Stinger vs. Alfa Romeo Giulia

[David]

Which one do you prefer? Price wise, the Giulia fully loaded is low 50s. Somehow, it gets from 0-60 in 5.1s w/ a 280hp 4cyl. I heard the Alfa drives crazy good.

 

[app_master]

Cool. The new Giulia is a beautiful car. If you're leaning this way it would be tough to pass up, no matter what anyone tells you here. For sure you'll be paying a premium more $, but you will get the badge, some pedigree and really cool ride!. But a lesser "straight performing" car than a Stinger GT. We'll have to reserve the handling comparison discussions till we know, but the Giulia has been praised.

Would you be comparing to this to a 4cyl of the Stinger too? If so I am guessing a loaded Stinger 4cyl to be much less, at high 30s, maybe low 40s?

To answer your question ... Myself I'd still prefer a Stinger GT (over a 4 cyl Giulia).

but FYI ... I'd love to own a Guilia QV, if money was of no concern ... but for that sort of money you'd be open to way more performance car options ... and it's way more than double the price of a Stinger GT.

All the best.

 

[lostnspace]

I saw the Giulia at the 2017 New York Auto Show and it's definitely a beautiful car. I do wish the Stinger advertising campaign is equally as aggressive as the Guilia's!!

I really do not know enough about the quality of Alfa Romeo (FCA has had more than its share of recalls) and the cost to repair...which is very important to me. At least with Kia and other well known auto makers, either the warranty included or for an additional charge you can purchase a warranty that will cover a lot of the maintenance cost.

The Guilia seems to be making great strides towards erasing the notion of "not so quality" a vehicle. The overall consensus is the ride is INCREDIBLE, the car is a marvel to look at, but the reliability is questionable. I think you should test drive one and see what your instincts tell you.

Article from last October:
http://www.motortrend.com/cars/alfa-romeo/giulia/2017/2017-alfa-romeo-giulia-first-drive-review/

Article from last May:
http://jalopnik.com/the-alfa-romeo-giulia-is-off-to-a-rough-start-1776852795

Article from February of this year:
http://www.motoring.com.au/our-cars-are-reliable-says-new-alfa-romeo-boss-106062/

Article from March of this year:
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/20...giulia-ti-basically-lives-dealer-service-bay/

Article from April of this year:
http://www.carscoops.com/2017/04/consumer-reports-is-skeptical-about.html

 

[tv77]

New to the forum. Great site. As for the Guilia, was not so impressed up close at the local dealer. If you stand 20 feet away, put your thumb over the front grill, it's a BMW 4 or an Accord look. It has the lines of another "me too" car that everyone seems to own. Not bad, but my preference is the unique Stinger look and feel. It has an RS 7 rear look and the sporty Optima on steroids up front look. More aggressive side angle as well. Time will tell on the handling. As for the reputation, I think we all know the negative Alfa quality rep, although I understand the Guilia is making strides in this area. My Optima SXL has been flawless in 3 full years of driving and if the Stinger will have the same 10 year warranty approach, combined with the performance and overall unique looks, it gets my vote.

 

[David]

If the Stinger handling and exhaust noise is not on par, the giulia may be a better choice. If not, the Stinger it is!

 

[David]

Also, the Alfa does have the Italian Sports Car emotional thing going for it!

 

[tv77]

Partially....when it's a Ferrari, the Italian thing is big time. The new budget Alfa's are no comparison in cost, reputation or performance. Then again their not $200K, but you get the picture.

I read that the exhaust note on the Stingers shipped to the US will indeed have a more aggressive sound. I am with you though, on the handling. I am hoping for a well tuned car. I think there is too much at stake. If Kia messes up, it will kill the reputation to compete. Net/Net: if the Kia Stinger GT sounds and handles like it looks we have a car that:

- costs at or under $50K for the top of the line version
- has a 10 year warranty
- can keep up with most, if not all, in its class and probably a class up
- is all wheel drive
- has great electronic safety, entertainment and driving advances
- has great "what the hell was that?" factor as it does not look like many other cars (except an RS7 from the rear).

I just hope they ship the new logo with the American cars. My only other wish.....a stick shift. That apparently isn't in the plans.

 

[David]

Partially....when it's a Ferrari, the Italian thing is big time. The new budget Alfa's are no comparison in cost, reputation or performance. Then again their not $200K, but you get the picture.

I read that the exhaust note on the Stingers shipped to the US will indeed have a more aggressive sound. I am with you though, on the handling. I am hoping for a well tuned car. I think there is too much at stake. If Kia messes up, it will kill the reputation to compete. Net/Net: if the Kia Stinger GT sounds and handles like it looks we have a car that:

- costs at or under $50K for the top of the line version
- has a 10 year warranty
- can keep up with most, if not all, in its class and probably a class up
- is all wheel drive
- has great electronic safety, entertainment and driving advances
- has great "what the hell was that?" factor as it does not look like many other cars (except an RS7 from the rear).

I just hope they ship the new logo with the American cars. My only other wish.....a stick shift. That apparently isn't in the plans.

Yeah I agree about the Ferrari thing. If the handling is good and so is the exhaust (which is more software than hardware since it will be artificial), then it is an easy choice. About the logo, Kia was very stern about not bringing it to the US because they want the Kia Stinger to elevate the brand. That makes no sense since you do not need to elevate a brand that sells economy family cars. They should have swallowed their pride and sold it under the E badge in the US (cough cough Genesis)

 

[eljay]

Initially I was very attracted to the Giulia. Why? Because from certain angles (especially the rear quarter) it reminded me of my '97 Grand Prix GT, but with a way-cooler grill. Come on, I love my geriatric GPGT, but a 20-year old Pontiac is not a high bar for current design! I think the Stinger is much more attractive--from every angle the best-looking car I've seen in my price range since I started looking last year. Besides, ever since I traded in my '86 Camaro Z28, I've been yearning for another fastback hatch.

What the Giulia and the Stinger have in common is the passion that seems to have gone into their designs and the fact that Alfa and Kia both have a lot riding on the success of these cars. Fingers crossed that the Stinger delivers in the way it drives.

 

[carlosfernandez]

Love the Giulia but moneywise my Stinger its the best bet !!!!

 

[srtcrazy05]

im sure the alfa is really nice. but unfortunately anything coming out of FCA has sub-par quality and reliability. ive said many times chrysler/dodge/jeep went to crap in 2006 and hasnt quite been as reliable as they once were. keep in mind you will be paying a premium for tech that you can get in a charger or dart. for example, the infotainment system in a maserati ghibli is the same thing that comes in a charger.

 

[Jenny Wang]

I like the Giulia a lot. I never see one but I think that's one of the reasons it's nice to own one. It's out of my price range for what I would want. The Stinger is a great fit for me in 2.0T form. But the Giulia is a very impressive performer for the 4 cylinder car.

Isn't the Giulia smaller than the Stinger?

 

[David]

Yeah I agree about FCA reliability. Maseratis are flat out terrible… no question about it. What I like about alfa is that the Giulia is made is Italy, has its own brand new platform, and is generally quite distant from the FCA brand.

 

[Bamm1]

Alfa claims the RWD 2.0T will go 0-60 in 5.5 seconds and the AWD version will do it in 5.1 seconds. Motortrend's test had the RWD version matching Alfa's claimed time for the AWD version. The AWD 2.0T may be even faster. A possible sub 5 sec. 0-60 times for a 4-cylinder sport sedan is really moving.

Reliability issues pushed Alfa out of the US years ago. It seems they have not really turned it around to date. It also doesn't help that they are intrinsically linked to two of the least reliable car companies in the world (Fiat & Chrysler). The trifecta of warranty claims and repairs.

 

[Michael M]

Partially....when it's a Ferrari, the Italian thing is big time. The new budget Alfa's are no comparison in cost, reputation or performance. Then again their not $200K, but you get the picture.

I read that the exhaust note on the Stingers shipped to the US will indeed have a more aggressive sound. I am with you though, on the handling. I am hoping for a well tuned car. I think there is too much at stake. If Kia messes up, it will kill the reputation to compete. Net/Net: if the Kia Stinger GT sounds and handles like it looks we have a car that:

- costs at or under $50K for the top of the line version
- has a 10 year warranty
- can keep up with most, if not all, in its class and probably a class up
- is all wheel drive
- has great electronic safety, entertainment and driving advances
- has great "what the hell was that?" factor as it does not look like many other cars (except an RS7 from the rear).

I just hope they ship the new logo with the American cars. My only other wish.....a stick shift. That apparently isn't in the plans.

My issue is here in So Cal, I can get a base Kia for $32,000 and a base Giulia for $37,000 and I don't know which one to choose?!?! Decisions decisions....

 

[Chris]

I've driven both the giulia and the stinger. IMO the giulia handles quite a bit better. My guess though is it will fall apart and be in the shop a lot. I don't think I would buy one. Google even a little bit and you will see that even the cars they gave reviewers broke down quite a bit. I saw an article just the other day where the new suv they we're testing with all the camo on it broke down in the middle of traffic..

 

[bluecatsup]

If I had the money, I would take the Quadrifoglio because of the Ferrari engine. I don't think the 4cyl has the Ferrari engine. I have heard that even though Alfa is an FCA product, they still do their own thing out there in Italy separate from actual FCA. Of course, if I had that kind of money to purchase a Quadrifoglio, I wouldnt mind paying money for an FCA product to be in the shop a lot. So for me, given the choice between 4cyl Alfa or V6 Stinger, I'd choose Stinger.

 

[Craig]

I drove the Alfa, and I liked it. Then again, my car is a 2004 Sonata, and I bet everything drives better.
Anyway, I found the space in the rear seat cramped and the trunk space small. I have yet to drive the Stinger. I am in no hurry since I need to wait another year before I buy something. By that time, the Genesis G70 might be out and then I have 3 to choose from

 

[eljay]

Early on, I considered both. I decided not to drive the Giulia, so I can't comment on comfort and driving dynamics, but that's personal, anyway. The repair and reliability issues drove me away. The Alfa dealers in my part of SoCal have horrible service reputations, and I heard about a lot of problems with new Giulias, the kind that kept them in the shop for days at a time. I'm sure you're also checking the Giulia Forum. It made me nervous.

Kia owners rave to me about how much they loved their cars and their dealer service departments--admittedly based mostly on routine service, since they report few actual mechanical problems. On this Forum you've seen few Stinger problems, almost all minor--rattles and such. You probably won't get a loaner from Kia service, but then, you probably won't need one.

At least on the internet, Stinger owners seem happier than Giulia (non-Quadriflogio) owners.

If the Stinger's performance and handling are good enough for you, I'd say forget the Giulia.

 

[mldavis2]

J.D. Powers ratings are very high for all Kia products. I would never consider a Giulia because there are no dealers within hundreds of miles of where I live to service would be a nightmare and as I do a lot of long distance driving in the MidWest, getting stranded is a concern as well. Nice car but no thanks unless you live in the big city.