Giulia as a family car (with new baby)

[milfordkong]

We’re expecting our first baby in December and i’m switching from two cars (A diesel golf and a G series 911) to one - I’m just not an SUV fan, never will be, and the head says I should be looking at estates for the most practical option for the buggy and baby accessories / paraphernalia that we’ll be carrying around with us along with our little one in their car seat. That said, I’d really love a Giulia, it’s the car on current sale that appeals to my heart the most and the boot size actually seems pretty good when compared to mid sized estates.

My question is are there any Giulia owners past or present who used or use their car as the family wagon, transporting their young ones and associated accessories around without issue? Or am I barking up the wrong tree and I should concentrate on estates, will the lack of a hatchback and decent load height on the Giulia drive me mad or is it perfectly usable without issue? Keen to hear an honest appraisal of how the car fares practically in this situation, if you have experience please do share and my thanks in advance.

Edited by milfordkong on Friday 5th June 20:19

Edited by milfordkong on Friday 5th June 20:23

[hurricane run]

I'm on my second Giulia. The boot is a slightly awkward shape. Two big cases don't fit. I think that it depends on how much stuff you will carry and how tall your partner is. If you have one of the compact prams it'll fit no problem. The rear facing baby seats need quite a lot of space so I doubt a six footer could sit in front of one.

I have two children, youngest is ten.
I bought an old shape volvo S60 when he was born and we've managed with saloons since. We had a big pram and it just fitted in the boot with soft bags around it.
A tip would be to buy a rotating forward facing seat when the time comes. Makes it much easier with the low roofline.

We've never done the center parcs style holiday where one seems to need an extraordinary amount of stuff.

Edit to add... Kids wreck cars so make sure you get one with a black interior

Edited by hurricane run on Saturday 6th June 16:46

[milfordkong]

Thank you, really appreciate the reply and helpful info. Sounds like it’s feasible though certainly not the last word in practicality.

It’s more day to day stuff I’m concerned about than holidays with huge amounts of stuff - I have access to a VW Transporter I can always borrow for anything like that. Just don’t want to end up annoyed at the car because the daily stuff is a pain if that makes sense.

Good call on the interior too - I’m a black interior man anyway to be fair, boring perhaps but I like to keep things simple.

[hurricane run]

Out of interest which engine are you looking at? Mine have both been Veloce petrols. No problems other than the central screen went off for a couple of days then came back on en route to the dealer!

[smarty156]

I know you said you don't like SUVs but I would suggest looking closely and test driving a Stelvio. Will be a lot easier getting a child in the back and pram etc in the boot. Handles pretty much the same as the Giulia and the Stelvio looks very good, more like a hatchback than SUV.
I have a Giulia Quadrifoglio and whilst the boot is quite large it is, as already said, a slightly awkward opening. I drove a Stelvio Quadrifoglio around Goodwood circuit and it handled very similarly to my Giulia Quadrifoglio.

[milfordkong]

hurricane run said:

Out of interest which engine are you looking at? Mine have both been Veloce petrols. No problems other than the central screen went off for a couple of days then came back on en route to the dealer!

After a Quadrifoglio.... and I definitely want a warranty! Good to hear you’ve have had very few issues with your cars, the internet has stories of a fair few issues but doesn’t it always?

Edited by milfordkong on Saturday 6th June 22:24

[milfordkong]

smarty156 said:

I know you said you don't like SUVs but I would suggest looking closely and test driving a Stelvio. Will be a lot easier getting a child in the back and pram etc in the boot. Handles pretty much the same as the Giulia and the Stelvio looks very good, more like a hatchback than SUV.
I have a Giulia Quadrifoglio and whilst the boot is quite large it is, as already said, a slightly awkward opening. I drove a Stelvio Quadrifoglio around Goodwood circuit and it handled very similarly to my Giulia Quadrifoglio.

Thanks for your reply Smarty, I just couldn’t do it though - I realise it’s irrational and silly really but regardless of the obvious practicality benefits I cannot bring myself to consider an SUV... As I said It is silly as i’m sure the Stelvio is a fine thing with a lot of benefits especially for my use case. Just not an SUV person is all.

[Basil Brush]

milfordkong said:

Thanks for your reply Smarty, I just couldn’t do it though - I realise it’s irrational and silly really but regardless of the obvious practicality benefits I cannot bring myself to consider an SUV... As I said It is silly as i’m sure the Stelvio is a fine thing with a lot of benefits especially for my use case. Just not an SUV person is all.

I used to think the same when I had no kids and ran my Tuscan as my daily driver. I now have 2 kids and am on my second SUV...

[milfordkong]

Basil Brush said:

milfordkong said:

Thanks for your reply Smarty, I just couldn’t do it though - I realise it’s irrational and silly really but regardless of the obvious practicality benefits I cannot bring myself to consider an SUV... As I said It is silly as i’m sure the Stelvio is a fine thing with a lot of benefits especially for my use case. Just not an SUV person is all.

I used to think the same when I had no kids and ran my Tuscan as my daily driver. I now have 2 kids and am on my second SUV...

Ha ha ... well i’ll be resisting as long as I can ... If a saloon is a bad idea then it’s an estate for me .... then I think i’d have to go people carrier or minibus before succumbing to the SUV.

[smarty156]

The Stelvio uses the same platform as the Giulia.

[milfordkong]

smarty156 said:

The Stelvio uses the same platform as the Giulia.

I do understand that, but I just don’t like SUVs, which the Stelvio is... I have driven plenty of SUV’s over the years and they’re just not for me. The thread was really about the practicality of loading a buggy into and using a car seat with the Giulia, the Stelvio is just not a car i’d consider despite it’s many merits and the shared platform. I understand completely why someone would go for a Stelvio, but I won’t be doing so. In an ideal world they’d do a Giulia estate but I don’t think that’s on the cards for any number of reasons (most people would prefer a Stelvio for a start).

[mazzer1]

How about a 159 estate - possibly the best looking family car there is and relatively very good value.

[milfordkong]

mazzer1 said:

How about a 159 estate - possibly the best looking family car there is and relatively very good value.

Had a 159 SW in the past, I do agree they're absolutely beautiful cars but i'm looking for something newer with modern safety tech and a warranty too.

[Dezbo]

I bought a Giulia Quad (2017 so no folding rear seats) as a family car to replace a C63 coupe. We only have one nipper at the moment but it has been fine for trips away including a fairly large pram. Need to pack the boot well (special Dad skills) and usually end up with at least one bag on one of the passenger seats. If we expand the family I think it would be pushing it until we don’t need a pram again. My plan is to change the missus’ car (Merc CLA - pretty similar size to mine, boot feels slightly bigger though) if push comes to shove! Good luck

[milfordkong]

Dezbo said:

I bought a Giulia Quad (2017 so no folding rear seats) as a family car to replace a C63 coupe. We only have one nipper at the moment but it has been fine for trips away including a fairly large pram. Need to pack the boot well (special Dad skills) and usually end up with at least one bag on one of the passenger seats. If we expand the family I think it would be pushing it until we don’t need a pram again. My plan is to change the missus’ car (Merc CLA - pretty similar size to mine, boot feels slightly bigger though) if push comes to shove! Good luck

Thanks Dezbo, appreciate that - Exactly the kind of info i'm after. We have a dog too who sits (harnessed in) on one of the rear passenger seats so that impacts on the additional luggage space too somewhat. I'm beginning to think as much as i'd love a Quad it may not be the best time and an estate would be a more sensible bet at this point.

[Dezbo]

You’re welcome. Based on what you’ve said I think I would be looking at E63S wagons, won’t be as sharp dynamically as the Quad, but then little is short of serious sports cars, but monstrously fast. I’m sure an Audi RS would do a similar job but don’t sound as good and seem to be more coveted by tea leaves

[Mr Ship]

Go for it! Had my Quad now for 18 months and have 2 little ones under 2. Day to day, we've had no issues and I bought the Alfa roof bars and a top box for holidays.

[milfordkong]

Mr Ship said:

Go for it! Had my Quad now for 18 months and have 2 little ones under 2. Day to day, we've had no issues and I bought the Alfa roof bars and a top box for holidays.

Cheers - That is promising that you have two little ones ... Definitely would plan to get the bars and box for big trips. Thank you!

[milfordkong]

Dezbo said:

You’re welcome. Based on what you’ve said I think I would be looking at E63S wagons, won’t be as sharp dynamically as the Quad, but then little is short of serious sports cars, but monstrously fast. I’m sure an Audi RS would do a similar job but don’t sound as good and seem to be more coveted by tea leaves

Good thought on the E63... something to consider. I'm just not really an Audi guy and as much as I do like to see an RS6 I can't imagine myself getting one - As you say they are (supposedly) a real magnet for scumbags breaking in to steal the keys too.

[Highway Star]

Friend of mine has a Giulia QV and two girls under 5 and also copes fine, including the pram. They all went to the South of France last summer, so its possible for long trips. His previous 'family' cars had been a GTV 3.2 and an Alfa GT, so he must be a master at packing the boot!