hdcolumbus' Alfa Romeo thread
#121
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Edit: In hindsight, I should have done the fogs too…
Last edited by hdcolumbus; 05-21-2021 at 12:02 AM.
#122
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I’m so fucking jealous. Our lease is coming up. I love the Alfa and will one day get a used Giulia but I am trying to go EV. I wanted buy out the lease but wife says she doesn’t love the Stelvio like I do.
we’ll see…
we’ll see…
#123
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He’s one of the larger dealers in NA and gets dibs on a lot of newer stuff. He had the last production 4C ever made on his lot for about 30s in January and is getting one of the 33 4C Stradales in this summer. He’s trying to talk me into getting a QV Giulia, staying with a 2.0 Stelvio and grabbing up the 4C Stradale. It’s kind of in a bidding war at the moment and he’ll likely get way over MSRP for it.
Stradale news: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a3...buto-revealed/
Pics:
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#124
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I’m not banking on the Tonales release any time soon. Supposedly delayed to rework the chassis for EV.
I love all the doom and gloom over the Giorgio platform as if it’s the end of Alfa. Like the engineers won’t use it as a basis for future vehicles…
I love all the doom and gloom over the Giorgio platform as if it’s the end of Alfa. Like the engineers won’t use it as a basis for future vehicles…
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hdcolumbus (05-21-2021)
#125
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As much as I love the QV I still can't get over the service frequency and cost. Seems insane.
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#126
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#127
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dealer cost is high. But there are really good independents out there who are way less money.
but the QV is a high performance vehicle. No different than any other in terms of care.
#128
Ex-OEM King
Spark plug changes every 30k miles at some super high price, that service runs like $900. Yearly service cost in the $400 range. All the major review outlets have had their cars in for service for a super long time for a wide variety of things. My coworker has one and his is at the dealership at least once every 6 weeks for some issue or another. Great car but can't get over that.
#129
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Spark plug changes every 30k miles at some super high price, that service runs like $900. Yearly service cost in the $400 range. All the major review outlets have had their cars in for service for a super long time for a wide variety of things. My coworker has one and his is at the dealership at least once every 6 weeks for some issue or another. Great car but can't get over that.
#130
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Spark plug changes every 30k miles at some super high price, that service runs like $900. Yearly service cost in the $400 range. All the major review outlets have had their cars in for service for a super long time for a wide variety of things. My coworker has one and his is at the dealership at least once every 6 weeks for some issue or another. Great car but can't get over that.
I realize Alfa's are not for everyone--and while they have their quirks, driving either a 2.0 or QV is unparalleled to any vehicle I've driven in their respective classes. There is a misconception about reliability (your anecdote aside), based on what people read. Alfa has now been in the US market long enough to have actual data associated with reliability instead of an author's 'predicted' reliability rating.
I can tell you this much from my own anecdotal perspective, I had a 2019 TLX SH-AWD A-Spec for one year and it was in the shop for a combined total of two months for various issues during that time--compared to a combined total of about 8 hours (scheduled service / warranty battery replacements) for two Alfas over two years
Last edited by hdcolumbus; 05-21-2021 at 03:26 PM.
#131
Ex-OEM King
I'm not doubting your anecdote, just adding my own to the mix.
It's one thing to have a notoriously unreliable car brand make a car that's anecdotally reliable and another to have a notoriously reliable brand make something that anecdotally isn't. Brand perception plays a lot into buying decisions.
It's one thing to have a notoriously unreliable car brand make a car that's anecdotally reliable and another to have a notoriously reliable brand make something that anecdotally isn't. Brand perception plays a lot into buying decisions.
#132
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I'm not doubting your anecdote, just adding my own to the mix.
It's one thing to have a notoriously unreliable car brand make a car that's anecdotally reliable and another to have a notoriously reliable brand make something that anecdotally isn't. Brand perception plays a lot into buying decisions.
It's one thing to have a notoriously unreliable car brand make a car that's anecdotally reliable and another to have a notoriously reliable brand make something that anecdotally isn't. Brand perception plays a lot into buying decisions.
I 100% agree — brand perception is everything, and honestly I don’t mind the masses not buying loads of Alfas. Even two years later I get people walking up and asking about both the Giulia and Stelvio—they’re so curious. I see a few more on the road here and there; but they are still relatively rare and there is something to be said about that feeling of exclusivity (another reason I was looking at a Lotus too, you don’t see them often) and community. It really reminds me of how Acura used to be, honestly—it’s what pulled me in.
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#133
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Updates—both still going strong, in fact, trading in the Stelvio for a 22 Stelvio Veloce (ordered), keeping the 19 Giulia Ti Sport (it’s appreciating) and just ordered a 22 Giulia Quadrifoglio in Ocra GT Junior spec. I was torn between that and the Verde Montreal; but I kept going back the Ocra—and from what I understand, the pictures simply do not provide a true account of the color. Excited to get both in—end of September and will report back. Same color spec in the Stelvio, they streamlined a lot of the options, removed like 17 colors and are going the mass production route (they claim for reliability; but, I suspect it’s because of cost savings).
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#134
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Very nice. Cant wait to see your QV!
We have one month left with our Stelvio and then no more Alfas for the time being sadly. Already sold the go pedal.
We have one month left with our Stelvio and then no more Alfas for the time being sadly. Already sold the go pedal.
#135
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#alfaromeozine
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hdcolumbus (08-10-2021)
#136
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#137
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#138
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And yep, Alfa scheduled to be fully EV in 2027. I’ll be holding onto my new Stelvio and my current Q4 for some time (and definitely the QV). I’m also in the market for a 4C launch edition, which I was close to pulling the trigger on one last month; but in the process of building a house and trying to stay as liquid as possible.
#139
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New Stelvio Veloce should be here within the week… The QV will be here next month (I’m still keeping my Q4, trading in the current Stelvio Ti for the Veloce). I’m not sure if I mentioned the color I went with on the QV; but I chose the Ocra GT Jr. GTAm livery color. The only one in Ohio that has a VIN and on a boat right now.
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#141
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hdcolumbus (10-20-2021)
#142
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hdcolumbus (10-20-2021)
#143
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Liking what I'm seeing on the Jr, but would want to see it in person first.
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hdcolumbus (10-20-2021)
#144
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#145
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Definitely an interesting color, works well with the lines on the Giulia. Didn't care for it as much on the Stelvio.
Either way, Giulia QF
Either way, Giulia QF
#146
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Having just seen and sat in a Ocra GT Veloce...you wont be disappointed. Its gorgeous!
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hdcolumbus (01-27-2022)
#147
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It finally came in today, just in time for winter! The new Veloce Stelvio arrived as well—I’m keeping the Q4 Giulia Ti Sport, trading in the current Stelvio (same specs, just Veloce trim and the new 21” wheels).
I’ll take delivery of the QV after swapping rubber, PPF and tint. The pictures absolutely do no do it justice—it’s a stunning color—and the anodized black calipers with red script were a nice surprise, it showed it shipping with red; but I was going to have to grow to love that combo as the red would detract from the Ocra GT.
Still on blocks here, dropped another 2.5” or so after removed, dealer has it in his showroom now. Pretty cool that the window sticker has “Custom Built for…my name” on both the QV and Stelvio.
More pics once I’m in possession of it!
I’ll take delivery of the QV after swapping rubber, PPF and tint. The pictures absolutely do no do it justice—it’s a stunning color—and the anodized black calipers with red script were a nice surprise, it showed it shipping with red; but I was going to have to grow to love that combo as the red would detract from the Ocra GT.
Still on blocks here, dropped another 2.5” or so after removed, dealer has it in his showroom now. Pretty cool that the window sticker has “Custom Built for…my name” on both the QV and Stelvio.
More pics once I’m in possession of it!
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#148
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#149
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Went ahead and took it home, along with the new Stelvio. Waited too long. I’ll PPF and tint over the winter break. Ended up just buying the QV and leasing the new Stelvio.
A few pics from at the dealer and I’m the garage:
A few pics from at the dealer and I’m the garage:
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#150
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Smart. I wouldn't have wanted the cars sitting exposed at the dealer for every numbskull to pull on the door handles and rub against it.
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#152
Ex-OEM King
60 degrees is not winter.
Car looks stellar. That color is amazing.
Car looks stellar. That color is amazing.
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#153
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Gorgeous. And 60 degrees?!?
Pffft. I'm -40 degrees just the other day. Fahrenheit.
Pffft. I'm -40 degrees just the other day. Fahrenheit.
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hdcolumbus (12-29-2021)
#154
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Agreed—I fully expected to have it parked for the next three months, but it’s been above freezing since I took delivery. I have to admit, I was a little nervous with RWD and stock P1 Corsas HP track tires; but honestly, with no moisture, above freezing and once they’re warm (and I don’t drive like an idiot), I really like them a lot. They’re going to be great in the summer. And thank you! I’ll shoot some video, try to capture more of the color—also, record a cold start. That Ferrari F154 is music to my ears.
Yeeeeeeeesh!
#155
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That car is beautiful!
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hdcolumbus (12-30-2021)
#157
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I came REALLY close to trading in the Q4 Ti Sport for this beauty last week. My dealer called me the night it came in—I told him I’d be up the next morning to take a look and seriously consider it if no one claimed it. One of his sales guys got someone from NC to trade in an 18 QV Stelvio with $20K in equity on it—going to drive up this week to trade. Dealer said he’d blow up the deal for me, but I couldn’t do that to his sales guy (he said he didn’t care, but c’mon) or the dude in NC. Although, in hindsight, I should have done it. Last year for the Ocra GT and Montreal Verde—and there are like 20 total in these QV colors in the US… Like the Ocra GT, the Montreal Verde is stunning in person. All of the different hues based on lighting—damn.
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1killercls (01-27-2022)
#159
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Bwahahahahahaha...anyone who would pay that is an idiot, and deserves to be separated from their money!
Not to mention the rest of the on that sticker.
Not to mention the rest of the on that sticker.
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#160
GEEZER
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