[Watsey]

Originally Posted by Pond

Probably because at the same price point/ performance levels a German car is a much safer bet. Much less likely to have faults on a regular basis and be easier to live with.
Alfa's reputation will be hard to shake off, especially when you see some of the long term reviews from the press.

BMW may be PERCEIVED as a much safer bet, but my experience is very different.

My F31 has been the most fault-plagued car I’ve ever owned, bar none.

[TodmordenLad]

Originally Posted by Wills2

The Giulia QF is one of those cars that everyone loves yet hardly anyone bought, I know there are many cars that could fall into that category but generally that's to do with the size of the market place for an expensive supercar as an example.

But here was a car lauded by the press and forum posters yet it failed to sell in meaningful numbers compared to its rivals M3/C63/RS4 etc... over 8 years they managed to shift around 1250 units vs the M3 sales of over 5000 units (M4 sales of around 10000 units).

I've often wondered why performance car buyers shunned the QF especially BMW M car buyers/owners as it should appeal and going on the posts on threads like this it did/does appeal.

I've come to the conclusion that it was the car of choice for the guy who wasn't going to be buying a new performance car rather than one who was.

I think low production volume cars are always going to be more problematic in the long run, Wills, and that's probably what deters most potential buyers. I should invite my AM owning friend on here to share his experience!
That said, BMWs are hardly without their problems, judging by how they fare in the major reliability surveys - in all my years of ownership, I never had any mechanical faults but did have a fair few electrical ones

[Wills2]

Originally Posted by Pond

Probably because at the same price point/ performance levels a German car is a much safer bet. Much less likely to have faults on a regular basis and be easier to live with.
Alfa's reputation will be hard to shake off, especially when you see some of the long term reviews from the press.

Hence my view that they are in main loved by people that don't buy new performance cars rather than those that do.

[Wills2]

Originally Posted by TodmordenLad

I think low production volume cars are always going to be more problematic in the long run, Wills, and that's probably what deters most potential buyers. I should invite my AM owning friend on here to share his experience!
That said, BMWs are hardly without their problems, judging by how they fare in the major reliability surveys - in all my years of ownership, I never had any mechanical faults but did have a fair few electrical ones

AM suffers from the same malaise but at a different price point level, AR has no excuses for poor quality they are part of the 3rd largest car manufacturer in the world.

[agentorange]

One of the magazines out here ran a QV...when it wasn't being fixed. Another rag had a Guilia Ti and it ran great. That said, there are a couple of businesses that have sprung up who seem to do nothing except fix the electrics on nearly new Guilias and sell them. I guess these are cars that have been "ruckered" or lemoned out of the Alfa warranty system. Quite why Alfa US didn't keep them to be quietly crushed is beyond me.