Compare the2026 Lexus ISVS 2026 Alfa Romeo Giulia

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lexus IS 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 IS’ optional 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 Lexus IS 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 IS 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 IS has a standard Secondary 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 IS offers optional Intuitive Parking Assist with Auto Braking 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 IS offers an optional Panoramic View Monitor 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 IS and Giulia have rear cross-traffic warning, but the IS offers optional Rear Cross-Traffic Braking (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 IS and the Giulia have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the IS 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Alfa Romeo covers the Giulia. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Giulia ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The IS’ corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Giulia’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 2 times as many Lexus dealers as there are Alfa Romeo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the IS’ 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 IS’ reliability 35 points higher than the Giulia.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the IS first among compact premium cars in their 2025 Initial Quality Study. The Giulia isn’t in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Alfa Romeo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in reliability, above the industry average. With 71 more problems per 100 vehicles, Alfa Romeo is ranked 20th.

The IS’ 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 31 more horsepower (311 vs. 280) than the Giulia’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Lexus IS is faster than the Alfa Romeo Giulia:

The IS has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Giulia (17.4 vs. 15.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The IS’ 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 IS stops much shorter than the Giulia:

For better traction, the IS has larger standard tires than the Giulia (235/40R19 vs. 225/45R18). The IS F Sport’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Giulia (F:235/40R19 & R:265/35R19 vs. F:225/40R19 & R:255/35R19).

The IS’ 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.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the IS has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Giulia.

The IS has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Giulia; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

The IS 350 F Sport handles at .93 G’s, while the Giulia Q4 pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The IS 350 F Sport executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.7 seconds quicker than the Giulia (25.4 seconds @ .71 average G’s vs. 27.1 seconds @ .66 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the IS’ turning circle is 1.2 feet tighter than the Giulia’s (34.2 feet vs. 35.4 feet).

The IS has 2.4 inches more front legroom and .3 inches more rear hip room than the Giulia.

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

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Alfa Romeo. J.D. Power ranks Lexus second in service department satisfaction. With a 35% lower rating, Alfa Romeo is ranked 19th.

The IS’ instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Giulia does not have an oil pressure gauge.

If the windows are left open on the IS the driver can close all of them at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Lexus service department.) The driver of the Giulia can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The IS has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Giulia doesn’t offer headlight washers.

A power rear sunshade is optional in the IS (except F Sport Design) to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Giulia doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

When the IS is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Giulia’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the IS 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.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2026 Lexus IS retains 60.76% of its original value after 5 years, significantly more than the 44.64% resale value of the 2026 Alfa Romeo Giulia after five years, which can save the Lexus’ owner up to $7283 in depreciation.

The Lexus IS outsold the Alfa Romeo Giulia by over 14 to one during 2025.