BMW M5 vs Alfa Romeo Giulia

The BMW M5 starts from $259,900 before on-road costs, while the Alfa Romeo Giulia opens at $75,900. That makes the Alfa Romeo Giulia the more affordable entry point by $184,000.

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 $285,890 and $83,490 respectively.

Over 5 years, the running costs favour the Alfa Romeo Giulia by roughly $3,850 in fuel alone.

Both the BMW M5 and Alfa Romeo Giulia hold a 5-star ANCAP safety rating. Adult occupant protection scored 89% for the BMW M5 and 98% for the Alfa Romeo Giulia.

Where the two diverge is in active safety technology. Both models are evenly matched with 7 out of 10 key ADAS systems.

Both include the essentials: autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera. Airbag count is 6 in the BMW M5 and 6 in the Alfa Romeo Giulia. The BMW M5 adds a 360-degree camera that the Alfa Romeo Giulia misses.

The BMW M5 features a 14.9-inch touchscreen, while the Alfa Romeo Giulia gets a 8.8-inch display. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across both.

The BMW M5 stands out with head-up display, wireless charging, panoramic roof, heated front seats, ventilated seats, power tailgate and Bowers & Wilkins audio that you will not find on the Alfa Romeo Giulia. The Alfa Romeo Giulia counters with Harman Kardon audio. Which feature set matters more depends on your daily routine and priorities.

The BMW M5 uses a Plug-in Hybrid producing 535kW and 1000Nm of torque, sent through a auto to a AWD layout. It covers the 0-100km/h sprint in 3.5 seconds.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia responds with a Petrol making 206kW and 400Nm, paired to a automatic driving the rear wheels. It gets to 100km/h in 5.2 seconds.

The BMW M5 has the clear power advantage at 535kW vs 206kW. In the real-world sprint, the BMW M5 is 1.7s quicker. For most buyers, the way each car feels day-to-day matters more than outright acceleration.

The BMW M5 measures 5,096mm long on a 3,006mm wheelbase, 453mm longer than the Alfa Romeo Giulia at 4,643mm (2,820mm wheelbase). The longer wheelbase on the BMW M5 generally means more rear legroom.

Boot space is 530L in the BMW M5 and 480L in the Alfa Romeo Giulia, giving the BMW M5 a 50L advantage.

For towing, the BMW M5 leads with a 2,000kg braked capacity vs 1,600kg. That 400kg difference matters if you regularly hitch up.

Based on 15,000km of annual driving, fuel costs roughly $2,879/year for the BMW M5 and $2,109/year for the Alfa Romeo Giulia. That is a $770 annual difference in favour of the Alfa Romeo Giulia.

Estimated annual total: $2,879 (BMW M5) vs $2,109 (Alfa Romeo Giulia). The Alfa Romeo Giulia saves you roughly $770 per year in total ownership costs. Use our Fuel Cost Calculator to estimate based on your driving.

Warranty: 5 years / 999,999km (BMW M5) vs 5 years / 150,000km (Alfa Romeo Giulia). Both match on warranty length.