We have owned a couple of cars that were clearly leased in their infancy. Our BMW 318is in red with tan vinyl seats and no options was almost certainly a lease car, and our black/black no option Maserati Coupe comes with a lease history as well. The new Alfa Romeo Giulia doesn't seem to offer a so-called lease spec since there are so few configurations available to begin with. Still, it is interesting to assess the value of the 952 chassis Giulia as the examples begin to come off of their leases.

The new Giulia, as we understand and interpret it, was designed around its chassis. This is clear in any review of the Giulia, where the handing and chassis performance received high marks. Unfortunately, the market for superb sports sedans is dwindling, and the content and features of the car carry much more weight. This is where the Giulia stumbles. As nice as the interior styling is, the technology integration and features just don't stack up will with the competition. Enthusiasts will overlook this, but it's not a great way to build a customer base with the greater public.

Year: 2017
Model:  Alfa Romeo Giulia
Engine: 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Mileage:  31,064
Price: $22,999
Location: Orlando, FL

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia

8.8" NAV RADIO W/SIRIUSXM PACKAGE, BLACK, LEATHER SEATS, CALIPERS GLOSS RED W/WHITE SCRIPT, COLORED CALIPERS, QUICK ORDER PACKAGE 22L, RADIO: AM/FM/HD BLUETOOTH W/NAV 8.8, SIRIUSXM SATELLITE RADIO, TIRES: P225/45R18 BSW AS PERFORMANCE, WHEELS: 18" X 8.0" DARK TURBINE ALUMINUM

In terms of reliability, these should be no worse than the average FCA product. The GMET-4 engine - in its MultiAir as opposed to DOHC configuration here - presents somewhat of a liability with its MultiAir system, but we haven't read of many failures there, and the system has proven to be pretty robust in the Fiat Abarth models. It is really fun to take a closer look at a Giulia, because they clearly didn't take the low-cost route at every opportunity when it came to the suspension and chassis and powertrain.

Our only gripe - and we are really in the minority here - is the lack of a manual transmission option. The ZF 8-speed is really beyond reproach, so we should evolve, but we can't. For those who can tolerate an automatic, the $23k ask seems like a bargain.