I'm finding car prices hard to swallow thesedays. And I imagine most of the UK residents concur. When you're saying £40k is proper good value in a review. World has gone to poo tbh.
Agree but list prices are almost completely irrelevant now, virtually nobody buys cars any longer, it is all about the monthly (rental) payments. Dealers probably make more money from Finance and selling insurance products than they do from cars.
Everyone says that, but then when spending actual money very few people do. Especially as it’s mostly a fiat underneath. Only 25K cars sold last year and declining sales year on year.
@@cp4512 Being a Fiat underneath is a good thing both from a mechanic and tech level point of view because they have superior engineering for IC engines (read about the Multiair valve system or F.I.R.E. engine assembly for instance). ...as long as the level of the finishes in it is Alfa we're good. And this might be the case for the Tonale, but it clearly isn't for the Giulia and Stelvio. These two were new Alfa products until now, shared only with the Maserati Grecale. 2 years ago I've picked a Stelvio Veloce over everything else because few brands invest as much as Alfa in the pleasure of driving and dynamic competence and fun. It still brings me a smile every single day I drive it. That's priceless.
8:11 either the BMW has more space for luggage or more space for passengers. You can't have both simultaneously. This is a neat trick from automakers and that's part of the reason they opt for rear moving seats. They always sell us the best figures for both passengers and boot, but the truth is that we can't have both at the same time.
Its time for Alfa to step up there sales!! Alfa always design and engineer a better in the same segment than BMW. Wish Alfa can become a bigger company and improve their aftermarkets.
After 4 BMW’s in 20 years I am a proud Alfa Stelvio owner an I have to say, that now I understand what about BMW was talking in all this 20 years. I mean Alfa Romeo make me understand what it mean joy of driveing.
@@magnetau As a former owner of E 46, E 39, E 87 and finally F 25 I have to say, that BMW quality not the same. The last F 25 was a disaster. I always had some issues with mz BMW-s but that last one was a rubbish. Now have changed to Alfa and I am very happywith my choice and I don't miss my BMW-s at all...
@@magnetau Let's be serious then. No, it's not fact. That's badge talking. The BMW X3 (Stelvio's competitor) for instance, is not as fast nor as efficient or dynamically precise and fun as the Stelvio. But it's not just a small difference either. The Stelvio is as quiet and comfortable as the X3 if not more (I've seen a review where measured ride noise level was slightly lower on the Stelvio). ...but it's way better in terms of dynamics, not because of luck but because of a few points like light weight solutions from the aluminum body, engine and suspension, to the carbon fiber drive shaft, a very high ratio Ackerman geometry steering, and having also the engine mounted behind the front axle for 50/50 weight balance with RWD bias, courtesy of the Giorgio platform designed for the Giulia by an ex-Ferrari team of engineers. ...and as for the interior, the BMW has a better infotainment and can have ventilated seats, but that's it. The Alfa interior (since 2019 revision) is much better looking and stylish and offers a better feel with real leather all around with a streamline design without a tablet stuck on top of the dash.
Nonsense the BMW interior quality is mostly perceived and their interior layout and screen are like white goods whereas the Alfa has a more timeless and simple interior cockpit with very clear and cool instrument design and very good quality. plus BMW reliability in recent years has not been good either. Alfas are very distinctive and cool and nearly as good build quality
Don't like BMW's new business model regarding subscriptions. Had a test drive in the Tonale. Well impressed with drive and spec and the Tonale has character and looks so much better than the X1.Ordered the Ti version and hoping to pick it up in April.
And, adding to Wellibob’s comments regarding overall ridiculous car pricing, it’s nonsense that BMW is still asking stupid money for features like active cruise when they’re available on some of the cheapest cars you can buy at no extra cost. Puts me off BMW’s just because of the arrogance.
I agree with you but Audi and Mercedes are no different. Unfortunately WLTP is partially responsible too as it forced manufacturers of premium cars into bundling options into large expensive packs and restricting features to certain versions. As far as I can tell, WLTP cost billions and delivered zero benefit with range and MPG figures potentially even less accurate than they were before.
@crimsonlightbinder in every measurable way, the BMW is better. Better car, better dealer support better trade in. However, the Alfa has style and warmth.
I hate suvish type cars but love this Tonale. Also, there are a lot of bmw’s out there which it is nice to see something different. That new x1 is pretty though. However, I will go for the Alfa because it will be unique (I still drive my Saab always getting looks since no one owns one here in AZ. It has beautiful curves).
The Alfa's design sets it apart from the competition I think looks fresh, is offering something different, makes the opposition look ordinary predictable. Nothing really wrong with the BMW but it doesn't offer the exclusivity or the Italian charisma that satisfies the soul feel good factor of driving.
The Alfa dealer here in New Jersey is not open on Saturday's and has limited hours during the week. Additionally, parts are never available and the mechanics have no idea how to fix a car. For that reason, I bought a JCW Mini Cooper Countryman.
Sorry to the Alfa fans but Alfa is not really a competitor for BMW, more for Kia and Nissan etc. The fact that the BMW came with more space, power and 4WD was a massive advantage here even if it came with less standard equipment. If the Alfa were 10k cheaper, I might even consider it but not at that price, it is simply not good enough to justify it. Alfa is relying too much on its heritage and brand loyal enthusiasts who just want the badge. I wonder how many of the people claiming that the Alfa would be their choice would actually buy it, Alfa has way more fans than buyers.
On what basis exactly? Alfa Romeo has never been positioned to compete with likes of Kia or Nissan. It’s a premium brand and price reflects that. Their entire business model is based on selling cars that are emotional and focused on beauty. Kia and Nissan compete with price and value. Customers who considers them are mainly looking for a sensible car that offers most for the money. Alfa Romeo customer is looking for an entirely different type of car. They will buy their car based on feelings, heritage and to stand out in the crowd. Most of these customers won’t even consider a BWM. It’s too German and mainstream. It doesn’t evoke similar feelings.
@@mikojarvinen6273 taking this particular example and removing for one moment the badge, how exactly is it more premium than Kia or Nissan, just a generic FWD crossover no? What is there to get passionate about, a soulless underpowered engine, FWD and so so build quality. I get the passion for Alfa, just think it is completely misdirected here.
@@stephencollins7714 You could use those words to attack any premium brand. Currently what people want are SUVs like this. Alfa Romeo made their own. Virtual all of the competition is front wheel drive in their base form. Including the BMW X1. The engines are not emotional either. Tonale will be available as more powerful PHEV model with 4WD. That’s no different from competition either. Distinguishing factors are driving experience which is subjective, design as in person it’s a great looking vehicle and better standard options. It all comes down to preferences and feelings. Let’s also not forget that the Korean or Japanese competition isn’t that much cheaper either. In my country Toyota Corolla Cross starts from 39 900€, Tonale starts from 42 290€ and X1 sDrive18i from 47 488€. I think it’s quite well priced in relation to competitors. They also got warranty of 5 years unlike virtually every competitor.
@@mikojarvinen6273 I think we are are in agreement, the Tonale is essentially nothing special, just a cookie cutter crossover with a great badge, this is why for me at least it falls well short of what an Alfa should be and does not warrant a premium. Looks are always going to be subjective so no point in discussing them. All of that aside, the BMW is just the better car as tested and with no standout features, the Alfa has little objectively to recommend it. I just think that the BMW is doing a much better job of living up to its brand values in this case and is a more premium car in most respects. As and when Alfa bring out other versions, it may be a different matter but not today.
@@stephencollins7714 Impossible to say without direct comparisons in person. However to me it looks nice from design point of view and interior feels premium. It reminds me of Maserati Grecale but has obtainable price. Feelings aside. It is a lot cheaper than BMW X1. I suppose BMW might be cheaper in the UK but 47k € starting price is pretty heavy considering that it still needs options. Meanwhile Alfa has everything you need as standard and if you want more options won’t cost 10k. In other words it may not be as well rounded but it’s also far less money.
The BMW is outright boring, inside and out. As a UX designer, I also strongly disagree with the infotainment system being better, it's way more clunky and far less responsive. Even in the video you can see the annoying hiccups. In terms of driving experience, I feel both are not as great as their past cars, but again the Tonale wins for me. The build quality of Tonale is worse, for sure, with typical questionable choices, but I would pick it over the X1 any day of the week.
An interesting video Rebecca. Before watching this I would not have considered comparing these two cars but it does make more than a little sense to do so. I've always had a soft spot for Alfa's as they have a personality, in contrast sometimes BMW's can seem a tad sterile but are still great cars. Out of these two I would err on the side of the BMW, I prefer to have the 4 wheel drive and would have to add what I would call essential 'extras' like the driving assistance plus pack etc. The loss of the iDrive is a big miss though. The Alfa although arguably under powered still has that personality if you're in the right frame of mind and it looks better than the beemer in my humble opinion. I'm unsure if I would consider either brand new though, maybe a low mileage used car could be tempting and given the trend for residuals that could make the Alfa the more attractive option. At the moment I'm not looking to change my car but would consider either of these at the time I can justify doing so. Many thanks for sharing,
There are different engines variants starting from 130hp. The US rarely gets less expensive variants because Americans would be outraged by anything less than 200hp. Meanwhile in Europe a lot of customers just don’t care or need as much power. 285 hp variant is top of the range model and it will be available in Europe too.
Hard to imagine myself driving this ugly BMW. But the worst part of it is the message you are sending to the world, hey look at me, I am a BMW driver. Urgghhh...
By the sounds of it the X1 is the better all rounder. However, it's disappointing to see BMW has ditched the i-Drive controller and the climate control buttons and stuck all the controls on the touchscreen. Also, from other reviews of the X1 I've seen, BMW has messed up its steering, making it very light and lacking in feel, which doesn't help its handling.
In the era of the SUV it’s hard to fall in love with cars. Both of these are ugly and flawed. I’d probably go Alfa just because I love the brand and it’s the least ugly of the two but then it does seem disappointingly under powered and underwhelming. If I was forced to buy an SUV it would probably be a Stelvio.
The gear selector and volume controls being the wrong way round on the BMW really annoys me. I’d choose the Tonale, just because it’s more fun. Or just go for a Range Rover Evoque.
Alfa wins just for having the revolutionary concept of using physical buttons for adjusting things like the heating system! I don't know who's asking for buttons to be replaced by touchscreens, seems like car manufacturers just copy one another without asking it's customers first.
Another joke review. Two tablet put in front of you is not stylist or quality is just ridiculous. The interior of alfa feels like a real car and not a toy. And I drove the two cars and the handling of Alfa is so much superior to bmw. But I didn’t expect anything better from Rebecca when she said that the ride of Citroen cactus mk2 was bad when ALL the other colleges were describe the ride as magic carpet….
Compared both of these along with Audi, Merc and Volvo offerings and ended up buying the BMW X1 (XDrive23i in X Line trim with technology pack). Had it for 3 months now and we have driven over 4000 miles and it has been simply superb as a family car; the whole family loves it. It replaced a Land Rover Discovery Sport which we liked but was far too unreliable.
Just the review I was looking for as these are my choices, when reviewers talk about interiors why do they never mentioned colour options, the tonale is only available with black seats and black headliner which to me makes it depressing, the BMW has a colour option at a cost, but at least it has one.
@@asaridere55 Unfortunately not, I saw the Tonale in Austria with lighter options, even the leather option in the UK is black! @alfaromeo . I have decided to go X1
For looks I'd go for the Alfa Romeo. The majority of buyers will go for the BMW, because Alfa Romeo are still carrying a tarnished reputation, for unreliability.
BMW does sell more cars but it is indeed Stellantis who sell more cars in total, including the brand Alfa Romeo. BMW has sold roughly 2.5 million per annum over the last 3 years while Stellantis have sold over 6 million per annum over the last 3 years. If it weren't for the supicious ownership and history of the brand BMW, it would've been a part of Stellantis a while ago. Somehow though BMW manages to have a saying in a lot of matters in Germany, not only automobiles. Worldwide it is a different deal since they started collaboration with Toyota. If I had the option to choose between the BMW and this Alfa, I'd buy the Discovery.
We have the previous generation X1 M Sport Hybrid. It's an excellent car and the new one is reported to be an improvement over the one we have. So, I would say the X1 is a no brained, better dealer network, better residuals and quality. Good review as usual Rebecca.
I've got a 2018 X1 M Sport 2.0 D. It's got years left in it. Had the gearbox replaced under warranty. It's as smooth as silk. Suspension is a bit firm but I can live with it.
@Chris P I am envious as it looks even roomier than ours. My ONLY reservation about the new one is everything has to be done via the touch screen. What size is the petrol tank, a bugbear on ours, barely 8 gallons.
@@steveb4012 Hi Steve, we were a bit worried about the touch screen having had the physical control on a previous BMW X3 but it’s been fine. It’s very intuitive to use and not laggy, the icons are pretty big and easy to touch, and the voice control is superb. You can use voice to set satnav, open windows, do all the climate control, do all the media without even leaving the Home Screen. The car is a great size too and pretty much as big as our old X3. We did pay £50 for the option to get a bigger fuel tank and I’d recommend that (not sure if this is just in the UK market or an option globally). After brimming the tank we have a range of just under 500 miles which is great. I would wholeheartedly recommend the new X1!
@@steveb4012 Just checked the configurator. The bigger fuel tank is now a £55 option. Takes the tank from 45 litres to 54 litres. Looks like even the standard tank is about 10 gallons.
Well, I'm thankfully at that age when looks aren't the most important factor. Ownership costs and repairs rule my car buying decisions today. A lot of the Alpha Romeo line has atrocious break downs and costs.
I fail to understand how an Alfa would even be compared to the likes of BMW Audi, Merc, Volvo or even Volkswagen. It should be compared to the likes of Ford Kuga’s.
