M3 CS or Alfa QV?

[UltraMagneticAL]

so as my i8 lease is about to end, i'm faced w/ the decision to replace it with either the m3 cs in frozen blue or an alfa quadrifoglio. obviously the m3 is more expensive, but it's a limited run - so i may end up purchasing it at the end of the lease. the alfa, having alfa reliability, will probably get returned at the end of the lease.

why lease? because its a 'company car'. i also need a 4 door now because of a new baby, and i also have an m2 for my personal car (which is going to get replaced shortly too - but w/ another 2 door for sure).

[NYBulldog]

I think you will love the CS. The Quad is fantastic but the infotainment and other quirks may be annoying. And yes, the service centers suck... They are run by grown up childern. Reliability is TBD but shouldn't be too bad. Maintenance in pricey too.

[UltraMagneticAL]

Originally Posted by NYBulldog

I think you will love the CS. The Quad is fantastic but the infotainment and other quirks may be annoying. And yes, the service centers suck... They are run by grown up childern. Reliability is TBD but shouldn't be too bad. Maintenance in pricey too.

i test drove the CS and it feels good. easy to slide and predictable. felt just a touch faster than the m2 (base) when i had it fbo and BM3. i haven't drove the QF yet though to compare it.

[UltraMagneticAL]

Originally Posted by pheerIx

Your baby will go deaf and brain damaged either way.

it didn't seem that loud to me? but i also have a hard time hearing lol

[CanAutM3]

This is a BMW forum, what do expect the poll to show

[nicknaz]

Where is the option for base M3 + mods

Porsche 4dr EV coming out soon. Supposedly will be as track ready as any other Porsche. Not sure if you care about EV but that should be pretty interesting.

There should also be an option for E63S wagon in the poll. That's the most epic family car out there, IMHO

[SonicJlee]

I cross shopped both these cars when moving on from my 2016 M3 ZCP (my second M3). I have 2 young kids that still require car seats; the car serves as one our family cars. Despite prefering the looks of the CS, I ended up going with the Giulia Quadrifoglio. There are multiple threads that discuss the driving dynamics and feel of the 2 cars (or at least against the ZCP M3) - it really comes down to personal preference (e.g., quick and light steering vs. heavy steering) The Giulia has some practical features that the CS is missing which is helpful for family duty:
- Vents for the rear seats. With the arm rest delete, the CS loses the vents for the back seat. My kids used to sweat in the back of my M3 in the summer with the vents open and 20% tint so I can't imagine them in the back of the CS.
- Comfort Access. Comfort access is not available on the CS.
- Remote start as a standard feature.

The Giulia Quadrifolio is a little more dual natured in that the suspension is comfortable in soft mode but gets really firm in race mode. The exhaust is quiet if you want it to be (I ended up keeping the flaps locked open so it is always in loud mode).

One cool feature of the Giulia is that in addition to being able to check the oil from the infotainment, it also has a dipstick in the engine bay. Ok, maybe I'm the only one that appreciates this, lol.

[M3GymNut]

I would try the Alfa QV, have you driven it yet?

[UltraMagneticAL]

Originally Posted by M3GymNut

I would try the Alfa QV, have you driven it yet?

yeah. it was great, but not leagues beyond the cs to make me want to lose an opportunity to get a limited production car and deal w/ possible reliability and servicing issues.

[mpizutti]

Originally Posted by UltraMagneticAL

so as my i8 lease is about to end, i'm faced w/ the decision to replace it with either the m3 cs in frozen blue or an alfa quadrifoglio. obviously the m3 is more expensive, but it's a limited run - so i may end up purchasing it at the end of the lease. the alfa, having alfa reliability, will probably get returned at the end of the lease.

why lease? because its a 'company car'. i also need a 4 door now because of a new baby, and i also have an m2 for my personal car (which is going to get replaced shortly too - but w/ another 2 door for sure).

I would go with the Frozen Blue M3CS...BUT i might be a little bias...HAHAHA

[Ian1973]

It's funny, all you ever hear from people is fear of reliability issues regarding Alfa's. How is Alfa going to really ever make any headway in this country without changing our fears about them? You can't do that without selling cars, yet I'm betting they aren't doing so well. I feel bad for them, not that this isn't their own doing.

[six-n-twins53]

Honestly I didn't even cross shop for anything alfa. They weren't even on my list. Maybe its advertising or market perception. Doesn't help that the local alfa dealer looks like a deserted mall. Nothing against the car itself at all, I just didnt have it as an option in my head. My perception is that the m3 is the benchmark and alfa is a current fad that will go away in the not too distant future. When alfa picks up and leaves, then I'm really screwed. I didn't even see that car as competition for BMW, regardless of performance numbers. Just my.02.

[henrylee]

m3CS

[mcc3456]

Originally Posted by NYBulldog

I think you will love the CS. The Quad is fantastic but the infotainment and other quirks may be annoying. And yes, the service centers suck... They are run by grown up childern. Reliability is TBD but shouldn't be too bad. Maintenance in pricey too.

My local Alfa service center is also a Lamborghini/Rolls/Bentley dealership that is miles better than their sister BMW dealership just down the street. Don’t generalize, because it makes you sound foolish...especially to those of us that have had zero mechanical issues with our QVs, but did have a bunch of issues with our now departed M3s.

[minn19]

Originally Posted by mcc3456

My local Alfa service center is also a Lamborghini/Rolls/Bentley dealership that is miles better than their sister BMW dealership just down the street. Don’t generalize, because it makes you sound foolish...especially to those of us that have had zero mechanical issues with our QVs, but did have a bunch of issues with our now departed M3s.

Too bad that isn’t the norm. They can’t give them away here. They still have all 8 from when I was looking in August. I offered them 12k off of sticker and I would’ve bought the white one in this list. They pretty much laughed at my offer and didn’t believe me on how steep the discounts were nationwide. Now they are advertising them at 11 off and still can’t move them. I’m guessing they wouldn’t scoff at my offer now.

https://www.schmelzalfaromeo.com/inv.../Quadrifoglio/

[M3GymNut]

Originally Posted by minn19

Too bad that isn’t the norm. They can’t give them away here. They still have all 8 from when I was looking in August. I offered them 12k off of sticker and I would’ve bought the white one in this list. They pretty much laughed at my offer and didn’t believe me on how steep the discounts were nationwide. Now they are advertising them at 11 off and still can’t move them. I’m guessing they wouldn’t scoff at my offer now.

https://www.schmelzalfaromeo.com/inv.../Quadrifoglio/

Interesting how none of them have the carbon fiber seats. In about 6 months that discount is going to be probably another $5k-$6k.

[six-n-twins53]

Originally Posted by mcc3456

My local Alfa service center is also a Lamborghini/Rolls/Bentley dealership that is miles better than their sister BMW dealership just down the street. Don’t generalize, because it makes you sound foolish...especially to those of us that have had zero mechanical issues with our QVs, but did have a bunch of issues with our now departed M3s.

Generalizations dont make you sound foolish. They allow you to start to look at trends and begin to look at correlation. If anything, they are a more cautious beginning to inquiry. If you're interested in the alfa, you can see what others experiences and understandings are. If your investigation turns up the opposite of internet forum chatter, then you may feel better proceeding. Since your experience with alfa and BMW seems to be the opposite of what most think or have experienced, then you may be bringing up the exception, not the norm. Having read some of your previous posts, you seem very offensive in defense of your choice or purchase. For whatever reason, many alfa owners seem very emotional in the comparison of their cars on this BMW forum. My experience with alfa has been poor. I know 2 owners who have had numerous problems with their cars. I have driven both cars. The local dealership is by all reports, atrocious. It appears to be deserted most of the time. That is part of why the alfa was not on my list. Also not a fan of automatics.

I have not seen a more passionate emotional group of car owners this side of mustang forums. Perhaps alfa needs to do a better job with marketing and networking if their product is indeed superior to M cars. They failed to reach me. For whatever frustration that alfa owners on this board feel, stop. It is a fun to drive car. Why the need to clutter M forums with information about your lemon M3's and wonderful alfas? Hit the alfa forums. It would never occur to me to go on a forum for a car I no longer, or never owned.

Best of luck!

[NYBulldog]

Originally Posted by mcc3456

My local Alfa service center is also a Lamborghini/Rolls/Bentley dealership that is miles better than their sister BMW dealership just down the street. Don’t generalize, because it makes you sound foolish...especially to those of us that have had zero mechanical issues with our QVs, but did have a bunch of issues with our now departed M3s.

Great for you. I am generalizing because as you should know on the Alfa Forums, a vast majority of dealers are terrible. The two closest to me leave a lot to desire, and one of them is also a Maserati/Ferrari dealer. They sure can sell you the car. I don't sound foolish, its just the truth. Don't get upset, its just a car forum. My new Alfa has been great so far, I love it.

[mcc3456]

Originally Posted by M3GymNut

Interesting how none of them have the carbon fiber seats. In about 6 months that discount is going to be probably another $5k-$6k.

He’s in Minnesota. Nobody up there would want the unheated racing seats in the Winter. Good on them for not ordering them, unlike my local dealer who is chock full of Guilia & Stelvios Quads with Sparcos and CCBs, all stickering at $90k+ (again with no heated seats or steering wheels). Not too many 2018s left though. Mostly 2019s.

[mcc3456]

Originally Posted by NYBulldog

Great for you. I am generalizing because as you should know on the Alfa Forums, a vast majority of dealers are terrible. The two closest to me leave a lot to desire, and one of them is also a Maserati/Ferrari dealer. They sure can sell you the car. I don't sound foolish, its just the truth. Don't get upset, its just a car forum. My new Alfa has been great so far, I love it.

Hey, I bought mine from the first Alfa dealer in MA which was only a Fiat/Kia/Alfa dealer, but I did not care as I knew the better dealer is only 3-4 miles from my garage door. Personally, I think too many people are scared away by mischaracterizations, but to those who aren’t, they sure are getting an incredible car for equally incredible deal.

[mcc3456]

Originally Posted by six-n-twins53

Generalizations dont make you sound foolish. They allow you to start to look at trends and begin to look at correlation. If anything, they are a more cautious beginning to inquiry. If you're interested in the alfa, you can see what others experiences and understandings are. If your investigation turns up the opposite of internet forum chatter, then you may feel better proceeding. Since your experience with alfa and BMW seems to be the opposite of what most think or have experienced, then you may be bringing up the exception, not the norm. Having read some of your previous posts, you seem very offensive in defense of your choice or purchase. For whatever reason, many alfa owners seem very emotional in the comparison of their cars on this BMW forum. My experience with alfa has been poor. I know 2 owners who have had numerous problems with their cars. I have driven both cars. The local dealership is by all reports, atrocious. It appears to be deserted most of the time. That is part of why the alfa was not on my list. Also not a fan of automatics.

I have not seen a more passionate emotional group of car owners this side of mustang forums. Perhaps alfa needs to do a better job with marketing and networking if their product is indeed superior to M cars. They failed to reach me. For whatever frustration that alfa owners on this board feel, stop. It is a fun to drive car. Why the need to clutter M forums with information about your lemon M3's and wonderful alfas? Hit the alfa forums. It would never occur to me to go on a forum for a car I no longer, or never owned.

Best of luck!

Wow, that was quite the rant. Congrats, on perpetuating more group think and close mindedness on this Forum. Personally, I’ve enjoyed 20+ models from every German car brand, and have two BMWs sitting in my garage right now along-side my Quadrifoglio. Sorry to say, but as much fun as my M3 was, it had annoying issues, and at the end of the day, the Alfa has proven itself more reliable during exactly the same length of ownership, hence why the M3 was dumped after only 2 months of owning both at the same time. So far, my QV has not spontaneously combusted on the side of the road nir severed its driveshaft. The worst I’ve experienced is 2 oil changes and a software update in 17k miles. Never in a million years did I see that coming when I had originally bought the Alfa to just flip it within the first month.

Instead of acting like a BMW fanboy, you should try celebrating all exciting cars (regardless of make) that will inspire M engineers to up their game in the next gen M3. If they actually accomplish it, I’ll glad move on from the Alfa to the next “best thing”, which is exactly the point...the M3 was no longer, but someday will be again...until it’s not, and so on.

[kss]

Originally Posted by minn19

Too bad that isn’t the norm. They can’t give them away here. They still have all 8 from when I was looking in August. I offered them 12k off of sticker and I would’ve bought the white one in this list. They pretty much laughed at my offer and didn’t believe me on how steep the discounts were nationwide. Now they are advertising them at 11 off and still can’t move them. I’m guessing they wouldn’t scoff at my offer now.

https://www.schmelzalfaromeo.com/inv.../Quadrifoglio/

Hey, the M3 competition I picked up was one of two 2017 M3C with the ultimate package that sat on the lot for 2 years. They offered $10k off at the start of summer, $12k off at the end of August and $15k when I test drive the BMW M2. At that time the salesman tried to steer me to the two new 2017 M3C models and I said maybe if it’s another $5k off. He laughed and said there is no way that the car is going to be around much longer at that discount. I got a call just under a month later and he said they were almost $30k off. And I picked up the car because of the deep discount. So, cars sitting on the lot is not unique to Alfa. Last January l when I bought an RX350, I considered 3 of the 2017 X5 5.0M that were $9k off. The Lexus I picked up was $7k off and I got them to throw in a winter tire and rim set. I asked BMW if they could do the same same and they said there was no way they could go that low and don’t need to offer incentives like Lexus does. I went with the fully loaded top of the line Lexus, because it was $20k less than the BMW, the savings were greater on the Lexus and I was replacing my 2010 lexus RX350 that I put 198k km over 7 years. I didn’t think I would be able to do that with X5. 2 weeks later the bmw sales guy called back and said that they knocked off another $3k - which was almost the price of the winter tire and rim set. I told him I already bought the Lexus.

So cars sitting in the lot is not unique to Alfa. BMw has a promo on right now where they offering $15k to $27k off 2018 models.