So after returning from my continental road trip which lasted 3 days, consisted of 4 countries, 1500 miles and 25hrs of driving, I've gotten to know my Giulietta much better. Just a few random thoughts after the drive. Got the Veloce 1.6 diesel btw.
- After around the 3500 miles on the clock, accelerating became a lot smoother requiring less of a heavy right foot
- Odometer started flashing after ~2500 miles but fixed itself after ~3900miles…strange one
- Switching to D mode is always smile-inducing but I have noticed that besides the initial chunk of torque, there’s not much acceleration to follow. I’m putting this down to the modest 105hp from the 1.6l.
- Managed 116mph (GPS speed) on the German autobahn with relatively little effort. No unnerving vibrations or lightened steering.:thumbs:
- Found there’s a 3mph difference between GPS reading and the speedometer which is standard I guess in most cars.
- Gearbox is still a bit clunky in 1st and 2nd gear with some audible noises during the change between 1-2. Hope it's nothing too serious considering the gearbox thread I've read on here. Gears 3 through to 6 are slick though.
- Average mpg wasn’t too great (41.4mpg) compared to my typical high 50s, low 60s on my everyday commute, but that was probably because I was averaging ~86mph thanks to the autobahn! Anything above 75mph results in the mpg dropping to 35-40mpg.
- CC works just fine after getting used to the controls. V.useful on the endless, near empty straight roads in Belgium!
- Ride is firm thanks to the 18-inch wheels, but nothing bone shattering. I found the seats ok….but after a couple of hours the lack of lumbar support is pretty evident on my back.
- Auto-wipers functioned ok, but sometimes required an initial actuation before they worked, which kind of defeats the point of auto-wipers I thought! . Also noticed the rear wiper actuates in line with the frequency of the front ones in auto mode which is nice.
- Blue&Me media player is good, but now and then, it doesn’t read the USB stick and requires reinsertion. It also doesn't work when the engine is off.
- Got the standard sound system which is good enough for me. Plenty of bass, but lacks something in the mid-range. Sufficient nonetheless.
- Found the voice control pretty useless…nothing that couldn’t be done faster and more reliably with the buttons. Although I found the steering wheel buttons sometimes required a harder push to register.
- Bottle holder in the glove box is a nice touch although the bottles slide off the end if they’re not long enough (esp. when in D mode!).
- One of the plastic covers on the end of the seat guide rail came off. Just clipped it back on so no harm done.
- Did have a couple of rattles on the driver side door, but they disappeared as fast as they appeared.:thumbs:
All in all still love the car and have nothing major to complain about yet (touchwood). Managed to surprise my friends and colleagues that an Alfa can do such long trips without a single call to the RAC
Just needs a well deserved wash and wax now!
- After around the 3500 miles on the clock, accelerating became a lot smoother requiring less of a heavy right foot
- Odometer started flashing after ~2500 miles but fixed itself after ~3900miles…strange one
- Switching to D mode is always smile-inducing but I have noticed that besides the initial chunk of torque, there’s not much acceleration to follow. I’m putting this down to the modest 105hp from the 1.6l.
- Managed 116mph (GPS speed) on the German autobahn with relatively little effort. No unnerving vibrations or lightened steering.:thumbs:
- Found there’s a 3mph difference between GPS reading and the speedometer which is standard I guess in most cars.
- Gearbox is still a bit clunky in 1st and 2nd gear with some audible noises during the change between 1-2. Hope it's nothing too serious considering the gearbox thread I've read on here. Gears 3 through to 6 are slick though.
- Average mpg wasn’t too great (41.4mpg) compared to my typical high 50s, low 60s on my everyday commute, but that was probably because I was averaging ~86mph thanks to the autobahn! Anything above 75mph results in the mpg dropping to 35-40mpg.
- CC works just fine after getting used to the controls. V.useful on the endless, near empty straight roads in Belgium!
- Ride is firm thanks to the 18-inch wheels, but nothing bone shattering. I found the seats ok….but after a couple of hours the lack of lumbar support is pretty evident on my back.
- Auto-wipers functioned ok, but sometimes required an initial actuation before they worked, which kind of defeats the point of auto-wipers I thought! . Also noticed the rear wiper actuates in line with the frequency of the front ones in auto mode which is nice.
- Blue&Me media player is good, but now and then, it doesn’t read the USB stick and requires reinsertion. It also doesn't work when the engine is off.
- Got the standard sound system which is good enough for me. Plenty of bass, but lacks something in the mid-range. Sufficient nonetheless.
- Found the voice control pretty useless…nothing that couldn’t be done faster and more reliably with the buttons. Although I found the steering wheel buttons sometimes required a harder push to register.
- Bottle holder in the glove box is a nice touch although the bottles slide off the end if they’re not long enough (esp. when in D mode!).
- One of the plastic covers on the end of the seat guide rail came off. Just clipped it back on so no harm done.
- Did have a couple of rattles on the driver side door, but they disappeared as fast as they appeared.:thumbs:
All in all still love the car and have nothing major to complain about yet (touchwood). Managed to surprise my friends and colleagues that an Alfa can do such long trips without a single call to the RAC
Just needs a well deserved wash and wax now!