Compare the2023 Mercedes E-Class SedanVS 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes E-Class Sedan 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 its rear seat belts.

The E-Class Sedan’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Giulia doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes E-Class Sedan 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 E-Class Sedan’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The Giulia doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The E-Class Sedan offers an optional Post Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Giulia doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The E-Class Sedan offers an optional Maneuvering Brake Function that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Giulia doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The E-Class Sedan offers an optional Surround View 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 E-Class Sedan and Giulia offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the E-Class Sedan with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert also has Active Brake Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Giulia’s Rear Cross-Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

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

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, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the E-Class Sedan its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 126 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Giulia has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

There are almost 3 times as many Mercedes dealers as there are Alfa Romeo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the E-Class Sedan’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the E-Class Sedan has a standard 850-amp battery. The Giulia’s 525-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the E-Class Sedan third among midsize premium cars in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Giulia isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Alfa Romeo vehicles. With 22 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes higher than Alfa Romeo.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Alfa Romeo With 50 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Alfa Romeo.

Engine

The E 450 4MATIC Sedan’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 82 more horsepower (362 vs. 280) and 63 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 306) than the Giulia’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the E 450 4MATIC Sedan 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Alfa Romeo Giulia:

	E-Class Sedan	Giulia
Zero to 30 MPH	1.6 sec	2 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	4.3 sec	5.7 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	11 sec	14.7 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.2 sec	6.6 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	2.8 sec	3.6 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	3.6 sec	4.2 sec
Quarter Mile	12.9 sec	14.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	108 MPH	99 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

Regenerative brakes improve the E-Class Sedan 450’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Giulia doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The E-Class Sedan 350’s standard fuel tank has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Giulia (17.4 vs. 15.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The E-Class Sedan 450’s standard fuel tank has 5.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Giulia (21.1 vs. 15.3 gallons).

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Mercedes E-Class Sedan higher (6 out of 10) than the Alfa Romeo Giulia (5). This means the E-Class Sedan produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Giulia every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Mercedes E-Class Sedan, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Giulia.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the E 450 4MATIC Sedan’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Giulia:

	E 450 4MATIC Sedan	Giulia
Front Rotors	14.2 inches	13 inches
Rear Rotors	12.6 inches	12.5 inches

The E-Class Sedan’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Giulia are solid, not vented.

The E-Class Sedan stops much shorter than the Giulia:

	E-Class Sedan	Giulia
70 to 0 MPH	154 feet	186 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	106 feet	123 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	143 feet	147 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the E-Class Sedan has larger tires than the Giulia (245/45R18 vs. 225/50R17). The E-Class Sedan’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Giulia (245/45R18 vs. 225/40R19).

The E-Class Sedan’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Giulia’s standard 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the E-Class Sedan has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Giulia.

Suspension and Handling

The E-Class Sedan has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The E-Class Sedan’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Giulia doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The E-Class Sedan’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Giulia doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the E-Class Sedan’s wheelbase is 4.7 inches longer than on the Giulia (115.7 inches vs. 111 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the E-Class Sedan is 1.8 inches wider in the front than the track on the Giulia.

The E-Class Sedan 4MATIC handles at .92 G’s, while the Giulia Ti Q4 pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The E-Class Sedan 4MATIC executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2 seconds quicker than the Giulia Ti (25.1 seconds @ .77 average G’s vs. 27.1 seconds @ .66 average G’s).

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the E 450 4MATIC Sedan is quieter than the Giulia Ti:

	E-Class Sedan	Giulia
At idle	40 dB	41 dB
Full-Throttle	74 dB	77 dB
70 MPH Cruising	68 dB	68 dB

Passenger Space

The E-Class Sedan has 2.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Giulia (98 vs. 95.4).

The E-Class Sedan has 1.7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear legroom and 3.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Giulia.

Cargo Capacity

The E-Class Sedan has a much larger trunk than the Giulia (13.1 vs. 12 cubic feet).

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

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the E-Class Sedan has a standard power trunk, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or optionally by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Giulia doesn’t offer a power trunk.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Giulia, the E-Class Sedan has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The E-Class Sedan offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed 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 E-Class Sedan the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows 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.

Heated windshield washer fluid is standard on the E-Class Sedan to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The Giulia doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid. Its standard heated washer nozzles will defrost the washer fluid but not the windshield.

The E-Class Sedan’s LED headlights produce a white, bright light using less electricity than the Giulia’s xenon high intensity discharge (HID) headlights. HID headlights can be slow to reach full brightness or power cycle, causing issues when flashing them to signal other vehicles; LED headlights light instantly. LED lights also last about three to four times as long.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the E-Class Sedan has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The Giulia doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

A power rear sunshade is optional in the E-Class Sedan to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Giulia doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

When the E-Class Sedan is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Giulia’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the E-Class Sedan 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.

The E-Class Sedan offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Giulia.

The E-Class Sedan’s optional Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Giulia doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The Mercedes E-Class comes in coupe, convertible, sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the Alfa Romeo Giulia isn’t available as a coupe, convertible or station wagon.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the E-Class Sedan owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the E-Class Sedan will cost $1575 less than the Giulia over a five-year period.

Recommendations

Motor Trend selected the E-Class as their 2021 Car of the Year. The Giulia was Car of the Year in 2018.

The Mercedes E-Class/CLS outsold the Alfa Romeo Giulia by almost four to one during 2022.