GARAGE
ARRIVAL 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia Q2 Ti Sport Scott Evans
“There’s nothing better than a car that handles well. Even the commute is exciting.”
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 24/33/27 MPG BASE PRICE $41,440 PRICE AS TESTED $51,635
Those of you dedicated readers closely following my career (Hi, Mom! Thanks for reading, Grandpa!) will no doubt recall I recently returned our previous Car of the Year, the Chevrolet Bolt EV. Normally, trading a hatchback for a sedan would be no cause for commotion, but our latest Car of the Year and my new assignment, the 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia, is about as different from the Bolt in concept and execution as you can get.
One of the prevailing arguments in favor of the Giulia in our Car of the Year deliberations was the way it makes you feel. Most cars on the market check boxes, and some make an inordinate amount of practical, logical sense, but not many truly make you smile just going down the highway. As enthusiasts, the Alfa speaks to us.
Naturally, you might expect we’d order a rip-snortin’ Giulia Quadrifoglio for our yearlong test. Let’s be real: The Quadrifoglio will account for a small percentage of Giulia sales no matter how good it is. You’re far better served with a report on the model most people will buy. Oh, the sacrifices we make for you.
Don’t feel too sorry for me. The Giulia Q2 Ti Sport is no Sunday driver. Its 280-hp turbocharged inline-four puffs out a healthy 306 lb-ft of torque, its eight-speed automatic is geared for performance and convincingly mimics the behavior of a dual-clutch transmission, and its Giorgio chassis is designed for cornering first, with comfort running a surprisingly close second. Previous tests have seen it run as quickly as 5.1 seconds to 60 mph, competitive with a lot of six-cylinder cars. On the other side of the coin, 24/33/27 mpg city/highway/combined ain’t nothing to shake a stick at, either.
The Q2 Ti Sport is not the base-model Giulia, but rather the second-sportiest model. This jumps the base price a few thousand dollars, but it’s money well spent. In addition to standardizing a number of options—like the larger infotainment screen, fitting sport-look bumpers, and fancier wheels with performance all-season tires—it unlocks exciting options such as a mechanical limited-slip differential and active dampers. That
