Any Alfa Romeo Stelvio owners?

[dave1068]

As a long time 2009 MG Stelvio owner, Im starting to see more Alfa Stelvios on the road (i think they stole the name but thats my own .02 ;) )

I always thought Alfas from the 90s were not that good but the fit and finish on the newer ones look pretty good but curious if any one here owns one and your thoughts on them.I dont they are quite ferarri or lambo quality but not the price either

[Dr. Enzo Toma]

I did a track day in an Alfa Romeo 4C years back and it was a lot of fun. Wouldn't want to own anything from their current lineup though. There's a different Italian SUV with the same turbo inline-4 engine offering as the Stelvio, just with a different tune on it. It's called a Jeep Wrangler. 😂

[Guzzidad]

   My kid had an Alfa Romeo Giulia for a while. Leaked water to the interior and disabled the body computer. The car ran but no lights. Expensive fix. Said it was fun to drive but he got rid of it quick after that fiasco.

[dave1068]

Funny you mention Fix It Again Tony 

I actually have a Jeep Wrangler, but it has the 3.6 not the 2 liter turbo, if I could find an orange or green i might do a swap. I like brighr colors.

Thanks for the replies. U did a quick ck for kicks and many stelvios for sale under 30k miles....

[Bulldog9]

No known Stelvio owners, but a few Gulia owners..... Is as my dad would say a "Jay Leno car" drive occasionally, look at regularly and have a crew of mechanics on standby.

Amazing and engaging vehicles, but only the deep walleted or those with time to waste at a dealer succumbs to the allure............. ..

[Tkelly]

I think Moto has one ,he just drove out to Nevada towing a bike and back to WI.

[Kev m]

Funny you mention Fix It Again Tony 

I actually have a Jeep Wrangler, but it has the 3.6 not the 2 liter turbo, if I could find an orange or green i might do a swap. I like brighr colors.

Thanks for the replies. U did a quick ck for kicks and many stelvios for sale under 30k miles....

Funny this comes up.

I've got a 2016 JKU that I ordered new with the 3.6L

A couple of months ago I picked up a 23 JL with the 2.0L specifically because I rented a JLUR with it a couple years back in Denver and really liked the motor.

I'm very pleased with the JL.

If the powertrain in the Alfa is remotely similar it's probably a great motor and a lot of fun.

[rocker59]

I did a track day in an Alfa Romeo 4C years back and it was a lot of fun. Wouldn't want to own anything from their current lineup though. There's a different Italian SUV with the same turbo inline-4 engine offering as the Stelvio, just with a different tune on it. It's called a Jeep Wrangler. 😂

Maserati Grecale and '21-up Jeep Grand Cherokee

[Deno]

I have a 20 Giulia. Bought it 2 1/2 years ago. It was a demo car. No issues other than an occasional screen shutdown which restarts in a few seconds. Had to replace tires at 30k miles which is typical for these cars.
The 17’s and some ‘18’s had a water intrusion issue as Guzzidad said.
Great driving cars that look good. Too bad that the dealer network is so small. I am lucky enough to have an Alfa dealer and a Guzzi dealer within 5 miles from home.
I also have an Alfa 4C that I bought new in January of 2015.

[moto]

I have a 2023 Alfa Stelvio in red, the same color as my long-gone 1975 1974 Alfa GTV 2000. It reminds me of the earlier car in its interior design and liveliness, though it is a better performer of course.

The Stelvio and Giulia were developed as a pair to demonstrate Alfa's (and Fiat-Chrysler's) capabilities back in the early 2000's, at the instigation of the late Sergio Marchionne. The Stelvio's design goal was to duplicate the Giulia's feel in a higher and somewhat larger SUV. They were originally manually-shifted, rear-wheel-drive-only cars with 405 hp twin-turbo V6 motors cut down from the V8 used in the Ferrari California. Lately they are all automatic ZF transmissioned with computerized power vectoring to the front wheels as needed. Operating almost always as rear wheel driven, they are still a blast, even with the 280 hp turbo inline four I have.

I've driven my Stelvio 14,000 miles since I got it in February, with jaunts from Madison WI to upstate New York, Arkansas, and Nevada. I had a problem with the front-sensing radar, which resulted in the loss of the adaptive cruise control, but this was fixed under warranty. My closest (trusted) dealer is 100 miles away, in Appleton. (This dealer picks up and returns your car for service gratis if you bought it from them, even as far away as Chicago.) Other than the radar, I have been puzzled by a few false alarms from the computer.

It is great fun to drive. It has very quick steering for its type and corners flat as you do a four-wheel drift around a traffic circle. It is exciting on winding country roads and much faster around the corners than a motorcycle.

The interior is almost spartan, if the Spartans had leather upholstery. It reminds me of my 1974 GTV's interior in black vinyl. There is no iPad-like screen above the dash. Instead, there is a small, wide screen inserted in it, that you can turn off so you don't see it. It has ample electronic controls operated with physical knobs on the console. No need to reach up and touch the dash. It is a driver's car, with no compromises for children in the back except a couple of USB charging ports.

My only real complaints are two. The manual transmission option was deleted, though the 8-speed ZF auto shifts very quickly and appropriately, and can be put into manual mode to be operated by the paddle shifters my particular car has. I would much rather have the manual. The second complaint is a certain amount of turbo lag.

I had a ride in the 405 hp twin-turbo V6 and decided it was too extreme. 

I recommend the Stelvio for country roads, around town and across the country.

It is also a good towing vehicle for Guzzi big blocks of the historical type, all weighing five-fiddy (per Chuck). With a bike on the back the car is still great fun to drive and corner and it suffers no noticeable mileage penalty on the freeway. Here is my T3 attached to my Stelvio with a MoTow hitch (which has been discussed at length here before):

[blu guzz]

That is a brilliant combo, car and bike.  I drive it's little cousin, the 500X Fiat.  Smaller and about 100 HP less.  A nice car but not as much of a driver's car.  I test drove the Stelvio once when my 500 was in for service.  I don't often get "car lust" anymore, but I did that day.  I am just too cheap to spend the extra money.

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

One of my customers (I sell Volvo's) had one.  He is an old school euro car nut with a slew of old FIats and BMW's... Bought his '20 Stelvio new from dealer. He said the car is amazing, but the best thing about it was that he got to try all sorts of different cars....  (The Alfa dealer also carries Range Rover, Porsche, and Fiat)

He said the best way to get to drive a variety of cool cars is buy an Alfa from a multi-line dealer with a variety of interesting service loaners. 

I don't know how accurate or if that's hyperbole- but he does have a funny story about having two separate service loaners towed away from his house (both Range Rovers) while his Stelvio was in the shop for 5 weeks under warranty.

He's now running a 2023 Volvo XC60 T8 Recharge with the 455hp dual motor drivetrain and loving it.

[Moparnut72]

A fellow retired outboard boat racer like me has a Stelvio, his wife has a Fiat 500. He loves his car, he has a reasonable amount of mileage on it with no problems. It is a bit spartan compared to our Jeep Grand Cherokee but it is comfortable to ride in, I haven't been very far in it though. The Fiat is approaching 100K with no issues at all. He likes all things Italian and shows interest in my Guzzis. A worker at my grocery store also has a Fiat 500. He has 125K on it the last time I asked with zero problems. I think Italian cars are like Italian motorcycles and Mopars if you love them they will love you back. Explains why some of us have lots of trouble free miles on our vehicles and other have nothing but trouble. 😁
kk

[lazlokovacs]

I ended up driving one from Madrid up into France. Nice car. Interior felt classy, looks good from the outside, unmistakably Italian and as unmistakably bland as any other modern car. If I'm correct its an SUV that has no 4-wheel drive mode???

Last year I was in the market for an SUV and bought a late model Freelander 2 and absolutely couldn't be happier. A bit more sedate, much more luxurious interior, awesome Meridien soundsytem and totally bulletproof.

(and most of the controls aren't touchscreen and you can turn the screen fully off with 2 simple button touches.)

 

[moto]

Good comments! The Freelander is better for you.

I ended up driving one from Madrid up into France. Nice car. Interior felt classy, looks good from the outside, unmistakably Italian and as unmistakably bland as any other modern car.

Great pairing of observations: unmistakably Italian and unmistakably bland. It looks too much like a Mazda, for one. I only wish it had "ALFA ROMEO" written across the back, like my old one, so people would see what I have.

If I'm correct its an SUV that has no 4-wheel drive mode???

Yes. The only modes are for street performance: D = dynamico, N = normale, and A = antiseptico (maybe I have the last one wrong). But the computer(s) inside are always up for an off-road adventure. They monitor and control the torque to each wheel separately, so the car can do tricks I would never expect off-road. (I've seen some Youtubes.) There is 8 inches of ground clearance. I've seen one video pitting a Stelvio against a Land Rover that had multiple off-road modes. The Stelvio cleared two of three increasingly difficult dirt road traps, but the Land Rover used a special off-road mode to clear them all. The Stelvio could be seen navigating very slowly with one and sometimes two wheels off the ground, keeping them out of action until they had a place to gain traction. But it's no Land Rover.
As I said before, it is primarily a rear-wheel-drive car with front-wheel assist as needed. The car works for moderate off-roading (and snow) if you're game.

Last year I was in the market for an SUV and bought a late model Freelander 2 and absolutely couldn't be happier. A bit more sedate, much more luxurious interior, awesome Meridien soundsytem and totally bulletproof.

The Alfa is sold as a luxury car, but it's not luxurious except in the quality of materials. The designers show an almost pathological disdain for any thing but spirited driving. There is virtually no storage for odds and ends -- no cubbies, except one in the console that can only be used to charge a cellphone and one between the back seats that might hold a paperback book. Two cup holders both front and back, with the front ones well away from the driver's arms while he steers. A laughably small glove box, unless you need only gloves.
The stock sound system seems good to me -- I discovered that the volume goes up to "36" (take that, Spinal Tap) when playing a Janis Joplin song on my recent Western trip, and it sounded great.

(and most of the controls aren't touchscreen and you can turn the screen fully off with 2 simple button touches.)

The thing I like when I turn off my Alfa's screen is that the dash becomes very similar to the 1974 model's -- it's a nostalgic call-back for me.

I think the Alfa is a different sort of car from other luxury SUVs. After the OP mentioned Ferraris and Lamborghinis I began to idly consider whether I might get one of the former. It turns out they have essentially no safety equipment! No adaptive cruise, no automatic braking, no lane departure warnings, none of that stuff. But the Alfa has them all, more or less, and passed the European safety tests with the same score as a Volvo XC-60! It is fun to drive, and incidentally comfortable and useful. No Land Rover. Not really an "everyman's Ferrari," as it used to be called, but close enough for me. Adjusting for inflation it is not really too much more expensive than it was in 1974, if you buy the stripped down version I got (with a couple of add-ons, and a $5K discount). It is a near-sports car, intended for enthusiasts. It seems like a bonus that it turns out to be so comfortable on long trips, and that it hauls stuff. But it's not for everyone.

[lazlokovacs]

very good points... I want one of each!

[Griso8V]

I am on my second Alfa Stelvio.  First one was a lease that I turned in for another Stelvio. Zero issues with that vehicle and so far zero issues with the new one. 
As far as quality goes it is almost as good as my MB SL450 and on par with my Porsche.  Performance wise I have the 4 cylinder version but it hauls!  Handles amazing for an SUV.  My brother in Law has a Stelvio Quad. the one with the V6.  It is an absolutely unbelievable car.  He takes it the track faster than most of the cars out there.  The only reason that I did not get a Quad is that I may get into too much trouble...
Don't listen to the nonsense about the things keep breaking on Alfas or that they are cheap etc...
T

[not-fishing]

I purchased a 2021 Stelvio for my wife about 6 months ago.  It had 14,500 miles on it and was a very good price.  Avere le braccine corte  She drives the heck out of it and I plan on changing the oil every 5,000 miles.  It's an old man Maintenace thing  The only real problem has been the full day, driving 250 miles to / from the Alfa dealer in San Jose to get another key made because no one has the software (and I had to bring the OEM Alfa blank because the dealer was out).  The dealer was quick about it I just hate driving South Bay Commute traffic.

Now I'm looking to replace my '06 2 door Wrangler Rubicon with a 2019 or newer 4 door Wrangler Rubicon with the I4.  Something I can sleep in when fly fishing up in the mountains and with the same engine to simply maintenance of my vehicles. 

Also after owning Chevy's (not so good), a '72 Ghia (decent but I got tired of the underpower and changing the oil), a number of Fords (decent), Fiats (decent but you have to do the maintenance), a '79 Alfa Spider, an '82 Toyota Supra, a Peugeot 405 MI16 (great car), a number of Cadillacs including an '05 CTS-V, GMC Diesel Sierra and the Jeep Wrangler I think the Italian cars are just as or more reliable as the Japanese cars --If you do the maintenance.  The Japanese just have better marketing.  My '82 had the Cams replaced at 35,000 miles and sucked a valve at 110,000 miles or so.  The Alfa I had at the same time ran longer but needed more normal yearly maintenance

[Kev m]

Now I'm looking to replace my '06 2 door Wrangler Rubicon with a 2019 or newer 4 door Wrangler Rubicon with the I4.  Something I can sleep in when fly fishing up in the mountains and with the same engine to simply maintenance of my vehicles. 

 

I think you'll be pretty happy.

It's only been a couple of months, but I'm really happy with the 2.0T Wrangler.

[Travlr]

An acquittance just bought the new Tonale Hybrid.  He's very impressed.  Runs it on the battery around town and plugs it in at night.  285 hp when you switch to the motor.  Around $45K I think.

Mike

https://www.alfaromeousa.com/tonale

[Moparnut72]

A really nice website. I have a friend who owns a Alfa Stelvio and a Fiat 500. Both have been very reliable and have quite a lot of mileage on them. He likes all things Italian and likes my Guzzis.
kk

[Tusayan]

I’m smiling at Fiat’s description of Passo Tonale as “one of Italy’s highest mountain passes” at about 6200 ft.  It’s not even close, a gentle slope up and down. I’ve ridden it a lot of times. Stelvio is for reference the highest pass in Italy, adjacent to Tonale but over 9000 ft high.  Both used as names because they are near where Alfas used to be made.

Unfortunately (to me) the Italian stuff has become a bit fake.  Alfas made in Lazio, in an old Fiat plant near Frosinone in southern Italy. Nothing to do with Alfa Romeo. Guzzis engineered by a scooter company.  Morinis and Benellis made in China.  SWMs assembled from Chinese chassis parts in the old Cagiva/Husqvarna plant (which was itself a bit fake in making Swedish branded bikes in Italy).  I can’t get excited about brands being bought and sold for the image value of the badge, applied to somebody else’s product.