Sports Saloons - Italians leaving the Germans dead.
Discussion
Time to replace my 640d. Probably the best non-2 seater I’ve had (especially post Schnitzer modifications ), but with mileage going down and space requirement reducing, I’m targeting something sportier, but still with 4 doors.
Narrowed to M3 Comp, C63s, Maserati Ghibli S and Alfa Quadrifoglio.
6 weeks ago, I contact all four local dealers directly and asked for details via websites.
Alfa came back within 20 mins, and 7 days later I had 2 hours in the Quadrifoglio.
Maserati took a bit longer, 3 days and a chasing call, but a week later and I was given a Ghibli S for 2 days.
BMW were st. 4 dealers, several approaches through website and 3 walk-ins later, and over 3 weeks wasted, I dropped an email to a UK Board contact, the result being a weekend in an M3 Competition.
Merc were even worse. Non-functioning website, 7 phone calls, 11 emails, walking into 5 different dealers and an email to the UK MD got no interest, no ability to help and the only contact being a) a sales guy trying to sell me GAP insurance, and b) Customer Services who were looking into the website glitch, but never came back. Eventually, I got offered a test drive (thanks to social media).
It’s not Brexit threatening the car market….it’s dealer apathy!
Anyway…the cars:
Alfa. Amazing. The comments of it being a 4-door Ferrari are very close. Goes, grips, drives, sounds fantastic. Very pretty and very different. 510bhp and a rev hungry engine. Great Jekyll & Hyde ability - drives like a average car when you want it….turns into a sports car when you want it. Interior ‘OK’, but once on the move, who cares….
Maserati. Surprised. Bigger car, class above but ‘only’ 410bhp. Doesn’t feel slow, best sound of them all (in sport/valves open) and a class act. Dynamics only show themselves when pressing on a bit, and takes a bit to get used to. Seat too high. More mature, but a real emotive choice. Also very expensive compared to the others (business lease)
BMW. Coming from a succession of 7 BMWs, this was the one I thought was the obvious choice….but it’s probably sitting in last place. Far better than the non-Competition M3 and very nicely put together, best gearbox no surprise. But almost too solid, too capable, a very heavy driving experience. Good feel but a world behind the Alfa. Punchy engine, but lacks character - just ‘noise’ until high revs. Crazy high limits of grip and traction, but leaves anything under 8/10th feeling very ordinary. Push on to 9/10th and it comes alive and is a very very fast and capable car - but 9/10ths is well beyond common sense on UK roads.
Mercedes….well, I was due to borrow one for 2 days on Tuesday, but the dealer forgot to get the car there, so collecting tomorrow for the weekend. Took a quick drive in a normal c63 for 20mins, and it presently surprised. Steering was good, not Alfa-level. Engine is a beauty, and makes for a easy but character-filled drive. …..will know how strong a contender it is after the weekend. Plenty of A/B road plans ready
Narrowed to M3 Comp, C63s, Maserati Ghibli S and Alfa Quadrifoglio.
6 weeks ago, I contact all four local dealers directly and asked for details via websites.
Alfa came back within 20 mins, and 7 days later I had 2 hours in the Quadrifoglio.
Maserati took a bit longer, 3 days and a chasing call, but a week later and I was given a Ghibli S for 2 days.
BMW were st. 4 dealers, several approaches through website and 3 walk-ins later, and over 3 weeks wasted, I dropped an email to a UK Board contact, the result being a weekend in an M3 Competition.
Merc were even worse. Non-functioning website, 7 phone calls, 11 emails, walking into 5 different dealers and an email to the UK MD got no interest, no ability to help and the only contact being a) a sales guy trying to sell me GAP insurance, and b) Customer Services who were looking into the website glitch, but never came back. Eventually, I got offered a test drive (thanks to social media).
It’s not Brexit threatening the car market….it’s dealer apathy!
Anyway…the cars:
Alfa. Amazing. The comments of it being a 4-door Ferrari are very close. Goes, grips, drives, sounds fantastic. Very pretty and very different. 510bhp and a rev hungry engine. Great Jekyll & Hyde ability - drives like a average car when you want it….turns into a sports car when you want it. Interior ‘OK’, but once on the move, who cares….
Maserati. Surprised. Bigger car, class above but ‘only’ 410bhp. Doesn’t feel slow, best sound of them all (in sport/valves open) and a class act. Dynamics only show themselves when pressing on a bit, and takes a bit to get used to. Seat too high. More mature, but a real emotive choice. Also very expensive compared to the others (business lease)
BMW. Coming from a succession of 7 BMWs, this was the one I thought was the obvious choice….but it’s probably sitting in last place. Far better than the non-Competition M3 and very nicely put together, best gearbox no surprise. But almost too solid, too capable, a very heavy driving experience. Good feel but a world behind the Alfa. Punchy engine, but lacks character - just ‘noise’ until high revs. Crazy high limits of grip and traction, but leaves anything under 8/10th feeling very ordinary. Push on to 9/10th and it comes alive and is a very very fast and capable car - but 9/10ths is well beyond common sense on UK roads.
Mercedes….well, I was due to borrow one for 2 days on Tuesday, but the dealer forgot to get the car there, so collecting tomorrow for the weekend. Took a quick drive in a normal c63 for 20mins, and it presently surprised. Steering was good, not Alfa-level. Engine is a beauty, and makes for a easy but character-filled drive. …..will know how strong a contender it is after the weekend. Plenty of A/B road plans ready
lucido grigio said:
Seems like a no brainer,Alfa.
That BMW looks ugly too ,has horrible wheels too.
And there was me thinking just how good the M3 looked and how much I liked the wheels.That BMW looks ugly too ,has horrible wheels too.
Out the 3, the Maserati looks don't do it for me...but will no doubt be the best looking for someone else on here
In their full road test last week Autocar rated the Alfa second only to the C63S, due to the sheer brutality of the Merc´ engine and the quality of some of the interior bits and pieces. But it was REALLY close.
Go for the Alfa. You will not regret it for a second.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/alfa-romeo/gi...
Edited to add link
Go for the Alfa. You will not regret it for a second.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/alfa-romeo/gi...
Edited to add link
Edited by generationx on Thursday 20th April 14:06
The germanic brands have been complacent, and have been so for years
a decade ago i was a young IT upstart, on a mission to find a new company lease, budget would allow for entry level "premium" cars. I was ignored for 45 minutes in a BMW showroom, walked into the alfa showroom and had a 147 to test drive within 10 minutes.
They assume people will buy their cars anyway, even if they're treated like st.
But now Alfa is back with a stunner of a car
a decade ago i was a young IT upstart, on a mission to find a new company lease, budget would allow for entry level "premium" cars. I was ignored for 45 minutes in a BMW showroom, walked into the alfa showroom and had a 147 to test drive within 10 minutes.
They assume people will buy their cars anyway, even if they're treated like st.
But now Alfa is back with a stunner of a car
Cudd Wudd said:
lucido grigio said:
Seems like a no brainer,Alfa.
That BMW looks ugly too ,has horrible wheels too.
And there was me thinking just how good the M3 looked and how much I liked the wheels.That BMW looks ugly too ,has horrible wheels too.
Out the 3, the Maserati looks don't do it for me...but will no doubt be the best looking for someone else on here
Not looking to buy anything as prestige as you, but I've been trying to test drive a BMW for the last couple of weeks. I've called dealers who haven't phoned me back, tried their head office with no joy, did manage to get a test drive in the right series but with the wrong engine. Pulling my hair out a bit. It shouldn't be this hard.
Ares said:
BMW were st. 4 dealers, several approaches through website and 3 walk-ins later, and over 3 weeks wasted, I dropped an email to a UK Board contact, the result being a weekend in an M3 Competition.
pretty much exactly my experience when trying to buy an M4, 3 dealers none of them interested in the slightest, i had 5k deposit with me i waved at one lolnot being a powerfully built company director i dont have any contacts to harass lol
its nice alfa have not made the front to low, it will be easy to get it onto a low loader
Edited by Dave Hedgehog on Thursday 20th April 16:44
fivepointnine said:
I have my eye on the Ghibli S personally. Might go look at one soon.
Watch this first:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOZnqnB6xDo
hondansx said:
Saw my first Alfa on the move today. Looks great, sounds great, and different.
Anyone brave enough not to get a red one?
I had to look at the configurator to see what else was available as all pics have been of red cars.Anyone brave enough not to get a red one?
2 reds available and a nice blue, all the others are meh......silver, grey and black.
Zod said:
fivepointnine said:
I have my eye on the Ghibli S personally. Might go look at one soon.
Watch this first:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOZnqnB6xDo
Zod said:
I saw that the other day. Is it pretty much just me who didn't care about all the problems he found with it? He struck me as an idiot. No interest in the car, he seemed interested only in things like radar cruise control, that I've never used anyway in cars that have it.And the panel gap that was simply the shape of the door card, not a build problem at all. I'm pretty sure he said it was great to drive though. I'm more interested in that than non-HD reversing cameras
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