Alfa Giulietta - Engine Choice

Scráib

I'm strongly considering buying a new Giulietta next year but I'm in a bit of a quandry, and I don't want to go test driving a car 3 months before I'm willing to cough up a bit of cash so I'll ask here first:

The Giulietta has a few engines, the two that have me interesred are the 1.4 Petrol Multiair and the 2.0 Diesel. On paper they have the same power (170Bhp) but the diesel is more economical and has lower CO2 emissions.

So my question would be this: Is the Diesel any good on an Alfa? They say those cars are all about the drive but if the Diesel engine turns out to be lazy and sound something like a tractor engine then the petrol is the better choice. If the Diesel is smooth, powerful and gives that famous Alfa drive then that's the one to have.

Does anyone have a clue about this?

eth0

TBi

cjt156

FIAT were the first to release the Common-rail diesel on the Alfa 156 in the late nineties. Since then this has become the de facto standard for diesel engines in passenger cars. Even VAG succumbed and copied the format eventually.

The JTD and JTDm engines were about as good as a modern diesel gets, though the BMW diesels seem to have cracked it lately. Through FIAT's dalliance with GM they proliferated through the brands as the Opel CDTi and Saab TiD. After the demise of the Busso V6 and the raspy Twinsparks the JTDm was the best engine ALFA had to offer - until the TBi arrived.

So, yeah the diesel is probably the better choice, though it will still smell like a bus depot and rattle like a tractor at idle.

dgt

If the 2.0 is like anything of the Fiat diesels of old, it will be seriously fast :cool:

Anyone remember Fiat's TD100? A peach of an engine ruined by Lucas and their sh*tty CAV diesel pumps :mad:

Ronnie Beck

cjt156 wrote: »

... though it will still smell like a bus depot and rattle like a tractor at idle.

Am I missing the humour here. If there engines are as good as you say they shouldn't sound or smell like this.

Ronnie Beck

Is the standard advice on buying a diesel car not still dependant on where you drive, no. of passengers etc. rather than how it sounds. I would still find it hard to recommend a modern diesel engine to someone who sits in traffic alot. Is this not asking for trouble with the emmision reducing technology ( seems to be designed to sell cars nowadays at the expense of reliability, and eventually sounding like a tractor, a false economy if you ask me) Then again I do live in the VE pump age driving around listening to pearl jam and the likes. So what would I know?

September1

Diesel would give you more miles per euro, and petrol would give you more fun per euro.

GavMan

Check here for the best advice going:

http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/alfa-giulietta/

bazz26

Ronnie Beck wrote: »

Am I missing the humour here. If there engines are as good as you say they shouldn't sound or smell like this.

Diesel engines are agricultural by design, all the sound proofing and other methods of refinement in the world can only go so far, the essence of what they are still remains to an extent.

Motormouth

I have had them both. The 2.0 170 Diesel is lovely, loads of mid range and not too bad on fuel. The 1.4 Multiair 170 is a wonderful wonderful engine- you HAVE to drive it before buying the diesel. Sounds like an Alfa should and is proper quick too. Obviously uses more fuel than my previous diesel, but far more fun!

zAbbo

I've the 1.4MA, but can only compare to the 1.6 Diesel and much preferred the MA. Wonderful car, especially in D mode.

The 2.0 Diesel is relatively rare in Ireland as well, while they are a good few 1.6 Turismo's around - which don't do the car justice at all.

If you happen to have a choice, try and test both the Lusso & Veloce trims.

ShadowHearth

I would go for petrol. Though I do have a love to small turbo charged petrol engines.

Alfa is all about style and driving sense. Somehow diesels tratatatabumbum kills it for me. I don't know how bad it is in Alfa, but after being in a few modern cars with Diesel engines I am really not a fan of it. Some cars are built to be comfortable and silent cruisers, but as soon as you drop that Diesel engine inside it becomes a rattling box.

delthedriver

Suggest contacting 166 Man , who appears to be the expert on Alfas.

166man

delthedriver wrote: »

Suggest contacting 166 Man , who appears to be the expert on Alfas.

Listen, you came on here spouting crap about Alfa's and how the one you had 15 years ago was poor and you still firmly believe that they should be avoided at all costs. I simply said you were wrong.

OP - I'd be going petrol all day long. The multiair is a fantastic engine and really punchy for it's size but if you want to sit back on the motorway it won't be killing you on fuel bills. With the petrols so good these days, I can't see the need to go diesel really.

Best of luck with what ever you buy.

delthedriver

166man wrote: »

Listen, you came on here spouting crap about Alfa's and how the one you had 15 years ago was poor and you still firmly believe that they should be avoided at all costs. I simply said you were wrong.

OP - I'd be going petrol all day long. The multiair is a fantastic engine and really punchy for it's size but if you want to sit back on the motorway it won't be killing you on fuel bills. With the petrols so good these days, I can't see the need to go diesel really.

Best of luck with what ever you buy.

To clarify , the thread under which I wrote titled "Alfa Romeo would you buy one." I was not the only person who had bad experiences with Alfas ! Op please feel free to read the aforementioned thread in its entirety.
Secondly I am in agreement with 166 man to go petrol, as with most modern petrol engines they are fairly fuel efficient.
Finally I was genuinely recommending 166 Man as he is up to speed on Alfas in general and felt he would make a fair contribution , which he has done.

Best wishes on whichever car you choose