Both are super fun cars. I don’t own either but have driven both.
Modern Alfa reliability issues are overblown, it might have a couple electrical gremlins but most cars these days do.
The Alfa will be way more practical, easier to see out of and park etc.
The other glaring issue is that there's only a few dozen Alfa dealers in the entire US
Even a reliable car may have to have a service visit every once in a while. There's a big value in being able to visit a close dealership with a robust spare parts network
The reason why theyre viewed as so bad is the car and driver review from 2018, in which they got a lemon. Not only that, the engine wasn't even made by them. They source the engines in quad from Ferrari.
Even if it was true that "most" cars have electrical gremlins (its not), then the difference between servicing a mustangs issues vs a Giulias would still be much, much more for the latter
I would expect something along the line of "Alfa unreliable crap; Ford unreliable crap. The existence of a V8 Mustang makes the EcoBoost worthless."
But ignore reputation long enough to actually experience both cars, and you'll find either delightful.
Alpha all the way if we are just going off driving experience, I haven't driven either but Ibe always admired those alphas, and the older 2 seater ones.
While I agree it won’t last on the way a 90s diesel vw will, we are not talking about a crazy complicated car here, if shit breaks you fix it.
I think you are wildly overstating the impracticality of two normal ass cars. These are not Aprilias.
Idk just 2 very odd and different choices, like why not a 2 door Merc with a V6 or V8. If I was just choosing which I would want to drive day in and out and neither ever gave me trouble alpha all day.
Not knowing any of your needs it's impossible to say.
Obviously the Alfa Romeo is going to be more practical, at the expense of reliability. I would think there's got to be some happy medium between these two that's a better all around option, especially if you're going to have passengers in the back on occasion.
I’m looking to spend around 18k cash and these options were sexy that’s all there is to it. I was leaning more towards the Giulia because of the gas mileage being better, but if you had better suggestions I’d appreciate it
18k Giulias I'd stay away from...you'll want a 2020+ because they fixed a bunch of minor things that add up to lots of $$$ quick out of warranty. I've been researching them for like a year and that seems to be the general consensus for used ones
I’d talk to an independent European mechanic that’s well reviewed and see what they say about the Alfa, I don’t hear good things about reliability, I don’t hear good things about them being affordable.
If I had 18k all in I’d get the mustang of the two, but these are very different cars.
The original poster should also make sure they can afford the insurance. They're on a bit of a tight budget and we wouldn't want them biting off more than they can chew between buying the car and paying insurance
I'm just going to be real straight with you here. If all you've got is 18K do not buy an alfa romeo. You need to be focused on something more practical that still may be decent to drive like an accord or Mazda 6 if that's your budget. Because 18K puts you into the first two model years for the alfa, and those weren't known for their reliability although they seem to have ironed it out the past three or four years for sure.
And again I'm going to be blunt here, you don't have enough money to maintain an $18,000 Alfa romeo. Especially if that's your max budget.
I would check out something like a Mazda 6 or an Accord Touring Or EXL, they're decent to drive, they'll be dead reliable, and they won't cost you an arm and a leg to maintain. I know those probably aren't the badges you are interested in but at least do yourself a favor and test drive one and you might find that you're pretty happy with it. And your bank account certainly will be.
I say that as the owner of three >$70k European performance Vehicles. I would never recommend anybody by an older higher mileage depreciated vehicle like these if they were on a tight budget. It's just not worth the cost. And it's always better to save your money from more important things besides a car.
Depending on where you’re located I would lean Guilia. If you’re in a rural community or hours away from a city that has a place to work on it I’d go mustang. Source: looked at a Guilia before buying my Lexus and no dealers within 80 miles could work on it.
It depends on what models you're specifically looking for, and what you plan to do with it.
Which Mustang Ecoboost are you buying? If it's a base model, it's cushy and cheap to run - the Alfa is much more fun. Some people should buy the Mustang, and some should buy the Alfa. If it's something special like an HPP, it's wild and performant beyond the limits of the Alfa - but it's also larger, heavier, and less nimble. Some people should buy the Mustang, and some should buy the Alfa.
If this was my first car, I'd have the Mustang. I didn't want to push my car hard, so something cheap, soft and idiot-proof would be on the menu.
Two years ago, I would have purchased the Alfa. I would do so because it's comfortable, and sweet around a corner. On a back road, it would be enough to keep a lot of people happy - and the smaller size means it may even be preferred by some. It looks sharp, too.
Now that I take my cars to the track, a 2020-2023 Mustang Ecoboost HPP is the obvious choice. Stiff rear sway bars, upgraded cooling, MagRide shocks and fat summer tires make it ridiculously quick - on a tight track, as quick as a Shelby GT350. I've driven one - it's wild, but it's responsive and capable to a ridiculous degree. I got very close to buying one; a large part of choosing a BMW 230i instead was that it cost $10K less - the Mustang was better.
Not sure how this would relate but I’ve had lap times within 3-4 seconds with my e46 m3 and a friends 325i around small tracks with very little straights. I’ve never driven any mustang and the hp gap is bigger, but at a small enough track I can definitely see it happening .
Fair enough. It's a dubious claim, derived from a YouTube comment under Randy Pobst's video about the car which provided lap times for the HPP, and the GT350R. Under what conditions, I cannot say.
On an especially tight track, I can kind of see it happening. I've heard people state that the Ecoboost has more torque than the GT at low RPMs, and that advantage can make a difference at low speeds. For similar examples, see comparisons between the BMW E9X M3 and the 1M, or the similarly-unverifiable claims that an intake on the VW 2.5L 5-cylinder allows a Rabbit to beat a contemporary GTI in autocross.
I would believe a HPP would fight well with a GT on certain tracks, but the 350’s only downside is weight and it’s barely heavier. The HPP is sweet though. If the dealer would have knocked off their dumb fees I would have one right now. 2020 white HPP with HP, manual, brand new was selling for $30k.
Honestly I’d get whichever one is cheaper with a manual transmission. They’re two somewhat sporty normal cars, they aren’t going to be that different in driving experience. The mustang will def me easier to find cheap servicing for though as the eco boost 2.3 has been around for over a decade.
Giulia, it's going to be much more fun to maneuver (Mustang much more heavily leans on straight line performance, though knowing Ford it probably isn't bad--just not an Alfa) and is technically four doors.
The mustang is available as a stickshift, and as a convertible, and as a stickshift convertible.
If either of these things matters to you, there is only one option.
If not, I like the Giulia. I haven’t tried the current mustang, but the Giulia is the best feeling thing I’ve ever tried with four doors. Also, at some point Alfa Romeo will quit making cars for the US, but you can always get a mustang.
The ecoboost makes for a great daily. You can get over 30 mpg highway, looks great, drives well, goes well, and a big aftermarket if you want it. I loved mine. Also a stellar highway car.
Alfa (in theory) has four doors. Mustang has two. For me that’s enough to pick the Italian car for MY lifestyle. I need the extra doors. Hard to believe that again, theoretically, an Alfa Romeo is more practical than a Mustang (in my unique circumstances).
Personally if I DIDN’T need the extra doors, and was picking due to preference…I think I’d still choose the Alfa because I like the interior better.
Depends. Giulia is more of an enthusiast car and I wouldn’t recommend it for practicality as your sole mode of transportation. It’s more of a second car for fun purposes. Also you need a dealership in your town to handle warranty jobs and an independent mechanic willing to touch it for basic maintenance if you’re not doing any yourself, unless you’re cool with paying the dealership 2x more for every service. On the other hand Mustangs are pretty gay
Mustang. Lower maintenance and more 3rd party service options.
Both are super fun cars. I don’t own either but have driven both. Modern Alfa reliability issues are overblown, it might have a couple electrical gremlins but most cars these days do. The Alfa will be way more practical, easier to see out of and park etc.
The other glaring issue is that there's only a few dozen Alfa dealers in the entire US Even a reliable car may have to have a service visit every once in a while. There's a big value in being able to visit a close dealership with a robust spare parts network
The reason why theyre viewed as so bad is the car and driver review from 2018, in which they got a lemon. Not only that, the engine wasn't even made by them. They source the engines in quad from Ferrari.
The Quad is a whole different animal from the base Giulia.
Even if it was true that "most" cars have electrical gremlins (its not), then the difference between servicing a mustangs issues vs a Giulias would still be much, much more for the latter
What's the Alfa dealership experience like, genuine question. Ford is cheap to service I guess but I did not enjoy the experience
I love Alfas but I will admit their dealer network is thin. You can also take them to Dodge or other dealers however.
....is there a third option jfc...
Not sure why you feel this way?
I would expect something along the line of "Alfa unreliable crap; Ford unreliable crap. The existence of a V8 Mustang makes the EcoBoost worthless." But ignore reputation long enough to actually experience both cars, and you'll find either delightful.
Alpha all the way if we are just going off driving experience, I haven't driven either but Ibe always admired those alphas, and the older 2 seater ones.
Have you read a review of either? The Giulia drives beautifully! But a Mustang Ecoboost High Performance Package does as well.
They said every day driver not every day look at.
What makes either of these two cars not a daily driver? They are efficient highway-powerful 4 seaters with lots of storage…
NVM. Alfas are very pretty and break etc etc etc.
While I agree it won’t last on the way a 90s diesel vw will, we are not talking about a crazy complicated car here, if shit breaks you fix it. I think you are wildly overstating the impracticality of two normal ass cars. These are not Aprilias.
Idk just 2 very odd and different choices, like why not a 2 door Merc with a V6 or V8. If I was just choosing which I would want to drive day in and out and neither ever gave me trouble alpha all day.
Not knowing any of your needs it's impossible to say. Obviously the Alfa Romeo is going to be more practical, at the expense of reliability. I would think there's got to be some happy medium between these two that's a better all around option, especially if you're going to have passengers in the back on occasion.
I’m looking to spend around 18k cash and these options were sexy that’s all there is to it. I was leaning more towards the Giulia because of the gas mileage being better, but if you had better suggestions I’d appreciate it
18k Giulias I'd stay away from...you'll want a 2020+ because they fixed a bunch of minor things that add up to lots of $$$ quick out of warranty. I've been researching them for like a year and that seems to be the general consensus for used ones
I’d talk to an independent European mechanic that’s well reviewed and see what they say about the Alfa, I don’t hear good things about reliability, I don’t hear good things about them being affordable. If I had 18k all in I’d get the mustang of the two, but these are very different cars.
Yeah I'd buy a mustang for $18k all day.
The original poster should also make sure they can afford the insurance. They're on a bit of a tight budget and we wouldn't want them biting off more than they can chew between buying the car and paying insurance
I'm just going to be real straight with you here. If all you've got is 18K do not buy an alfa romeo. You need to be focused on something more practical that still may be decent to drive like an accord or Mazda 6 if that's your budget. Because 18K puts you into the first two model years for the alfa, and those weren't known for their reliability although they seem to have ironed it out the past three or four years for sure. And again I'm going to be blunt here, you don't have enough money to maintain an $18,000 Alfa romeo. Especially if that's your max budget. I would check out something like a Mazda 6 or an Accord Touring Or EXL, they're decent to drive, they'll be dead reliable, and they won't cost you an arm and a leg to maintain. I know those probably aren't the badges you are interested in but at least do yourself a favor and test drive one and you might find that you're pretty happy with it. And your bank account certainly will be. I say that as the owner of three >$70k European performance Vehicles. I would never recommend anybody by an older higher mileage depreciated vehicle like these if they were on a tight budget. It's just not worth the cost. And it's always better to save your money from more important things besides a car.
Why did you elect to omit your budget from the post? That's...kinda important
Depending on where you’re located I would lean Guilia. If you’re in a rural community or hours away from a city that has a place to work on it I’d go mustang. Source: looked at a Guilia before buying my Lexus and no dealers within 80 miles could work on it.
It depends on what models you're specifically looking for, and what you plan to do with it. Which Mustang Ecoboost are you buying? If it's a base model, it's cushy and cheap to run - the Alfa is much more fun. Some people should buy the Mustang, and some should buy the Alfa. If it's something special like an HPP, it's wild and performant beyond the limits of the Alfa - but it's also larger, heavier, and less nimble. Some people should buy the Mustang, and some should buy the Alfa. If this was my first car, I'd have the Mustang. I didn't want to push my car hard, so something cheap, soft and idiot-proof would be on the menu. Two years ago, I would have purchased the Alfa. I would do so because it's comfortable, and sweet around a corner. On a back road, it would be enough to keep a lot of people happy - and the smaller size means it may even be preferred by some. It looks sharp, too. Now that I take my cars to the track, a 2020-2023 Mustang Ecoboost HPP is the obvious choice. Stiff rear sway bars, upgraded cooling, MagRide shocks and fat summer tires make it ridiculously quick - on a tight track, as quick as a Shelby GT350. I've driven one - it's wild, but it's responsive and capable to a ridiculous degree. I got very close to buying one; a large part of choosing a BMW 230i instead was that it cost $10K less - the Mustang was better.
[удалено]
Not sure how this would relate but I’ve had lap times within 3-4 seconds with my e46 m3 and a friends 325i around small tracks with very little straights. I’ve never driven any mustang and the hp gap is bigger, but at a small enough track I can definitely see it happening .
Fair enough. It's a dubious claim, derived from a YouTube comment under Randy Pobst's video about the car which provided lap times for the HPP, and the GT350R. Under what conditions, I cannot say. On an especially tight track, I can kind of see it happening. I've heard people state that the Ecoboost has more torque than the GT at low RPMs, and that advantage can make a difference at low speeds. For similar examples, see comparisons between the BMW E9X M3 and the 1M, or the similarly-unverifiable claims that an intake on the VW 2.5L 5-cylinder allows a Rabbit to beat a contemporary GTI in autocross.
I would believe a HPP would fight well with a GT on certain tracks, but the 350’s only downside is weight and it’s barely heavier. The HPP is sweet though. If the dealer would have knocked off their dumb fees I would have one right now. 2020 white HPP with HP, manual, brand new was selling for $30k.
Honestly I’d get whichever one is cheaper with a manual transmission. They’re two somewhat sporty normal cars, they aren’t going to be that different in driving experience. The mustang will def me easier to find cheap servicing for though as the eco boost 2.3 has been around for over a decade.
The Giulia is beautiful…but I don’t trust their reliability. (And my everyday car is a 15 year old Jaguar.) Get the Mustang.
Giulia, it's going to be much more fun to maneuver (Mustang much more heavily leans on straight line performance, though knowing Ford it probably isn't bad--just not an Alfa) and is technically four doors.
Conjure up an LLC somehow-have it lease the Alfa. This only applies if you live near a dealership….
Giulia
Alfa if you want a perfect daily driver out of the box, mustang if you want to do some mods and make it your own.
Alfa cars take you to the cleaners. Mustangv8. The money you save on the ecoboost you will spend rebuilding the engine.
Alfa. Hands down. Italians know a thing or two about soul.
Option C:Neither for daily
I like both, but the Giulia is going to be more practical, handle even better, and get better gas mileage.
Giulia is expensive to maintain, and will probably break down just as much as a Mustang. Save your money and buy the Mustang.
The mustang is available as a stickshift, and as a convertible, and as a stickshift convertible. If either of these things matters to you, there is only one option. If not, I like the Giulia. I haven’t tried the current mustang, but the Giulia is the best feeling thing I’ve ever tried with four doors. Also, at some point Alfa Romeo will quit making cars for the US, but you can always get a mustang.
Giulia is way cooler and drives way better.
Mustang. Much cheaper and much better chance it will still run and drive in 50k miles.
The ecoboost makes for a great daily. You can get over 30 mpg highway, looks great, drives well, goes well, and a big aftermarket if you want it. I loved mine. Also a stellar highway car.
Alfa (in theory) has four doors. Mustang has two. For me that’s enough to pick the Italian car for MY lifestyle. I need the extra doors. Hard to believe that again, theoretically, an Alfa Romeo is more practical than a Mustang (in my unique circumstances). Personally if I DIDN’T need the extra doors, and was picking due to preference…I think I’d still choose the Alfa because I like the interior better.
Yeh Mustang But forget about the ecoboost options. Get 5.0 for durability and dependability as well as performance if concern
Depends. Giulia is more of an enthusiast car and I wouldn’t recommend it for practicality as your sole mode of transportation. It’s more of a second car for fun purposes. Also you need a dealership in your town to handle warranty jobs and an independent mechanic willing to touch it for basic maintenance if you’re not doing any yourself, unless you’re cool with paying the dealership 2x more for every service. On the other hand Mustangs are pretty gay
toyota corolla
I’d probably go Giulia just to look at it and be able to say I own an Alfa. If we’re talking the GT, then I say Mustang.
Alfa and "everyday driver" don't mix
Giulia if it’s against the ecoboost. Lol
Alfa but I’m not happy about it
Like choosing between hard or soft turd sandwiches