Compare the2026 Subaru WRXVS 2026 Alfa Romeo Giulia

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru WRX 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.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Subaru WRX 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.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the WRX are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Giulia doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The WRX has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Giulia doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The WRX Limited Auto/GT has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Giulia doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the WRX. But it costs extra on the Giulia.

Both the WRX 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

Subaru’s powertrain warranty covers the WRX 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Alfa Romeo covers the Giulia. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Giulia ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 6 times as many Subaru dealers as there are Alfa Romeo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the WRX’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 WRX’s reliability 26 points higher than the Giulia.

As tested in Car and Driver the Subaru WRX is faster than the Alfa Romeo Giulia (automatics tested):

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the WRX lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The Giulia doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

The WRX has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Giulia (16.6 vs. 15.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The WRX offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and fuel economy. The Giulia doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

The WRX offers an optional continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Giulia doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the WRX tS/Series.Yellow’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Giulia:

The WRX’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 WRX stops much shorter than the Giulia:

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

The WRX’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Giulia’s standard 45 series tires. The WRX tS/Series.Yellow’s tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Giulia’s optional 40 series front tires.

The WRX offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The Giulia’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

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

The WRX Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.3 seconds quicker than the Giulia (24.8 seconds @ .75 average G’s vs. 27.1 seconds @ .66 average G’s).

The WRX has 3.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Giulia (98.9 vs. 95.4).

The WRX has 1.2 inches more front headroom, .7 inches more front legroom, .6 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear legroom and 2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Giulia.

The WRX has a larger trunk than the Giulia (12.5 vs. 12 cubic feet).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Subaru service is better than Alfa Romeo. J.D. Power ranks Subaru third in service department satisfaction. With a 31% lower rating, Alfa Romeo is ranked 19th.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the WRX’s exterior PIN entry system. The Giulia doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

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

The Subaru WRX outsold the Alfa Romeo Giulia by over 8 to one during 2025.