Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio - The SUV That Doesn't Suck To Drive 

Under 8 minutes around the Burguer King, what a machine!!

You don't buy an Alfa for practicality. You buy it because you want a beautiful, fast car with the best handling.

But why buy the Stelvio when you can buy the Giulia

It might be nice, but I still wish we got a Giulia wagon.

SUV’s are inherently un-sporty, but I guess nobody told Alfa that

Well I think the Stelvio Quad is really a response to a market where people want an SUV image but don’t necessarily need all the usefulness of SUV’s. I mean how often do you really see a Land Rover, MB, BMW or Porsche SUV towing something or even have more than a couple of passengers for that matter. If you’re just buying an SUV because you like the view up there, want AWD and a bit more practicality, the Stelvio is kinda like a raised station wagon, you can still have your cake and eat it too with one that drives great and is fast. I’ve driven one and it feels 95% as good as my Giulia QV but has the added benefit of awd and more cargo space. I’d still pick my Giulia over it but I can see the advantages of the Stelvio...

What's funny is all the fast SUV competition you mention are also FCA products. :)

Rear leg room in an SUV?! News to me. Every SUV I've sat in the back of has the same or less rear leg room as a sedan.

In this day and age anything that can put a smile on your face like that Stelvio did is something to have in your life

It's not a car, it's an Alfa Romeo 😄

Best suv is a raised miata. Dont @ me

Love your videos and explanations, but I'll be happy when this fad of the hyper SUV dies.

It's a basically a lifted hatchback Giulia, which is perfect on some really nasty winter roads

Giulia Quadrifoglio for Daily. Stelvio Quadrifoglio for Road Trips. 4C for Togue runs and Track Days.

You can tell Jason gets it and it’s a genuine enthusiast

As an Italian, I am very proud of this review!

Glad America gets to finally experiance Alfa Romeo again. Us Europeans love them for what they are for 100+ years.

I'm italian, the stelvio is not a suv. It is a mountain in the north of italy, the four leaf clover is a good luck gifter, the engine is developed by an engineer from ferrari v12 team...This car is pure emotion my dear

Now you known how is to drive a Alfa Romeo.

Is it safe to say that most advertised SUVs are really crossovers. A true SUV has a body on frame platform. While a crossover is a unibody.

I think the limited tow capacity is to preserve the clutches of the torque vectoring differential. Arguable choice on a SUV, but also the reason it feels so good in curves...

I have driven a carrier, although it was an amphibious carrier. 4 years on the bridge of USS Belleau Wood(LHA-3). You would be surprised how much fun they are to drive. Its not that they can't be fun, but because of all the planes and stuff you normally drive in boring a sedate manner. But, get some speed on and do a man overboard drill or torpedo evasive maneuvers, they'll go. After all that, though, I must agree with you, size does matter. 30 knots, a full rudder, ship heeled over about 20 degrees in a destroyer, ship is flexing and shuddering, it doesn't get much better than that.

I think Stelvio is mainly aimed at european soccer moms. In UK driving your kids to school in an SUV became a form of social status expression. Also that "sitting higher" position, weight and potential crash safety is the reason why they buy this. European city roads are much different from US ones, so car has to be more nimble, not so big and heavy. it all makes sense on the old continent. In America however this car may not go well with the trends and peoples expectations. But since Alfa has made a comeback in US they might as well sell their SUV.

“ it’s like a clueless ship out to see” - That’s the best analogy ever for a car that has vague feeling

Glad Alfa is back. My wife loved her Milano Gold auto and I throughly enjoyed my Milano 3.0 in the late 80's and early 90's. Thanks for the video!!!

All SUV's are slowly turning into 4x4 mini van's, am I the only one who see's this?

I wish I could see more Alfas on this channel. There's something special about them.

Seating position, seating position, seating position. People tend to think that SUV buyers are all about all the SUV aspects or at least some. But IMO the most important one is the seating position. Easy comfortable in and out, not being blinded at nights, better view around that some much eases the drive and awarenes. Tow rating? Are you kidding? Rear leg room? Like for adults? Like I buy $80k car and adults dont 90% of the time drive in front because we cant afford $3000 used civic for more adult size people? Just saying, I love driving SUVs for the seating position, not the tow rating or space.

People, look de smile on his face !!! Pure Joy ... nothing like doing what you like ... Congratulations Mr. Jason ... carry on ...

Interesting discussion regarding Trackhawk vs this Alfa. I have just traded in my Grand Cherokee SRT for one of these. Looking forward to less fuel costs, better handling, sharper looks and 30 extra horses. Large Cargo space is probably not why people buy GC SRTs or Trackhawks. It is all about the power.

I've seen that smile before. Everytime one starts a proper Alfa you get that smile it's a built in feature. Fun seeing people that never considered Alfa as car maker getting that expression.

Yeah, I'd be chuckling too right up until the first maintenance invoice!

I’d rather have a Giulia Wagon than an SUV, even if the SUV drives well. Alas, we’re in the decade of the SUV lovers. The Stelvio looks nice and all though.

man, I never thought that your on to car reviews too, you should do it more. Awesome job..

My bro got one and I always love when he comes to visit because he owns a company in Tennessee and he lets me drive it. It’s the fastest thing I’ve ever driven since I’ve only had 2 Camry’s lol

I've only driven the Giulia but even in base form that car is amazing. I must own an alfa someday everyone must-practical from a financial point nope but that smile on our face at the start of the video says it all lifes short enjoy it

The Stelvio is the best SUV to drive but the car that it's based on, the Giulia is even better and its cheaper to buy, and is more fuel efficient. This is why I wish the SUV fad would just go away.

Very enjoyable narrative. Very interesting, as it made the subject matter relatable. As always. Great job. AS ALWAYS. Don't listen to anyone who says to change things up! The channel works perfectly. It ain't broke; don't fix it :)

Thank you for finally discussing some Italian engineering! :^) Any chance you can focus on the FIRE or Multiair engine technologies in one of your upcoming videos? All the best, and thanks for all the great content!

The Stelvio looks like an upsized Giulietta hatchback. I had one of those while living in Europe, that car was a lot of fun. I wish they sold it in the US - probably wouldn't buy it, but I'd love to see them on the road every now and then.

I would love a turn in one of these. A swing and a miss though on comparisons. The Durango and TrackHawk are a different class... and won’t corner anything like the Alfa. Your primary targets would be the Porsche Macan and Jag F-Pace. I spent a week in a Macan S and now I know that “SUVs” don’t have to suck. Rear-biased drive, adjustable suspension, fantastic brakes, and the positive connected feeling of the PDK transmission. For an enthusiast, it was actually a quite enjoyable way to carry the family around. I’ll keep looking on Turo for a Stelvio to rent, because I’m curious how the FCA entry stacks up.

Really like your press test drives

I drove one, and it's insane, the Stelvio feels just like a normal sport sedan...but it's a bloody SUV And you don't need the QV, just the rear wheel drive 280 hp petrol (Gasoline) Stelvio is more than enough!

Amazing vehicle, great video! Love AlfaRomeo, they're keeping the joy in driving!!

You got it all wrong! This is NOT an SUV, or meant to be used for SUV, this is a CROSS OVER, which is essentially the alternative to Wagons in the US market, so a DRIVING CAR with a bit more cargo room and usability, for going to and from work, and driving around town! Guilia would be my choice, BUT ppl are NOT buying Sedans, so this is BY FAR THE BEST cross-over one could buy at the moment... I am so waiting for next raise to buy this amazing car! It also LOOKS AMAZING on top of all driving pleasures!

Great video! Please do a review on the Giulia as well!

Hi Engineering explained, Interesting and technically oriented review about the Stelvio QV in particular, and globally it can be apply to the SUV (very large) category as a whole. Here is one aspect that almost all the car testers don't point out; SUV is the answer to practical (and sometime very engaging!) driving vehicles. I explained myself: The biological geometry of the human makes driving small sedan like the Giulia a delicate experience, since these kind of cars (not only this model) are low (difficult to get in and out), narrow (not comfortable), but mostly the fact that they are low means that the torso/leg angle is small when seated (compare to a higher seated vehicle like a SUV or truck). That's a critical point. When you don't feel very comfortable it's less interesting to drive further on. Driving is not only accelerating on a straight line for 5 minutes. No wonder that the SUV's are the answer to that problem that especially affect taller/broader/physically limited/older people category. And we are a lot in that position. That said some of us in that category aren't willing to give up the enjoyment of having a good time behind the wheel because we drive an SUV;-)! Now it seems that the Stelvio QV has hit a sweet spot on the engaged driver's SUV, on demand. Yes on demand cause on top of that you can disengage a cylinder (or 2, I don't know) when the dial is on A (DNA), practical as a daily driver in town. Plus the QV seems to have a rare feature about their seats, the lateral bolstering can be adjusted, an intelligent feature that should be standard on all cars above a certain price (the base Stelvio should have it..). So it's like having different car style in one, not bad at all frankly!!! Last thing to choose is the model, either the regular Stelvio or the QV. Bravo Alfa!

Serious question... What designates a vehicle as an SUV? Because this looks like a station wagon and seems to perform...well, like a sports car like he said... When I hear SUV, I think a Land Rover, Jeep or a Ford Explorer...something that goes off road, basically. This is just a car with a hatchback, no? He even states it's not really an SUV... As some one who grew up with only two types of vehicles--cars and trucks (and, of course, the all-confusing El Camino)... I'm confused at these labels

The Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee, & the Alfa Romao Stelvo are all related. thank you FCA for bringing us suvs that can preform like no other.

Alfa Romeo Still With O Quatro Fobio? The Italians come up with the most strange model names, lemme me tell ya.

Hi Jason ! Ed Here From São Paulo, SP ! But Today, I’m In Lima, Peru 🇵🇪 ! I’m Familiar With The A.nonima L.ombarda F.abbrica A.utomobile Romeo SUVs When I’m In Arona, Novara, Italia ! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PLACE ! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL CAR ! AWESOME ! Best Regards !

not mentioned. IMO this these things sound the best

Complete game changer. It is better to think of it as a sport wagon. To me, there are NO compromises as it is just as effective at hauling passengers as cargo. It handles better than most so called sport sedans. Sport sedans, to me, are the real compromise and their rear seats are hardly ever used. I want sport, I want a true 2 door sports car. Mine is not even a Quad, just a 350+/385 ft-lb + tuned Ti Sport and it puts endless grins on my face as it truly drives like a rear wheel drive sports car at the same time it gets 27-30mpg on the highway at 75-80mph. The transmission is the BEST in the business!! My X5's are cumbersome in comparison and they have ourdone the driving dynamics that Porsche supposedly dominates. A Macan is detached from the road in comparison. Good luck putting 4 track tires in the truck of a sedan. This will hold 4 track tires as well as 4 5 gallon gas cans. All I need without the portly weight issues of the Durango or Trailcrow.

For sure! My fav performance SUV I have driven.

there was a meme or a quote once that went something like , if they won't buy hatchbacks or wagons , we will lift them 20cm and call them SUVs , it was from the perspective of a European marketing team directing there ads at Americans. i think it may be an Old Top gear quote from Clarkson.

Rear suspension and steering are on point in this one.

How does the Stelvio compare to something like a Cayenne/S/Turbo or Macan/S/GTS/etc or “sporty” SUVs from other German makers? Ignoring price differences, there are other vehicles on the road that seem to straddle the divide between road performance and SUV roles pretty well. The Cayenne for example is spacious, has a good tow rating, and is considered to be quite capable off-road (not that most owners will ever use it that way) while also still good at “being a Porsche”. Are the tradeoffs that the Stelvio makes worth it when there are lots of competitors out there that maybe aren’t quite as fast but seem to be more versatile (and also aren’t made by FCA :P ) ?

I hope Jeep will build the next Cherokee on this plateform.

It's the SUV that doesn't suck to drive because its based on a sports saloon, but jacked up a bit. Of course its not the most practical SUV, but then who ever bought an Alfa Romeo for practical reasons? All the compliments about how it drives are a testament to how good the basic Giulia platform is, despite this being taller and heavier.

I'm 8:30 in and you haven't said the word "Porsche" wtf?

This handles way better than those two other american SUVs. Speed. Utility. Handling.... pick two, it seems.

You have the same grin on your face as when I bought my brand new Alfa Romeo 164 L back in the day.

Great video as always! Another reason you may want to buy a Stelvio rather than a Giulia is Giulia offers VERY limited head room. I'm as tall as you are, and I find Giulia's roof puts a lot of stress on the back of my neck even with the seat all the way down, whereas the Stelvio doesn't. Also, I've heard that Stelvio uses the same steering rack as that in the Giulia. Does the steering feel twitchy sometimes?

show metric numbers in a subtitle form if you can please

It's a CUV. That might seem like tomato-tomoto to some folks, but the difference is important: blend a car (unibody) with a SUV (traditionally a body-on-frame vehicle), and you end up with the spectrum of vehicles in between which gives you pretty much what you expect -- less utilitarian than a large SUV but more economical and fun to drive, yet more utilitarian than a car without giving up AS MUCH performance and fuel economy. Thus, it makes sense to me why the market has moved away from cars and more towards CUV's, where we have all this room in the U.S. to go about our business and travels. As for the Stelvio... while it doesn't come close to utility like Durango, Grand Cherokee, etc., basically you get much of the performance feel of the Guilia (or rather, sports cars in general) with more space to put your s**t. It's hard to argue the logic, right?? Those that are purist enthusiasts, sure, looks and performance metrics don't cut it. That's cool, and what's better is that we've never had such a broad range of automobiles as now... wait for it... all thanks to ENGINEERS. :D :D :D

It makes more sense in some European markets where cars are taxed based on engine capacity, so your big 6.2lt V8s might offer a whole lotta car for the purchasing price but their cost of upkeep can be prohibitive over here. Not to mention the cost of fuel in most European countries is over twice the average price of the US.

Hi Jason, Could you make a video about the new trend in Ceramic Oils and if they are safe to use. Thanks

I don’t agree with him saying that you aren’t connected when driving an SUV. I drive a ‘93 Land Cruiser and i feel extremely connected when driving it. You learn how to become one with the car. I can feel when my rear left tyre is lifting up because it needs air. I know how hard I can drive the car because I can feel how it behaves. I drive go karts almost every week (I also work at the karting track I drive at) and I agree that in a way you are “more” connected when driving but claiming you are less connected when driving an SUV to me is complete bs.

This looks bad ass. I am currently shopping for 2015 Cayenne

I LOve IT!!!!!!!!! nothing is perfect, and when you buy a vehicle like Stelivo Quadrifoglio , you buy handling and power!

3.6 sec 0-60?! That's smokin fast! Even for a "regular" sportcar. Like, the renault Alpine A110(2018 version) has 250hp, 1100 kg and it takes 4,5sec. With a double-clutch and pilot sport 4 tires. And you don't have a goddamn glovebox

It'd be great if you could do a video on the engine 😉. It's certainly unique

Apparently you haven’t been on a Nimitz class carrier. Those big girls can dance.

One of the reasons a tall person would buy an SUV over a sedan / normal height car is because they are much easier to get in and out of if you’re tall. Also if you use it to visit many different places / people’s houses, you don’t have the problem with hitting the bottoms of the doors on rocks, walls etc etc when you open them.

I think that the Stelvio is better understood as a hot-hatchback version of the Giulia, rather than as an SUV.

I sat in the backseat of a Stelvio and it was comfy enough. I am 6'2"/188cm. I would still buy Giulia over Stelvio, and I think the reason they made the Stelvio instead of a estate version of the Giulia, which would look terrific, is to address the SUV/North American market

Please review the Audi Q8 soon. Would love to hear your thoughts on it.

Yeah, they do work as sportscars. There is no denying that fact. That's why BMW X5M worked, that's why Porsche Cayenne worked and single handedly saved Porsche from going down as a company, that's why Acura MDX and RDX work (although they are not even up to par with above mentioned power wise), that's why Lamborghini is releasing their SUV, etc, etc, etc. You can deny it all the way you want, but the fact will remain the fact.

I need something higher because of all the flooding we have nowadays...

Still, I absolutely want one

Fantastic highway machine while still really functional.

If I had money to blow I’d definitely get one of the new Alphas beautiful cars and loads of power.

We need wild SUVs like this, it makes them all better

18 seconds in, I hear QuadrifoGlio, I wanna quit

might be off topic but id be interested in a video about the nissan note e and whether if it makes any sense since its basically an electric car with an ICE to charge the battery

It would be good to hear your comparison to something like the Porsche Macan GTS or Turbo.

Jason, how would you rank the Stelvia vs Giulia in the snow (the QF is only available in RWD in the Giulia)? I'm a noob in the tundra and may be relocating. I would love to have an Alfa but worry about winter performance. Not sure if my budget will stretch to QF levels, but it's fun to dream right?

It's not an SUV. It's a Crossover. Need to think of it as a modern day hot hatchback that sits up high.

I always thought that the best Alfa Romeo was one that you didn't own (or at least, one you only intended to look at). For the most part, they can't break if they aren't moving.

I would venture a guess that 90% of the people buying SUVs are buying it because they want something big and tall. Most people in the USA seem to believe bigger is better. Alpha just made a fun SUV for those people.

I would say that Volvo Xc60 T6 R design isnt to bad and it's possibly one of the most fun SUVs to drive, make a video about it

Can you make video explaining whats difference btwn SUV, x-over, etc?

I wanted/needed an "SUV" because I have a large dog that I want to confine in the back area. You can not do that in a sedan. I looked at station wagons like the MB E450 or the Audi A6 Allroad. Great cars, but you can't get one and they are not really driver's cars. A bigger SUV would be more than I needed. BTW the Stelvio QV has slightly more cargo area than the Porsche Macan. I did consider a GTS. So I am not sure there is enough room for many SUV buyers, so I get your point, but it is better than some in space and certainly is a great handling/performing SUV.

Our 2012 MDX is fun to drive, and has great acceleration.

What's going on with that hub in the middle of the steering wheel? The Alpha Romeo badge there just doesn't seem to be turning at the same time as the steering wheel is.

I test drove it in Spring of 2018 and did not like it. Performance was good but the rear end was moving a lot in s-corners and the chassis got quite some lean angle. The interior (fake, light wood paneling) looked cheap. I also wanted to test the Giulia QV but they only had one car and it was in high demand.

Have you driven the new 2018 Cayenne Turbo? I wonder how they compare.

You make some valid points Jason ... But none of the other SUV's you mentioned are near as "Sexy" ... as the Stelvio Quadrifogilo...

Yes, I agree with what you said. I think I understand why this Alfa Romeo suv. I live in Toronto Canada. Due to the winter conditions, the road surface is just rubbish. I like cars like M3, C63, and the Giulia. But they are just not good for car that I will be driving for all season. And suv like dodge, Jeep, Mercedes are just too heavy or too expensive or too boring. So I think this Alfa is a great little crossover that makes sense.

Jason you say this is the most fun SUV to drive in the $80k price range, have you driven the Porsche Macan S or turbo? If not I highly recommend making that your next video! That said I love the Stelvio and it looks amazing to drive. Just those Alfa quality issues to deal with and at that price point, better German options.