2025 Alfa Romeo Giulia

Like many cars in the brand’s history, the best of the modern Alfa Romeos are agile, powerful, and have exhaust noises that enthusiasts will enjoy. Most models also have unusual details that can be either endearing or annoying—for example, a B-pillar set far enough forward to inhibit entry, exit, and visibility. For the U.S. market, Alfa sells a sporty sedan and small SUVs. All are generally fun to drive, with sharp handling and quick power. Their exterior and interior design helps distinguish them from other higher-volume luxury brands. These benefits are weighed down by odd controls and below-average predicted reliability, which also makes used models difficult to recommend.

The Giulia is Alfa's entry in the compact-luxury-sport-sedan segment. It corners and steers like a sports car, making it fun to drive. The 280-hp, 2.0-liter turbo four is mated to an eight-speed automatic and provides punchy acceleration even in the all-wheel-drive version. Ride comfort is civilized even though it has a firm edge. Fuel economy at 27 mpg overall is one of the best in the class. The interior is attractive with matte wood and nicely textured surfaces but cheap switchgear detracts. The infotainment system is too convoluted and distracting. Seat comfort is compromised by a short cushion and limited range of adjustments. The trunk is small. The top-trim, high-performance Quadrifoglio version uses a 505-hp, 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 and ups the ante in the sport quotient at the expense of comfort. Standard advanced safety features such as forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking are new for 2020. A new 8.8-inch touch-screen infotainment system and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility are standard. Also added are interior trim enhancements, and a more user-friendly infotainment system. For 2025, the high-performance Quadrifoglio version is discontinued.