For years, European drivers have had a reflex: when it comes to reliability, they think German; when it comes to emotion, they think Italian. But according to the latest 2025 Reliability Survey conducted by the serious British magazine What Car? this cliché has just taken a big hit.
The study, carried out among over 32,000 owners, revealed that the Alfa Romeo Giulia is quite simply the most reliable car in its class, ahead of German benchmarks such as the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class. Yes, you read that right: the Italian sedan outdoes its German rivals in the field of reliability, long considered their preserve.
98.2 % reliability: a Giulia above the rest
The Giulia (all versions since 2016) achieves an impressive score of 98.2 %, placing it at the top of the range. Alfa Romeo at the top of the Executive Cars segment. Only 9 % owners reported slight problems, often minor and quickly resolved, mainly brake vibrations, a few interior components or minor electronic bugs. In the majority of cases (75 % of vehicles concerned), drivers were able to continue driving without being immobilized. And all problems were dealt with free of charge.
In short, the Giulia's appeal lies not only in its design and roadholding, but also in its mechanical robustness, a quality that only a few years ago few would have given it credit for.
BMW 3 Series: almost as good, but not perfect
Just behind is the BMW 3 Series (2019+ generation), which scores a very respectable 98 %. A small difference, certainly, but enough to place the Giulia on the top step of the podium. Survey respondents point out, however, that the BMW's petrol versions are the most reliable: diesel and plug-in hybrids encounter more problems, particularly electronic ones. If the 3 Series had only been offered in petrol, it might even have beaten the Giulia, notes What Car?
Mercedes C-Class: a nasty surprise
The real disappointment comes from the Mercedes C-Class (W206, since 2021), which closes the gap with a score of just 76.3 %. According to the study, 43 % owners experienced various faults or malfunctions: air conditioning, engine, gearbox, fuel supply or on-board electronics. Ironically, the previous generation (W205, 2014-2020) was much more robust, with a much lower incident rate.
Turning a myth on its head
This ranking is a small earthquake for the automotive world: it shows that the perception of Italian reliability is changing. Alfa Romeo, long derided for its haphazard reputation, is now beating German manufacturers on their own turf. And it's not an isolated study: What Car? is an institution in the UK, renowned for its rigorous surveys based on real user feedback.
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Only rumors and clichés would lead you to believe that Alfa Romeo cars are unreliable. Unfortunately, many motorists still believe this.
The reliability of German cars is a legend that has worked, but does not reflect reality.
Excluded from the list are Audi and VW, which have numerous problems.
The other reliable brand apart from Alfa Romeo (on the downside, while the Giulia and Stelvio are reliable, the Tonale has quite a few problems) is Toyota.
I think Alfa Romeo's reputation was ruined by their late 90s and early 2000s models, like 156, 147, 166, and GTV which in my experience were extremely delicate and their quality was very disappointing.
They improved massively, but they still need to persist and keep improving their image, by making ambitious models, like Giulia and Stelvio.
Ho una gtv 2.0ts del 1998 con 175000km e, al di là dei tagliandi, non gli ho mai fatto niente.
Interesting. My 2010 Alfa Romeo 147 1.6 TS needed a new gearbox at 110k km, and the engine gave up at 160k.
Mi pare strano, ho avuto la versione da 120 cavalli e fino ai 170/180.000 km anche di prima, cambiavo 7000 giri... Scricchiolii e plastiche, non ho mai visto la spia dell'avaria motore finché non ho comprato un Audi
La convertii a metano e la ho venduta a 332.000 km
Ii Ho Alfa 166 2.5 v6
Alfa GT 2000
Alfa 159 2.4 jtd
Sono Orologi Svizzeri
Mai Avuto problemi parte i taglianti
Alfa e Alfa anche se vivo in Germania
Sempre e Solo Alfa Romeo
Personally, as the owner of a 2022 Stelvio 190hp diesel bought as an executive model a year and a half ago, I've already had a lot of problems.
The flowmeter to be changed, the egr valve to be changed with 3 months waiting for them to receive the part... the dead battery.
Fortunately the vehicle was still under warranty, but with the warranty expiring in December, I'm squeezing my buttocks...
And yet I've always bought an alfa, a giulietta with no worries, 2 alfas 156, also with no problems.
But I have to say that for a car with a reputation for reliability, I must have stumbled across a black sheep...
Were the previous ones diesels too? Because like you, I had a lot of problems with my diesel Brera, to the point that it was my last Alfa in a very long series.
Dieselproblematik bei allen Herstellern, dank Abgasrückführung etc. Kenne ich von meinem früheren 159.🤷
Agreed! I own a Giulia, and I had a problem opening the trunk.
solved at Alfa, and it's true that the Tonale has its problems.
It's a good thing the Giulia was born well, because after-sales service is a calamity, relegated to a corner of a Fiat dealership, in general, and with no dedicated staff, unlike a BMW, Audi or Mercedes dealership, which is certainly what keeps the premium customer away.
to choose Alfa, as for Toyota, here we are far, far ahead of the pack in terms of reliability and resale value.
3 alfa without any problem! ..... a marvel of driving!
Please continue to build diesel engines for us...giulia and suv with hp!
I'm buying a new one in 2026 DIESEL .....
Alfa 159 sw 1.9 jtdm, sold at 364,000 km with no major problems. Alfa stelvio currently 222000 km without problem 2.2 210 hp.
Concordo mai problemi con 147 164 e giulia
Die Giulia ist eine Augenweite ,hoffentlich wird sie weiter gebaut.
Das größte Problem ist der ausgedehnte Kundendienst .Schade!
Was meinen Sie mit "ausgedehnt" genau? Zuviel Arbeitsschritte pro Kundendienst , zu hohe Kosten usw...?
Können Sie ein Beispiel nennen?
Kupio sam novu Alfu Romeo Tonale
Benzin, Hybrid u opremi tributo taliano
Vozi se auto svakodnevno
Tehnički, ciklistika,motoristika,inžinjering, dizajn +10
Kvalitet dobar
Odličan u vožnji, male potrošnje
Zadovoljan sam s suportom auto kuče Hofman Ulm Germany
Auto se redovno održaje +10
Alfa je skupa i treba da postoji takav brend!
Opet ču kupiti Alfu Romeo , model koji ispunjava moje kriterijume....
The only snag in this comment. No French car magazine will say it.
Too bad I can't put a photo on the site.
I found an ad on the bon coin for a Stelvio for sale with 360000 kms.
Too funny. As if a 156 were a calamity... nothing new under the sun with the Giulia in the end... and even happier considering the vehicle's production rate!!! At least that gives us time to assemble the whole thing properly (the 156's weak point, it's true). As for the Germans 🤣
156 Selespeed first series new. It was stuck for 2 hours in first gear in a car wash tunnel, no way to move it without the intervention of the garage... 😉
I've kept it for 5 years and it's CLEAR!
Hence the incompetence of Alfa Romeo's marketing, promotion and product development departments. Instead of capitalizing on a near-perfect Giulia, promoting it, deriving it in several variants (coupé, estate, cabrio) etc., they abandoned it to its fate, whereas BMW (I own one, so I know what I'm talking about) never stops boasting about their products, and yet there's something wrong with them, believe me!
Alfa Romeo reliability problems go back a long way, to the 145/146 era (bad assemblies and nightingales, I still remember them) and even before that.
With the 156/147/166 it was already much better. And after that, Alfa Romeo became very reliable. Those who have problems with the Giulia and Stelvio are isolated cases. As for the Tonale, I've heard of some problems.
Indeed, the poor sales of the Giulia and Stelvio, which are pure marvels with one of the best chassis ever, also stem from poor communication, and a lack of hybridization, among other things.
Hallo zusammen
Nun - Mit diesem Bericht nehmen sie uns
Alfisti den Heimvorteil.Wir wissen schon
Länge von diesen Vorteilen des Alfa.
160 000 km und nur Endauspuff kein
Problem.Viva Alfa.
VG W.Rudolph. Deutschland
Happy driver of a 2019 Racing quadrifoglio with 85,000.
A steering box
2 times changed the front ceramic discs.....but we know like Audi on the RS6 that it does not hold up as well as steel discs but you don't fade.
Other than that, all clear.
Super caisse which is in fact an alfasud that has been body-built by féfé engineers.
Ich fahre seit 2000 alfa romeo, was ich gelernt habe, bei alfa romeo geht nur das kaputt was nicht von alfa romeo ist! 156er motorunterbau, 159er getriebe M32, ein wahrer Albtraum. An der aktuellen giulia (veloce) keine Probleme
The reliability of Italian cars has long since fallen out of favor. In 25 years, I've owned Alfa Romeos, Lancias and Fiat without any particular worries.
I've been driving an Alfa Romeo Giulia for 3 years now and I'm totally satisfied.
私、2015年製のジュリエッタ スポルティーバに乗っています。
そろそろ走行距離130000キロになろうとしていますが、未だかつて大きなトラブルも無く、エンジンはすこぶる快調です。
エアコンのガスチャージと温度表示計が点灯しなくなったくらいかな❓
此れからが正念場と思っていますが、ずっと乗り続けて行くつもりです。
排気量の割に大きめのボディで少々重量がある為ダッシュは決まらないですけど、そこは高級車でもないのでオッケーです。
よく回りステキなエグゾーストを奏でてくれる楽しい車に間違えありません。
Ich fahre seit 1982 Alfa romeo alfetta angefangen momentan giulia binn froh das es alfa gibt. Motorschaden habe ich gehabt aber beim Audi s3 .
Alfa Romeo ist besser als ihr Ruf.
I'm still happy to drive a Stelvio I bought new in 2018, honestly, no major worries! when I think about changing cars, no equivalent model tempts me, especially in terms of design.
We have a Stelvio 2.2 Jtd 210. Really happy with this car. It has 110,000km but we're going to keep it for a while yet!
Warum spricht hier keiner vom 159er? Der schönste alfa, meiner in rot, jahrgang 2009, diesel, handschaltung, quadrifoglio. Heute 220'000km. Hatte schon einiges an reparaturen, zb neue kupplung. Aber was solls? Bellezza pura!
Ihr werdet mich nie mit einem bmw, audi oder sonst einer deutschen wertarbeit sehen! Ich bin ja kein qualitätssicherungsingenieur.