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

The Alfa Romeo Giulietta was no longer the freshest of family cars when it left the UK market in 2019, but for a small band of customers not swayed by the flashy infotainment or aggressive styling of some rival family cars, it still offered a practical and stylish alternative that you probably weren’t going to see a dozen of on your daily commute.

Today as a used car it also offers good value. Again there are objectively better alternatives out there, some with higher quality interiors, better driving dynamics, or more economical engines, but they don’t have an Alfa Romeo badge, and that may be enough for some buyers.

There really are too many alternatives to list: buyers shopping in this segment can choose everything from long-running mainstream models like the Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf, and Renault Megane, to premium-badged rivals such as the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series, and Mercedes-Benz A-Class, and all cover a range of needs, from frugal entry-level cars to boisterous hot hatchbacks.

Should you buy an Alfa Romeo Giulietta? 

As we noted in our full review of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, the Italian family car was well off the pace by the time it went off sale in 2019. So from a purely consumer-focused point of view, we’re duty-bound to remind you that there are plenty of alternatives out there that might serve your needs better as a family car or frugal runabout.

But if you’re on this page, you may already have been drawn in by the appeal of the Alfa Romeo badge and the idea of buying something like a Golf might bore you to tears. The good news is that while the Giulietta slipped off the pace over the years, it is also far from being a bad car, while as a used buy it’s also got value on its side.

History, too. The Giulietta name stretches back to the 1950s, and that lineage has continued to this day in the form of the larger, rear-wheel drive Alfa Romeo Giulia saloon. The modern Giulietta built between 2010 and 2020 is a Golf-sized front-wheel drive hatchback and ticks all the boxes of a car in that class: five doors, five seats, and a range of petrol and diesel engines offering a mix of performance and fuel economy to suit most tastes.

Enthusiasts will gravitate to the Cloverleaf, Quadrifoglio Verde, and Veloce, as the range-topping hot hatch was renamed over the years. It couldn’t match a Renault Sport Megane for handling or a Golf GTI for all-round ability but it was still brisk, and looked pretty good too. At the other end of the range, even the basic 1.4-litre turbo petrol and 1.6-litre turbo diesel variants performed well and didn’t use too much fuel, though nor were they as frugal (and therefore as cheap to fuel or tax) as some alternatives.

Its 350-litre boot is actually larger than that of a modern Focus or Golf, though the Giulietta isn’t quite as passenger-friendly as either of those and the driving position won’t suit everyone either, while the cabin now appears a bit dated in its design, even if Alfa jazzed it up in later models with a wider range of trim options.

So while in pragmatic, practical terms we’d still recommend you consider one of the Giulietta’s many rivals, the few of you reading this who already have your heart set on something with an Alfa Romeo badge should still find plenty to like.

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

If you’re buying an Alfa Romeo Giulietta purely as a family runabout then the good news is that both the basic Super trim and 1.4-litre TB engine are more than up to the task. Equipment levels are decent in the Super (there was no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto as standard, but you may strike it lucky if the original buyer ticked the right option box), while the 1.4 TB performs well and doesn’t guzzle fuel at an excessive rate. If you do need better economy, then the 1.6 JTDm-2 diesel offers nearly 50mpg combined economy.

The Cloverleaf/Quadrifoglio Verde/Veloce seems tempting for its performance, though do bear in mind the most powerful 1.75 TBi engine disappeared from the range towards the end, so not all Veloce models will be as fast as others. Performance is roughly on par with less extreme hot hatchbacks like the Golf GTI or Ford Focus ST, but it’s not quite as talented as either.

Used Alfa Romeo Giulietta fuel economy and performance

• Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.4 TB 120hp: This 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder kicked off the Giulietta petrol range, making 120PS through a standard six-speed manual gearbox. It could cover 0-62mph in 9.4 seconds, reach 121mph, and offered combined WLTP economy of up to 36.2mpg.
• Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.75 TBi 240hp: The engine available in the Cloverleaf, Quadrifoglio Verde, and some versions of the Veloce (the name changed over time) was the most potent Giulietta unit, making 240PS in its later variants and through a standard six-speed dual-clutch automatic, was good for 0-62mph in 6.0 seconds. Alfa Romeo claimed 42mpg combined economy.
• Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.6 JTDm-2 120hp: The entry-level diesel matched the 1.4 TB petrol for power on 120PS, but had around 50 per cent more torque. Coupled with a six-speed manual it could do 0-62mph in 10.0 seconds and 49.6mpg combined, while the dual-clutch auto variant took 10.2 seconds and offered 48.7mpg.
• Alfa Romeo Giulietta 2.0 JTDm-2 170hp: The more powerful of the later diesels developed 170PS from a 2-litre capacity. A six-speed dual-clutch auto was standard. 0-62mph took 8.3 seconds, and 47.9mpg economy made it nearly as frugal, on paper at least, as the 1.6-litre diesel.

What used Alfa Romeo Giulietta trim levels are available?

Alfa Romeo shuffled the Giulietta’s trim levels around during the time it was on sale, so below we’ve focused on the models available shortly before it left the market. It’s worth noting that the high-performance Quadrifoglio Verde was effectively replaced by the Veloce later in the model’s run, but later Veloce models dropped the most powerful engine, so not all Veloces are created equal. Alfa Romeo did improve equipment levels over time however, so while later models will be more expensive, they really maximise the car’s style.

• The Alfa Romeo Giulietta Super was generously equipped for an entry-level family car. Standard kit included 17-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, and dual-zone climate control. Only a modest 5-inch touchscreen notably dates it today in terms of basic equipment, while Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration was only optional on all versions.
• The Alfa Romeo Giulietta Speciale featured a different 17-inch alloy wheel design, and added Alcantara-trimmed sports front seats, aluminium pedals, privacy glass, and sports suspension, while the exterior was denoted by darkened headlights, a sports exhaust finisher, a front splitter and rear diffuser for the bumpers, and dark finishing details for the grille, door handles, mirror caps, and badges.
• The Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce upgraded to 18-inch alloys, auto headlights and wipers, yellow elements in the front spoiler and rear diffuser, Brembo brake calipers (over larger brakes) in a yellow finish, and front and rear parking sensors. Inside, the steering wheel gained gearshift paddles and the infotainment screen grew to 6.5 inches, while an optional Rosso pack could replace the standard Alcantara seats with a racier design.

Used Alfa Romeo Giulietta dimensions and boot size

The Alfa Romeo Giulietta’s dimensions are:

• Length: 4351mm
• Width: 1798mm (excluding mirrors)
• Height: 1465mm

The Alfa Romeo Giulietta’s boot size is:

• 350 litres
• 1045 litres with the rear seats folded

Used Alfa Romeo Giulietta road tax

For Giuliettas produced after April 2017 you’ll pay a flat rate of tax whether petrol or diesel, currently £180 per year, and no Giulietta cost more than £40,000 so none will attract the surcharge from years two to six. Prior to April 2017, VED is CO2-based, so if you’re looking to save money on tax, the frugal diesels are the ones to go for.

How much is it to insure an Alfa Romeo Giulietta?

The cheapest Giulietta models come in at group 15 for insurance, while the range-topping Veloce goes up to group 33. This spread is similar to what you’ll find among its contemporary rivals - a Mk7 Volkswagen Golf from 2019, the year the Giulietta went off sale, went from group 11 to 39.

Read our full Alfa Romeo Giulietta review