As promised here is a review of my latest venture, as the title may suggest the main focus will be how it compared to one of my other all-time favorites an Alfa 159 2.4JTDM.
Ok, let’s get started:
Interior and ICE:
The swooping metallic interior dash of a 159 will always be a sight to behold, it’s an ageless design that I’ve yet to see re-created in a modern sedan with so much flair. The same goes for current iterations in comparison (the Giulia), the BMW is smart and well defined but lacks the panache of the 159.
Like comparing a pretty modern house to an Italian villa, whilst the modern house is a nice place to be the holiday villa always gives a better sense of occasion. In no way does the BMW not feel modern, well designed and / or look out of place / un-pretty but the 159 had that je ne sais quoi!.
As for ICE, well it’s a little bit of an unfair comparison with the 159 being dated in that department. So I’ll have to compare the Giulietta QV in that department.
The BMW navigation system is auto-updated via a 3 / 4G network automatically, it has real time traffic information and auto diversion. There is an SOS system that automatically detects if you’ve been in an accident and will contact help. The sub-menu has en mass car configuration options, from lights to suspension setups etc.
I’m a tech geek and I think it’s cool, although I find it excessively fiddly. I admire simple ergonomic design as much as new cool tech, which the BMW seems to be lacking in the quick access department. So I kind of prefer the Giulietta's setup day to day, luckily there is a preset bar where you can hold different setups of various systems. Yeah the BMW is "technically" superior, but it doesn't always mean better..
I will mention, even with HK audio I still think the 159 had a better stereo system.
Steering and suspension:
Anyone who thought I was unfairly harsh on the Giulietta QV, well you’re about to see this goes for any car. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? The steering is comically light, yeah the handling is precise and it’s chuckable but unnervingly without any actual feel. I’ve begun to get used to it, but it’s still a major bug bear. To add insult, you have to pay for them to correct their own mistake with VSS (Variable sport steering).
The 159 was more “soft” and “wafty”, it can’t handle corners as well but for day to day fun driving was composed and competent enough that it didn’t matter massively. But on the flip side the 159 had 100HP less than the BMW.! The 159 drifted more towards understeer as opposed to the BMW which focusses more on oversteer (even with AWD).
Drivetrain and refinement:
This is where everything starts to make sense, this is why they cost what they do and anyone who thinks a BMW 335D is boring must be mad. The AWD system is incredible, no matter how much power you chuck at it, it’s always composed. There’s no sign of torque steer, it never wheel spins even in the wet so in summation an extremely competent system.
Brakes are simply phenomenal, even at quarter travel you’re starting to feel G force as it grinds quite a heavy car to a halt. The engine, oh my word!.. Talk about split personality, for cruising about it’s like a refined econobox. Then press that pedal down and it literally goes ballistic and becomes utterly relentless. The amount of torque and G it can produce when you get the banding right is surreal. Even with a RWD biased AWD system, you want to poke the beast and it will poke back at you.! Although it never feels out of hand.
There is a note I have to make, this pertains to the LCI (2015 model) onwards, some of the older BMW’s I tried were utterly dismal in many areas when it came to drive train. Either that or I tried two broken cars..
The 159 can’t quite compete in this area, not to say it was an unfulfilling or poor to drive. Because it was far from it, the brakes were capable and the drive was comfortable and relaxed just like the BMW is although the 159 didn’t have the mad man split personality.
As for the gearbox, I said in the Alfa QV review the automatic was a big issue for me. Whilst the ZF is better, some of the characteristics I didn’t like still exist. For e.g. in D or (sport mode), the BMW will still artificially for no reason hang on really high revs when it should upshift. Ultimately it turns out I might be manual biased, but in M/S mode you can have automatic assisted semi-manual.. Where it’s fully manual until you slow down and it’ll fill the gaps in for you, which I like it combines the best of both worlds and something the TCT is lacking.
The 159 manual was awesome, which I can’t really say too much more on the matter.
In terms of refinement, the BMW is extremely quiet but surprisingly has more road noise than I imagined (I don’t have runflats either). The 159 wasn’t too far off in terms of refinement, although I have to admit the BMW is a far comfier place to be.
Looks:
Looks are always highly subjective, in Msport guise it’s a pretty car but nothing bar a Maserati Gran Turismo will beat a 159 in TI guise.
Q&A:
“Do you actually like the BMW?”
It might sound like I have a mixed opinion on it, but it’s in my top three cars and so is the 159. Forgetting Alfa for a minute, compared to modern day hot hatches it can do everything they can and it’s better at it.
With the cost of some hot hatches today (ironic as they’re supposed to be low cost pocket rockets), you’d be hard pressed for me to ever consider one again.
“So which do you prefer, BMW or Alfa”?
That’s a tricky question, they’re both fantastic cars in their own right. I’d say if you have a re-mapped 2.4 159 hang onto it, if the Giulia doesn’t do it for you then I’d highly recommend checking out a 335D / 340I. The issue being price and age, for the money you'd expect the BMW to be all round better right?
Well in reality not as much as you may believe, yes the latest iteration BMW is ultimatley the better car. But it was supposed to compete with the E90 335D / pre-LCI which in my opinion I'd of taken the 159 over both of them with little consideration. Even now factoring everything, it's still a difficult choice...
Don't get me wrong, as a new proposition the BMW is worth every penny just to experience the drive train alone. As a second hand car, I'd still go 159 over a BMW..
So, my conclusion is buy both..! I'm going to
.
P.S I still don’t like the Giulietta QV..
Ok, let’s get started:
Interior and ICE:
The swooping metallic interior dash of a 159 will always be a sight to behold, it’s an ageless design that I’ve yet to see re-created in a modern sedan with so much flair. The same goes for current iterations in comparison (the Giulia), the BMW is smart and well defined but lacks the panache of the 159.
Like comparing a pretty modern house to an Italian villa, whilst the modern house is a nice place to be the holiday villa always gives a better sense of occasion. In no way does the BMW not feel modern, well designed and / or look out of place / un-pretty but the 159 had that je ne sais quoi!.
As for ICE, well it’s a little bit of an unfair comparison with the 159 being dated in that department. So I’ll have to compare the Giulietta QV in that department.
The BMW navigation system is auto-updated via a 3 / 4G network automatically, it has real time traffic information and auto diversion. There is an SOS system that automatically detects if you’ve been in an accident and will contact help. The sub-menu has en mass car configuration options, from lights to suspension setups etc.
I’m a tech geek and I think it’s cool, although I find it excessively fiddly. I admire simple ergonomic design as much as new cool tech, which the BMW seems to be lacking in the quick access department. So I kind of prefer the Giulietta's setup day to day, luckily there is a preset bar where you can hold different setups of various systems. Yeah the BMW is "technically" superior, but it doesn't always mean better..
I will mention, even with HK audio I still think the 159 had a better stereo system.
Steering and suspension:
Anyone who thought I was unfairly harsh on the Giulietta QV, well you’re about to see this goes for any car. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? The steering is comically light, yeah the handling is precise and it’s chuckable but unnervingly without any actual feel. I’ve begun to get used to it, but it’s still a major bug bear. To add insult, you have to pay for them to correct their own mistake with VSS (Variable sport steering).
The 159 was more “soft” and “wafty”, it can’t handle corners as well but for day to day fun driving was composed and competent enough that it didn’t matter massively. But on the flip side the 159 had 100HP less than the BMW.! The 159 drifted more towards understeer as opposed to the BMW which focusses more on oversteer (even with AWD).
Drivetrain and refinement:
This is where everything starts to make sense, this is why they cost what they do and anyone who thinks a BMW 335D is boring must be mad. The AWD system is incredible, no matter how much power you chuck at it, it’s always composed. There’s no sign of torque steer, it never wheel spins even in the wet so in summation an extremely competent system.
Brakes are simply phenomenal, even at quarter travel you’re starting to feel G force as it grinds quite a heavy car to a halt. The engine, oh my word!.. Talk about split personality, for cruising about it’s like a refined econobox. Then press that pedal down and it literally goes ballistic and becomes utterly relentless. The amount of torque and G it can produce when you get the banding right is surreal. Even with a RWD biased AWD system, you want to poke the beast and it will poke back at you.! Although it never feels out of hand.
There is a note I have to make, this pertains to the LCI (2015 model) onwards, some of the older BMW’s I tried were utterly dismal in many areas when it came to drive train. Either that or I tried two broken cars..
The 159 can’t quite compete in this area, not to say it was an unfulfilling or poor to drive. Because it was far from it, the brakes were capable and the drive was comfortable and relaxed just like the BMW is although the 159 didn’t have the mad man split personality.
As for the gearbox, I said in the Alfa QV review the automatic was a big issue for me. Whilst the ZF is better, some of the characteristics I didn’t like still exist. For e.g. in D or (sport mode), the BMW will still artificially for no reason hang on really high revs when it should upshift. Ultimately it turns out I might be manual biased, but in M/S mode you can have automatic assisted semi-manual.. Where it’s fully manual until you slow down and it’ll fill the gaps in for you, which I like it combines the best of both worlds and something the TCT is lacking.
The 159 manual was awesome, which I can’t really say too much more on the matter.
In terms of refinement, the BMW is extremely quiet but surprisingly has more road noise than I imagined (I don’t have runflats either). The 159 wasn’t too far off in terms of refinement, although I have to admit the BMW is a far comfier place to be.
Looks:
Looks are always highly subjective, in Msport guise it’s a pretty car but nothing bar a Maserati Gran Turismo will beat a 159 in TI guise.
Q&A:
“Do you actually like the BMW?”
It might sound like I have a mixed opinion on it, but it’s in my top three cars and so is the 159. Forgetting Alfa for a minute, compared to modern day hot hatches it can do everything they can and it’s better at it.
With the cost of some hot hatches today (ironic as they’re supposed to be low cost pocket rockets), you’d be hard pressed for me to ever consider one again.
“So which do you prefer, BMW or Alfa”?
That’s a tricky question, they’re both fantastic cars in their own right. I’d say if you have a re-mapped 2.4 159 hang onto it, if the Giulia doesn’t do it for you then I’d highly recommend checking out a 335D / 340I. The issue being price and age, for the money you'd expect the BMW to be all round better right?
Well in reality not as much as you may believe, yes the latest iteration BMW is ultimatley the better car. But it was supposed to compete with the E90 335D / pre-LCI which in my opinion I'd of taken the 159 over both of them with little consideration. Even now factoring everything, it's still a difficult choice...
Don't get me wrong, as a new proposition the BMW is worth every penny just to experience the drive train alone. As a second hand car, I'd still go 159 over a BMW..
So, my conclusion is buy both..! I'm going to
.P.S I still don’t like the Giulietta QV
..
