[voytee]

Hello

I know this may be the 1000th time this question has been asked..

My 12 year old 147 2.0TS is starting to feel tired and I am considering looking for a Giulietta, around 4-5 years old.

Is there anything fundamental I need to consider? I assume being a newer design there are less "features" than the model it replaced?

I am thinking of things like the weak wiper linkage that was fitted to the 147 or belt replacement in the TS engine.

I have googled but can't really find anything.

Cheers!

 

[TonyGr]

Here are a couple of thread that might help. The search function is quite useful once you know what to ask.

http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/alfa...-tct-manual-high-miles-problem-about-buy.html
http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/alfa-giulietta/978066-petrol-or-diesel-g.html

And you might like to look here for what others have had go wrong. However most problems occur on only a minute proportion of the cars.
http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/alfa...a-owners-tech-info-fault-guides-and-more.html

 

[voytee]

Thanks very much. This all looks very encouraging.

The G didn't seem as roomy as the 147 when I sat in one but I can't bring myself to have a Golf/Audi when every other car here in Sweden is one.

Looking forward to less rattles though.

 

[tynymynydd]

Having gone from a 147 to a giulietta (1.9 jtdm 140 to 2.0 jtdm 150) it's generally positive news. The G feels a little more 'sorted' than the 147 although don't look too closely around the steering wheel shroud! G feels a little more sedate than the 147 albeit the diesels have a lot more torque in the G.
Road holding is generally safe and predictable though the electronic power steering totally removes you from any appreciation of what's hapoening twixt tyre and tarmac. In D mode it just makes it heavier but with no more feel. For this reason the 147 felt a lot more 'chuckable'when you hit the twisty bits. The biggest disappointment really is that it feels so much less Alfa-esque when you're in it. You might as well be in a Vauxhall astra -albeit with a welcome lack of button rash. There are some annoying details that have been missed like no footrest next to the clutch and the fact that it's buggeration to adjust the seat once you're seatbelt is done up. But the 147 had far more annoyances!
I do miss my 147 for the fun factor and the character it had. -especially the way it wraps itself around you with everything you need right at your fingertips.. Felt more like a fighter pilot than a driver in the 147.
The G is still a lovely car though compared to the largely drab competition.

 

[cue2]

The 147 just feels faster than the better sorted Giulietta. My average speed on the trip computer rose quite a bit who replacing my fast-feeling 147q2 with the Giulietta.

 

[symon]

I think generally the Giulietta is a better car than the 147, with better engineering and less seems to go wrong.

The Diesel engines suffer much less problems than the 1.9 units fitted to the 147, and the petrol engines don't run big ends, burn oil or snap cambelts if you look at them wrongly like the TS tended to.

My main issues with the G are that some of the materials inside feel a bit cheap, and the standard suspension leave a bit to be desired (ride too crashy and ride height like and SUV).



Other than a couple of well known issues they seem to be mechanically very sound. The suspension bushes appear long lived, the radiators don't fall apart every 5 years like the copper cored ones on the 147, and to top it all the car gets a much better crash test rating.

 

[cue2]

The 147 coincided with the Audi TT and it was delayed while they added the materials to the interior of the Alfa. The Giulietta was kind of opposite to that in that the interior was cheap, even if the dash was changed at a late stage for the one developed for the cancelled fwd Giulia. The door trims were not changed and only ever came in black with their strongpoint being their recyclability versus the 147 items.

 

[Erik Loye]

Hello

I know this may be the 1000th time this question has been asked..

My 12 year old 147 2.0TS is starting to feel tired and I am considering looking for a Giulietta, around 4-5 years old.

Is there anything fundamental I need to consider? I assume being a newer design there are less "features" than the model it replaced?

I am thinking of things like the weak wiper linkage that was fitted to the 147 or belt replacement in the TS engine.

I have googled but can't really find anything.

Cheers!

I changed from an Alfa 156 via a Fiat Bravo 1,4 TB to my present Giu 120 TB and is very happy with the Giu.
Mechanically the Giu 120TB is very similar to the Bravo 120 TJet. As I never had any probs with the Bravo I had confidence in going for a Giulietta. I have now had it for 8 months and 12.000 km with out any issues.
One reason I didn't go for a 170 Multi Air was I heard and read of the breakdown of the MultiAir systems have given on early Alfa Mito and Giuliettas. The other is I don't do traffic light races with every car besides me or can't remember I had done 200 km/h so I probably wouldn't need/use the extra 50 HP of the MAir :biglaugh:.

 

[cue2]

I think anybody going from a 147 to a Bravo or Mito would have issues with the lack of steering precision in the electric rack but the Giulietta with its twin-pinion steering is pretty good.

 

[Alan Walker]

I have had a 2.0 TS 147 as well as three GTs and they all feel similar in terms of feedback through the wheel, seat and pedals. Plenty of communication, a feeling of weight, solidity, fluidity and natural, linear feedback. The Giulietta I test drove a couple of years ago felt artificial, remote and dead at the helm. I hated it, to be honest and I thought the interior (particularly that horrible slab of shiny plastic in the middle) was a step back from the 147/GT. I set out to like it and probably buy it but bought a GT instead. Just my experience and opinion but I would take a long test drive and maybe try and have the G over a weekend on extended test before you buy. I'd buy a low mileage minty 147 or GT instead. (You'll save on depreciation too!)

 

[westonprawn]

I know what you mean I went from a GTV which I loved and miss the sporty feel (and im still messing with the seat 18months later to get the perfect position) but saying that its a different type of car aimed at a different market, the seat adjustment after you've put the belt on comment puts faith back thats its an Alfa lol spot on too! Also its the best looker in its class

 

[KrisW]

The 2014 Giuliettas come closer to 147 in terms of cabin trim. Sadly, as Cue2 alluded to, the rules on recyclability banished a lot of the nice soft-touch plastics (vinyls, mostly) we used to have inside older cars.

However, the Giuli is much less rattle-prone, and the ride is better. That ride quality makes it a deceptively fast car - I test-drove the 1.6 diesel model at what I thought was 120km/h and though it was lacking a bit of acceleration at speed, until I realised that the units on the dial were miles per hour, not km Luckily, it was a quiet road.

My two previous 147s were solid, reliable cars, but the Giulietta is at another level - it's not just reliable, it's also been niggle-free: my 2014 has been the only car I've owned from new that has not needed a return trip to the garage to fix something in its first year. And I'm quite picky about interior rattles and suchlike.

In the last month, I've noticed I have a slightly loose gearknob, and this will be dealt with at service time, but that is the sum total of faults. I'm also doing more mileage than I did before.

And it's not just me who thinks this. Read this assessment from AutoExpress's CarBuyer site: Alfa Romeo Giulietta hatchback reliability & safety | Carbuyer

 

[symon]

The Giulietta to me feels like a bigger car to drive than the 147/156

I know that weight wise they are similar, but the G feels like it has much more grip.

It also feels less inclined to change direction as quickly and there is less feedback though the seat of your pants.

That can be a good thing, you can go much faster without being as conscious of your speed. The downside is that when you are on a twisty road it is less fun.

 

[Oggy_GTA]

How much are you wanting to spend?

You're coming from a 147 2.0, so you may want something with a bit of zip? A 170 sounds good, but for not much more, you can get a Cloverleaf which really is a quick car. Test drive a used one at a dealers then look for one to your exact spec. You can get them for less than 10K for a decent one.

None of them are perfect in my opinion. Have Alfas ever been?

 

[Erik Loye]

I agree on the steering feeling dead. As long as you turn every now and then its fairly OK, but after a long strait drive its feels like it needs a second or two to wake up. My Bravo was a bit like that, too.

 

[cue2]

I agree on the steering feeling dead. As long as you turn every now and then its fairly OK, but after a long strait drive its feels like it needs a second or two to wake up. My Bravo was a bit like that, too.

Not my feeling about the Giulietta dual pinion steering. The Mito and Bravo however....

 

[Oggy_GTA]

Not my feeling about the Giulietta dual pinion steering. The Mito and Bravo however....

Agreed, I don't recognise the "dead" feel at all.

 

[cue2]

I think he should take his car back and compare it with another!

 

[symon]

Maybe it is just wrong terminology.

Dead as in lack of feel, or dead as in lack of precision?

As we know it does lack feel, but it should be accurate and precise enough.

 

[Oggy_GTA]

I don't agree, but I've done nearly 60k in the cloverleaf now and perhaps just don't notice. I'm more inclined to think the cloverleaf with the stiffer setup and possibly a quicker rack?? is sharper than the multijet.