Compare the2022 Acura TLXVS 2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Acura TLX have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Alfa Romeo Giulia doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Acura TLX are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Alfa Romeo Giulia doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The TLX Advance has a standard Surround View Camera System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Giulia only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the TLX and the Giulia have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the TLX its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 76 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Giulia has not been fully tested, yet.

Acura’s powertrain warranty covers the TLX 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Alfa Romeo covers the Giulia. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Giulia ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 88 percent more Acura dealers than there are Alfa Romeo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the TLX’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the TLX’s reliability 69 points higher than the Giulia.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Acura vehicles are better in initial quality than Alfa Romeo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Acura 26th in initial quality. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles, Alfa Romeo is ranked 28th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Alfa Romeo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Acura 10th in reliability, above the industry average. With 88 more problems per 100 vehicles, Alfa Romeo is ranked 32nd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Alfa Romeo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Acura 1 place higher in reliability than Alfa Romeo.

The TLX Type S’ standard 3.0 turbo V6 produces 75 more horsepower (355 vs. 280) and 48 lbs.-ft. more torque (354 vs. 306) than the Giulia’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Acura TLX turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Alfa Romeo Giulia:

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the TLX Type S’ fuel efficiency. The Giulia doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The TLX has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Giulia doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Acura TLX higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Alfa Romeo Giulia (3). This means the TLX produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Giulia every 15,000 miles.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Acura TLX, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Giulia.

For better stopping power the TLX Type S’ brake rotors are larger than those on the Giulia:

The TLX stops much shorter than the Giulia:

For better traction, the TLX has larger standard tires than the Giulia (235/50R18 vs. 225/50R17). The TLX Type S’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Giulia (255/35R20 vs. 225/40R19).

The TLX Type S’ tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Giulia’s optional 40 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the TLX has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Giulia. The TLX Type S’ 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the Giulia.

The TLX has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Giulia doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the TLX’s wheelbase is 2 inches longer than on the Giulia (113 inches vs. 111 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the TLX is 2.7 inches wider in the front and .6 inches wider in the rear than on the Giulia.

The TLX Type S handles at .96 G’s, while the Giulia Ti Q4 pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The TLX Type S executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.1 seconds quicker than the Giulia Ti (25 seconds @ .75 average G’s vs. 27.1 seconds @ .66 average G’s).

The TLX uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Giulia doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The TLX has .1 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front hip room, 2.1 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear hip room and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Giulia.

The TLX has a much larger trunk than the Giulia (13.5 vs. 12 cubic feet).

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the TLX offers cargo security. The Giulia’s non-lockable remote release defeats cargo security.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Alfa Romeo. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 70% lower rating, Alfa Romeo is ranked 32nd.

The TLX Advance has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Giulia doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

If the windows are left open on the TLX the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Giulia can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

When the TLX is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Giulia’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the TLX keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Giulia doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Acura TLX, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Alfa Romeo Giulia isn't recommended.

The Acura TLX outsold the Alfa Romeo Giulia by over three to one during the 2021 model year.