Alfa Romeo Giulia vs BMW 3 Series

The Alfa Romeo Giulia starts from $75,900 before on-road costs, while the BMW 3 Series opens at $89,900. That makes the Alfa Romeo Giulia the more affordable entry point by $14,000.

Once you factor in stamp duty, registration, CTP insurance, and dealer delivery, expect to add roughly 8-12% on top of the RRP depending on your state. That puts estimated driveaway prices in the ballpark of $83,490 and $98,890 respectively.

Over 5 years, the running costs are nearly identical since both have similar efficiency.

Both the Alfa Romeo Giulia and BMW 3 Series hold a 5-star ANCAP safety rating. Adult occupant protection scored 98% for the Alfa Romeo Giulia and 97% for the BMW 3 Series.

Where the two diverge is in active safety technology. The Alfa Romeo Giulia packs more ADAS features with 7 out of 10 key systems fitted, compared to 6 in the BMW 3 Series.

Both include the essentials: autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera. Airbag count is 6 in the Alfa Romeo Giulia and 6 in the BMW 3 Series.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia features a 8.8-inch touchscreen, while the BMW 3 Series gets a 12.3-inch display. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across both.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia stands out with ambient lighting that you will not find on the BMW 3 Series. Which feature set matters more depends on your daily routine and priorities.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia uses a Petrol producing 206kW and 400Nm of torque, sent through a automatic to a RWD layout. It covers the 0-100km/h sprint in 5.2 seconds.

The BMW 3 Series responds with a Petrol making 190kW and 400Nm, paired to a auto driving the rear wheels. It gets to 100km/h in 6 seconds.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia has the clear power advantage at 206kW vs 190kW. In the real-world sprint, the Alfa Romeo Giulia is 0.8s quicker. For most buyers, the way each car feels day-to-day matters more than outright acceleration.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia measures 4,643mm long on a 2,820mm wheelbase, 66mm shorter than the BMW 3 Series at 4,709mm (2,851mm wheelbase). The longer wheelbase on the BMW 3 Series generally means more rear legroom.

Boot space is 480L in the Alfa Romeo Giulia and 480L in the BMW 3 Series.

For towing, the BMW 3 Series leads with a 1,800kg braked capacity vs 1,600kg. That 200kg difference matters if you regularly hitch up.

Based on 15,000km of annual driving, fuel costs roughly $2,109/year for the Alfa Romeo Giulia and $2,024/year for the BMW 3 Series. That is a $85 annual difference in favour of the BMW 3 Series.

Estimated annual total: $2,109 (Alfa Romeo Giulia) vs $2,024 (BMW 3 Series). The BMW 3 Series saves you roughly $85 per year in total ownership costs. Use our Fuel Cost Calculator to estimate based on your driving.

Warranty: 5 years / 150,000km (Alfa Romeo Giulia) vs 5 years / 999,999km (BMW 3 Series). Both match on warranty length.