Alfa Romeo Giulietta

[Ferraricalifornia]

the Giuletta is basically a larger MiTo lah....

 

though the interior isn't exactly to be said to be plasticky,

 

the overall design and drive of the car will disappoint Alfa fans,

 

though this car will win people who are driving Golf, or Focus into the Alfa brand,

 

put it simply- it's essentially a Golf/ Focus with Alfa styling and badge....

 

that's it!!!

[DelleIII]

Why judge the book by its cover so early even if you haven't even seen or hold the real book? We've not seen the real thing yet. It is a though as many people like to say: "That person looks good on TV, but then the other day when saw on the road he/she was shorter/taller/prettier/uglier than expected...."

 

I like to think of review as a paradox where one is trying to both maintain perception/preference. Honestly all reviews and first drive always has an individual perception to it. Ie: When J.C reviews any Porsche (Carrera GT, 911s and Cayenne. Even it is the improved GT3 RS, and he will say that it is crap...he hates it.... why? Personal perception or preference leads to biasness on the make rather than technical and engineering aspect.

 

Everyone has their own feel and way when looking at things so well, I wouldn't really bother so much about the reviews or first drive unless I personally test it myself before I comment... In all honesty I never test drove any Alfas...lol and I simply love it and buy without testing hence i bought a 147, sold and buy another one again....both without testing. Ha! :)

 

[Ferraricalifornia]

i dare you to do that with the Giuletta....

 

it's a different car altogether compared to the 147....

 

it's like buying a VW Golf with a pretty face....

 

i'm not saying the Giuletta isn't fun to drive (which the Golf does provide),

 

but Alfa's should be competing in it's own league, and not be 'yet an alternative rival to the Germans'....

 

leave that job to Fiat....

[DelleIII]

Well, I rest my case and will comment when I see the real deal. :)

[Ferraricalifornia]

well,

 

your 147 sure is a rare gem....

 

 

[Felipe]

i stand in between the 2 camps. the giuletta or mito are designed to resemble the 8C, hence the round lamps and curves. The 159 evolved from the 156 last gen. i still find the current designs of mito and giuletta interesting and to some extent, revolutionary. but i prb can agree with u most on the drive. driving the newer alfas, things have kinda cooled.

 

so you r quite right. engines are sourced from bravo whereas with Twinsparks, it was also Fiat engine but they doubled the sparks. This move for Alfa is just inevitable as they need more sales. I think it will still be a better buy than Golf or Focus as ultimately, it will always feel different in an Italian car. I like the name too. sexy name and in the end, gals don't really care much with such a sexy name!

 

 

[Ferraricalifornia]

sure the Giuletta is a show car....

 

but to a true Alfatis,

 

it would be quite a disappointment....

[Eyke]

but Alfa's should be competing in it's own league, and not be 'yet an alternative rival to the Germans'....

 

Alfa has been on a downward spiral sales-wise,

if they don't change and sell more,

Alfa will be killed by Fiat.

Edited June 7, 2010 by Eyke

[Mockngbrd]

last true Alfa to me was the 75

[Ferraricalifornia]

what a beauty that was....

 

to me, it was the spyder though....

 

haha....

[Ferraricalifornia]

having seen the Alfa MiTo on the road, at first glance, i though it was a Fiat Grande Punto 3dr or something....

 

only to realise it was an Alfa when i saw the badge....

 

didn't have that head-turning, attractive look of the Alfa i know (75, spyder, older alfa's in general)....

Edited June 9, 2010 by Ferraricalifornia

[Mlimhs]

As much as I would like to disagree with you, I feel the same way. People who know me, knows that I love my Alfa as much as I love myself. I will never buy any car except Alfa. But it seem to me the current Alfa coming out of the factory is lacking some passion and soul. The 156 is revolutory. The design of the rear hidden door is out of the world. The pedel shift that u cannot only find in the F355.

What can I say about the twinspark and the V6 chrome intake pipe. It makes a grown up man like me young again.

The 159 has somewhat grown abit. More German with good build quality. The engine still makes fantastic sound from the JTS (I do prefer the older engine). The design of the headlamp, the rear brake light cluster still makes me take a second look.

For the mito, I don't find any. It does not speak to me or seduce me like the other Alfa. Interior is bit to plastic and the DNA, what is Alfa trying to do?

As for the new car, I will hold my comment till it is hear.

 

I love Alfa.

 

Well said. I had sat 156's wagon belongs to my wife's uncle. Is total feeling from any other cars, it had total feels like a nice cockpit, the genuine leather seats that hugs you lovingly. It is love at first sight when i sat in it. However, i'm currently driving Subaru Hatch because certain angle it does look likes 147 which i cannot affort.

[TandemAssassin]

I have never tried any of the old Alfas because I am too young.

 

If you said that it has lost its soul or passion, then I think the old Alfas must have been damn bloody good. Because I have tried the Mito and it is already miles more fun than the Golf or any other small hatch I have tried (my subjective opinion). Furthermore, all the 159 owners I know (2 of them) tell me they love revving their car and driving spiritedly. The 159 really can ignite excitement in them compared to other cars they have driven. All of us agree that after getting out from an Alfa drive, we have a smile on our faces.

 

One thing you must note is that many of those who complain are of an older generation that has a different set of expectations. Take Honda for e.g.; many from my dad's generation are die hard honda fans because of the legendary EG6. But if you ask me to choose between an EG and a Civic FD2R, it is the latter without a doubt. Because for me, I grew up in this generation where I want the electronics, airbags and stuff. Standards change over time and it is unfair to compare old Alfas with new Alfas and conclude that Alfa has lost the plot. It is better to compare Alfa with what is on the market. So long as it has more soul and passion over its competitors, it is doing a pretty good job already. Considering you are prob younger than me, I suggest you test drive the Alfas of today before making your remarks.

[Ferraricalifornia]

you should be comparing the MiTo with the VW Polo rather than the Golf....

 

totally different sized hatchbacks, different purpose, different handling....

 

the 159 was the last of the true sporty Alfa most would come to know about....

 

but looks wise, previous generation prior to the 159 would be much more iconic....

 

i'm looking for the sharp handling, sporty exhaust note (most important) and iconic head turning looks in an Alfa romeo....

[Pheonix4]

I have never tried any of the old Alfas because I am too young.

 

If you said that it has lost its soul or passion, then I think the old Alfas must have been damn bloody good. Because I have tried the Mito and it is already miles more fun than the Golf or any other small hatch I have tried (my subjective opinion). Furthermore, all the 159 owners I know (2 of them) tell me they love revving their car and driving spiritedly. The 159 really can ignite excitement in them compared to other cars they have driven. All of us agree that after getting out from an Alfa drive, we have a smile on our faces.

 

One thing you must note is that many of those who complain are of an older generation that has a different set of expectations. Take Honda for e.g.; many from my dad's generation are die hard honda fans because of the legendary EG6. But if you ask me to choose between an EG and a Civic FD2R, it is the latter without a doubt. Because for me, I grew up in this generation where I want the electronics, airbags and stuff. Standards change over time and it is unfair to compare old Alfas with new Alfas and conclude that Alfa has lost the plot. It is better to compare Alfa with what is on the market. So long as it has more soul and passion over its competitors, it is doing a pretty good job already. Considering you are prob younger than me, I suggest you test drive the Alfas of today before making your remarks.

 

Good point there bro. In my case I test-drove the Polo and Golf before the MiTo. I ended up buying the latter and becoming a new fan of Alfa Romeo in the process. Not to discredit the Golf and the Polo; they are obviously two great cars and probably in most circumstances, statistically, most people will choose a Volkswagen over an Alfa. I personally preferred the MiTo. Have since attended a couple of AROC meetups and some of the guys there have kindly offered to give me a ride in their Alfas. Perhaps only after I've tried their Alfas will I be able to judge for myself how the newer models match up against the earlier ones.

 

[Felipe]

you should be comparing the MiTo with the VW Polo rather than the Golf....

 

totally different sized hatchbacks, different purpose, different handling....

 

the 159 was the last of the true sporty Alfa most would come to know about....

 

but looks wise, previous generation prior to the 159 would be much more iconic....

 

i'm looking for the sharp handling, sporty exhaust note (most important) and iconic head turning looks in an Alfa romeo....

actually, i won't consider the 159 the last true sporty Alfa though it def looks sporty. For me, it will be the 156/147/Alfa GT era since they were the last models to be launched before 159 came out. It's still a great car, but it's just a bit more sedated compared to its older siblings. But it still stands out among its competitors.

[Felipe]

I have never tried any of the old Alfas because I am too young.

 

If you said that it has lost its soul or passion, then I think the old Alfas must have been damn bloody good. Because I have tried the Mito and it is already miles more fun than the Golf or any other small hatch I have tried (my subjective opinion). Furthermore, all the 159 owners I know (2 of them) tell me they love revving their car and driving spiritedly. The 159 really can ignite excitement in them compared to other cars they have driven. All of us agree that after getting out from an Alfa drive, we have a smile on our faces.

 

One thing you must note is that many of those who complain are of an older generation that has a different set of expectations. Take Honda for e.g.; many from my dad's generation are die hard honda fans because of the legendary EG6. But if you ask me to choose between an EG and a Civic FD2R, it is the latter without a doubt. Because for me, I grew up in this generation where I want the electronics, airbags and stuff. Standards change over time and it is unfair to compare old Alfas with new Alfas and conclude that Alfa has lost the plot. It is better to compare Alfa with what is on the market. So long as it has more soul and passion over its competitors, it is doing a pretty good job already. Considering you are prob younger than me, I suggest you test drive the Alfas of today before making your remarks.

The older Alfas were bloody good as they more exciting and not very easy to drive with a heavy clutch.

 

You are right. However good the past is, it's only important to compare Alfa with the current competitors and i still think the newer Alfas are more exciting to drive, still very Italian and makes you wanna rev and throw the car in corners.

 

btw, here are some comments from an Alfa delphi forums. thought it reflects what the old guys think about newer alfas but then, they still buy the newer Alfas. I suspect i would do the same when i change car.

 

this is a koon car man

 

car too comfortable and quiet, selespeed still sucks, my clutch control confirm smoother and faster, gimme a pedal anytime

 

brakes very 'eat', 1st alfa i own that i didn't throw out the original brakes on 1st day. front standard 4 pot some more.....

 

my 75 standard alfa recaro seats is world best, 159 standard seats sucks, i can never find a comfortable driving position no matter how much i play with those damn buttons to move around. sian

 

car has so little character that it makes me drives slow slow, dont feel like stepping or chionging, sometimes drive 1 hand also, die

 

mileage so far 2k+ km, still driving under 4k rpm to run in. doesnt matter, dont feel like revving anyway. die

 

never bother to wash car, kena scolding from wife. people thought i bought 2nd hand. maybe will put lower springs or exhaust to try and get some kick, but this car makes me lazy to step brake change gear so dunno want to lower or not .....

 

on the other hand wife's boxster s very good drive even if it is an auto. feels like a proper car, all firm and proper weighted steering feel, brakes, throttle, suspension, seat, definitely not your comfy car like the soft 159. but i drive slower when driving the boxster, cuz damn car sure will make me lose license one day ........

 

drive 159 i already feel like that, the most sporty feel of all the merc, bmw and audi i tested, if bought those i everyday sleep in car. lucky i still got my 75 around to have fun

 

p.s. some sensitive comments were omitted.

Edited June 9, 2010 by Felipe

[TandemAssassin]

you should be comparing the MiTo with the VW Polo rather than the Golf....

 

totally different sized hatchbacks, different purpose, different handling....

 

the 159 was the last of the true sporty Alfa most would come to know about....

 

but looks wise, previous generation prior to the 159 would be much more iconic....

 

i'm looking for the sharp handling, sporty exhaust note (most important) and iconic head turning looks in an Alfa romeo....

 

The thing that I am talking about is that it must all be relative to current standards. By current standards, and looking at competitors within the same price range, I would say the Mito is indeed outstanding. If you want to compare with the Polo, then it is even clearer than the Mito is way sportier.

 

Why don't you put your money where your mouth (opinion) is? Imagine you are looking to buy a super small hatch. Now shortlist those that fall within the price range of a Mito. Next, go and test drive and check each one out, including the Mito. And tell us if the Alfa brand is really as diluted as you seem to think it is.

 

Those who have read some of my other posts will know that I have been looking to change my car and hence have been somewhat of a test drive slut. Due to financial constraints, this plan has been shelved. But I have been approaching this issue with dead seriousness and thus far, I have been most impressed with the Mito. But it is too expensive. Have to make do with prob a SSS when my finances get better.