What vehicle will be a worthy replacement for your sedan when it is time?
The salesman said it was brake-by-wire, not steer-by-wire. However, I've not researched it, and if you're saying the steering is electronic, OK. My experience with the wheel was good, and the car turned sharply on low speed turns without any drama. I whipped it off the road into a wide office park entrance, and threw the salesman around (he laughed, it was fun.) Also, the turning radius was fine. Not as good as our Subby, but also not noticeably bad, like my old Maxima.
There was an off-the-line moment where I wasn't going WOT, but I wasn't babying it either... and the transmission really hiccupped. We looked at each other in shock, and I said "What the heck was that?" out loud. He had no answer, and it didn't happen again. Not good, man. But this isn't a car you'd own out-of-warranty. I'd be wanting an extended 8 to 10 year warranty, like our 10/100 warranty on the Subby. Everything I've read speaks to a (currently) unreliable build quality in the brand.
And this isn't a car I would mod. Wheels maybe. Custom exhaust, perhaps. But otherwise, nope. Besides, I'm still some years out from "next car", so this is really early stuff. Unless something unexpected happens and my G is totaled, at which point, the Stelvio Sport is my goto replacement.
Now I've got this flashy Alfa brochure which will sit on our coffee table for a while. I'm not kidding when I say I loved this car. Somewhat similar kind of artistic appreciation as the F-Type, but bigger and fatter and vastly more practical (and affordable).
There was an off-the-line moment where I wasn't going WOT, but I wasn't babying it either... and the transmission really hiccupped. We looked at each other in shock, and I said "What the heck was that?" out loud. He had no answer, and it didn't happen again. Not good, man. But this isn't a car you'd own out-of-warranty. I'd be wanting an extended 8 to 10 year warranty, like our 10/100 warranty on the Subby. Everything I've read speaks to a (currently) unreliable build quality in the brand.
And this isn't a car I would mod. Wheels maybe. Custom exhaust, perhaps. But otherwise, nope. Besides, I'm still some years out from "next car", so this is really early stuff. Unless something unexpected happens and my G is totaled, at which point, the Stelvio Sport is my goto replacement.
Now I've got this flashy Alfa brochure which will sit on our coffee table for a while. I'm not kidding when I say I loved this car. Somewhat similar kind of artistic appreciation as the F-Type, but bigger and fatter and vastly more practical (and affordable).
Last edited by Rochester; Sep 29, 2018 at 11:20 AM.
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Yeah, I know. 
It's stuff like that gives pause, and is clearly important. As I've said, I experienced a drive train problem on the freaking test drive. It didn't inspire confidence.
But bear with me on my schedule. If I'm looking for something a few years out, and I'm willing to purchase new, that gives them a while to address first-model problems. Assuming it's first-model problems, and not something typical of Alfa. You can't say it couldn't happen, right?
It's stuff like that gives pause, and is clearly important. As I've said, I experienced a drive train problem on the freaking test drive. It didn't inspire confidence.But bear with me on my schedule. If I'm looking for something a few years out, and I'm willing to purchase new, that gives them a while to address first-model problems. Assuming it's first-model problems, and not something typical of Alfa. You can't say it couldn't happen, right?
Last edited by Rochester; Sep 29, 2018 at 11:21 AM.
I did purchase my G37 used, but it only had 3900 miles, and 3 years of B2B left on it..
Would I buy a 2017 or 2018 Quadrifoglio if it were out of warranty? I kind of don't think so, unless I really dived deep into research on the car. It seems unlikely. Heck, the Jag F-Type S seems unlikely to be reliable out of warranty, too, but somehow that's OK for the Jag, and not so much for an unusual Italian SUV.
Here are some quirks, some I expected to see because internet, and some that surprised me.
The turning stalks return to center immediately. You have to make your turn, or click them in the other direction to make it stop.
The plastic surround on the gear shift is crap, and crying out to be wrapped in some appealing vinyl.
There's a little dimple on the gas cap cover, where you're supposed to press to release the cover. It looks like a door ding. I've never seen anyone do that before. So weird.
The exhaust tips are just surrounds hiding crude exhaust pipes in the shadows. I hate that stuff, but in this case the exhaust tip surrounds are pretty bold.
There's an upper-engine bay brace stretching from one side to the other. I call it that, because it's not a FSTB. Instead it connects by a single bolt at each end, to the sheetmetal of the inner front fenders. It doesn't bolt to the top of the shock towers. I thought that was weird.
Pretty attractive engine bay, I think. Interesting to see a small 4-cyl engine oriented front to back. So used to seeing transverse mounted four bangers.
Run-flat all seasons. Yuck.
Base wheels suck, upgraded OEM wheels are beautiful. Aftermarket is always an option.
Navigation is optional. Sunroof is optional (Yay! I hate sunroofs).
Big, beautiful front Calipers. Painted rears, but not a polished surface like the fronts. Here's a pic of the Sport package brakes and upgraded wheels. These are the Sport, not the Quad. And they're red. Apparently you can specify red, yellow or black painted calipers. Who does that? LOL
Here, I just found this pretty good review. Good video, lots of detail:
The turning stalks return to center immediately. You have to make your turn, or click them in the other direction to make it stop.
The plastic surround on the gear shift is crap, and crying out to be wrapped in some appealing vinyl.
There's a little dimple on the gas cap cover, where you're supposed to press to release the cover. It looks like a door ding. I've never seen anyone do that before. So weird.
The exhaust tips are just surrounds hiding crude exhaust pipes in the shadows. I hate that stuff, but in this case the exhaust tip surrounds are pretty bold.
There's an upper-engine bay brace stretching from one side to the other. I call it that, because it's not a FSTB. Instead it connects by a single bolt at each end, to the sheetmetal of the inner front fenders. It doesn't bolt to the top of the shock towers. I thought that was weird.
Pretty attractive engine bay, I think. Interesting to see a small 4-cyl engine oriented front to back. So used to seeing transverse mounted four bangers.
Run-flat all seasons. Yuck.
Base wheels suck, upgraded OEM wheels are beautiful. Aftermarket is always an option.
Navigation is optional. Sunroof is optional (Yay! I hate sunroofs).
Big, beautiful front Calipers. Painted rears, but not a polished surface like the fronts. Here's a pic of the Sport package brakes and upgraded wheels. These are the Sport, not the Quad. And they're red. Apparently you can specify red, yellow or black painted calipers. Who does that? LOL
Here, I just found this pretty good review. Good video, lots of detail:
Last edited by Rochester; Sep 28, 2018 at 04:13 PM.
Oh yeah, I'm sure that would be $30k to $40k of extra awesome. Worth every penny, and never gonna happen new. You're a new-car kind of guy, so you probably get that. I say out loud that I'm willing to compromise on a car that's depreciated *down* to $40k give or take, but that means a car out of warranty, so it better be reliable.
Big, beautiful front Calipers. Painted rears, but not a polished surface like the fronts. Here's a pic of the Sport package brakes and upgraded wheels. These are the Sport, not the Quad. And they're red. Apparently you can specify red, yellow or black painted calipers. Who does that? LOL
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Your G is a riot to drive. Get into an unmodified G, and not so much.
IMO, speed is only a problem for the track. But daily driving is personal (unless you're some kind of aggressive road racer). And for daily driving, the perception of performance and speed is the only thing that matters. My recent experience with the Mecan S was eye-opening, because it should perform similar to our Gs, and does so on paper, yet it felt slow and boring.
You track against other cars, so being genuinely fast is more important. I get that.
IMO, speed is only a problem for the track. But daily driving is personal (unless you're some kind of aggressive road racer). And for daily driving, the perception of performance and speed is the only thing that matters. My recent experience with the Mecan S was eye-opening, because it should perform similar to our Gs, and does so on paper, yet it felt slow and boring.
You track against other cars, so being genuinely fast is more important. I get that.
Glad to hear you like the Alfa. One thing to consider is that an extended warranty will be a lot more expensive than an extended warranty on our cars.
i see the new '19 BMW 3-series has been launched in Paris, and we now know the particulars of the new model. a big deal breaker for some folks is that the 6MT has been dropped from 330/340 trims. no confirmation if the M3 will keep the stick.
i do find it difficult to tell the difference between the 3 series and 5 series when i see the 3 series in isolation - it has gotten so much larger over the past few years. like most other makes i suppose...just look at the Accord.
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/20...0i-photos-info
i do find it difficult to tell the difference between the 3 series and 5 series when i see the 3 series in isolation - it has gotten so much larger over the past few years. like most other makes i suppose...just look at the Accord.
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/20...0i-photos-info
Two years from now, I predict the RWD/AWD 6MT sedan is going to be reduced to the WRX/STi and, maybe, the M3. The Mustang, Camaro, Corvette and Porsche models will be the final 6MT holdouts.
thats was dissapointing to hear about the beemers..I'm holding otu a bit of hope though cause it seems to be qualified with a lack of offering in the NA market "At launch" in the articles I've read...maybe they'll offer it later
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I really have high hopes for the new STI, but there are so many rumors of DCT and hybrid tech. I'd be ok w/ hybrid since it will probably be there to improve power and it would definitely help that car's atrocious mpg, but I am afraid that would also mean no 6MT I can't think of any hybrid cars with a manual transmission.