Alfa Romeo Giulia vs Ford Mustang: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Ford Mustang burns about $2,350 of fuel annually against $2,800 for the Alfa Romeo Giulia. That $450 yearly gap compounds to roughly $2,250 over five years and $3,600 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City versus highway split: the Alfa Romeo Giulia is the stronger commuter at 24 mpg city, while the Ford Mustang pulls ahead on the interstate at 33 mpg highway. If most of your driving is stop-and-go traffic the city figure is the one to weigh; for long-distance highway mileage the reverse is true, and the two vehicles effectively swap places depending on how you drive.

Powertrain choice: the Alfa Romeo Giulia is recorded with 1 distinct engine configuration (SIDI), the Ford Mustang with 4 (5.2, 5.0, SIDI & PFI). Across 28 recorded Alfa Romeo Giulia configurations and 133 for the Ford Mustang, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Alfa Romeo Giulia is offered with All-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive, the Ford Mustang with Rear-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Midsize Cars and Subcompact Cars respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Alfa Romeo Giulia emits 330 g/mile of CO2 versus 341 g/mile for the Ford Mustang. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.