Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce 2.0 Turbo Petrol 280hp auto 4d Owner Review

After 9 months this still puts a smile on my face. Not bad considering I owned a new MX-5 prior to this so was not expecting a comparably nimble or exciting drive. But the lightness of this car and its perfect weight distribution means it just glides along B roads and is incredibly planted coming out of bends - way more than the Mazda. Then when you're on the motorway it is serenely quiet (you can whisper and be heard by your passengers) and enjoy over 42mpg at 70. The interior feels special with a full leather covered dash, solid aluminium paddle shift and embossed leather seats. The three driving modes are truly different - in "e" the turbo doesn't kick in much and it will routinely return 40+ mpg, in "n" it will use the turbo more but has soft suspension; in "d" the dampers harden up and the turbo is always spooling so throttle response is instant and aggressive. I use "e" around town and "n" most of the time but "d" is a real treat on an empty road. The only gripes are: slightly wooden brake feel which takes a bit of getting used to before smooth slow speed braking is the norm; the absence of Apple Carplay/Android Auto on pre 2019 cars (not even as a cost option from the dealer); the silly beeping sound when you lock or unlock the car; and the low front which doesn't do well with potholes. The autonomous braking is a little sensitive and flashes up warnings more than you'd expect and slammed on the brakes when someone cut me up at a low ish speed but better that than not sensitive enough. The dealer is pretty good and I don't see a difference between them and the BMW dealership I dealt with during BMW ownership in 2015. I think they're phenomenal value and get a lot of looks but fundamentally are a great mix of comfort and fun.