Going from BMW to Alfa Romeo
Discussion
Good evening all. As per the title really, I have been a life long BMW fan, owned more than 20 over the years, enjoy the meets and events. Currently own a 535i 2013.
But now looking to change and I am thinking of something different. I quite like the look of the Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce (2017-2018).
I know it is comparing a 6 cylinder 3.0 litre petrol against the 4 pot in the Alfa but if I were to make the change, would it be considered as a downgrade? I would buy the Alfa from the Alfa dealer so it would come with the warranty.
Cheers.
But now looking to change and I am thinking of something different. I quite like the look of the Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce (2017-2018).
I know it is comparing a 6 cylinder 3.0 litre petrol against the 4 pot in the Alfa but if I were to make the change, would it be considered as a downgrade? I would buy the Alfa from the Alfa dealer so it would come with the warranty.
Cheers.
Nah, the Alfa is special. Gets positive attention on the road, feels special, it’s great! Gearbox is superb. Chassis is incredible, so well balanced. Lack of noise is the only real downside to the veloce.
Every single common issue and quirk below:
They eat batteries, particularly in winter, and will throw codes for fun when the battery is low. Get an Agm battery in there to solve 99% of problems. Dealer network is atrocious which doesn’t help. Early cars used to have alarm issues (often exacerbated by the above battery issues) but most have had the upgraded sensor and software update by now - not an issue but could be a negotiating tool. Use the correct oil, make sure the dealer does too, ideally earlier than recommended, as the multiair units are very sensitive to servicing and cost about £1000 to replace - first sign will be misfiring when oil is cold.
The wheel arch liners are fabric and tear - there are little plastic parts/supports you can get through forums to address this now.
Carplay came in late 2018, but you can add a wireless Eng-custom box in a couple of hours for £300 to any year - see forums for details.
That’s pretty much everything,
Misano blue is the best colour imo - I got complements with ridiculous regularity from absolute strangers. Everyone wants to tell you about some relative who had an Alfa.
I sold mine after 2 years recently in a moment of madness, and regret it already. Need to get another, but may wait and save for a QF now.
Every single common issue and quirk below:
They eat batteries, particularly in winter, and will throw codes for fun when the battery is low. Get an Agm battery in there to solve 99% of problems. Dealer network is atrocious which doesn’t help. Early cars used to have alarm issues (often exacerbated by the above battery issues) but most have had the upgraded sensor and software update by now - not an issue but could be a negotiating tool. Use the correct oil, make sure the dealer does too, ideally earlier than recommended, as the multiair units are very sensitive to servicing and cost about £1000 to replace - first sign will be misfiring when oil is cold.
The wheel arch liners are fabric and tear - there are little plastic parts/supports you can get through forums to address this now.
Carplay came in late 2018, but you can add a wireless Eng-custom box in a couple of hours for £300 to any year - see forums for details.
That’s pretty much everything,
Misano blue is the best colour imo - I got complements with ridiculous regularity from absolute strangers. Everyone wants to tell you about some relative who had an Alfa.
I sold mine after 2 years recently in a moment of madness, and regret it already. Need to get another, but may wait and save for a QF now.
I went from a BMW to an Alfa Giulia Veloce and regretted it pretty soon afterwards.
The Veloce quality was very poor in places & I had quite a few glitches. Despite being punchy low down, the engine was asthmatic at the top end - it was also pretty thirsty given it's only a 2.0 4 cylinder unit. I tried a couple of different dealers and they weren't very good - they're also few & far between depending on where you live. The steering was excellent (although the nose felt very light at times when pressing on along certain B roads). The fantastic gearbox has already been mentioned, but it's a ZF8 and nothing to do with Alfa Romeo.
In the end, I lost faith in it and moved back to a BMW - which also has the ZF8.
The Veloce quality was very poor in places & I had quite a few glitches. Despite being punchy low down, the engine was asthmatic at the top end - it was also pretty thirsty given it's only a 2.0 4 cylinder unit. I tried a couple of different dealers and they weren't very good - they're also few & far between depending on where you live. The steering was excellent (although the nose felt very light at times when pressing on along certain B roads). The fantastic gearbox has already been mentioned, but it's a ZF8 and nothing to do with Alfa Romeo.
In the end, I lost faith in it and moved back to a BMW - which also has the ZF8.
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