2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia vs BMW M4

Let's say you want a luxury European car but you're not made of money. You've probably heard that German engineering is the way to go. But have you considered Italian? The 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia (the Italian form of "Julia") might make you a believer. This small luxury car can hold its own compared to the likes of the BMW 4-Series, and for a whole lot less money. That's a smart move.

Price: 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia

BMW knows that its name precedes them, so they can charge more. Alfa Romeo isn't as well known in America, though their cars absolutely hold their own when compared to BMW. Perhaps for that reason, the 2019 AR Giulia starts at only $38,200. For that low price, you get 10-way power-adjustable front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, rear parking sensors, rearview camera, 6.5-inch display screen, console-mounted infotainment control knob, three USB ports, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and eight-speaker audio system. You can opt for two more trim levels-the Giulia Ti for $40,500 and the Giulia Quadrifoglio (Italian for "four-leaf clover") for $74,000. Stepping up can give you heated everything, power-adjustable everything, additional active safety features, navigation, and a larger touch screen.

By comparison, the BMW M4 starts at $44,800, which is $6,600 more than the AR Giulia. What accounts for the difference in price? Well, the leatherette upholstery, 10-way power-adjustable front sport seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, moonroof, leather-wrapped steering wheel, proximity keyless entry, nine-speaker audio system, satellite radio, HD Radio, Bluetooth, USB port, rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors, rain-sensing windshield wipers, iDrive infotainment system with 8.8-inch touch-screen display, navigation, and wireless Apple CarPlay are all pretty much the same as what you'll find in the comparably equipped Alfa Romeo Giulia. In other words, there's not a lot more in the BMW 4-series, so we can't totally account for the difference in price. At the upper end, the BMW can get even more pricey, costing well over $100,000.

Performance: Tie

Understandably, some may be concerned that a lower price tag means inferior quality. In a luxury car, one way to assess value is to look at what's under the hood. So let's compare the engines in each of these compact luxury cars. The Alfa Romeo Giulia has a couple of quality engines to choose from.

The base engine is a 280-horsepower turbo-four that feels athletic and nimble. The 505-horsepower twin-turbo V6-exclusive to the Quadrifoglio-feels exactly like driving a sports car. You might notice the ride isn't as smooth as some, but there's something to be said for feeling connected to the road as you nimbly handle corners and power through your joy ride or daily commute.

Meanwhile, the BMW is a feat of German engineering. No surprise there. The M4 comes standard with a 248-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine. There's also a 320-horsepower turbocharged six-cylinder engine.

But notice that the Alfa Romeo delivers more horsepower than either of the BMW engine options. If we've piqued your interest, we think it's time you took a test drive of the Alfa Romeo Giulia. You might be pleased to discover that the kind of car you've always wanted is already in your grasp.

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