I purchased my Stelvio two years ago based in part on your review and I have never once regretted my decision. My Stelvio has been a sheer pleasure to drive and own and reliability has been excellent.
@@user-xf6vg9cf8e 2019. Overall still reliable. The fuel pump had some issues when it’s very hot during a road trip but it was replaced under warranty. Actually the fuel pump worked fine after letting the car sit for several hours. Still love my Stelvio.
This guy has the most informative reviews of anyone on UA-cam. At end of his reviews your an expert on whatever vehicle he is reviewing. I go into the dealership with more knowledge than the salesman.
Oh Alex ! I’ve been “meh” on this car since it came out. Your review just officially induced me into LOVE. It’s beautiful !! Nowhere else on the Internet right now can I see all of the lights and details. Those tail lights 🙌🏻 wow. Reliability aside I must check one out. I’d have to spec it exactly like your tester. LOVE the character. Thanks always Alex !
Thanks for awesome reviews. I love that you also score the cabin noise. That is so important when choosing a car for a luxurious feel. All other youtube reviewers miss this. So thanks again and keep that up!
Thank you for a great review. I have a new Stelvio. What I like about it is that you do not see very many here in the US. I get compliments almost daily. Audi sold 50k Q5s, whereas there are only 6k Stelvios.
Thanks for the review Alex. I just test drove the Stelvio today. I compared it to the Volvo cx60, Discovery sport and f pace. You are spot on about the lack of grip on the tires and the volvo and discovery were definitely the most comfortable for me. I got in and out of the fpace immediately. I coudn't test drive it, as I didn't like the way I felt in the cabin there ... too tight for me. Your reviews are great and I really appreicate the time you take to do a review and the detail. I also sound like I know what I am talking about when at the dealership... LOL, so they sort of stop trying to "sell" me, which is nice...
Kelly Foster I’m in somewhat the same boat- so which did you end up choosing? I added the qx50 which I haven’t test drive yet but it’s not sporty, NX seems safe choice, but I like a bit of excitement so I’ve been lead to the Stelvio....update: drove qx50. Loved it...and Stelvio had a unexpected plain plastic interior
Hello, @@ClubNoiseband I can share a bit of info with you now. So first, I made a mistake... I had to get out of the e pace, not the fpace. I haven't tested the fpace. I got out of the infiniti immediately, as the head rest pushed my head into an extremely uncomfortable position. And I noticed that one of the models even had the head rest flipped backwards, which indicates to me, it can really bother the neck. Okay, my chiropractor is against the stelvio. Since I have neck issues, he told me to always go for comfort and safety and to test drive a car when you are experiencing any pain in the body, because that car if good should be okay, but if bad for you, will make you feel even more pain... He feels the Stelvio is a little too stiff of a ride for me. That being said, I also had to nix the Discovery sport. I am test driving the regular Discovery this Sunday, so I will see how it does. Right now, the Volvo CX60 is a front runner and that Mazda cx-9 was not bad at all, either. The price is nice, it rides really well. Look at the Signature model... But I think 1 of those 3 Volvo cx60, Discover or MAzda CX-9 signature may be the one for me... I have a while until I need to make a decision, so I just keep test driving them over and over to really see how it all feels in my body.... all of those cars have a top safety rating... But, the Stevio was fun to drive and it looks beautiful. I am seeing more and more of them on the road where I live. If you get it, take Alex's suggestion and change up the tires. You'll see when you test drive it on some turns... put it to the test! And I just won't do Audi anymore... boring and they get probs after about 3 years.. never buy an Audi... you gotta lease those so you can turn it in after 3 years... they end up with electrical probs and they eat up oil. Hope that helps, kookoococonut1
Going to get my new Stelvio tomorrow. You see a million Audi's and Volvo's on the road. Yawn........ For 40k you get the best performance car and best looking car in the segment as well as the most exotic and rare car. Total no brainer. And the reliability on these is fantastic so far. Can't wait to get mine!
Nick B. CONGRATS. Just got mine today fully loaded $53,940, and paid $45,740. Got $4700 in rebates and $3500 in dealer discounts. Traded in my BMW 2016 X1. Got the last 2018 STELVIO TI AWD Vesuvio Grey model. My twin brother picked up the Giulia with the identical specs. We were really stoked about the styling and performance of these beasts. Hope they improve the infotainment and finish on the next iteration. But for now we'll gladly take the present offerings!!
one and only person who gives real information about cars ! after wathching him u will decide which car u want. I drove F pace and Stelvio in 1 day difference . it was on highway and both was good. jags MMI is more nice , but overall inside I liked stelvio more, to drive both is nice . for sure not Volvo or Audi or even GLC with cheap interrior I think best in class is x3 . If I choose I will choose between x3 and stelvio but Lusso , because I addore leather interrior
Jomy Joseph also he talks about Infiniti a good amount. But I agree with him, I like that when he is talking about luxury brands. Some just talk about Audi, BMW, Mercedes. So it’s refreshing he talks about Alfa , Volvo, Infiniti , Lexus , Cadillac .
2018 X3 has one major flaw - gets pretty loud above 70 mph. I wouldn't say that the F-Pace handles better than Stelvio. They're comparable but Alfa gives you more fun, it's more lively.
Start button on the steering wheel? Perfect, why have it anywhere else? I've owned a car with push button start where the button was on the dash on the right side of the wheel. I'd much prefer right on the wheel.
Wow, this review was recorded on my Bday, I was at a toss up between a Tesla Model 3, Lexus RX or a Fully Loaded VW Tiguan! I guess I’ll go with the Stelvio White...
Complete and precise analysis (though some judgments are personal and subjective) but the definitive question is only one; you like driving a car although this is "only" a suv? If the answer is yes Stelvio is the car for you because in terms of performance, handling, design and driving pleasure doesn't fear any comparison. If instead for you a car is just a vehicle to go from one place to another can buy any other cars (who still have qualities and flaws like everything). Sry for "eng" (I use Google).
Great review as always! The TI sport model you drove has 255 width tires not 225. Also there is a driver assist package that offers adaptive cruise control (w/stop&go) & lane departure warning.
Unsignaled lane changes/turns are generally not best practice. Don’t see an issue with a lane departure system that discourages lazy drivers from sailing across lanes blissfully unaware of other people around them.
Happy New Year and holidays Alex! Sitting here watching this video while eating dinner, and I honestly enjoy your presentations (and UA-cam in general) better than TV now haha. Call me your typical millennial lol. Your work has inspired me to keep my car blog, Adam's Autos going! Wishing you more success in 2018! Sidenote: Saabkyle04's review of the 2011 SAAB 9-4x Aero went up almost at the same time as this, and boy, do I wish that company was still around to compete with Alfa and everyone else in this segment nowadays... 😔
The temperature in Northern California has been as low as the 30s, so how is Alex able to be "out in the forest" without an AoA jacket? Maybe the car is that hot!
Alfa is making cars for driving. This makes it so appealing. I test drove the Stelvio a few days ago and I love it. A very exciting and fun ride. These "Safety" features are annoying as hell(especially the auto start stop). If you can't manage to stay in your lane or use your mirrors and eyes to avoid hitting things, you don't belong on the road in the first place.
Love your videos. Is there a reason you shot the drivers seat description from the passenger seat? You usually have the camera outside of the vehicle so that we can see what the seating position looks like.
Great review. First time seeing your videos and man they are thorough! I’ve just special-ordered my Stelio Ti from Italy. To get what I wanted (the dark green color with 20” rims, HK stereo, and the natty new leather dash/uppers option) I have to wait. Couldn’t find one stateside probably due to the rare color, which I’d call British Racing Green except it’s an Italian car so they call it ‘Verde Visconti’ :). Btw Android and Apple car software are now standard as of Spring 2018.
And yes the one thing that I found a little strange was the lack of the mid-range engine. Quadrifoglio is amazing but just not practical. But after driving the Ti it’s PLENTY fast with an engine that’s going to get me into trouble already. And did you notice the turning radius? Omg like a sports car, certainly not truck-y like some crossovers. I did at 180 in a parking lot just as tight as my old Honda Civic couple can.
Good choice. I also have one (2018) in Verde Visconti. One of the many selling points for me - but a rare and damn hard color to find this available in.
Alex I am Italian American and I had drive. Many Alfa while in Italian. You hang it Alfa always drive more sport however how is it long drive. I drive west palm beach Florida to Brooklyn NY.
The Stelvio is basically on pair with the competitors in terms of boot space. I don't understand how you measure boot space in the US, but here's some figures from Europe: Macan - 490 lts Volvo XC60 - 500 lts CLC Coupe - 500 lts iX3 - 510 lts Stelvio - 525lts X3 - 550 lts Q5 - 550 lts F-Pace - 650lts ...but of course if you want more leg room in the German models, you'll loose the extra boot capacity.
13:20 the paddles behind the wheels are preferable unless you have a 360deg turn steering wheel like f1s, and obviously you can't have that on a road car because it would be to quick and unsafe.
This is one of the best cars in the middle SUV segnent. Volvo XC60 (only 2-liters 4-cylinder engines) and Audi Q5 (very ordinary) are primery FWD vehicle, Mercedes GLC is comfortable, but boring, new BMW X3 is ugly and also boring with the standart interior for all new BMW. Only Jaguar F-pace is well-balanced gamer in this class, but has a little bit cheap interior in some places. Porsche is in other, "extralusso" class with more aggressive prices.
Mike Voloshyn and you have to be an idiot to buy an Alfa or a Jaguar.... especially for long term without warranties. Especially new.... not only do you lose a hell of a lot more in depreciation, but you end up with ticking time bombs.
I just hold down the traction control button for 5's to turn off TC and stabilty off and let thr torque vectoring rear diff turn my Envision 2.0T into a power sliding machine on the snow. Lots of fun until 35 mph thr stab turns back on. CR has thr Envision 2.0T test in 2016 going through the Emergency Lane Change test faster than most of those you mentioned. It is 2 mph faster than the Stelvio in that test.
yoyomaster Have you ever seen rain? Pulling around 4,000 lbs, top heavy it is easy to spin the tires while turning in the wet with 300 lb-ft of torque?
Really, what's the deal with cargo space? A kia Soul has over 20 cu. ft. of cargo space and holds 4 carry-ons (per your review) but the Stelvio has only 18.5 yet holds 5? What gives? I've started paying more attention to these luggage scores than the cubic ft. listed
I doubt anyone looking at Alfa Romeo is cross shopping a Kia Soul. I'm a musician. I have lots of gear, and cargo space is important to me. I'm a middle aged man, I've worked hard. I'm NOT driving a Kia Soul. I'd buy my daughters one in a HEARTBEAT.
Was looking for a new cross over SUV. We looked at X3, NX300, GLC, and XC60. They’re all almost the same price. But we finally bought the Stelvio, much more exciting and cool, they others are just kind of blah now. Out of those, maybe XC60 looks the freshest. And Audi really need to step up, Q series starting to look dated.
I understand the Stelvio can tow up to 3000#. I've got a couple motorcycles and would like to trailer them. Total load under 2500# and I am curious how the Stelvio would work under such a load. I'd only be towing a couple times a year but for relatively long distance ....2500-3000 miles. Plus I'd avoid terrain like Colorado but still have some altitude.
While the power ratings are a bit down, I do think the Macan Turbo would have to be considered a pretty direct competitor to the 505 HP Stelvio as well.
Thinking about picking up one of these used, 2018 with 37K on it. Would you have any hesitations? ZF transmissions always good in my experience. Love the Oakland Hills, used to live there
I didn’t yet. I hesitated and the Ti Sport is already sold I let it pass because of the tech that was upgraded on 2020 models Tech always will date a car. Regardless the suspension on this thing is amazing Just a little small for my family
Bad info note: Although the Stelvio is built on the Giulia's RWD platform, ALL Stelvios are STANDARD AWD! Hence, the "Q4" badge on every Stelvio tailgate. But Alex is a pro, so somebody likely gave him bad info. #respect
I want this Soo bad ! Either this or an eclipse cross Edit: June 3rd 2021 -I just purchased my Stelvio and I agree with everything he’s said. One serious annoyance was when I took a recent trip to DC first road trip with the car. It was a fun drive power is great when idiots want to try and control the road I can zip right in and out to get myself back to the open space up a head. Anyway back to the annoyance it took me almost 20 min to find DC so that I could put the address into the car so it could take me to the hotel. I even tried the voice commands and it didn’t know wth I was saying so I got really pissed but anyways I found it and it was an awesome time. One think I will say is that the steering should be heavier during higher speeds . It was a bit Darty ..
no Volvo T8 407 hp is 5.3 s and Stelvio 280 hp is 5.7 s 0-100 km/h, so wonder what ponies that Volvo has, performance is not good as it should be with 400 hp
I would like to have seen the Mazda CX-5 Signature added to the comparison at the end. This would compare a near luxury offering to the luxury offerings.
Ok serious question, wish Alex could answer, but if not I'd like to hear opinions. If I'm not one of those rich people who change car every 1 or 2 years and I want to buy one of these "luxury compact SUV" to keep it for, let's say 7 years, what should be the best option? X3, GLC, XC60, Stelvio, NX, Q5
For ideal long term usage I’d say the NX if you want almost brick like quality but every car comes with it fair share of issues. Drive your choices, do the research but pick what your heart likes most. I read reviews all the time but I still buy the cars that make me happy and not what other people say.
Yes, the most important thing after reasonable reliability is that you really like the car you have chosen. Not sure why anyone would prioritise horsepower over reliability and overall suitability, but if the chosen car happened to have 500 hp, I would not hold it against it. LOL.
The Volvo XC60 is the only fwd based vehicle in this line up correct? Maybe why it has more room inside? I would actually think Alfa is more reliable than that ticking time bomb twin charge engine in the Volvo
I don't understand where he gets that Volvo is FWD. It's mostly FWD, but AWD is used during launch/initial acceleration , under slippery conditions or in off road mode.
yoyomaster if this question is related to me it's how the engine is mounted along with the routing of the drive shaft. A Nissan GT-R is more RWD by nature due to having the driveshaft ran to the rear differential first, then another driveshaft off of that differential to the front differential. This makes it AWD but the rear gets the power first and then sends upfront what it can't handle. A Volvo has a horizontal mounted engine that has the power going directly to the front wheels. There is then a drive shaft going to the rear. Meaning the front wheels receive the power first and ten divert to the rear wheels, thus it is FWD based. Not all AWD systems are equal. The Jag F Pace is rwd based for an SUV example. Hope that clarifies a little.
Waiting for your review of the Envision Premium l 2.0T with Twin Active Clutch AWD that torque vectors power to the outside, rear wheel. It is more expensive on paper at $45K but also offers more features like power lift gate, cross traffic alert, all outboard seats heated along with steering wheel to name a few. But with normal discounts of $10,000 or $15,000 through 2017, $30,000 is not uncommon. That is less than the economy cuv's at $33,000-35,000 like the CR-V, Rav4, CX-5, and Forester XT all which don't match 4 years and 50,000 miles. The Envision eclipse every vehcile mentioned in head room at almost 40 inches, 3rd place in legroom, and about 10 more feet of cargo than the Stelvio . Oh and the rear seat is 60/40 split and slides. Which is perfect for our dogs in the back seat if we have to brake hard. Motor Trend has the Envision 2.0T about a half second behind the Stelvio in the figure-8 test with slightly better braking from 60 to a stop. Consumer Reports has the Envision about half of second slower in the 1/4 mile time but it brakes shorter from 60 mph and has a faster Emergency Lane Change test at 55.5 vs 53.5 mph. Our Envision 2.0T is coming up on 12,000 miles and sees 32 mpg at 65 mph or 30 mpg loaded.
Don’t hold your breath for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. If your car wasn’t sold to you with it then you won’t get it. While the Stelvio looks stylish inside, it’s surprisingly outdated.
0.5 seconds, 0.3 seconds difference 0-60. Most consumers prefer practicality, low maintenance cost, fuel consumption and comfort over these fractions of seconds as they are not in a race! Beautiful review as usual, thanks Alex
Sherif Elserty I agree with you. To improve his reviews, I think that Alex should begin to tailor his reviews based on the category of vehicle being tested. When I'm shopping for ANY vehicle, I simply don't care about a .5 difference in acceleration times. It's a good data point for comparison, but it's relevance matters greatly based on the type of vehicle.
Yes, it is, no so much as Toyota, Honda, Subaru or Mazda, but enough. Reliability of all automakers from Western Europe is on (+/-) same lavel, exept Porsche, of course, which is in the top with Japanece.
I purchased my Stelvio two years ago based in part on your review and I have never once regretted my decision. My Stelvio has been a sheer pleasure to drive and own and reliability has been excellent.
was it a 2018?
@@user-xf6vg9cf8e 2019. Overall still reliable. The fuel pump had some issues when it’s very hot during a road trip but it was replaced under warranty. Actually the fuel pump worked fine after letting the car sit for several hours. Still love my Stelvio.
This guy has the most informative reviews of anyone on UA-cam. At end of his reviews your an expert on whatever vehicle he is reviewing. I go into the dealership with more knowledge than the salesman.
This may be the best UA-cam car review I’ve ever seen.
Alex is hands down the best car reviewer on UA-cam.
Hands up if you think Alex is hands down the best reviewer!
I am not looking for cars but yet I watch his reviews . Well done Alex keep it up.. 4K is a bonus as well. Love it
word tooyo mo'tha
He did some pretty big mistakes...
Agree with you there. Like the split cam while driving. Question: does he own more than one pair of jeans? (just kidding)
Oh Alex ! I’ve been “meh” on this car since it came out. Your review just officially induced me into LOVE. It’s beautiful !! Nowhere else on the Internet right now can I see all of the lights and details. Those tail lights 🙌🏻 wow. Reliability aside I must check one out. I’d have to spec it exactly like your tester. LOVE the character. Thanks always Alex !
Did you end up buying/leasing one?
Thanks for awesome reviews. I love that you also score the cabin noise. That is so important when choosing a car for a luxurious feel. All other youtube reviewers miss this. So thanks again and keep that up!
Thank you for a great review. I have a new Stelvio. What I like about it is that you do not see very many here in the US. I get compliments almost daily. Audi sold 50k Q5s, whereas there are only 6k Stelvios.
Drove past one of these in my neighborhood the other day. Good looking SUV
Cool. I will get my QV soon.Will be my third Alfa.
How's the experience has been with the Stelvio? I'm thinking about getting a one owner used Stelvio in few months.
Is there any Maintenance Package that comes with he Stelvio ?
@@awesahmedkhan6268 Yes, I think all of the high-end cars offer them.
Best Car I ever owned..it's typical Italian - just an amazing design.. the beauty of the design must be seen.. The performance cannot be beat.
Was it a 2018, and do you still have it?
Nice review! Alex, you are one of the best car reviewers! I enjoyed your review and well research.
Wow! This a THOROUGH review. Thank you so much.
Best most professional review for Stelvio
So crossovers can be fun and look cool while doing it after all! Sweet!
I wish I had found your channel earlier on. Your reviews are simply top notch! Kudos!!!!
Good to see there are still sporty crossovers in the market. Infiniti had me worried when they replaced the QX70 with a FWD CVT crossover.
Racer Lex notice none of the direct competitors are Japanese?
Great balanced and comprehensive review. Thank you.
Thanks for the review Alex. I just test drove the Stelvio today. I compared it to the Volvo cx60, Discovery sport and f pace. You are spot on about the lack of grip on the tires and the volvo and discovery were definitely the most comfortable for me. I got in and out of the fpace immediately. I coudn't test drive it, as I didn't like the way I felt in the cabin there ... too tight for me. Your reviews are great and I really appreicate the time you take to do a review and the detail. I also sound like I know what I am talking about when at the dealership... LOL, so they sort of stop trying to "sell" me, which is nice...
Kelly Foster I’m in somewhat the same boat- so which did you end up choosing? I added the qx50 which I haven’t test drive yet but it’s not sporty, NX seems safe choice, but I like a bit of excitement so I’ve been lead to the Stelvio....update: drove qx50. Loved it...and Stelvio had a unexpected plain plastic interior
Hello, @@ClubNoiseband I can share a bit of info with you now. So first, I made a mistake... I had to get out of the e pace, not the fpace. I haven't tested the fpace. I got out of the infiniti immediately, as the head rest pushed my head into an extremely uncomfortable position. And I noticed that one of the models even had the head rest flipped backwards, which indicates to me, it can really bother the neck. Okay, my chiropractor is against the stelvio. Since I have neck issues, he told me to always go for comfort and safety and to test drive a car when you are experiencing any pain in the body, because that car if good should be okay, but if bad for you, will make you feel even more pain... He feels the Stelvio is a little too stiff of a ride for me. That being said, I also had to nix the Discovery sport. I am test driving the regular Discovery this Sunday, so I will see how it does. Right now, the Volvo CX60 is a front runner and that Mazda cx-9 was not bad at all, either. The price is nice, it rides really well. Look at the Signature model... But I think 1 of those 3 Volvo cx60, Discover or MAzda CX-9 signature may be the one for me... I have a while until I need to make a decision, so I just keep test driving them over and over to really see how it all feels in my body.... all of those cars have a top safety rating... But, the Stevio was fun to drive and it looks beautiful. I am seeing more and more of them on the road where I live. If you get it, take Alex's suggestion and change up the tires. You'll see when you test drive it on some turns... put it to the test! And I just won't do Audi anymore... boring and they get probs after about 3 years.. never buy an Audi... you gotta lease those so you can turn it in after 3 years... they end up with electrical probs and they eat up oil. Hope that helps, kookoococonut1
Going to get my new Stelvio tomorrow. You see a million Audi's and Volvo's on the road. Yawn........ For 40k you get the best performance car and best looking car in the segment as well as the most exotic and rare car. Total no brainer. And the reliability on these is fantastic so far. Can't wait to get mine!
How is it?
Nick B. CONGRATS. Just got mine today fully loaded $53,940, and paid $45,740. Got $4700 in rebates and $3500 in dealer discounts. Traded in my BMW 2016 X1. Got the last 2018 STELVIO TI AWD Vesuvio Grey model. My twin brother picked up the Giulia with the identical specs. We were really stoked about the styling and performance of these beasts. Hope they improve the infotainment and finish on the next iteration. But for now we'll gladly take the present offerings!!
One year later... hiw is it?
one and only person who gives real information about cars ! after wathching him u will decide which car u want. I drove F pace and Stelvio in 1 day difference . it was on highway and both was good. jags MMI is more nice , but overall inside I liked stelvio more, to drive both is nice . for sure not Volvo or Audi or even GLC with cheap interrior I think best in class is x3 . If I choose I will choose between x3 and stelvio but Lusso , because I addore leather interrior
You do the most informative car vids on UA-cam ... thanks
This is my first video i watched from you. You do great at this stuff! So informative bud.
Alex just loves Volvo! Someone please count the number of time he says "Volvo" in each of his videos.
Jomy Joseph also he talks about Infiniti a good amount. But I agree with him, I like that when he is talking about luxury brands. Some just talk about Audi, BMW, Mercedes. So it’s refreshing he talks about Alfa , Volvo, Infiniti , Lexus , Cadillac .
Alfa Romeo Stelvio the best suv !!!!
2018 X3 has one major flaw - gets pretty loud above 70 mph.
I wouldn't say that the F-Pace handles better than Stelvio. They're comparable but Alfa gives you more fun, it's more lively.
Start button on the steering wheel? Perfect, why have it anywhere else? I've owned a car with push button start where the button was on the dash on the right side of the wheel. I'd much prefer right on the wheel.
Great review! Another stellar review for the Stelvio!
Alfa Romeo has always been the driver's car. I couldn't care less about driving assistance. The only thing missing is the manual transmission.
Absolutely right on.
Very deep and comprehensive review.
Wow, this review was recorded on my Bday, I was at a toss up between a Tesla Model 3, Lexus RX or a Fully Loaded VW Tiguan! I guess I’ll go with the Stelvio White...
Superb review. Thank you.
Any thoughts on reliability?
Complete and precise analysis (though some judgments are personal and subjective) but the definitive question is only one; you like driving a car although this is "only" a suv? If the answer is yes Stelvio is the car for you because in terms of performance, handling, design and driving pleasure doesn't fear any comparison.
If instead for you a car is just a vehicle to go from one place to another can buy any other cars (who still have qualities and flaws like everything).
Sry for "eng" (I use Google).
Great review as always! The TI sport model you drove has 255 width tires not 225. Also there is a driver assist package that offers adaptive cruise control (w/stop&go) & lane departure warning.
Alex thanks for another comprehensive review 👍
It is wild that the Ti trim of this vehicle has increased almost 10 grand since this video was published :O
Unsignaled lane changes/turns are generally not best practice. Don’t see an issue with a lane departure system that discourages lazy drivers from sailing across lanes blissfully unaware of other people around them.
Isaac MacDonald its amazing how much easier driving is when people use there turn signals. I wish it was cracked down on more
Good point! The "dumbing down" of America (and the world) includes gradually removing the most important safety feature of ANY car - an ALERT DRIVER!!
American drivers have NEVER been described as alert.
Happy New Year and holidays Alex! Sitting here watching this video while eating dinner, and I honestly enjoy your presentations (and UA-cam in general) better than TV now haha. Call me your typical millennial lol. Your work has inspired me to keep my car blog, Adam's Autos going! Wishing you more success in 2018!
Sidenote: Saabkyle04's review of the 2011 SAAB 9-4x Aero went up almost at the same time as this, and boy, do I wish that company was still around to compete with Alfa and everyone else in this segment nowadays... 😔
Can’t wait for your x3 m40i review.
Alex, you are the best.
Happy New Year!
The temperature in Northern California has been as low as the 30s, so how is Alex able to be "out in the forest" without an AoA jacket? Maybe the car is that hot!
1 bug "it isnt just handling" "its also excels when it comes to handling" 22:57. Great review tho.
excellent review. deeply impressed by your thoroughness, even-handedness, and knowledge.
Alfa is making cars for driving. This makes it so appealing. I test drove the Stelvio a few days ago and I love it. A very exciting and fun ride. These "Safety" features are annoying as hell(especially the auto start stop). If you can't manage to stay in your lane or use your mirrors and eyes to avoid hitting things, you don't belong on the road in the first place.
Love your videos. Is there a reason you shot the drivers seat description from the passenger seat? You usually have the camera outside of the vehicle so that we can see what the seating position looks like.
When Alex uses the H word you know the car is great. The H word being Hoot, of course.
Great review. First time seeing your videos and man they are thorough! I’ve just special-ordered my Stelio Ti from Italy. To get what I wanted (the dark green color with 20” rims, HK stereo, and the natty new leather dash/uppers option) I have to wait. Couldn’t find one stateside probably due to the rare color, which I’d call British Racing Green except it’s an Italian car so they call it ‘Verde Visconti’ :). Btw Android and Apple car software are now standard as of Spring 2018.
And yes the one thing that I found a little strange was the lack of the mid-range engine. Quadrifoglio is amazing but just not practical. But after driving the Ti it’s PLENTY fast with an engine that’s going to get me into trouble already. And did you notice the turning radius? Omg like a sports car, certainly not truck-y like some crossovers. I did at 180 in a parking lot just as tight as my old Honda Civic couple can.
Good choice. I also have one (2018) in Verde Visconti. One of the many selling points for me - but a rare and damn hard color to find this available in.
Excellent Analysis, very helpful video👍
This new generation of Alfa Romeo cars look amazing! However I'm curious how reliable they are in the long run? Still too early to know I guess..
Great comparison with competitors!
Great review 👍. This is one of only a handful of baby-buggies i would want to own.
Alex I am Italian American and I had drive. Many Alfa while in Italian. You hang it Alfa always drive more sport however how is it long drive. I drive west palm beach Florida to Brooklyn NY.
Excellent review you help me made my mind thank you!!
Juan Seaforth so what’s your decision?
I’m going to get it 😎
The Stelvio is basically on pair with the competitors in terms of boot space.
I don't understand how you measure boot space in the US, but here's some figures from Europe:
Macan - 490 lts
Volvo XC60 - 500 lts
CLC Coupe - 500 lts
iX3 - 510 lts
Stelvio - 525lts
X3 - 550 lts
Q5 - 550 lts
F-Pace - 650lts
...but of course if you want more leg room in the German models, you'll loose the extra boot capacity.
3:37 rear fog lamps? What, for driving in the murk backwards?
_hello alex. I like the video_
My go to channel for car videos! :)
13:20 the paddles behind the wheels are preferable unless you have a 360deg turn steering wheel like f1s, and obviously you can't have that on a road car because it would be to quick and unsafe.
Alfaromeo Stelvio the best❤️🇮🇹
28:28 EPIC FAIL....choosing two FWD based Crossovers over the Stelvio ??? Obviously not an enthusiast....NEXT !!!
Hermoso,me encanta en el color rojo
Battery is on the backside and in the middle for better weight distribution.
covering all the bases and then some
This is one of the best cars in the middle SUV segnent. Volvo XC60 (only 2-liters 4-cylinder engines) and Audi Q5 (very ordinary) are primery FWD vehicle, Mercedes GLC is comfortable, but boring, new BMW X3 is ugly and also boring with the standart interior for all new BMW. Only Jaguar F-pace is well-balanced gamer in this class, but has a little bit cheap interior in some places.
Porsche is in other, "extralusso" class with more aggressive prices.
Mike Voloshyn and you have to be an idiot to buy an Alfa or a Jaguar.... especially for long term without warranties. Especially new.... not only do you lose a hell of a lot more in depreciation, but you end up with ticking time bombs.
I just hold down the traction control button for 5's to turn off TC and stabilty off and let thr torque vectoring rear diff turn my Envision 2.0T into a power sliding machine on the snow. Lots of fun until 35 mph thr stab turns back on.
CR has thr Envision 2.0T test in 2016 going through the Emergency Lane Change test faster than most of those you mentioned. It is 2 mph faster than the Stelvio in that test.
Do you really need always on AWD? You must be an avid off road warrior if you want to drive this car in the off road conditions.
yoyomaster Have you ever seen rain? Pulling around 4,000 lbs, top heavy it is easy to spin the tires while turning in the wet with 300 lb-ft of torque?
Max N Alfa Romeo is in top reabillity charts. Do some research before eat ....
Good review, but I don’t see the need for another engine except maybe for a better tow rating.
Really, what's the deal with cargo space? A kia Soul has over 20 cu. ft. of cargo space and holds 4 carry-ons (per your review) but the Stelvio has only 18.5 yet holds 5? What gives? I've started paying more attention to these luggage scores than the cubic ft. listed
bren rob yes, and Most people use this full cargo space once a year! Don’t know why it’s a very important criterion for Europe and US
Buick Encore sized!
I doubt anyone looking at Alfa Romeo is cross shopping a Kia Soul. I'm a musician. I have lots of gear, and cargo space is important to me. I'm a middle aged man, I've worked hard. I'm NOT driving a Kia Soul. I'd buy my daughters one in a HEARTBEAT.
You should compare this to Infiniti QX50. Price,size,performance they are all pretty much the same.
were you driving up by demo forrest?
Was looking for a new cross over SUV. We looked at X3, NX300, GLC, and XC60. They’re all almost the same price. But we finally bought the Stelvio, much more exciting and cool, they others are just kind of blah now. Out of those, maybe XC60 looks the freshest. And Audi really need to step up, Q series starting to look dated.
I understand the Stelvio can tow up to 3000#. I've got a couple motorcycles and would like to trailer them. Total load under 2500# and I am curious how the Stelvio would work under such a load. I'd only be towing a couple times a year but for relatively long distance ....2500-3000 miles. Plus I'd avoid terrain like Colorado but still have some altitude.
Hauling ass on that back road there! lol
While the power ratings are a bit down, I do think the Macan Turbo would have to be considered a pretty direct competitor to the 505 HP Stelvio as well.
Typo at 20:09: "rain sensing wipwers"
I actually sort of like that word...
Thinking about picking up one of these used, 2018 with 37K on it. Would you have any hesitations? ZF transmissions always good in my experience. Love the Oakland Hills, used to live there
Did you get the stelvio? I’m looking at one now.
I didn’t yet. I hesitated and the Ti Sport is already sold
I let it pass because of the tech that was upgraded on 2020 models
Tech always will date a car.
Regardless the suspension on this thing is amazing
Just a little small for my family
Excelent!
You often mention the Porsche Macon Alex, so why not Test one?
Bad info note: Although the Stelvio is built on the Giulia's RWD platform, ALL Stelvios are STANDARD AWD! Hence, the "Q4" badge on every Stelvio tailgate. But Alex is a pro, so somebody likely gave him bad info. #respect
The graphic at 3:44 clearly says AWD. But, the power is sent to the rear wheels on dry pavement, so he's not wrong when he says RWD.
the alfa steve model, to bad they don't sell that v6 in america right now
The Performance Pkg. give it dual personality: From Lincoln buttery ride to Sports car. Ride is better than most
What about the Ti Sport features?
I want this Soo bad ! Either this or an eclipse cross
Edit: June 3rd 2021 -I just purchased my Stelvio and I agree with everything he’s said. One serious annoyance was when I took a recent trip to DC first road trip with the car. It was a fun drive power is great when idiots want to try and control the road I can zip right in and out to get myself back to the open space up a head.
Anyway back to the annoyance it took me almost 20 min to find DC so that I could put the address into the car so it could take me to the hotel. I even tried the voice commands and it didn’t know wth I was saying so I got really pissed but anyways I found it and it was an awesome time. One think I will say is that the steering should be heavier during higher speeds . It was a bit Darty ..
If one test drives a car, how would one tell how the car rides and handle for themself. How exactly do you define those terms?
Alfa rules...front facia is not well received though...cool ride though. Good review
As it gets that apple car play it's perfect
I have not even seen one Alfa around where I live and its been almost 2 years since Alfa came back.
Bobby P Same. I live in Philly. I see tons of jags and Maserati but no alfas.
they start to pick up now
Wow, you re good!
I think Giulietta's tail light is more attractive, it has the similar design as Stelvio & Giulia's headlights
18:55 what about the XC60 T8?
Stelvio Q beats it easily, even this base model is almost as fast
he was talking about fuel economy, and the t8 has 400hp and the base model has 280hp.
yes, but it doesnt go like it should, its has almost same performance as 280 hp Stelvio.
Anttihii the stelvios 0-60 is 5.4 and the Volvo is 4.9
no Volvo T8 407 hp is 5.3 s and Stelvio 280 hp is 5.7 s 0-100 km/h, so wonder what ponies that Volvo has, performance is not good as it should be with 400 hp
Cost of ownership,///?
I would like to have seen the Mazda CX-5 Signature added to the comparison at the end. This would compare a near luxury offering to the luxury offerings.
Ok serious question, wish Alex could answer, but if not I'd like to hear opinions. If I'm not one of those rich people who change car every 1 or 2 years and I want to buy one of these "luxury compact SUV" to keep it for, let's say 7 years, what should be the best option? X3, GLC, XC60, Stelvio, NX, Q5
probably NX or XC60
For ideal long term usage I’d say the NX if you want almost brick like quality but every car comes with it fair share of issues. Drive your choices, do the research but pick what your heart likes most. I read reviews all the time but I still buy the cars that make me happy and not what other people say.
Yes, the most important thing after reasonable reliability is that you really like the car you have chosen. Not sure why anyone would prioritise horsepower over reliability and overall suitability, but if the chosen car happened to have 500 hp, I would not hold it against it. LOL.
Is this car rear wheel drive with AWD or FWD
AWD with RWD bias
How much cost?
He’s wrong about the brake lights the brake light is the whole module when you brake the whole light fixture illuminates .
Super review as usual. I would be afraid of the realiability..
How does Alfa squeeze that much power out of that little engine? Can you say durability issues
The Volvo XC60 is the only fwd based vehicle in this line up correct? Maybe why it has more room inside? I would actually think Alfa is more reliable than that ticking time bomb twin charge engine in the Volvo
I don't understand where he gets that Volvo is FWD. It's mostly FWD, but AWD is used during launch/initial acceleration , under slippery conditions or in off road mode.
yoyomaster if this question is related to me it's how the engine is mounted along with the routing of the drive shaft. A Nissan GT-R is more RWD by nature due to having the driveshaft ran to the rear differential first, then another driveshaft off of that differential to the front differential. This makes it AWD but the rear gets the power first and then sends upfront what it can't handle. A Volvo has a horizontal mounted engine that has the power going directly to the front wheels. There is then a drive shaft going to the rear. Meaning the front wheels receive the power first and ten divert to the rear wheels, thus it is FWD based. Not all AWD systems are equal. The Jag F Pace is rwd based for an SUV example. Hope that clarifies a little.
No. The Lexus NX is front wheel drive as well
Waiting for your review of the Envision Premium l 2.0T with Twin Active Clutch AWD that torque vectors power to the outside, rear wheel. It is more expensive on paper at $45K but also offers more features like power lift gate, cross traffic alert, all outboard seats heated along with steering wheel to name a few. But with normal discounts of $10,000 or $15,000 through 2017, $30,000 is not uncommon. That is less than the economy cuv's at $33,000-35,000 like the CR-V, Rav4, CX-5, and Forester XT all which don't match 4 years and 50,000 miles.
The Envision eclipse every vehcile mentioned in head room at almost 40 inches, 3rd place in legroom, and about 10 more feet of cargo than the Stelvio . Oh and the rear seat is 60/40 split and slides. Which is perfect for our dogs in the back seat if we have to brake hard.
Motor Trend has the Envision 2.0T about a half second behind the Stelvio in the figure-8 test with slightly better braking from 60 to a stop. Consumer Reports has the Envision about half of second slower in the 1/4 mile time but it brakes shorter from 60 mph and has a faster Emergency Lane Change test at 55.5 vs 53.5 mph.
Our Envision 2.0T is coming up on 12,000 miles and sees 32 mpg at 65 mph or 30 mpg loaded.
Hey, Alex when are you ganna review the 2018 Honda Accord? I'm looking forward to hearing your opinion and comparison about it.
Don’t hold your breath for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. If your car wasn’t sold to you with it then you won’t get it. While the Stelvio looks stylish inside, it’s surprisingly outdated.
You completely left out the Fpace Jaguar SUV that this looks like most!
0.5 seconds, 0.3 seconds difference 0-60. Most consumers prefer practicality, low maintenance cost, fuel consumption and comfort over these fractions of seconds as they are not in a race!
Beautiful review as usual, thanks Alex
Sherif Elserty I agree with you. To improve his reviews, I think that Alex should begin to tailor his reviews based on the category of vehicle being tested. When I'm shopping for ANY vehicle, I simply don't care about a .5 difference in acceleration times. It's a good data point for comparison, but it's relevance matters greatly based on the type of vehicle.
Is it reliable though?
Based on the brand's reputation? Sadly no
to early to tell, older cars from alfa tend to break and stay broken.
To be determined.
Is that a question or a joke?
Yes, it is, no so much as Toyota, Honda, Subaru or Mazda, but enough. Reliability of all automakers from Western Europe is on (+/-) same lavel, exept Porsche, of course, which is in the top with Japanece.