Alfa Romeo 4C coupe (2013-2018) - Reliability & safety

Alfa Romeo has, in the past, had a questionable reputation for reliability, but its parent company Fiat has been working hard to improve this aspect of its cars in recent years and it seems to be paying off.

The engine and gearbox in the Alfa 4C have both been taken from other models in the Alfa Romeo range and the fact that they’re tried-and-tested bodes well for reliability. Another advantage of the 4C’s low weight is that it puts less stress on components.

To paint a picture of how the company’s cars stack up as an ownership proposition, for the second year running, it came in second-place out of 30 of the best manufacturers in terms of ownership in our 2019 Driver Power survey. Owners particularly praised interior design, ride and handling and engines. Even the Giulia saloon was scored as the third best performing car in the survey out of the top 100. That’s not to say that reliability issues have gone away however, a 28.2% share of complaints during the warranty period is not a small percentage. Practicality in terms of boot space and cubby holes are something that owners wish were improved. On the whole though, owner’s love their Alfas.

Safety

The 4C isn’t produced in sufficient numbers to be crash-tested by Euro NCAP, but the tough carbon-fibre body shell that you sit in should hold up very well if you’re ever involved in a crash.