2024 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Review: This is a Jewel box of Speed
The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is fast, slick and blessed with tremendous handling, which is exactly what we want when driving a hot sedan with a Ferrari-related V6.
And Who Doesn’t Love A Jewel box?
I have a soft spot for luxurious and sporty cars—cars that can carry clients by day and handle corners in the mountains by night. I have yet to love any such car as much as I loved the 2024 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio.
In a scene that has stayed with me for years, one of my favorite television presenters, Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear, drove his test Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio directly to the Alfa Romeo dealership, where he purchased one for himself. And after driving the car myself, I can see why.
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The Sexy Exterior of the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Gleams
Adorned in an eye-catching metallic green, the sleek exterior of the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, which starts at about $83K and carries a turbo V6 engine that generates 505 HP, draws stares as it cruises down the road. The iconic triangle-shaped Alfa Romeo grille is surrounded by aggressive headlights with sporty daytime running lights. Large intakes cover the bottom half of the bumper, funneling air toward the intercoolers for the twin turbos.
The Quadrifoglio, thoughtfully crafted by Alfa Romeo’s performance department, features an active front splitter at the base of the front bumper, generating downforce at higher speeds for increased handling. Along with its sportiness, the Quadrifoglio features multiple carbon fiber components for decreased weight, both visible and not.
The vehicle I tested had the optional exposed carbon fiber roof, as well as the standard carbon fiber front splitter and rear spoiler, visible to the average passer-by, and a carbon fiber hood and driveshaft, also standard. The weight-reducing features and careful planning of the drivetrain give the Giulia an almost-perfect 50/50 weight distribution, meaning almost exactly half the weight of the car sits over the front wheels and half over the rear. This results in an exceptionally well-handling sedan.
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Bring on the Exhaust Noise
The suspension on the Quadrifoglio is adaptive, adjusting the stiffness depending on the drive mode. In sportier drive modes, the suspension stiffens, giving more exact handling, while in comfort drive mode, the suspension softens, giving a luxurious, comfortable ride. The 505-horsepower twin-turbocharged V-6 engine, which nearly doubles the standard model’s 280 HP, is derived from a Ferrari engine, so yes, it sounds incredible. In normal drive modes, the active exhaust is closed, creating a quiet purr that grows to a low growl on heavy acceleration. In Sport and Race modes, though, the exhaust opens, and the car’s entire attitude changes and it roars to life as it accelerates from 0-60 in just 3.8 seconds.
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Did I Mention That it’s Fast?
And the Quadrifoglio is just darn quick. There is no other word for it. Thanks to the aluminum engine block, carbon fiber bits, and other weight savings, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio weighs less than most other vehicles in its class. It may not be as quick off the line (and therefore in a 0-60 mph test) as the heavier 550-horsepower Mercedes Benz SL63 AMG, thanks to the AMG’s all-wheel-drive drivetrain, compared to the Alfa’s rear-wheel drive drivetrain, but it accelerates quicker from a roll and has a higher top speed at 191 miles per hour (this may come as a surprise, but I did not test this). This top speed makes it one of the fastest five-seater vehicles in production today.
In case the peppy driving in sport mode isn’t enough to remind you that this car is just a Ferrari in disguise, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is fitted with what I consider to be a true race mode. As a forewarning, do not turn on race mode in the rain, and be careful if you turn it on when driving on the streets. Race mode shortens the throttle response, steering response, and shift time to make the car more responsive and also turns off traction control to give you full mechanical control of the car. The Giulia really transforms into a sporty beast.
The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Has a Racy Interior
The interior also features a wireless charging pad, Harman Kardon premium audio, and 3D navigation. The carbon fiber is carried into the interior, as well, with carbon fiber trim on the dash, center console, and doors. The steering wheel has sporty grips and the red start/stop button, located under the left spoke of the steering wheel, reminds you that this sedan is a cousin of Ferrari.
If you ask the internet, the biggest drawback to the Alfa Romeo is the reliability. While I do not have firsthand experience with the reliability of this vehicle in general, I always take comments on reliability lightly. No, the Alfa Romeo surely won’t run like a Toyota, which seem to be able to run their whole life without even an oil change. As with other higher-maintenance luxury cars, I am sure the Alfa will require more attention to the maintenance intervals and will likely be more expensive to maintain.
That being said, modern cars are much more reliable than cars were, even just 20 years ago. Even the least “reliable” modern cars seem to survive to 100,000 miles and beyond. With some preventative maintenance and a careful eye, I feel that any car can be kept up and live a very long life.
How did it Feel Behind the Wheel?
Driving the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is nothing short of invigorating. The eight-speed transmission can be fully controlled by paddles on the steering wheel (and the exhaust makes great noises on downshifts), allowing full control of the car.
Somehow, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio makes commuting FUN. Starting at $83,570 ($86,030 for the Carbon edition with additional carbon fiber accents) and $90,865 as tested, I expected the Quadrifoglio to be an exciting drive, but even with high expectations, it impressed me.
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