The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Fun personality
- Impressive handling
- Great performance
- Stellar Quadrifoglio
Dislikes
- Steering may be too fast
- So-so brake feel
- Somewhat small back seat
- Interior lacks special touch
Buying tip
features & specs
The 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia drips with personality, poise, and performance. Don’t overlook it.
What kind of vehicle is the 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia? What does it compare to?
The 2023 Giulia is a compact luxury sedan with a wide performance envelope. Compare it to the BMW 3-Series and Audi A4.
Is the 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia a good car/SUV?
While not without its flaws, the 2023 Giulia oozes charm and can be a riot to drive. Its reasonable value and terrific performance help it earn 6.4 out of 10 on the TCC scale. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia?
The Giulia lineup largely stands still, aside from a new Estrema trim level that adds adaptive dampers and a limited-slip rear differential, plus a few cosmetic bits.
Otherwise, the Giulia sticks with its svelte, curvy body with nods to Alfa’s past visible in its shield-style center grille and its curvy profile. Inside, it’s no match for Germany’s best, but then again the Giulia tends to undercut its European competitors when it comes to pricing.
The standard 280-hp 2.0-liter turbo-4 provides a rush of power to the rear or all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic. From there, the lineup vaults to Quadrifoglio the 505-hp, twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6 which shares quite a bit of Ferrari DNA. Base cars are plenty quick and reasonably frugal at 27 mpg combined, while the sportiest version is downright rapid.
More than just quick, though, the Giulia delivers sharp, immediate responses. It can be manic around town, but it comes into its own on a winding road.
Inside, the Giulia comes with standard leather and an 8.8-inch touchscreen with expected smartphone tech plus a bit more driver-assistance tech than some competitors.
How much does the 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia cost?
In base Sprint trim, the Giulia costs $45,545 to start, or $2,000 more with all-wheel drive. That model is plenty well-equipped with its leather and heated seats, its automatic emergency braking, its adaptive xenon lights, and its adaptive cruise control.
For about $12,000 more, the new Estrema trim may be worth a look for its upgraded cabin, adaptive dampers, and limited-slip differential. Sure, the Quadrifoglio tops $82,500, but it’s still the cheapest way into a Ferrari-derived powertrain.
Where is the 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia made?
In Italy.
2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia Styling
The Alfa Romeo Giulia remains a visual delight inside and out.
Is the Alfa Romeo Giulia a good-looking car?
It’s a true standout, even in this competitive field. We rate the 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia at 8 out of 10 for its style, with points above average for its exterior and a single nod to its interior.
Up front, the Giulia borrows the “scudetto” shield-style grille that has graced most Alfa Romeo models for decades. Avian-inspired headlights slide back toward curvy fenders, and they’re echoed at the rear. From the side, the Giulia casts an almost retro shadow with its rounded roofline and lack of hard angles.
Alfa Romeo offers a bunch of wheel choices starting at 17-inches, so shop carefully for the best look. Amped up in Quadrifoglio form, the Giulia looks almost sinister.
The sporty cabin features round air vents and circular gauges for a throwback style. The 8.8-inch touchscreen tilts toward the driver. The switches and knobs used here don’t give off the upscale vibe of, say, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, but the Giulia’s more reasonable price point serves as somewhat of a justification.
2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia Performance
The 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia can deliver breathtaking performance in the right configuration.
Rapid response from underhood, the steering wheel, and the suspension make the 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia an absolute joy to drive. It can be a little too manic for those seeking a sedate cruiser, but sports sedan enthusiasts will easily understand our 8 out of 10 performance rating.
Is the Alfa Romeo Giulia 4WD?
All-wheel drive is optional for $3,000 on 4-cylinder models, but it’s not available in Quadrifoglio trim.
How fast is the Alfa Romeo Giulia?
It’s plenty quick with the base turbo-4 underhood, and it’s downright ferocious with the Ferrari-derived V-6 in the Giulia Quadrifoglio.
By the numbers, the base turbo-4 puts out a solid 280 hp and 306 lb-ft of torque, good for a 5.1-second 0-60 mph sprint. The 8-speed automatic gearbox works brilliantly in the background to deliver lightning-fast shifts as needed.
Even better is the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6 in the Quadrifoglio, which delivers 505 hp and 443 lb-ft for a 3.8-second 0-60 mph run and a 191-mph top speed. The Giulia Quad’s V-6 sounds even better in person, too, with a wicked wail when pushed.
The ultra-zippy 11.8:1 steering ratio means razor-sharp responses, which can be perhaps a little too darty for smooth highway cruising. The stiff platform, double-wishbone front suspension, and 50/50 weight balance pair with available adaptive dampers and a limited-slip rear differential to make the Giulia a proper sports sedan.
The Quadrifoglio rides stiffly but is still tolerable so long as you live where roads are reasonably smooth.
The only downside here is the wooden brake feel, though the calipers themselves grab with authority.
2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia Comfort & Quality
The 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia doesn’t spoil passengers unless they’re in the front thrones.
Though it may cost upward of $45,000, the Alfa Romeo Giulia doesn’t impress for its interior accommodations. Sure, the heavily bolstered front seats are good for a point above average, but that’s where we stop. The Giula rates a 6 for comfort and quality.
Standard leather seats are heated and power-adjustable up front. Softer nappa leather is optional, while the Quadrifoglio offers extra-cost race-style Sparco seats that may be a bit tight for wider drivers.
Row two has OK space—35.4 inches of leg room—but narrow door openings mean it can be tough to slide in.
The 13.4 cubic-foot trunk is modest, even for a compact sedan.
Materials here are good enough, but just that. Some competitors do a better job making cabins feel special.
2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia Safety
The 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia has good crash-test scores and lots of standard tech.
How safe is the Alfa Romeo Giulia?
In what testing has been performed so far, the 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia has earned strong marks. Still, we’re waiting on full evaluations from the NHTSA and the IIHS before assigning it a score.
The IIHS has conducted some tests and found “Good” overall ratings. The NHTSA hasn’t smacked this pretty sedan into a wall yet.
Standard equipment impresses for the compact sports sedan segment. In addition to automatic emergency braking, you’ll find adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitors with steering assist, adaptive automatic high-beam headlights, and parking sensors. Active lane control and a more sophisticated highway driving assistance system that works in traffic jams are widely available.
2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia Features
The 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia is a fairly good value, though some competitors have broader lineups.
Good standard equipment and some optional high-tech features help the 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia earn a 7 on the TCC scale.
The standard Giulia Sprint comes in at $45,545 including a hefty $1,595 destination charge. That money buys 17-inch alloy wheels, leather seats, heated and power-adjustable front seats, a heated steering wheel, active safety tech, adaptive cruise control, and an 8.8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. A center console-mounted control knob serves as the main interface for the infotainment system, though the touchscreen works well enough.
The 4-year/50,000-mile warranty also includes a free first service visit within the first year of ownership.
Which Alfa Romeo Giulia should I buy?
The base Sprint is a decent value, but we’re tempted by this year’s new Giulia Estrema. Sure, it costs $56,685, but that money buys a lot of features: 19-inch wheels, a sunroof, adaptive dampers, a limited-slip rear differential, Harman/Kardon audio, extra leather trim inside, and a few other niceties.
How much is a fully loaded Alfa Romeo Giulia?
The Giulia Quadrifoglio comes in just over $81,000, though extras such as a carbon fiber roof can nudge it to nearly $92,000.
2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia Fuel Economy
For all its power, the 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia offers reasonable fuel economy.
Is the Alfa Romeo Giulia good on gas?
It’s not bad, but a hybrid version would help elevate its score above 3 out of 10. As it stands, the 2023 Giulia is estimated at 24 mpg city, 33 highway, 27 combined in base form. All-wheel drive zaps it to 23/31/26 mpg.
The Quadrifoglio comes in at 17/25/20 mpg, which really isn’t bad for 500-plus hp.
