Jeremy Clarkson has returned to writing about the Alfa Romeo Giulia in the pages of The Times, and he did not choose just any version. He focused on the most representative one of all. The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, with its 510 horsepower, twin-turbo V6, and rear-wheel drive, became the starting point for a much broader reflection on the state of the modern car. It’s a subject on which Clarkson has never pulled his punches, and once again it gave him the chance to air more than a few long-held grievances.
Jeremy Clarkson says the best Alfa Romeo Giulia is the older one
Clarkson’s relationship with Alfa Romeo stretches back many years. Over time, he has praised models such as the Disco Volante and, above all, the 8C, which he once described without hesitation as one of the most beautiful cars ever made. When the Giulia debuted in 2016, he also made no effort to hide his enthusiasm, placing it on the same level as, if not above, benchmarks like the BMW M3. To him, it represented the perfect example of how a sporty sedan could still deliver genuine emotion.
Before diving into the road test itself, however, Clarkson widens the lens and explains why the new-car market increasingly irritates him. In his view, something broke after 2022. The mandatory introduction of ADAS systems turned driving into a constant background noise of warnings, electronic interventions, and unwanted corrections. Clarkson goes so far as to write that he would not buy any new car today, regardless of brand or price. Ferrari, Aston Martin, or Maserati make no difference, because, in his opinion, they all suffer from the same issue. And with even stricter regulations on the horizon, he sees little reason for optimism.
Against this backdrop of growing disillusionment, the Giulia Quadrifoglio re-enters the picture as a possible exception. Clarkson recalls how strongly the original version impressed him, thanks to its rare ability to blend comfort, precision, and involvement. It was a car that felt special without relying on filters or artificial layers.
The comparison with the updated 2023 model, however, leaves him unconvinced. The Giulia has also had to comply with new rules, and Clarkson believes the car’s character has paid the price. Although Alfa Romeo officially says it has not revised the suspension, he argues that the driving feel has changed. The car now feels stiffer, less forgiving over rough surfaces, and overall less pleasant to live with than before. Not enough to erase its appeal, but enough to upset a balance that once worked perfectly.
His final verdict follows this logic. Clarkson does not recommend buying a new Giulia Quadrifoglio, but he does not dismiss the model outright. On the contrary, for anyone who truly wants to understand why this sedan became a modern icon, his advice remains simple: look for one built before 2022, when electronics interfered less and driving felt purer. According to Clarkson, that is where the true soul of the Giulia still lives, the one that won over even one of the toughest critics in the modern automotive world.
