Originally Posted by Flocons de Mais, post: 1039639, member: 42386

Not really a review; just some impressions and things that went through my mind on delivery day.



Alfa Rosso QV - All the bells and whistles you can get (in Canada) except for the CCBs. I drove her home from the dealer in Oakville back to Markham; through all sorts of traffic and intermittent showers. I got to experience the mundane "every day" type of driving as well as some more spirited moments of what I would consider inspired engineering.



Before I get to the driving impressions though; I need to give a huge shout out to the staff at Oakville Maserati, which went out of their way (literally) to get me this car. Heather drove ALL THE WAY to Markham to pick me up, and then back to the dealership. Paul and Mike were also fantastic to deal with and really just did whatever they could to help me out. I would recommend them in a heartbeat!



Other things: Oakville gave me a great deal on full-front + roof PPF , so I jumped on that - They do everything in-house, so they don't send it out to some shop to do it. It was very high quality work. I'll be doing the tint and coating next week.



Impressions:





I'm in love. I'd be lying if I said that after driving it, that I could now look at my monthly payment for this thing and NOT shudder, but it's SO red and SO. ****ING. WORTH IT. Just look at it!!!



Unlock the car for the first time, and the mirrors unfold like arms almost like she's getting ready for a hug. The exposed carbon roof (also included in the dealer wrap) stands out really well - I'm so glad I optioned for it.



I do a quick walk-around of the vehicle; looks just like the pictures, but MORE REAL! I run my fingers on the QV badge; also real. The rear quad exhausts and the diffuser some how seem so much more massive in real life. Absolutely crazy. I find the driver door handle, give it a tug, and dive right in.







It's hard not to notice the "please press me" red button on the wheel as soon as you sit down. It's almost IMPOSSIBLE not to press it right away, but I resisted as I wanted to take in everything else and get settled in the cabin first.



Firstly, taking into account that this is an upgraded/facelifted model when it comes to the interior materials as well as fit-and-finish. But even with the later models of this car, I still hear people complaining about cheap plastics and other nagging things. I have to say, I would have to disagree. Yes, I think the Germans overall have better materials, but that difference is so marginal. If you like your tech, you're going to love the Mercs. If you want LOTS AND LOTS of buttons everywhere, the M3 is going to be your cup of tea. Audi, well they're Audi. They know what they're doing when it comes to cabin experience. The Giulia's cabin; if anything, it's simple. It has all the buttons you need and none that you don't. Lots of soft touch plastics, stitched leather, and surprisingly (thanks to some negative comments that I've read) well put together. The buttons and switches felt serviceable and their quality, though not mind-blowing did not leave me wanting. There are some harder plastics around the cabin closer to the floor, which at this point is pretty much industry standard from my experience.



Sidenote: Do you know what's NOT industry standard? REAL EXHAUSTS. Suck it, industry.



Anyhow:

• Analogue gauges: Check
• Aluminum canoe paddles: Check
• Green clover - The only veggie other than Brussels sprouts that I like: Check

Hitting the big red button, the engine comes to life. There's been some comments regarding how quiet the engine is from inside the cabin, but I think it's fine - It's not too shouty, but sorta nudges you, saying "hey, let's go! I can do more!" - Look, I'm coming from driving exclusively a VW Taos for over a year, so give me a break!



I do some last minute driving position and mirror adjustments, take a deep breath and I roll the car out of the garage. Once outside, I let it Idle the for a bit, just sitting there - The auto-off kicks in after awhile and the engine shuts off. Understanding that this auto-off feature isn't a favorite feature (understatement much?) amongst the clan, I do think this is actually one of the places where the car shows shows glimpses of its character. From that moment on, every single time I came to a full stop to activate the auto-off, I could feel the engine 'wurble' around as it comes to a stop. On other cars that have the auto-off feature including my Taos, they all just stop. This one 'wurbles'! You can't un-feel it. I LOVE IT! LOL!!!! I mean, you feel that beastly V6 in the engine bay rock the car as its pistons slow and eventually stop.



So driving. What can I say that hasn't been said already? Amazing handling. Twitchy, but not in the "too much Red Bull" twitchy. Always controlled, and extremely direct steering. It is a completely different experience compared to my brother's late model year S4 (I'm sorry, my bar is very low, I know). In "N" mode, this thing drives like how I would imagine a sports sedan would, but with much better steering. The ride is very compliant if slightly soft. The car will still go if you mash the pedal, but for the most part, things were pleasant. 100% daily drivable.



I didn't try Race or "A" mode today.



Let's do some "D" mode: Flaps open - HOLY CRAP this thing flies!!! Zero to highway speeds in 2nd gear and the engine just wants to go. I mean, I don't think I actually pressed my foot 70% of the way down before I was a speeds that would probably get me into a LOT of trouble. By the time you think "I should let off the throttle before I get noticed" and actually take your foot off the gas pedal, you are well past legal highway speeds. It's already too late. Obviously my intention wasn't to push her too hard today, but I did want to keep the revs changing during my drive home. I don't think I felt too much difference (if any) in steering between the modes. Maybe a bit heavier in the D mode? Could just be my imagination. Suspension: For stock, MY GOD is this car sprung well in Dynamic mode! It's perfect. Just keep scratching that spot... RIGHT. THERE.







Despite the traffic and weather, I did eventually end up making it home; so I survived to enjoy my new QV for another day. I can't wait for tomorrow!



As some of you may know already from my previous posts, prior to receiving this Giulia QV, I actually had an AMG C43 on order. For the spec that I wanted, the price came out to within $3,000 of the sale price of my Giulia. Because of the ridiculously high interest rate at Mercedes-Benz (8%) and a ridiculously low residual for the C43 after four years (41%), and the fact that the dealer couldn't even guess when the car would arrive, I decided to cancel the car (eat my deposit) and look elsewhere for a vehicle. So last week, my friend who worked at the MB dealer sent me this:







It was a picture of the car that I had spec'd out and waited over a year for. It had finally made it to the dealer. He actually sent it because he wanted to make sure that I in fact did not want the car anymore, as many people were interested in it. I think at that point, the car might as well have never been my spec. It had been so long - I didn't even recognize it. It was just another Benz that would eventually find its way into the sea of grey that is the canvas of German automakers. I had already said goodbye to the C43, but it wasn't after seeing the picture of it. It was long before that.



Sorry, babe - I'm with someone else now. And she 'wurbles'!