Trials of a Quadrifoglio ownership: 1 year owners update
Posted by TheWolfofBinance@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 104 comments
[removed]
Posted by TheWolfofBinance@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 104 comments
[removed]
srsbsnssss@reddit
alfa cant leave NA soon enough so that these can drop like a rock
TheWolfofBinance@reddit (OP)
it's louder than any M car from the inside once you disable the fake noises lol
srsbsnssss@reddit
alfa could use more enthusiasts this side of the pond and a lower barrier to entry/accessibility will help with that
crazy to think the Fiata was originally going to be an alfa
i never claimed it to be ferrari-derived but it is '-like'
https://www.giuliaforums.com/threads/the-2-9-v6-bi-turbo-explained-by-gianluca-pivetti-head-of-engine-development-alfa-romeo.51549/
Bradymyhero@reddit
Nice write up. I figured after 2020 the reliability on them has improved but still seems to be an issue.
I have a 2021 Giulia Ti and it's been a gem to drive and own. Has had a couple reliability hiccups but overall I trust the car. I can't bring myself to get a QV however. Insane car to drive, just can't trust the ownership experience.
deepfriedpandas@reddit
I test drove a Giulia Ti once and the handling was fantastic and the engine was a lot more spry than I expected. Sadly the dealership was horrible so I passed on it, but I'm glad other people are enjoying theirs.
izwald88@reddit
Yeah, the total lack of a local dealership ruined it for me. They seem like great cars and you can get a MOPAR warranty for them. But what good is that if the nearest dealership is over an hour away?
ThePurpleBall@reddit
Yeah I think not being able to be serviced by non Alfa MOPAR dealers is killing the brand. So much access is out there for them to have. I still bought a Giulia and really haven’t had any reason to go to the dealer. It has helped me become more of a DIYer, as I decided to learn how to maintain my car myself just in case. It’s been really rewarding because the 2.0 is actually really easy to work on. Nearly every fluid flush/change is super easy, aux belt is easy ish.
Hardest think with these cars is actually doing the cabin air filter🤣
mopar39426ml@reddit
I've been eyeing up a sport package optioned Ti as my next daily. At the incredibly cheap depreciated cost of them, it's hard to ignore the potential value if you can get a good one.
...I'm just torn on finding one with the LSD+adaptive suspension because of how expensive the adaptive suspension will be to replace when it's aged and worn. I'd love to have another car with an LSD because I really learned from my previous time how much that can change the car's attitude.
A QV is unfortunately far beyond my reasonable budget, so I at least know I can't make that questionable of a decision.
1v1meAtLagunaSeca@reddit
If ur in the US all the 21 ti sport and 22+ veloce’s have the lsd but no adaptive suspension if you just the lsd
mopar39426ml@reddit
Ooh, noted.
TheWolfofBinance@reddit (OP)
Since you already have the Giulia, I wouldn't hesitate recmmending a 2020+ QV if reliability is your concern.
StupidFlappyPaddles@reddit
My 24 Giulia QV also had front crank seal leak that was replaced under warranty, just to add another data point. I got the same CEL as well and chalked it up to the battery, dealer did a ECU software update and car has been solid for about a year since that update - no further CEL issues or anything else. I also trust the car now and drive it hard in race mode most of the time too. Thanks for the write up and keep enjoying this wonderful machine.
TheWolfofBinance@reddit (OP)
Yeah definitely seems like a bad batch...unfortunate!
Soprelos@reddit
I've had my QV for 3 months and have already put 10k miles on it. The only problem I've had is that I can't stop driving it. It's not a cheap car to run, but it's been worth every penny.
ThePurpleBall@reddit
Love my Alfa. Best cars on the road for drivers honestly. Thinking about a 24-25 for the mechanical LSD. Just FYI squadra has a tune to eliminate the torque cutoffs in dynamic.
Also get MES and activate euro mode so you can hold both paddles for neutral and right paddle back to drive. Adds some manualness back to the drive.
mqora@reddit
I miss mine
Ouhon@reddit
You are great at writing. I read almost the whole thing.
nyax_@reddit
Quad has always been a car I've considered, sadly it looks like the Italian reliability issues are still real.
hi_im_bored13@reddit
wish we had an official r/cars owners blog or substack or something, so many good posts but reddit sucks at surfacing them and sucks at searching them after
nocs33@reddit
For real, these are the type of posts I open this subreddit for, not car leaks or YouTube reviews.
iloveturkey7@reddit
I have a 2022 quad. The oil filter is $140 for the 2021+ models.
Other than that. No issues, all fun.
Agreeable_Rain_1764@reddit
You can get it from the European Maserati parts network for about forty euro. I import a couple at a time to save on shipping.
soldersmoker@reddit
the oil filter?? $140?? what in the world
iloveturkey7@reddit
It's also in the middle of the V of the engine. You need to undo a lot of air intake. I have no trouble with these services myself so I justified the cost.. I think lol
The front lower splitter is also a single piece of carbon that has two motors to lower. It can't be replaced.
racks1700@reddit
Test drive a BMW Z4 sometime, apparently it’s a much better handling packing than the Supra
Ghost1k25@reddit
Meh, nowhere close to the Alfa
TheWriteThingToDo@reddit
How's the gsf? I have a 14 Boxster S. Thinking of supplementing it with a gsf. I have a Panamera GTS but it's had a few annoying issues with the suspension.
Ghost1k25@reddit
I love it, it’s the perfect fun daily for me. I wanted a V8 that I wouldn’t have to worry about in terms of maintenance/reliability and this is the best solution to that imo. I don’t really mind the typically mentioned negatives (transmission, infotainment, rough ride). I do want to throw some headers and Ohlins R&T on it though to really dial it in though.
TheWriteThingToDo@reddit
I'd want those same 2 mods. Headers really wake up the car, seems to be your best bet to get a glorious sound from it. More than an exhaust. That and Ohlins feels like all you need
gnunn1@reddit
Great write-up, as someone that has lusted after a QV I really enjoyed reading it.
I had debated about buying a used Giulia 2.0 but the dealership experience and lack of independent mechanics that could work on it in Victoria were deal breakers for me. At least in Vancouver you have two dealerships between Vancouver proper and Fraser Valley.
Hope things continue to go well with the car!
TheWolfofBinance@reddit (OP)
You have a dealership in Victoria and it's much better than ours.
barbrawr@reddit
You seem to love the 86. I also had the first gen and loved it except for the engine. Have you driven the second gen 86/BRZ?
TheWolfofBinance@reddit (OP)
I haven't but I want to. I still regret selling my 86 for the Supra. Huge huge huge mistake.
barbrawr@reddit
I've driven both the automatic and manual Supra and both times were underwhelming. I then drove a GR86 and it was so so so much more fun to drive. I actually think it is more fun to drive than a ND1 Miata (haven't driven a ND2 or ND3). You need to drive one!
rekmaster69@reddit
damn, how hard are you driving it in backroads if you are getting brake fade?
Time-Maintenance2165@reddit
And what is that about brakes not being bedded in? It takes a handful of moderate to moderately hard stops. It doesn't take hundreds of miles.
thejetssuckbigtime@reddit
They probably used recycled cardboard for rotors. I’ve never had brake warping issues even on my bmws on the track.
Good write up though but I have to say needing to mention the basics working as a plus made me chuckle
TheWolfofBinance@reddit (OP)
you would think that but on my ND the basics like auto wipers, seatbelts retracting etc don't really work that well.
Vorcia@reddit
I have the same issues, the autowipers are sometimes overactive but it's rare so it doesn't bother me that much, but I notice if I have to stretch like to tap my card or get a parking pass, then my seatbelt won't autoretract and I have to manually feed it back in.
unsaltedbutter@reddit
Did you get your miata used? Have you tried deep cleaning the seat belt? I have a used car that the seat belt wouldn't retract very well, it's because it needed to be cleaned. Buncha vids on youtube that can show you how much build up there can be.
TheWolfofBinance@reddit (OP)
Brand new and its been doing it since it was new.
unsaltedbutter@reddit
Ah, I have a '22 soft-top and have to use the notch on the seatbelt guide to shift it over to keep it from rubbing my neck. That notch keeps it from retracting so I always gotta putz with it.
TheWolfofBinance@reddit (OP)
Pretty hard, and that touge basically gives no opportunity for the rotors to cool down. It's constant turn after turn after turn.
AmNoSuperSand52@reddit
Tbf Italian driving philosophy only believes in brakes for the purpose of slowing you down when tailgating someone’s ass, not coming to a complete stop
yetiflask@reddit
Since you used kms, assuming you are in Canada, would you mind telling how much you pay for insurance? I can't seem to find insurance for it so can't buy.
TheWolfofBinance@reddit (OP)
I pay $300 per month with ICBC, comprehensive.
yetiflask@reddit
Muthafucka. Wow. Kill me. Is the deductible for it $5,000 for you? That's some Ontario shit where almost all isurers have it min 5k for 100+ cars.
TheWolfofBinance@reddit (OP)
its 500 dollars.
yetiflask@reddit
Well, I am jealous. I hope you enjoy your car! IMO, the best sedan of the 21st century. Not being able to buy this is one of my life's biggest regrets. Maybe used, one day!
ChangeForAParadigm@reddit
Thanks for submitting. I have a friend with the same car so was actually interested enough to read all the way through.
Would be interesting to see more of these types of write-ups. Kind of an everyman’s Car & Driver for a more modern age.
Ghost1k25@reddit
Just ex-Mustang owner things
786tili305@reddit
Curious why you started off with the negatives, when you subsequently wrote a laundry list of positive feelings towards the car? People click on Quadrifoglio reviews expecting to read the stereotypical “Alfa reliability bad, but car is amazing when working” and you seemingly fed that stereotype by leading with it, even though your conclusion of the car seems to be overwhelmingly positive. Are you trying to diminish your own resale value? Sorry if I come off as abrasive, just confounding to me.
I’ve got a 2022 with QV with 30k trouble free miles. Had to replace pads once. Oil change every 7.5k instead of recommended 10k, and bought additional two years of warranty to go through 2028. Best car I’ve ever owned and I’m always looking back a couple times after I park.
TheWolfofBinance@reddit (OP)
So that people read it. Most people don't really want to hear what a great car it is. Starting with negatives captivates the audience more, even the title "trials of a quadrifoglio ownership" makes people think that they'll click the link and it'll satisfy their own biases. Had I started with the positive it would've caused incongruity with their internal biases and they would dismiss the post or stop reading it halfway through.
I have a long laundry list of negatives for all the cars i've owned, longer than this.
You should write a similar review for your car.
786tili305@reddit
Fair points! I’d argue that most people won’t read the body of your post and will see the title, the first couple of negative points and go “damn, what a shame, another unreliable quad” and move on. But hopefully I’m wrong.
Either way, amazing cars that we are lucky to own. I feel you on the small ground clearance. I have some unfortunate eye sores on my front bumper from head in parking. Try to avoid it as much as possible now
Prize-Vegetable-9545@reddit
Damn, great review and write up! I always dreamed of one of these cars without knowing anything aside from performance specs but after reading this I think I might go for something a bit easier to ham on and maintain, maybe a F80, or even an older C6 or something! (I make $30,000/y and drive a 20 year old car and will never own one of these cars)
puffpio@reddit
I had one and loved it. I ended up trading it in for a 4C…but I don’t daily the 4C so sometimes I regret it
Brozilean@reddit
Haven't even read the post yet but my first thought with the post title was "ugh I don't know if I could deal with it breaking if the reputation is true". Then the photo auto opened and I was like "fuck we ball". Sick car.
ALaLaLa98@reddit
I thought to myself "there's no way I'm reading all this".
Guess what.
Thanks for sharing.
xj98jeep@reddit
Lmao same here
Sprayy@reddit
Great writeup! I was actually insanely close to pulling the trigger on a stelvio qf but then got the insurance quote. 290% more than what I pay for my e53. Wild, had to pass
Anon_Guy1985@reddit
High build quality but having rattles doesn’t seem to line up in my eyes.
TheWolfofBinance@reddit (OP)
The G80 M3 also has rattles, the one I test drove had it. Most cars have some rattles.
wimpires@reddit
I had a non-QV until last year and have driven a QV on tracks a handful of times.
I'm guessing the QV is probably lower than mines but I had an issue where by myself it was fine but with passengers in the back in regularly scraped some low kerbs and bumps
You probably know this. But in case you didn't. Pull both paddles at the same time and it'll go into Neutral like your 458. Then you can easily go back into drive without taking your hands off the wheel.
To add to this the brakes at BBW on Giulia's. I didn't have problems with feel (on the few times I tracked a QV) but it makes them a little awkward to do maintenance on yourself and I found the rears wore out surprisingly fast - something to do with the adaptive cruise control and/or BBW apparently.
Is yours Misano Blue? The complaints I saw about paint quality were mostly with the standard Red car. But that's pretty common for a lot of red cars with solid paint. Don't know if it affected the Comp Red too. But I hadn't seen anything about Misano Blue and it looks amazing so congrats!
I don't know about your 458 but the most apt comparison I can think of is that it's like a crappier version of the 296. That's not to say it's bad, the 296 is ungodly good, the fact that it's even similar is great. Very "confidence inspiring" in a completely different way to your Cayman.
TheWolfofBinance@reddit (OP)
In the North American market it does not go to neutral. You need to modify the software to do it and you have to bypass restrictions to do that.
Murciless@reddit
Excellent review, thank you. I’d love for you to drive a manual CT5-V Blackwing for a day or two and share your thoughts. They have to be the top 2 super sedans for drivers available in today’s market. Both have great engines and superlative chassis tuning, so does the manual tranny outweigh the additional weight from a fun perspective…?
TheWolfofBinance@reddit (OP)
My wife needs to be able to drive it so manual was not an option, she refuses to learn! CT5 V blackwing is a much bigger car than the Alfa, and I preferred the Alfa's interior to the CT4 V
withsexyresults@reddit
Does it eat tire sidewalls at 0.5 camber?
TheWolfofBinance@reddit (OP)
Somehow it doesn't. My ND with Conti extreme contact sports at -1.2 did until i increased the camber..
dacargo@reddit
Probably not, that’s not an insane amount of camber to run
bnace@reddit
Lack of camber eats the outside edge of tire when hard cornering.
That’s why you see track cars with -2.5 to -3.5 camber.
StrangeSmellz@reddit
Camber rarely eats tires, its toe
withsexyresults@reddit
Lack of camber usually means you roll onto the sidewalls during cornering. Wondering if his 0.5 was an issue for his spirited driving but QV has double wish so iono
Agreeable_Rain_1764@reddit
It does on track, not on the street.
KeythKatz@reddit
I dailied a (lighter, much slower) car at 1.8 front, 1.2 rear for 4 years without any issues.
Fishinabowl11@reddit
I'm about to hit my 4th anniversary of ownership with my 2018 Ti Sport, and soon crossing 80,000 miles (bought at ~40k). I'm really, really thinking about getting a QV in the nearish future. The only dealer nearby is like 35 miles away and being an Alfa & Masertai place their rates I can only describe as exorbitant, but gotta pay to play. Fortunately I have a local mechanic I trust for most of the more routine maintenance things and only have had to bring it to the dealer for I think three things in those 4 years.
mopar39426ml@reddit
What's your experience been like as far as issues? I've been shopping for what seems to be exactly your car (18-19 Ti sport), so I'm very interested in a glimpse into ownership.
Fishinabowl11@reddit
It's been a positive enough experience that I'd upgrade to a Quad if the right color/mileage/location/price combination came along.
In July 2022 I posted my 1-year ownership review here and the feedback was mostly "You haven't owned it long enough! You haven't driven it far enough!" When I hit 100,000 miles which will be in another ~14 months at my current rate I'm planning to do a follow up review with a full recap from my log of all maintenance costs, fuel costs, average MPG over 60,000 miles, unexpected repairs.
From memory, the items that I've visited the dealer for include:
A sensor wire of some sort that snapped off the sensor. This is apparently a wide-enough known issue that there is an official repair kit for it. The wire didn't have enough slack for my local mechanic to stretch and reconnect it and he wouldn't do a splice.
A cable in the sunroof has broken rendering it inoperable. When I bought the car, I was warned that they have known sunroof issues and I essentially never used it because I didn't want it to break in the open position. It broke anyway. The dealer said the only fix is a complete sunroof replacement which would be near $5000. I am more than happy to keep my $5000 and enjoy the closed glass roof.
I had a cracked driveshaft seal that I had preventatively replaced.
My local mechanic took care of these:
All oil changes, pads, rotors, tires
Coolant hose ruptured in my garage spilling pink antifreeze everywhere. I was able to nurse it the two miles to the shop for the replacement and did not have to have it towed, although it started steaming as I pulled into the parking lot 😂
Early on in ownership, cracked radiator needed replacing.
I think that's all I've had done. It's never been on a tow truck. It's never left me stranded. I had to jump it one time with my battery pack though.
General complaints about the car (not specific to mine):
On the sat nav when you zoom in it automatically will shift to following behind the car rather than maintaining 'North Up' orientation at all times. I loathe this.
Forward collision warning is incredibly annoying and sensitive. Despite having it set to minimal invasiveness, it's way too quick to BING BING BING at me for no reason, in my opinion. And it cannot be permanently disabled.
Rear seat space is getting a little tight when I carry my 8- and 6- year olds.
That's pretty much the end of the list of things I don't like.
mopar39426ml@reddit
Thank you! The sensor wire reminds me of something that happened to my Abarth, which tells me it's an FCA/Stellantis thing... I'm never really a sunroof open person anyway, so that's helpful info. I'll look into those issues more just to know what's happening to them.
Forward collision warning seems to be the only thing that'll annoy me, but I had similar things in my Charger and in new work vehicles. Rear seat space was already one I knew, but the car should only rarely see kids use, as the Camry in the home fleet is the kiddo car.
I've had high enough hopes of the 2.0 being a solid engine, with variants being used across the corporate range now. It's good to not really have heard of any engine issues.
SeriousMongoose2290@reddit
Have you had a chance to try a CT4 Blackwing?
g0atm3a1@reddit
The 4BW was the only option for me as someone seeking a 4door RWD manual sports sedan. The M3 was out of my budget and I don’t like the looks anyway.
anjaroo96@reddit
Reading this had me curious about the lil blackwing too, considering they’re in a similar bracket
Interesting_Top_9823@reddit
Those issues alone would put me off. A new car having a leaking seals once let alone twice doesn’t give me confidence in the rest of the experience.
Dealer network and brand is questionable enough, for me at least that wouldn’t sit well with me.
mymomisyourfather@reddit
to be honest parts quality the last few years has been so bad that most new cars seem have some issues in the first few months.
mopar39426ml@reddit
Can confirm, I work in parts and I've had to get stupid little things for so many brand new vehicles it's wild.
...and don't get me started on how many new vehicles have oil consumption/burning issues. It's literally everyone. Anything that uses 0W__ oil consumes it, and damn near everything that takes 5w40 (hello Germany) also consumes it.
Op3rat0rr@reddit
It would be different if the dealership experience was very premium and that there was never a question about getting a loaner car. Alas this is why the brand will die
Moynia@reddit
The auto stop start delete module will save you from like 99% of the electrical bugs these cars have
Tw0Rails@reddit
Its only a year old, on a car that has been out a while and should have teething issues cleared. To have a 7.5 / 10 in reliability is a rather poor showing.
photenth@reddit
Wow, that's a crazy experience
7 years in and not a single issue except 2 dead batteries.
thespiceraja@reddit
I miss these style of write ups. Good stuff.
AmNoSuperSand52@reddit
I really wanted to buy a Giulia 2.0L but considering it was my one car and I live 70 miles from the closest Alfa location, I ended up going with the GTI just because it was an easier/cheaper car to live with
NH1000@reddit
I’ll stick with BMW for now then
r3awak3n@reddit
I looked at prices a few months ago, crazy how you can get them with relatively low miles for low 30s, it has to be one of the best driving experiences at that price point. Eventually they will be 20 grand bargains. A must yo know how to work on your own car though
JimmyGodoppolo@reddit
You can find Quadrifoglios in the 30s, but they're mostly pre-2020 when a lot of the known issues were addressed
RotaryConeChaser@reddit
Great write up. Sounds like waiting a few years really helped iron out some of the teething issues this car had.
StrangeSmellz@reddit
What a piece lol
mymomisyourfather@reddit
Squadra tuning (available in NA via Centerline I believe? or AR9?) has a tune available that changes Dynamic mode to not limit torque, and changes Race mode to smoothen throttle response.
This is indeed a car from a different era, even though at the time it was released the writing was already on the wall.
To be honest, most new cars have all kinds of weird hiccups and shit going on. A check engine light that was fixed with an update and some seal issues that was fixed under warranty is really quite good these days. Be glad you don't have exploding V8s (GM) transmissions (Toyota pickups) or all these weird software bullshit that modern cars are loaded with.
MistaWesSoFresh@reddit
Great review! Don’t have to worry about depreciation if you never sell!
YaBoiRian@reddit
Great write up. Really interesting read. Its such a fucking beautiful car that I'd put up with a LOT of problems just for the love of it, but its great to hear that its decently reliable and high quality. I respect the hell out of anyone who gets this over a german equivalent
God I wish Alfas days werent numbered...
Vhozite@reddit
The most telling part of the review. Very thorough post I enjoyed reading it. It’s a shame Alfa is struggling here stateside hopefully they can turn it around. We need need more sports sedans.
Nonameswhere@reddit
Great write-up OP. What a intriguing little car. Hope they make it in North America and don't disappear.
Ririsforehead@reddit
Thanks for taking one for the team.
I really like the car, but I simply could not live with these issues.
ScipioAfricanvs@reddit
Wait, does it not have brake hold? That’s pretty surprising.
TheWolfofBinance@reddit (OP)
Yes no brake hold.
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