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Why wouldn't you buy an Alfa Romeo? (keep it civilized)
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Just looking at 2017 model 320d and Giulia diesels on Autotrader. Literally dozens upon dozens of BMWs for sale for between £15-19k. There is only one Giulia below £20k and most are priced between £21k and £22k. Now they cost basically the same first day. To me that would suggest BMW amazing resale values are greatly exaggerated and Alfa Giulia resale value is actually pretty decent.
What I see is an advertised value... Time will show if it will sell
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What I see is an advertised value... Time will show if it will sell
I'm sure if they weren't selling then they would be advertised at lower prices. There would at least be one of two priced very low. Dealers aren't that patient. Even for arguments sake that they did have to cut the price by £3k to sell it they would still be around the same price as the BMWs. This is not in any way astronomical resale value.
The 172 Kia Stinger GT on done deal for €30k less than it's retail price is astronomical depreciation though.0 -
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Avatar MIA wrote: »Sorry to burst bubbles.
I bought a brand new 159 TI 2.4l JTDM and would be the target market for the Giulia.
It was a cracking car, and loved it one day, hated it the next. The problem I had, and why I'll never buy another Alfa is because the car came with two issues (that I remember).
1. Severely wearing tyres, back tyres wore unevenly and were goosed after 5k km. These cost €330 a corner (actually €330 plus VAT one time with the main dealer)
2. The windscreen wiper wouldn't clear the full windscreen, it left a gap right in the driver's view.
Oh, there was a third. The car would veer to the left once I took my hand off the steering wheel.
The first two issues later became known issues, and the veering to the left never really got fixed. The 19" OEM tyres were blamed by the main dealer.
My current car has 20" wheels and will drive dead straight if I take my hands off the wheel, unless the camber takes it.
These three issues destroyed my enjoyment of my first ever new car, and it wasn't a cheap option. And the Main dealer could not fix them, despite many visits. So, while a car can have issues, even known issues, but if you've no confidence in the main dealer then you'll not buy their cars.
Issues one and two were fixed by TIAuto in Dublin, a very good and dedicated mechanic that lives and breathes Alfas. Alas, the closest I'll get to another Alfa is as I pass one on the road.
Not bursting any bubbles on my part
10 years ago, I had new Nissan Almera. The timing chain stretched & left me stranded on the motorway. A few weeks later, a sensor failed & left me stranded again. That wouldn't put me off buying any Nissan ever again (assuming they brought out a car that I actually liked).
Alfas are not perfect. Nor are Nissan, BMW, Merc, Audi, Lexus... or any other car brand. Alfa are struggling because they're saddled with a poor reputation from 30 years ago. Hence their current low sales volumes (less than 100 new Alfas were registered in Ireland in 2018). Lack of sales means lower investment in marketing, finance & dealer network.
I'd argue Alfa's biggest problem today is nothing to do with the cars themselves, but everything to do with marketing and business strategy. If you look at how VW turned Skoda around, they did it by:
1. Improving the cars to be as good as / better than the competition
2. Smart marketing / pricing / finance packages which enabled them to re-position the Skoda brand. This led to increased sales & everything that comes with that.
Nowadays, you can't drive more than 5mins without passing a VW billboard or dealership. Turn on the telly & VW group ads are everywhere. Same with online / viral marketing. It's hard to believe now that back in the 80s, Skodas were often referred to as "skips on wheels". Not anymore (and rightly so).
Alfa have already managed to improve the cars. The vast majority of Giulia and Stevio reviews are positive. The industry considers them very good cars. They perform very well in reliability surveys. The problem is that the wider buying public are not convinced. This thread confirms that. Alfa need to address that public perception, or they'll remain (at best) a niche brand for people who are willing to drive something different.0 -
Alfa have already managed to improve the cars. The vast majority of Giulia and Stevio reviews are positive. The industry considers them very good cars. They perform very well in reliability surveys. The problem is that the wider buying public are not convinced. This thread confirms that. Alfa need to address that public perception, or they'll remain (at best) a niche brand for people who are willing to drive something different.
Remember, I paid for one. A new one, so I was willing to give them a chance. But, the 156 was their last chance at being a mainstream player. It got a huge amount of publicity, but from the feedback the car let them down from a reliability point of view. Maybe that's only perception, but I doubt it. Either way the lovely 159 tanked and the Giulla doesn't appear to be doing near enough sales. On that basis, I think they're going to go the same way as SAAB (maybe it's me, I owned a 2.0t 9-3 prior to the 159) - now, I DO miss that sometimes 0 -
Avatar MIA wrote: »Remember, I paid for one. A new one, so I was willing to give them a chance. But, the 156 was their last chance at being a mainstream player. It got a huge amount of publicity, but from the feedback the car let them down from a reliability point of view. Maybe that's only perception, but I doubt it. Either way the lovely 159 tanked and the Giulla doesn't appear to be doing near enough sales. On that basis, I think they're going to go the same way as SAAB (maybe it's me, I owned a 2.0t 9-3 prior to the 159) - now, I DO miss that sometimes
Yip, there's a lot of similarities between Saab & Alfa. Maybe Alfa have left it too late. Be a real shame to see them go. The Giulia is the best thing they've done in a long time. I'm not a fan of SUVs, so not really keen on the Stelvio.0 -
Avatar MIA wrote: »Remember, I paid for one. A new one, so I was willing to give them a chance. But, the 156 was their last chance at being a mainstream player. It got a huge amount of publicity, but from the feedback the car let them down from a reliability point of view. Maybe that's only perception, but I doubt it. Either way the lovely 159 tanked and the Giulla doesn't appear to be doing near enough sales. On that basis, I think they're going to go the same way as SAAB (maybe it's me, I owned a 2.0t 9-3 prior to the 159) - now, I DO miss that sometimes
Funny you mention the 9-3, (which had the Fiat engine - just like the Alfa!), but I had a brand new hired one once back in the day and it was much less well bolted together than the 159. I was shocked. I liked them before that. GM destroyed them good and proper. Things like the window switches rattling around in the housings when you went to operate them etc. Really terrible.
The previous 9-5 was much better, and the old 900 and 9000i were fantastic.0 -
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I've had a few Alfa's and now have a modest (fairly utilitarian) Land Rover. I'm fussy about servicing, oil, timing chains/belts and tend to look after my cars and that attitude has meant the cars served me well and didn't cost me much. My Alfa GTV was a thing of beauty and bucked the aesthetic trends, small things like the door handles, the light clusters, the general design and look of the Italian cars attracted them to me. I found the driving experience second to none.
I still never went Audi/BMW/Corrolla/Rover mini/entry level Merc/beige mainstream even pre-kids when I could afford it Although, I did go through a Golf GTI and Focus ST phase.
Some people see the German 2 litre diesel as a sign of "I've arrived" I see it as "I've succumbed" and toddle in to work in an ancient Clio sport or on the bike much to the horror of my contemporaries in their grey, dull 5 series.
I may dabble in something 80's and interesting when the kids are older, but I'm not as car reliant as a lot of people.0 -
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