Used Alfa Romeo Giulia for sale: everything you need to know

The Alfa Romeo Giulia is a small executive saloon that encapsulates everything that’s great about this classic Italian brand. It’s very a tempting alternative if you’re adventurous enough to stray away from Audi’s, BMW’s and Mercedes-Benz.

Premium saloons are plentiful, but one of the best things about the Alfa Romeo Giulia is that they’re certainly not as commonplace as those from the German manufacturers. What’s more, Alfa Romeo designers always manage to come up with something that is delicious to look at, and the Giulia is no exception.

Adding to the appeal is the way the Alfa Romeo Giulia is a treat to drive, boasting all of the thrill value that you’d expect from an Italian executive saloon. Granted, it will not take you too long to pick through the engine options as these are limited. And, naturally, there are some issues with quality if you scratch beneath the surface of a used model.

Nevertheless, people who buy Alfa Romeos are often keen to enjoy the enduring appeal of the Italian brand and can overlook a few shortcomings. In fact, more recent examples of the Alfa Romeo Giulia feature a great suspension setup, precise steering and performance that is a treat from either a four-cylinder turbocharged petrol or diesel.

There’s reasonable fuel economy to be had as well, with up to 52.3mpg possible from the diesel edition. Obvious rivals include the likes of the BMW 3 Series, the Audi A4 and the Mercedes C-Class if you prefer the harder edge of a German marque. Elsewhere, less obvious used options also include the Jaguar XE, the Lexus IS or, perhaps, the Volvo S60.

Should you buy an Alfa Romeo Giulia?

If you yearn for a used premium saloon that stands out from the crowd, then you'll love the enduring appeal of the Alfa Romeo Giulia.

Naturally, buying a used Alfa Romeo can also present you with quality and reliability issues and the Giulia isn’t exempt from this either, with some substandard trim issues and electrical gremlins being a couple of well reported issues.

Put that aside though and you should be able to bag an Alfa Romeo Giulia in any of the engine and trim variants listed on this page for less money than any of those obvious German saloons.

An Alfa Romeo Giulia not for you? We've got 1000s of used cars for sale to suit all budgets and needs.

What’s the best used Alfa Romeo Giulia model to buy?

It would be good to recommend the 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine in the Alfa Romeo Giulia as it zings and revs in a way that matches the car’s fun nature. It's available in 200ps or 280PS forms.

However, reality bites with this engine due to its carbon dioxide emissions, and company car drivers will instead find themselves with no choice but to plump for a plug-in hybrid alternative - Alfa doesn't offer any hybrids here. 

Instead, the Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.2-litre turbodiesel is the more cost-effective motor to choose. You can't buy one new as of 2022, though, and Alfa Romeo only offered each engine in limited number of trims, so you may find the engine you want is not offered in the specification that suits your needs. This is the case with the diesel, which was not available in Veloce trim, so you’ll have to pick between Super or Speciale on the used market.

As for the outrageously quick Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, it has its own standalone trim and specification. If you’re in the market for a super fast, super exciting saloon, this Alfa more than fits the bill.

Used Alfa Romeo Giulia fuel economy and performance

People often talk about the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, which is a hard-to-find 510PS 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol motor edition that’s on another level. For anyone looking for a more affordable variant, the options below are likely to be cheap to insure, easier to maintain and a little more frugal to run too.

• Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.0L turbo petrol: There’s no doubting the appeal of the 280PS 2.0-litre petrol engine found in the Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce Ti. You get plenty of peppy performance and a similarly zesty 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds. It’s less efficient though, offering 33.6mpg.
• Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.0L turbo petrol: A beefier 200PS version offers up 0-62mph in 6.6 seconds and works really well in tandem with the eight-speed automatic gearbox. Economy is slightly better at 36.2mpg.
• Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.2L diesel: If you’re looking for better economy or tend to do more motorway miles a 2.2-litre diesel with 160PS makes sense. It’ll still do 0-62mph in 8.2 seconds anyway. You should get in the region of 53.3mpg.
• Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.2L diesel: Alternatively, the more potent 190PS engine gets from 0-62mph in 7.2 seconds and delivers slightly less economy at 52.3mpg.

What used Alfa Romeo Giulia trim levels are available?

The Alfa Romeo Giulia has fairly limited options when it comes to engine choice and, if you’re buying a used example, be sure to check that this lines up with what you’re expecting from the trim levels outlined below.

• Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint is the entry-level car but features an impressive specification. There are 18-inch alloy wheels, Active Cruise Control and wireless phone charging plus automatic headlights and wipers along with LED rear lights. Lookout for Alfa’s DNA driving modes too as well as cruise control, and rear parking sensors. Interiors come with climate control, cloth upholstery, a leather-bound steering wheel and everything is topped by the Alfa Connect 8.8-inch infotainment touchscreen that includes sat-nav, the audio benefits from eight speakers and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto feature too.
• Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce is the next step up, with 19-inch wheels, sporty front and rear bumpers, engine sound enhancement as well as aluminium shift paddles. This trim level also comes with electrically adjustable and heated seats, a heated steering wheel while upgraded brakes enhance the sporty experience. 
• Alfa Romeo Giulia Extrema is perhaps the one to go for if you want the full excitement factor thanks to its carbon fibre detailing in the looks department. Performance is boosted with Active Suspension and a limited-slip differential. The cockpit is impressive too with its leather and Alcantara seats and a Harmon Kardon 14-speaker audio system.

Used Alfa Romeo Giulia dimensions and boot size

The Alfa Romeo Giulia’s dimensions are:

• Length: 4040mm
• Width: 1735mm
• Height: 1493mm
• Ground clearance: 100mm

The Alfa Romeo Giulia’s boot size is:

• 480 litres

Used Alfa Romeo Giulia road tax

Generally speaking you'll pay £180 a year for most used models, which seems like a bargain when you consider some of the range got hit hard for VED when they were new. For example, someone buying the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio would have been hit with a first-year VED payment of £2015 based on the car’s emissions and a price tag exceeding £40,000.

However, more modestly priced 280PS Veloce cars landed in the £945 bracket, with the 200PS petrol model being the same. This is probably why the Alfa Romeo Giulia 190PS diesel proved popular at £585 for the first year’s road tax, while the cheaper 160PS version costs the same. 

How much is it to insure an Alfa Romeo Giulia?

As you’d expect, the entry-point and older Alfa Romeo Giulia Super comes with the lowest insurance rating of group 22, which is competitive against rival cars. This is the for the 2.2-litre turbodiesel model, but if you want this trim and a petrol engine, you will pay insurance premiums based on a group 24 rating.

Across the model range though you can expect models to fall between groups 22 and 46, with the more potent Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio unsurprisingly sitting at the top end of the spectrum.

Read our full Alfa Romeo Giulia review