Well, I finally took time out to go to Arnold Clark in Linwood, Glasgow and, I'll be honest, I feel a bit deflated!
I've been building towards buying a Giulia for the past 2 years, even to the extent that I was going to spend a little of my inheritance to upgrade to the QF, but I now find myself not thinking it's worth the price tag. The dealership really didn't help. We drove over an hour to get there but got no input at all from the salesman who seemed more interested in selling a used Jeep to an older couple than giving us any time at all on the QF. The showroom wasn't much cop either. Jammed to the gunnels with Jeeps, there was only one 4C, one MiTo, one Giulietta and the prerequisite Giulia QF and Super that everyone seems to have. What about the other salesmen? No idea. There were a few outside having a chat together but they never came inside. They may have worked for other parts of the huge complex there and not been Alfa, of course, but to only have one bloke available for the first weekend after the official launch is a joke! To get there, see the car and get back home was 3 hours of our weekend pretty much wasted.
The Super wasn't even available for test drives, presumably as they were too busy. It was in the showroom despite looking like it had driven through a rally stage that morning. Absolutely filthy and the interior hadn't even been vacuumed. Wasn't that impressed with the half leather interior. If you get one, upgrade it! The cloth in the inserts reminded me of school trousers I used to own in the late '70s! The brown leather must be an acquired taste, but I thought it was a bit hideous, in all honesty. Might just be my profession (vet) but it looked like a cat had run round the interior with explosive diarrhoea. It just didn't work for me. I would comment on the metallic blue colour but, seriously, the car was so dirty you couldn't even see the metallic flake!
As for the QF, whoever valets Arnold Clark cars needs taken out and shot. The swirl marks on the paint were bad enough but the piano black door pillars looked like they'd been sanded rather than cleaned and they hadn't even put the centre badges on the wheels. The car was also filthy inside despite being supposedly brand new and having a £62k price sticker on it. If anyone has ordered one from Arnold Clark, don't let them valet it! Seriously. Take it to a proper detailer the same day you pick it up and let a professional do it. These guys are more used to used Corsas and Puntos than premium sports saloons.
As to the car, well there are good points, and there are bad. Like I said, there was no test drive on offer despite them knowing we'd be coming through from Edinburgh and knowing I was looking at a £60k plus car. The QF didn't even have the battery connected so you couldn't see the infotainment screen or even open the electric boot release! The exterior is as nice as ever but I'd already seen it at Arese at launch. Seeing it again it was maybe a little too familiar now. It's handsome and elegant, but there is something of a wow factor just missing. The paint combination didn't help, I have to say. The new Rosso Competizione is really dull! I don't know why they've changed it but it looks much more like the colour my old Evo X was and the Lancer forums used to, unkindly, refer to that as "DKR", short for dog kn*b red! And it is! The bright candy colour of the Giulietta is gone replaced to something I can only call burgundy! Along with the dark teledial alloys, it just looked too toned down. It was the spec I'd pretty much chosen for my car so it was really disappointing to see it in the flesh. Should I still go ahead with it, I'd have to seriously reconsider the options! Such a shame the teledials can't be ordered in silver as they would lift the whole exterior. The standard wheels might actually be a better bet, and I didn't think I'd be saying that. The dark grey of the optional wheels are metallic but, even with a light coating of dust in the showroom (yes, really, the presentation was awful), they looked very flat.
The interior is much better. This car had standard seats and the black interior with green and white stitching and it's a lovely place to sit up front. The carbon fibre inserts look great as well and the seating position, considering it had the electric adjustment, was really low should you want it. I assume the setting was at it's lowest but as the electrics couldn't be adjusted, I couldn't check. The steering wheel is a lovely chunky small thing as well. Not sure about the upgraded one, though. Having metal, leather, alcantara and carbon fibre all together on one wheel is just too much. I'd stay with the standard one. But even the interior has ****** in the armour. Poking around you do discover the cut corners. The sliding tray in front of the gear stick feels sticky and fragile, as did the glovebox lid. The infotainment adjustment wheel may be made of metal but it felt like plastic. I know we've been defending Alfa regarding interior plastics on here as the press have been using it as criticism, but there are parts that really don't belong in a £60k premium car. The plastic quality on the centre console side panels, the footwells, the lower door cards and the sills are straight out of the Giulietta and have no place in a car this expensive. The Giulietta was hardly class leading in these areas at launch and that was getting on for 8 years ago now.
So, from being dead set on buying one before I went, a combination of the dealership and a big question over some of the quality has left me wondering if I should. It certainly wouldn't be from here, only one of two dealerships left in Scotland. Off to Jaguar again tomorrow to see an XE-S, then BMW to see the M2. Time to take off the blinkers and look around. At least I know the dealership experience will be massively better. If Alfa are really going to rely on Arnold Clark in Scotland, they're stuffed up here!
I've been building towards buying a Giulia for the past 2 years, even to the extent that I was going to spend a little of my inheritance to upgrade to the QF, but I now find myself not thinking it's worth the price tag. The dealership really didn't help. We drove over an hour to get there but got no input at all from the salesman who seemed more interested in selling a used Jeep to an older couple than giving us any time at all on the QF. The showroom wasn't much cop either. Jammed to the gunnels with Jeeps, there was only one 4C, one MiTo, one Giulietta and the prerequisite Giulia QF and Super that everyone seems to have. What about the other salesmen? No idea. There were a few outside having a chat together but they never came inside. They may have worked for other parts of the huge complex there and not been Alfa, of course, but to only have one bloke available for the first weekend after the official launch is a joke! To get there, see the car and get back home was 3 hours of our weekend pretty much wasted.
The Super wasn't even available for test drives, presumably as they were too busy. It was in the showroom despite looking like it had driven through a rally stage that morning. Absolutely filthy and the interior hadn't even been vacuumed. Wasn't that impressed with the half leather interior. If you get one, upgrade it! The cloth in the inserts reminded me of school trousers I used to own in the late '70s! The brown leather must be an acquired taste, but I thought it was a bit hideous, in all honesty. Might just be my profession (vet) but it looked like a cat had run round the interior with explosive diarrhoea. It just didn't work for me. I would comment on the metallic blue colour but, seriously, the car was so dirty you couldn't even see the metallic flake!
As for the QF, whoever valets Arnold Clark cars needs taken out and shot. The swirl marks on the paint were bad enough but the piano black door pillars looked like they'd been sanded rather than cleaned and they hadn't even put the centre badges on the wheels. The car was also filthy inside despite being supposedly brand new and having a £62k price sticker on it. If anyone has ordered one from Arnold Clark, don't let them valet it! Seriously. Take it to a proper detailer the same day you pick it up and let a professional do it. These guys are more used to used Corsas and Puntos than premium sports saloons.
As to the car, well there are good points, and there are bad. Like I said, there was no test drive on offer despite them knowing we'd be coming through from Edinburgh and knowing I was looking at a £60k plus car. The QF didn't even have the battery connected so you couldn't see the infotainment screen or even open the electric boot release! The exterior is as nice as ever but I'd already seen it at Arese at launch. Seeing it again it was maybe a little too familiar now. It's handsome and elegant, but there is something of a wow factor just missing. The paint combination didn't help, I have to say. The new Rosso Competizione is really dull! I don't know why they've changed it but it looks much more like the colour my old Evo X was and the Lancer forums used to, unkindly, refer to that as "DKR", short for dog kn*b red! And it is! The bright candy colour of the Giulietta is gone replaced to something I can only call burgundy! Along with the dark teledial alloys, it just looked too toned down. It was the spec I'd pretty much chosen for my car so it was really disappointing to see it in the flesh. Should I still go ahead with it, I'd have to seriously reconsider the options! Such a shame the teledials can't be ordered in silver as they would lift the whole exterior. The standard wheels might actually be a better bet, and I didn't think I'd be saying that. The dark grey of the optional wheels are metallic but, even with a light coating of dust in the showroom (yes, really, the presentation was awful), they looked very flat.
The interior is much better. This car had standard seats and the black interior with green and white stitching and it's a lovely place to sit up front. The carbon fibre inserts look great as well and the seating position, considering it had the electric adjustment, was really low should you want it. I assume the setting was at it's lowest but as the electrics couldn't be adjusted, I couldn't check. The steering wheel is a lovely chunky small thing as well. Not sure about the upgraded one, though. Having metal, leather, alcantara and carbon fibre all together on one wheel is just too much. I'd stay with the standard one. But even the interior has ****** in the armour. Poking around you do discover the cut corners. The sliding tray in front of the gear stick feels sticky and fragile, as did the glovebox lid. The infotainment adjustment wheel may be made of metal but it felt like plastic. I know we've been defending Alfa regarding interior plastics on here as the press have been using it as criticism, but there are parts that really don't belong in a £60k premium car. The plastic quality on the centre console side panels, the footwells, the lower door cards and the sills are straight out of the Giulietta and have no place in a car this expensive. The Giulietta was hardly class leading in these areas at launch and that was getting on for 8 years ago now.
So, from being dead set on buying one before I went, a combination of the dealership and a big question over some of the quality has left me wondering if I should. It certainly wouldn't be from here, only one of two dealerships left in Scotland. Off to Jaguar again tomorrow to see an XE-S, then BMW to see the M2. Time to take off the blinkers and look around. At least I know the dealership experience will be massively better. If Alfa are really going to rely on Arnold Clark in Scotland, they're stuffed up here!