Discussion
The Stelvio shares alot with the Giulia.
The Giulia has just come second in the Driver Power 2019 results, which isn't bad for a relatively low volume car .
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/best-cars/driver-pow...
The Giulia has just come second in the Driver Power 2019 results, which isn't bad for a relatively low volume car .
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/best-cars/driver-pow...
I have a Giulia Veloce with the same 280bhp unit. Best bits are the steering & gearbox - both excellent. Overall build quality is iffy, but not horrendous - I've read people say that it is on a par with the Germans. It really isn't. There's very little room in the rear (doesn't bother me but might be a problem for you considering your usage). Infotainment is poor in comparison to its rivals but it does the basic job.
Engine - pretty gutsy but with zero drama in the noise department. Economy isn't good for what is basically a 2.0 4 pot turbo - especially in comparison to BMW's 3.0 6 cylinder which gives a lot more power. I think I get around 27mpg overall but I don't imagine the Stelvio will reach that with the 4x4 drivetrain being dragged around - but could be wrong.
Also, bear in mind the pretty short 9000 mile (or annual) l service intervals which add to the overall cost. And also, trying to find a decent dealer for aftersales care is no mean feat.
If you'd like to know anything more specific, just let me know.
Engine - pretty gutsy but with zero drama in the noise department. Economy isn't good for what is basically a 2.0 4 pot turbo - especially in comparison to BMW's 3.0 6 cylinder which gives a lot more power. I think I get around 27mpg overall but I don't imagine the Stelvio will reach that with the 4x4 drivetrain being dragged around - but could be wrong.
Also, bear in mind the pretty short 9000 mile (or annual) l service intervals which add to the overall cost. And also, trying to find a decent dealer for aftersales care is no mean feat.
If you'd like to know anything more specific, just let me know.
MarkJS said:
I have a Giulia Veloce with the same 280bhp unit. Best bits are the steering & gearbox - both excellent. Overall build quality is iffy, but not horrendous - I've read people say that it is on a par with the Germans. It really isn't. There's very little room in the rear (doesn't bother me but might be a problem for you considering your usage). Infotainment is poor in comparison to its rivals but it does the basic job.
Engine - pretty gutsy but with zero drama in the noise department. Economy isn't good for what is basically a 2.0 4 pot turbo - especially in comparison to BMW's 3.0 6 cylinder which gives a lot more power. I think I get around 27mpg overall but I don't imagine the Stelvio will reach that with the 4x4 drivetrain being dragged around - but could be wrong.
Also, bear in mind the pretty short 9000 mile (or annual) l service intervals which add to the overall cost. And also, trying to find a decent dealer for aftersales care is no mean feat.
If you'd like to know anything more specific, just let me know.
Thanks for your reply, food for thought.Engine - pretty gutsy but with zero drama in the noise department. Economy isn't good for what is basically a 2.0 4 pot turbo - especially in comparison to BMW's 3.0 6 cylinder which gives a lot more power. I think I get around 27mpg overall but I don't imagine the Stelvio will reach that with the 4x4 drivetrain being dragged around - but could be wrong.
Also, bear in mind the pretty short 9000 mile (or annual) l service intervals which add to the overall cost. And also, trying to find a decent dealer for aftersales care is no mean feat.
If you'd like to know anything more specific, just let me know.
Practicality:
Boot is a very reasonable size, nice and square and with no loading lip. We can pretty much everything we need for a 5-day trip to center parcs into it (e.g. buggy, large suitcase, trunki, then stuff packed around them. Back seats are fine for car seats and the isofix points are very well done (small plastic flap to lift up, no hunting around to find them) rear space isn't amazing. I have the drivers seat fairly far back and there's still room for an adult behind me, but it isn't expansive. Headroom in the back is fine. I have the pano sunroof which makes it quite airy back there too. However without pano, with privacy glass and the swooping line of the roof I can image that it might feel a bit more claustrophobic than it actually is. There are two USB charging points for the back seats but they don't connect to the infotainment.
In the front things are all good. Seats (Milano Edizione ones) are good and well adjustable with memory. A nice touch is if the drivers seat is set forward of the B pillar it will automatically move back to allow easy ingress/egress when the engine is switched off. There's USB on the center console and in the glovebox. I have a mini-USB stick of the daughters music in the glovebox permanently attached and still use the console one for charging my phone. The climate control feeds directly into the glovebox but tbh I've never found a use for this. Two good cupholders (concealable) in the centre console along with a useful phone slot between them. Glovebox is very small. Door storage is fine.
We cycle a lot. I didn't spec the roof rails but do have Whispbar roof bars and a couple of bike carriers which fit fine and actually look pretty good. It's not such a high car that getting bikes on/off the top is too difficult.
Driving:
All very subjective... but for an SUV it is definitely fast enough! If you want to drive it spiritedly it will play ball. Of course if really pushed then the laws of physics come into play, it is still a high vehicle with a bit more weight, but overally the reviews rightly laud the drive dynamics. Steering is fast but I've not found that it is too fidgety like some reviews say. Conversely when you just want to get from A-B the car is just a nice place to trundle along in. The gearbox never misses a beat in full auto mode. DNA selector is 95% of the time in 'N' for me with occassional 'D' and never 'A' unless there's snow. There is a marked difference in throttle responsiveness and gear selection between 'N' and 'D' but for everyday driving with 'N' you can just downshift with the paddles to execute an overtake etc. Engine noise is what you might expect from a 4-pot turbo but after a while it has got a bit more tuneful.
MPG is... well thirsty. In 12k miles I've averaged around 24mpg. A long motorway drive might get 30 or so.
Other stuff:
Had a few niggles covered by warranty - filler cap tends to warp and stick out a bit. Alarm can be over-sensitive and needs adjusting. I've only had one significant mechanical that required the ABS pump to be replaced. AEB can be a bit over-keen in warning you of impending doom e.g. when turning near oncoming traffic (but doesn't kick in)
Mostly though, it is still a very unusual car to see around and 18 months in I still get a kick every time I look at it or drive it
Boot is a very reasonable size, nice and square and with no loading lip. We can pretty much everything we need for a 5-day trip to center parcs into it (e.g. buggy, large suitcase, trunki, then stuff packed around them. Back seats are fine for car seats and the isofix points are very well done (small plastic flap to lift up, no hunting around to find them) rear space isn't amazing. I have the drivers seat fairly far back and there's still room for an adult behind me, but it isn't expansive. Headroom in the back is fine. I have the pano sunroof which makes it quite airy back there too. However without pano, with privacy glass and the swooping line of the roof I can image that it might feel a bit more claustrophobic than it actually is. There are two USB charging points for the back seats but they don't connect to the infotainment.
In the front things are all good. Seats (Milano Edizione ones) are good and well adjustable with memory. A nice touch is if the drivers seat is set forward of the B pillar it will automatically move back to allow easy ingress/egress when the engine is switched off. There's USB on the center console and in the glovebox. I have a mini-USB stick of the daughters music in the glovebox permanently attached and still use the console one for charging my phone. The climate control feeds directly into the glovebox but tbh I've never found a use for this. Two good cupholders (concealable) in the centre console along with a useful phone slot between them. Glovebox is very small. Door storage is fine.
We cycle a lot. I didn't spec the roof rails but do have Whispbar roof bars and a couple of bike carriers which fit fine and actually look pretty good. It's not such a high car that getting bikes on/off the top is too difficult.
Driving:
All very subjective... but for an SUV it is definitely fast enough! If you want to drive it spiritedly it will play ball. Of course if really pushed then the laws of physics come into play, it is still a high vehicle with a bit more weight, but overally the reviews rightly laud the drive dynamics. Steering is fast but I've not found that it is too fidgety like some reviews say. Conversely when you just want to get from A-B the car is just a nice place to trundle along in. The gearbox never misses a beat in full auto mode. DNA selector is 95% of the time in 'N' for me with occassional 'D' and never 'A' unless there's snow. There is a marked difference in throttle responsiveness and gear selection between 'N' and 'D' but for everyday driving with 'N' you can just downshift with the paddles to execute an overtake etc. Engine noise is what you might expect from a 4-pot turbo but after a while it has got a bit more tuneful.
MPG is... well thirsty. In 12k miles I've averaged around 24mpg. A long motorway drive might get 30 or so.
Other stuff:
Had a few niggles covered by warranty - filler cap tends to warp and stick out a bit. Alarm can be over-sensitive and needs adjusting. I've only had one significant mechanical that required the ABS pump to be replaced. AEB can be a bit over-keen in warning you of impending doom e.g. when turning near oncoming traffic (but doesn't kick in)
Mostly though, it is still a very unusual car to see around and 18 months in I still get a kick every time I look at it or drive it
I'm glad it's not just mine on the fuel.... was starting to wonder, it is indeed thirsty, but I love mine, in a sea of German tin, its nice to have something a bit different, and the cabin is still a very nice place to sit. The infotainment sits in CarPlay most of the time. Its certainly not lacking pace and the engine not is a bit more raspy and tuneful the VAG 4 pot I came from.
I have had mine for about a month... genuinely not seen another one on my travels yet.
I have had mine for about a month... genuinely not seen another one on my travels yet.
For any current Selvio owners, are there any key considerations (engine power or sonics, handling, interior space etc.) that the competitors like XC60 or Tiguan would slam-dunk do better? I really like it, but wonder if there's a big elephant that doesn't often get mentioned (finance aside, that's a private thing).
Not in the market for the QF version, I subscribe to the 'top model - 1' school of thought. I have 2 small kids (6 and under) to move around and want to use it for longer distance escapades.
Cheers for any additional thoughts. I'm attracted by the looks, handling, badge, size. I have a 24 hour test drive appointment in the works but have yet to step into one.
Not in the market for the QF version, I subscribe to the 'top model - 1' school of thought. I have 2 small kids (6 and under) to move around and want to use it for longer distance escapades.
Cheers for any additional thoughts. I'm attracted by the looks, handling, badge, size. I have a 24 hour test drive appointment in the works but have yet to step into one.
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