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Finally went to look at the Giulia...

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7K views 88 replies 26 participants last post by  Ali_ 
#1 ·
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!
 
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#2 ·
I went to look at the Giulia last week, only half an hour away. Whole procedure over with quite quickly really. Something told me not to book a testdrive. I walked round it a few times trying to find some depth or desirability in it but it just lacks some love in its execution that the Giulietta has. I went to see the 124 Spider on the launch weekend and I did stay around long enough to testdrive it. I've suggested to my wife we keep the Giulietta and trade the Kuga for a new Spider. She saw the Giulia on Farcebook and felt something ain't right with it. I'm sorry you had to travel so far for the experience.
 
#3 ·
Not sure how many more Alfa models you expect them to have in stock? One of everything on sale isn't too bad is it?

I don't think many dealers can arrange test drives on the spot can they? When looking for a new car for my wife from various dealers, not one was able to do on the spot test drives but had to be formally booked in.

No excuse for dirty/ill prepared cars though - that's the easy bit surely!
 
#4 · (Edited)
alfabeat, he knew from Thursday night, when I phoned him, that we were coming. Hardly "on the spot". He also knew I was looking at spending £60k+ because I'd discussed spec and options over the phone. Maybe used Jeeps are more profitable because we waited around for 1/2 hour and he still didn't break away to even say hello or acknowledge our presence.

We had also discussed test driving the Super on Thursday as well. Even if they were short staffed, surely there are other arrangements? When the same happened at BMW 2 years ago, when I'd already booked an M235i test drive, they just sent a non sales member of staff to accompany me (despite the guy being an arse)!
 
#5 ·
The biggest challenge facing AR UK is the quality of their dealer network, too few and lack of professionalism. The UK car market has become to easy for sales with record numbers....except October when I think we will see the start of the trend downwards, survival of the fittest. The product is good , the delivery is not. Wake up AR UK and smell the coffee.
 
#6 ·
Sorry Ali, I didn't realise you had been in touch before hand and already discussed as far as options etc. No excuses then. He is obviously doing too well on his commission targets this month....

Worth some feedback to Alfa UK?
 
#7 ·
Well if the battery is disconnected, then they might struggle to connect it as its in the boot with no manual release.
Since the pre-prod cars they have put a pull-out string on the boot release but the advice is to pull it out and leave it hanging out the boot.
There are battery charging terminals under the bonnet, it may be possible to use those if the battery isn't connected.
 
#8 ·
If this is the quality of the largest AR dealership in Scotland, they're stuffed. Well and truly!
 
#10 ·
Last Place I'd Go...



I go to Glasgow a lot for work and the place is full of all types of cars with the awful yellow Arnold Clark stickers in the back window........ A real pile them high sell them cheap concern.

There are loads of pre-registered cars on their forecourts.....

The people I know up there who know anything at all about cars will not go there, some have traveled south, Manchester, or further just to get to a dealer with the right attitude.

Its not just Alfa. Abarth buyers have had problems: mats & the right pedals etc are often omitted and they've even forgotten to load the correct engine map.

If you can, find somewhere else. Good luck
 
#9 ·
You're experience makes me glad that I went to Millbrook. A good chance to look around the card as well as drive them (and the colours look way better in the daylight).
True the Competizione red doesn't have the same wow factor as the 159/brera/Giulietta one but the giulietta one looks a bit toy whereas the Giulia one is a bit more sophisticated.
 
#11 ·
I sat in a 35k Merc E-class brand spanker.....honest to god, my GT has better plastic door trims and dash. This was properly low low rent. It is not just Alfa.


However pay some extra cash (which you should not need to do) and the quality appears to be out of the world.
 
#15 · (Edited)
I sat in a 35k Merc E-class brand spanker.....honest to god, my GT has better plastic door trims and dash. This was properly low low rent. It is not just Alfa.

However pay some extra cash (which you should not need to do) and the quality appears to be out of the world.
I've spent the best part of the last twenty years traveling to and from airports/venues across Europe in the back of contemporary E-Classes from W123s, right up to W212s. My local taxi company uses a fleet of W212s, while my overseas clients' 'limousine' service company uses W212s, too. In short, I spend more time in E-Classe taxis than I spend in my own Taxi. In theory, Taxis are cool because you can try out different cars. Taxis aren't so cool when you're in the same brand over and over again...'Ah, great...I'm in a Mercedes...again.'

From what I've felt, W212s shrink off the miles. I've been in one in Belgium with 300k that rode like it was brand new. I've been in W211s that felt pooped at 80k. What is really interesting is this...in the last 20 years, car makers have had to adhere to tougher environmental regulations and safety standards (all very commendable); but I wonder whether the investment to make cars safer and more eco friendly has been at the expense of ride comfort and lowering NVH levels. If what was spent on safety was, instead, spent on ride, chassis and NVH instead, we'd have some wonderful cars today. Instead, I sit in the back of a massively safe W212 and enjoy the leg room, but I hear the suspension clonk, the rumble of tyre noise, the wisps of wind noise licking around and the gruff low speed engine noise that's absent from my car.

Progress takes curious paths... but when the development budget is limited and forced in one or two directions, it's often at the expense of those paths it's forced to avoid.
 
#14 ·
#16 · (Edited)
I stand by both threads. The press is very much biased to its chief advertising sources...and the Giulia QF is disappointing in the flesh, not helped by one very shoddy dealership. It's my own money I'm about to spend so I get to be picky. Don't like that? Tough.
 
#17 ·
Ali,

I'm on your side, the thinking customers' side.

The press has a duty to one person; no, not VG, but to the reader. A point lost at times... c'est la vie...
 
#27 ·
Got to disagree Scud. Their primary duty is to their shareholders and profit. Same as any business. The readers are a means to an end.
 
#18 ·
I'm sure it's a better car to drive than to prod around in a cramped showroom but I wasn't even given that option and there is no signs of any more Alfa dealers in Scotland. If this cramped and poor representation of a dealer is the best we're getting, Alfa UK have a problem! Western were far better than this.
 
#19 ·
The OP has highlighted exactly the same concerns that I had regarding the purchase of a new Giulia and the quality of the dealerships in particular.
In the end I decided that spending that amount of money with them was not worth the risk and instead I have ordered a new XE-S and the complete experience with the dealership was absolutely faultless.
The way AR UK have dealt with the launch of the Giulia here is terrible, they really need to up their game to compete with Jaguar, never mind the big sellers like Audi and BMW.
 
#20 ·
Having been in both the local Alfa and Jaag dealers in a different part of the country, I'm of the same opinion with regards the dealers. The Jaag dealer was a nice welcoming place with the staff being friendly without being pushy.

The Alfa dealer however was rammed full of Citroens, Fiats, Suburus and Jeeps and I've also struggled to find anybody who knows anything about the Giulia. I guess this is Alfa's fault though as they've had to resort to selling other brands as the dealers couldn't survive on Alfa's only since they stopped producing the 159/Brera range. You can't expect the dealers to go back to being specialist Alfa only dealers overnight like the Jaag dealers.

It still didn't put me off the Giulia once I'd seen it though. I had a look at BMWs and Mercs and the top of my list before I saw the Giulia was a XE. I really liked it. I hope you enjoy yours.
 
#21 ·
I'm very tempted to do the same 147Daytona. The difference between Arnold Clark Alfa and Pentland Jaguar was a massive gulf. If an XE-R existed, I'd be ordering it today after yesterday's experience. As it is, it's now a question if what arrives first, the XE-R or a decent Alfa dealer in Edinburgh!
 
#22 ·
its not just Alfa dealers. I had a bad experience with BMW. Albeit with a used car. But the experience was less than pleasing and reminder why I hadn't stepped into a car show room for a while.

Thats whats putting me off buying a new or newish car again....The dealers. Sorry to anyone in the trade butt in my experience once they have your money they don't give a toss.
 
#23 ·
On the contrary to some experiences, mine has been entirely positive with both local dealers here in Kent, Canterbury and Maidstone. I saw the car first in Canterbury, both the Super demo and the QF and the salesman was pleasant and professional. In the end, I went to Lipscomb Maidstone and the Sales Lady was super professional both over the phone and in the showroom waiting for me at the appointed time late on a Sunday with the 2.2d Super demo ready for a test drive. She allowed me to drive the car for a good hour on a mix of roads. After shopping around I even got them to better the deals around with a good discount and a great interest rate for 3 year PCP. All my emails were dealt with reagrding options promptly followed by phone calls without being pushy. She even know all about the car, engines and why some options were not good! In the end, I went back last Friday and placed an order for a new Super 2.0 TB Petrol Giulia without any hassle. While I was waiting for finance to go through, I was taken on tour of the workshop and shown the QF Red and White parked next to a 4C and allowed to do a photo shoot to my hearts content over a cup of good coffee. There were Jeeps and others parked there bu the Red QF had its own room with the hood open showing off the lovely engine in all its glory.

All in all it was a great experience and a dealer that I would recommend thoroughly. This was after visiting BMW (Ok is all I can say), Audi (who never bothered calling me back), Jaguar (they were professional but didn't know much about the petrol engines), Merc (they were faultless).
 
#24 ·
I've always found them quite professional including when I noted they'd used the wrong oil at service time. They sent a driver to where I was parked over 50 miles away at that time to collect my car , leaving a loan car and returned mine the next day. I'd certainly keep them in mind if we go for the 124 Spider.
 
#25 · (Edited)
Preproduction Models all have a horrible paint job, the color is a mix between the Rosso Alfa and Rosso Competizione with a crappy clear coat

I has spoken with people working with/on the preproduction models, as they have strict guidelines on how the car has to be displayed. They have to remove the battery cable, but they can open the truck with a latch cable for you. Many of the interior materials will feel cheap because they know it will be mishandled (cheaper cost to replace). The preproduction model has software limitations that cannot allow them to drive over 5mph or rev the engine
 
#32 ·
Preproduction Models all have a horrible paint job, the color is a mix between the Rosso Alfa and Rosso Competizione with a crappy clear coat

I has spoken with people working with/on the preproduction models, as they have strict guidelines on how the car has to be displayed. They have to remote the battery cable, but they can open the truck with a latch cable for you. Many of the interior materials will feel cheap because they know it will be mishandled (cheaper cost to replace). The preproduction model has software limitations that cannot allow them to drive over 5mph or rev the engine
So are you saying the preproduction colour and plastics don't represent the final product ? Because that just seems pointless! Why put customers off by displaying them at all? The quality really was poor. We're talking sub Ford Focus in places.
 
#26 ·
Unfortunately that is the problem in all walks of life today. The big companies e.g. Arnold Clarke exploit their economies of scale to control the market place and the quality of provision drops. £60k is a year's of savings to you and I but nothing to them. I recently dealt with a Porsche main dealer to look at a 2nd hand convertible 911. They could not even be bothered to remove the hard top so I could check the soft hood was in good condition. Apparently it was too much effort. Stick with the quality independents we all trust on this form!
 
#30 ·
I had a similar experience in Cork, Ireland this weekend.

The only dealer is a Fiat/Alfa/Mitsubishi garage. Really dated building with an invisible showroom from the road. All cars are parked around the back.

The guy that showed me was a nice man but Christ, they are not prepared to sell these cars. He knew nothing about the specs, options, engines, etc. They had no brochures, the building is a kip with stuff all over the place on the floors and no style at all. But worst of all....and there are no excuses for this, he was wearing an old BMW motorsport anorak.

Can you imagine going into an Audi dealer and seeing the salesman wearing a BMW jacket? Christ almighty, they really have no idea how bad and unprofessional that looks.
 
#31 ·
Worst still, and probably explaining the terrible valeting, Arnold Clark had an old three roller car wash round the back. Who, in this day and age, uses a manky, scratchy car wash to valet a premium car? Like I said, these people are too used to piling up Corsas and Puntos and selling them cheap. They are seriously ill equipped to compete with BMW, Merc, Audi, Jaguar and Lexus.
 
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