2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio

2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio

Episode 3704 , Episode 3717
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

While the Giulia did a lot to cement Alfa Romeo’s place in the euro luxury-sport market here, these days no brand can really compete stateside without an SUV. And indeed, the Stelvio was always a part of Alfa’s return strategy to America. So, let’s take a look at this upstart utility and find out why more familiar European brands should be getting a little nervous. 

The 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio is indeed the right vehicle at the right time, as even with luxury-sport brands, utility vehicles continue to take sales away from sedans. So it’s not just a good idea for this re-emerging Italian brand, it’s really a necessity. 

And while no one may have seen that coming 20-years ago, it almost makes sense at this point; as car makers have been able to infuse utilities with the same amount of performance, comfort, style, and even efficiency as their 4-door siblings, while giving buyers more flexibility for carrying cargo.

Behind the wheel of this Italian two-row ute, things are very quiet and luxurious. It’s very stable; and like most of its competitors, drives more like a tall hatchback than a crossover-style utility.   

Seats are more than comfortable, but if you don’t mind a sportier ride, upgrading to the Ti Sport will get you some phenomenal sport seats. 

For now, all Stelvio’s come with a smooth-running 2.0-liter turbo I4 engine. It offers best in class standard horsepower at 280, accompanied by 306 lb-ft. of torque. At full song, it sounds more like an exotic 6 or even 8. In opposite fashion from the Giulia sedan that the Stelvio is based on, we’ll have to wait a little while longer for the high-performance Quadrifoglio version to arrive. 

Huge column-mounted paddle shifters are available to control the 8-speed automatic transmission with great precision; and if you ask for manual control, that’s what you get. All Stelvios are all-wheel-drive. 

It doesn’t feel leaps and bounds more spirited than the competition, at least without having the opportunity to drive them back to back; but it sure does feel hellaciously fast and super capable. 0-60 is 5.4-seconds, and only a few ticks behind the Giulia 2.0. 

Like Giulia, there’s a DNA drive mode selector. Leave it in Dynamic for the best results, and you won’t find the ride harsh at all.

Steering is quick, it feels planted and just right; with loads of grip for cornering. 

With Alfa’s Q4 all-wheel-drive system, the front wheels only are fed power when necessary, otherwise it operates as a rear-wheel-drive sportster. 

Now, Stelvio performs just fine in all other drive modes as well, it just kind of gives you the impression that’s not where it wants to be. 

At 111.0-inches, wheelbase is exactly the same as the Giulia, but with a little more material outbound, overall length comes in about two inches longer.

For the most part it shares the same aggressive face, but lines are a little more pronounced, especially down the sides. 

There are 9-different tire and wheel packages, ranging from standard 18s to 20s. 

Even the back end treatment is gorgeous. We almost whish Alfa would have just called it a Giulia wagon, even though we all know to most Americans that would kill it.

Base Stelvios come fairly well equipped, but most buyers will either travel down the Lusso or Sport road for upgrades that match their priorities; wood and nicer leather for the luxury-minded, aluminum trim for the sport-minded.

Like the Giulia, there are only minor traces of any Fiat-Chrysler lineage; materials and fit and finish are on par with European alternatives. It’s a very inviting space, with only a fussy electronic shifter to detract from the serenity. 

Rear seat room is not plentiful, but certainly doable for two adults. Capacity in the cargo hold, at 18.5 cubic-ft. is decent, but short of most rivals. Folding the rear seatback will expand the space to 56.5 cubic-ft.

Also like the Giulia sedan, the Stelvio is technically mid-size, but lies more in the middle ground between compact and middle-weight SUVs.    

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 22-City, 28-Highway, and 24-Combined. For a reasonable Energy Impact Score of 13.7-barrels of yearly oil use with 6.0-tons of CO2 emissions. 

Stelvio base pricing is a very reasonable $42,990, though options are many and costly.  We figure most Stelvio’s will go for low to mid 50’s. 

According to the folks at Alfa, there was no point in adding yet another utility vehicle into a congested pool full of very nice import and domestic-branded luxury crossovers; unless it was the most powerful, highest-performing vehicle in its class. The 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio is just that.  It’s a fabulous effort. So, Alfa’s biggest challenge will be getting butts in seats to try it out. Once they do, Stelvio will sell itself. 

Specifications

  • Engine: 2.0 liter
  • Horsepower: 280
  • Torque: 306 lb-ft.
  • 0-60 mph: 5.4 seconds
  • EPA: 22 mpg city / 28 mpg highway
  • Energy Impact: 13.7 barrels of oil/yr
  • CO2 Emissions: 6.0 tons/yr
2025 Infiniti QX80 1

2025 Infiniti QX80

Infiniti’s Flagship SUV Sets A Course For Extravagance

Episode 4437
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

This full-size Infiniti QX80 started out as the QX56, a hastily rebadged version of Nissan’s truck-based Armada full-size utility. That was in the early 2000s when the luxury SUV craze was exploding. It wasn’t as much as a game-changer, as it was “try to keep upper”. Now, this new QX80, Infiniti is promising to “Reimagine the luxury SUV”. Let’s see if Infiniti has turned their imaginations into reality.

Well, if over the top is what Infiniti was shooting for in the all-new 2025 QX80, mission accomplished. There’s an overall feeling of extravagance here that we haven’t experienced from Infiniti in quite some time.
It’s not just the open pore ash wood trim with aluminum inlays, 24-speaker audio, and plush quilted leather seating; there’s also nicely integrated ambient lighting, a massive glass roof, plenty of tech, lots of active driving assistance, and even chilled center console storage. Forward of that is a dual touchscreen setup; the top 14.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment sits next to the digital gauge display in a single housing; while just below, there’s a 9-inch one for climate controls.

You are reminded this is still a body-on-frame utility the moment you have to climb up into the cockpit, but there’s also the commanding view of the road that comes with that. Captain’s chairs are standard for the second row, but a three-place bench is optional with all trims except for top Autograph which comes exclusively with these climate-controlled massaging chairs, along with a touchscreen control panel. The third-row experience is great, too, with heated leather seating, and adult size room for three.

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Now, there is a whole new experience coming from under the hood. The last gen’s V8 has been replaced with a new twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 rated at 450 horsepower, 50 over the V8. More notably, torque is up by more than 100 lb-ft to 516. Transmission is a nine-speed automatic, two more gears than last year, with rear-wheel drive standard, four-wheel drive an option. Max tow rating is 8,500-lbs.

And at the test track, it did pull strongly off the line, getting up to speed in a hurry with the 0-60 sprint taking just 6.3 seconds. There is roughly 3 tons of weight to push through the quarter-mile, but that twin-turbo does it well, finishing in 14.7 seconds at 95 mph. Gear changes are incredibly smooth, while not hindering acceleration in any way.

It's an impressive looking utility from any angle.

In panic braking runs, there was some fade and a considerable amount of nosedive, but our average stopping distance of 115 feet is not bad for a vehicle as big and heavy as the QX80. Last gen, the QX80 moved from the Titan truck platform to the global Patrol SUV chassis, which shifted the vibe from budget Escalade to Lexus LX fighter. The attending improvement in ride and handling was the real bonus, and that largely continues for this gen with air suspension and Dynamic Digital Dampers on all but base QX80s. While we could certainly feel all that weight through our cone course, body roll was well-controlled and without significant oversteer or understeer.

It’s an impressive looking utility from any angle, starting right up front with the big “bamboo forest” grille. The overall shape is boxy, but all body panels are smooth; and for better or worse, Infiniti joins the flush door handle fad. Look for its “Artistry In Motion” design theme to work its way down through the rest of the Infiniti lineup. All QX80s ride on 22-inch wheels except for base Pure trim which makes do with 20s.

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A full power play includes standard motion-activated rear liftgate and power operation of both second and third row seats, expanding cargo capacity from 22 cu-ft behind the third row to 59 behind the second, and a max of 101.0 cu-ft with both rows folded.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings with four-wheel-drive are not great: 16 city, 19 highway and 17 combined. We averaged 18.6 mpg of premium. That’s a much worse than average Energy Impact Score, using 17.5 barrels of oil annually, with 8.6 tons of CO2 emissions.

Driving such a PUREly LUXEurious SENSORY overload, you’ll probably be expecting people to want your AUTOGRAPH, which we’re guessing is how Infiniti came up with their grade structure; pricing starts with Pure at $84,445 and climbs to $112,590 for Autograph.

The 2025 Infiniti QX80 is a massive SUV that delivers massive amounts of power and luxury. They aimed for the moon here and have clearly blasted themselves into a much more competitive orbit in the big buck, big hauler, sport-utility galaxy.

Specifications

As Tested

  • Engine: 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6
  • Transmission: 9-speed automatic
  • Horsepower: 450
  • Torque: 516 lb-ft.
  • EPA: 16 City | 19 Highway | 17 Combined
  • 0-60 mph: 6.3 seconds
  • 1/4 Mile: 14.7 seconds at 95 mph
  • Braking, 60-0 (avg.): 115 feet
  • MW Fuel Economy: 18.6 mpg (Premium)