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In-depth reviews

Alfa Romeo Tonale review - Reliability & safety

The Tonale might finally be the car to shake Alfa Romeo’s poor reputation for reliability

Carbuyer Rating

3.8 out of 5

Owners Rating
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Reliability & safety Rating

3.5 out of 5

Alfa Romeo finished fifth overall in the 2023 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey. The handling and reliability of its cars were praised, even if the percentage of owners that reported issues was slightly higher than average at 28%.

Audi and BMW didn’t fare particularly well in our 2023 rundown, coming 30th and 21st out of 32 brands respectively. The Tonale uses a number of shared parts, including its underpinnings and engines, so hopefully any common issues have already been ironed out.

Alfa Romeo Tonale reliability

Alfa Romeo didn’t feature in our 2022 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, but in 2020 the brand scored a top-10 finish out of 30 carmakers ranked. Handling and reliability were praised, even if the percentage of owners that reported issues was slightly higher than average.

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Audi and BMW didn’t fare particularly well in our 2022 rundown, coming 22nd and 16th out of 29 brands respectively.

The Tonale uses a number of shared parts, including its underpinnings and engines, so hopefully any common issues have already been ironed out.

Safety

The Alfa Romeo Tonale earned an impressive five-star rating in Euro NCAP safety tests despite lacking centre airbags, so it’s amongst the top SUVs currently on the market here. Standard safety safety equipment list includes adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist and autonomous emergency braking (AEB). These can combine to give the Tonale a level of semi-autonomous driving capability, which should make motorway driving a more relaxed experience. You may need to change lanes yourself, though.

The AEB system recognises pedestrians and cyclists as well as other vehicles, while other available features include a 360-degree surround-view camera for easy parking and warning systems that monitor your blind spots and check that the area behind you is clear when you’re reversing.

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Which Is Best?

Cheapest

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    1.5 MHEV Sprint 5dr Auto
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    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £37,175

Most Economical

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  • RRP
    £44,475

Fastest

  • Name
    1.3 PHEV Sprint 5dr Auto
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £44,475

Andy is Carbuyer's managing editor, with more than a decade of experience helping consumers find their perfect car. He has an MA in automotive journalism and has tested hundreds of vehicles.

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