft - why would somebody raise the seat to the point their head touched the roof unless they were a character from the Simpsons? I stick my mobile and wallet in the door bin, while driving, with room to spare. Glove box is only accessed now and then and not for very long - not like I leave it open with a passenger next to me. Bluetooth connectivity for phone and music has never been an issue in my 2014 Giulietta so maybe this was only an issue on the first-gen cars. I've got the same 1.4 turbo engine but the Sportiva with sports suspension and 18 inch wheels and it's a comfortable car for road trips, fun handling on a good B road and easy to park and maneuver around a city centre - economical too! On top of all these good points it's never let me down mechanically and get's compliments from people - even have one female friend who describes it as a sexy car. The styling, as with many Alfas, is only improving with age and I have a feeling classic status lies ahead. All that being said I like this review and have revisited it several times - can't believe it's 11 years ago!!

[thomasorrell]

Absolute rubbish my grandad bought the 2014 clover leaf gullieta and it has none of these problems

[parati]

I've had a few alfa's and I always end up forgiving the annoying quirks. They're so beautiful.

[leonhennes]

Mat hasn't really changed about the years 😂

[googoogoogly]

I rented one of these on a recent trip to Italy and it was a incredible to drive it through some of the worlds most beautiful roads in Tuscany and down along the mediterranean to Positano. It's a joy to drive especially once you really put your foot down.
Great engine and chassis and overall handling. But you can't clearly see the speedometer when driving. It is an Alfa after all.
Italian cars are not made for fashion. The right words would be that they are made with Styling and Design in mind.

[robsawalker]

I love Alfa Romeos; all the male members of my family have owned at least one, and most have owned more; The Bertie is one of my favourite cars ever, like ever - alongside the Miura and 911.  The last Alfa I had was a 147 2.0TS in Gabbiano blue, and it was totally superb.  The best handling FWD car I have ever owned in fact.  It was 8 years old at the time and I paid £1200 for it.

Now, I love the Giulietta's looks, and would love a test drive in one to see how it compares, BUT... for a car that depreciates so horrifically, they are ridiculously expensive.  They also appear to have been made more cheaply than the 147 according to what I read in reviews.  The 147 had so many well thought out touches, and was really nicely screwed together.  The leather was lovely too.

Now, I looked at one as my next company car, so, let's take a look at business leasing currently... (prices approximate and accurate as at Feb 2014):

ALFA Giulietta 1.4 TB on a 10k miles PA lease is around £210pm on a 3+35 (pay 3 months up front followed by 35 months at £210)

Now that may sound reasonable to you but, let me show you this:

BMW 120d Sport model on 10k miles PA lease on a 6x23 is £169pm!

Yes, thats right, a BMW 120d Sport is significantly cheaper than a Giulietta!
Alfa - FWD with 120 BHP engine, combined MPG 44MPG
BMW - RWD with 177 BHP engine, combined MPG 60MPG

Why would anybody get the Alfa when it is more expensive, slower, less dynamic, thirstier and not as well made as a BMW?!  I know the BMW is considered a bit of an ugly duckling by many, but even so!  It's nearly 20% cheaper than the Alfa!

Alfa CAN make great cars when they want, but their attention to detail is rotten.  My 147 was a brilliant, brilliant car.  It was cheap to buy, comfy, fairly economical for a 2.0 engine - I could tickle 40mpg out of it on a long run!, handling fantastically for FWD, looked amazing, was beautifully made and reliable (yes! Really it was!) and came loaded with kit like dual zone climate, BOSE amplified stereo, cruise, heated seats and so on.  But to be completely outclassed AND out-priced by a BMW is a humiliation.  Come on ALFA!  
Give me a job and I would sort it out for you!