2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Review

Over the better part of the 2000’s, crossover SUVs have taken the market by storm. For example, the 2019 Lamborghini Urus, which means that even the hyper-expensive and hyper Italian brands are following this market trend. It may not by hyper expensive, but oh boy, is it hyper Italian, enter the 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV, leave this thing along and it will hit on your girlfriend.

Highs

Attractive Italian design, sporty ride, and lots of cargo room

Lows

It is a bit compact, not great fuel efficiency and cheap looking interior, soo…. basically it’s an Alfa. (come on! you know it’s true.)

This crossover is built on a shared aluminum-intensive architecture which makes it lighter than many of the competitors at this price point. Sadly, the lighter weight doesn’t seem to translate to lower fuel bills, with our test car getting about 19-mpg which is about 3 mpg less than its posted EPA city estimate.

As far feel, the Alfa is more responsive and confident than most crossovers, especially when equipped with the optional Ti Sports package( $4,500 option), a must have if you ask me. This package consists of 20-inch rims, sport-tuned suspension, leather seats, flappy paddle gear box and painted brake calipers. As far as the sound, the engine and exhaust system create a subtle yet pleasing growl which lets you know this little SUV has some guts.

Sadly that’s where the sportiness ends, as the Stelvio disappoints when it comes to playfulness and cheer as the suspension makes you feel more distant from the road, obviously this is an SUV and not a sports car but with a brand like Alfa, I expect more Fizz as James May from Grand tour would say.

There is some hope though if you switch the Alfa’s driving mode selector to Dynamic, as this mode firms up the suspension and sharpens the engine’s throttle response, but be ready to fill up your Stelvio more often as this mode makes the crossover even thirstier.

The Stelvio’s cabin design is reminiscent of the Mazda Cx-5, roomy, to the point and uncomplicated. How Japanese of them. The cargo room is on the small end, and the overall ergonomics are good if you were paying in the mid-30’s for this car. However, the Stelvio is priced in the mid 40’s, which leave you thinking that the synthetic materials used in the dashboard and other areas around the interior feel mediocre and cheap. For the money, you can purchase a much better equipped German alternative or even a Cadillac.

Standard equipment is generous including Brembo breaks in both front and back, adaptive bi-xenon headlights, leather interior, 10-way power adjustable front seats, dual climate control, 2 big screens and both Apple and Android connectivity. Alfa also offers you a large range of optional upgrades like the Ti Sports package, Convenience packages, Dual Sunroof, upgraded stereos and much more.

Overall this is a nice vehicle, which can be made even nicer as you add more options to it. But to me, it’s not worth the money, save your self $20k and go buy a Mazda, then put the rest of the money into a European vacation with your family where you can rent a wide range of fine German machines and take the family for a nice drive on the AutoBahn.