Stelvio

[Barrie c 66]

Just wondering about a petrol stelvio for family duties, used 280 bhp one.
Would love to get any thoughts from anybody who has one.

[Barrie c 66]

Just how practical it is for family duties, how it is to drive and general feel of it. Would prefer a gulia veloce but my wife insists on a vehicle where you are sitting high up and I don't particularly like the usual suspects. At least the Alfa looks good and hopefully drives well.

[Barrie c 66]

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.

[Barrie c 66]

Definitely going to get my wife to try one, fuel consumption can't be any worse than the petrol Smax that we currently have. The Smax is a perfectly good car for family work, just don't need seven seats anymore.