Stelvio review

Andyk

Member
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61,005
Review of the quick one.....Last paragraph sums it up for me.......buy the Guilia ...... Good review if you like this sort of thing but to me seems a waste of time....67k buys you better performance cars and ones that can still fit the the family in....and for me looks better than a box with an Alfa badge stuck on...still an achievement for Alfa though......but I'm just not a fan so maybe a bit bias....

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-driven/alfa-romeo-stelvio-quadrifoglio-driven/37202
 

Ewan

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6,720
The problem I have with these expensive Alfas is that they still have cheap plastic interiors. Not a patch on LR offerings in terms of interior design, materials or luxury. I enjoy fast SUV's, but I don't appreciate brittle plastic door bins etc.
 

Andyk

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61,005
Agree Ewan...Was at Alfa the other week and they just cannot get that quality thing right with the standard of material you would have thought they would have put that right by now especially in a 67k car....Very poor and you know that it will not wear well after a year or two......
 

conaero

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34,582
Well said Ewan.

I hate to lay the boot into Alfa as they are very special to me but the current offerings are just not doing it for me in the build and looks dept.
 

bigbob

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8,951
Well said Ewan.

I hate to lay the boot into Alfa as they are very special to me but the current offerings are just not doing it for me in the build and looks dept.

They are not selling either if you look at the SMMT data.
 

MrMickS

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3,945
They are not selling either if you look at the SMMT data.

Not in the UK. They are doing pretty well Europe wide though. More sold in the first 9 months of this year than all of last year. New car buyers in the UK like to buy the German brands.

On the plastics front I agree, not good enough for a premium priced car. Do compare with the cheaper end of BMW etc though.

The reason for getting a Stelvio over a Giulia in the UK is the 4WD system and wanting an estate. Alfa managed to make RHD 159 Q4s etc and a Sportwagon but haven't done the same with the Giulia. Shoddy from Alfa really especially given that Audi and BMW, at least, have a 4WD option on their equivalent car. Perhaps this will change and they will bring out a Giulia Q4 Sportwagon but I can't see it for a while.
 

bigbob

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Not in the UK. They are doing pretty well Europe wide though. More sold in the first 9 months of this year than all of last year. New car buyers in the UK like to buy the German brands.

On the plastics front I agree, not good enough for a premium priced car. Do compare with the cheaper end of BMW etc though.

The reason for getting a Stelvio over a Giulia in the UK is the 4WD system and wanting an estate. Alfa managed to make RHD 159 Q4s etc and a Sportwagon but haven't done the same with the Giulia. Shoddy from Alfa really especially given that Audi and BMW, at least, have a 4WD option on their equivalent car. Perhaps this will change and they will bring out a Giulia Q4 Sportwagon but I can't see it for a while.

I also wish they would do a 4WD estate but they are out of fashion. I've had S series Audis' for the last 20 years and it would be nice to have an Alfa instead. Mind there are only two dealers in Scotland so the same as Maserati!
 

zagatoes30

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20,702
I just don't get these mid range SUVs, even though I know they sell well, they are just too compromised. Neither an off roader or a road car and they don't even have anymore towing capability than the a similar priced saloon or estate. If I wanted a fast 4WD family car with load lugging space a decent 4WD estate would be perfect. If I want an off roader with huge towing capability I would get a proper sized Disco or Range (other manufacturers are available).
 

zagatoes30

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A Giulia QF Sportwagon with 4WD would be awesome but I doubt it will happen as it will clash with the Stelvio
 

bigbob

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A Giulia QF Sportwagon with 4WD would be awesome but I doubt it will happen as it will clash with the Stelvio

+1. With 200kg less weight and a 6in drop in ride height it would be brilliant but most customers are so stupid these days that they don't see that and prefer to buy a bit of fake SUV bling.
 
G

Guest 1678

Guest
Needed the estate and ended up with a Stelvio 280bhp petrol. No chance of a Giulia Sportwagon from what I have read - which would have been the weapon of choice. It was either that or a German alternative and after my last very poor experience with an E63 went back to Alfa.

The interior is not on a par, but I do not regret the choice. We shall see how the ongoing ownership experience pans out. It cannot be any worse than the Mercedes UK treatment.
 

MrMickS

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3,945
+1. With 200kg less weight and a 6in drop in ride height it would be brilliant but most customers are so stupid these days that they don't see that and prefer to buy a bit of fake SUV bling.

Absolutely. I've mentioned it whenever I've been in an Alfa dealership and they say its a common complaint from customers. Hopefully they'll see sense, but I don't see it happening any time soon, primarily because of the Stelvio.
 

Andyk

Member
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61,005
Needed the estate and ended up with a Stelvio 280bhp petrol. No chance of a Giulia Sportwagon from what I have read - which would have been the weapon of choice. It was either that or a German alternative and after my last very poor experience with an E63 went back to Alfa.

The interior is not on a par, but I do not regret the choice. We shall see how the ongoing ownership experience pans out. It cannot be any worse than the Mercedes UK treatment.

Jaguar XF estate........new one is very nice and from what I saw with my XE it never fell apart and was reliable....
 

Andyk

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61,005
Just saw my first Stelio on the motorway coming home from work. That is not a good looking Alfa. Really looked awkward. Not for me I’m afraid.
 

Nayf

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2,726
Not for me either, tbh. If I was into that type of thing I’d be going the Volvo route. As Chris Harris pointed out on Top Gear last night, they’re relaxing, comfortable things which is what you want when transporting miniature humans, dogs and precious cargo (like shopping). On the last point, I had a mildly sporty estate - 156 Sportwagon - and it was hard to resist temptation to spank it wherever I went. Then one day may shopping tried to turn itself into an omelette. In the summer. The garage refused to work on the car unless I agreed to have the rear carpets cut out.
Oops.

But I’d still prefer a fast estate. The load bay makes more sense (longer) and putting the dog in the back doesn’t make me feel as if I’m putting it in solitary confinement. An E63 AMG would do nicely... or an M5 E34... or an Alpina B5 S E60/B8 4.6 E36... hmmmm
 

safrane

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16,714
Although we will be likely to buy a XC60 soon, I do agree that the old fashioned estate is far more practical and comfortable.

After all most SUVs have you sat upright, have poor aerodynamics and most are pretend 4x4s.

If only the little lady was not intimidated by the length of a family estate, when in reality it is no longer that the XC.
 

Nayf

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You raise an important point, Safrane. The rise of the SUV largely reflects the fact that women have taken a much bigger interest in buying power over the past twenty years. This correlated with Porsche’s experience with the Cayenne - I seem to remember the design director saying that the Cayenne’s challenging looks and bulky appearance made it much more appealing to women. The same’s true for my wife - she loves SUVs, from the Kuga and the Qashqai to the Levante and the XC90. It’s kind of good for me that she likes tall, rather wide things (ahem).
She’s 5ft2 and hates small cars and loves enormous SUVs, whereas I’m 6ft7 and love small Italian cars...
 

Contigo

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Done all the fast estates and did enjoy them . M5 V10 E61, RS4 Avant, B5 and B7 etc would like to try a C63 AMG estate at some point as that has to be the ultimate dog botherer!!!

969889_10152262061410016_759559329_n.jpg
 

Nayf

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Done all the fast estates and did enjoy them . M5 V10 E61, RS4 Avant, B5 and B7 etc would like to try a C63 AMG estate at some point as that has to be the ultimate dog botherer!!!

969889_10152262061410016_759559329_n.jpg
E63 is much nicer than a C63, and is a little less chintzy imo ;)