The Mohonk Mountain House is frozen in time. Nestled atop the Catskills’ best impression of the Alps, the Victorian castle has inspired folklore telling of its corridors being haunted and, not dissimilarly, of Stephen King writing The Shining while staying amidst its grounds. Set overlooking the quaint town of New Paltz, getting to Mohonk means traversing the Shawangunk Mountains’ spaghetti-like ribbons of flowing, wooded road. It’s the perfect place to escape for a weekend and, as it turns out, to test the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, which credits its name to European tarmac influential on that surrounding Mohonk.

Whether the Stephen King mythology is true or not, the Mohonk Mountain House stands as one of the most iconic fixtures of the Northeast. Its property sprawls over jagged cliffs and rolling hills, the resort stands tall against the lake with which it gives its namesake. Getting there is predictably a joy; from any direction, it means running up a stretch of quintessential Hudson Valley mountain roads. They snake and rise, crest and fall; trees line one side and a valley the other. Here, the Stelvio’s manageable size, unobstructed forward visibility, and surprisingly snappy ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox make for an easy time navigating the changing roadways. And with ease comes fun, a welcome emotion to feel when driving a car of this class.

It’s worth noting that the Stelvio benefits greatly from toggling the “DNA” drive mode selector to “D,” for “Dynamic.” Doing so allows the transmission to hold onto gears longer, increases the sensitivity and responsiveness of the accelerator pedal, and brings a stiffer suspension setting (which can be decoupled and set to its softer mode with the push of the button inset in the DNA dial). The shock tuning is still more than compliant with it set to aggressive, but the Northeast’s roads are unforgiving. It’s nice to have the choice.

Road conquered and parked at the destination, the Stelvio is a beauty to behold; or, at least as much as a midsize crossover can be. The model has been on sale for eight model years already and yet it looks fresh as ever, thanks in part to the accoutrements added in this Tributo Italiano trim. The black roof, dark grille, red brake calipers, black 21” wheels, and other tidbits help make it effectively timeless as far as vehicles of this class go, proof that art can defy perception. Tributo Italiano models also get “Tricolore” (for the Italian flag) badges on the mirror caps and, turning to the inside, on the headrests. Red stitching adorns most surfaces and the seats, which are remarkably good given the expectations; supportive and comfortable, they toe a fine line that few match.

If the styling and driving dynamics allow the Stelvio to transcend its segment, it’s on the interior that a few foibles come about. The low cowl that makes for excellent sightlines in turn severely limits real estate for the infotainment screen. This is unquestionably the Alfa’s worst collective misstep: A simply pitiful backup camera, poorly thought out menu array, and slower-than-slow touch interface. It doesn’t help that CarPlay isn’t wireless and the 14-speaker Harman Kardon stereo isn’t up to snuff, or that the HVAC controls are difficult to find and use when a cup is in the cupholder. How very Alfa this all seems; if it doesn’t matter to the act of driving, it gets deprioritized. Hard to fault that from an enthusiast perspective.

It’s lucky then that Alfa was able to share a platform with the Jeep Grand Cherokee. This makes for a vehicle with genuinely usable rear legroom and a trunk that drastically outperforms its quoted ~19 cubic feet of cargo space. If anything, it concedes its utility on the front of efficiency and aural excitement, the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 280 horsepower yet generating underwhelming sounds and only averaging around 23 MPG in our mixed-use testing. If not wholly inspiring, the Stelvio’s engine is at least happy to play. All-wheel-drive and a limited-slip differential further assist the resulting sensation of the Stelvio feeling tight and cohesive whether at a relaxed highway jaunt or a hard sprint through the tightest back roads around, and with the transmission in manual mode and hands on the oversized metal paddle shifters the vehicle is able to best maximize the outputs of its size, mass, and assortment of mechanical and technological hardware.

Naturally, the pricing needs to reflect this all-around competence and the perceived exclusivity. As it’s phased out along with its Giulia stablemate, the Stelvio is available solely in two trims for 2025: The base car (“Stelvio”) costs $48,995 before options and the Stelvio Tributo Italiano Limited Edition starts at $55,995 as per the provided monroney. Our test car’s $700 Customer Preferred Package 22Y, which consists primarily of supplemental driving aids, is the sole option on the window sticker and with Destination the final price rings in at $58,690. As it’s mechanically identical to the lesser version, you have to really want the tiny tidbits that separate the Tributo Italiano visually to justify the nearly five-figure premium it demands. (Sadly the 2.9-liter turbocharged V6-powered, 505-horsepower Quadrifoglio is no longer, but its near-$90k price tag put it in a different bracket altogether.)

Alfa’s engineers appropriately prioritized driving dynamics and the characteristics that bring about transportation enjoyment above all else. As the sun sets on the Stelvio and its FCA Giorgio platform-mate the Giulia, it’s better to take in the whole rather than dissect the individual parts. This is a car that comes together better than its components would suggest; pieces of the Stelvio experience, particularly any aspect of interacting with the screens and multimedia, are simply infuriating, and yet it’s charming, endearing, and, dare we use the cliché, passion-provoking in a way most cars aren’t, and especially not cars in this class. The Stelvio is a car as enjoyable to drive as it is to look at, and we only hope its replacement is as evocative. For now, the Italiano Tributo is as good as the Stelvio gets; that goes for its appearance, its personality, and its presence.

Yay

• Sexy Alfa Romeo styling works well as a crossover
• Drives like an Italian car should
• Equally happy on highway or back road
• Usably spacious without excessive bloating

Nay

• Horrendous infotainment
• Some questionable ergonomics
• No additional power for Italiano Tributo over standard model
• Mediocre fuel economy

Takeaway

Never the most sensible choice, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio– particularly in Tributo Italiano trim– appeals to the emotions and heart more than the brain and head, and comes together as a vehicle that excels on so many fronts that the faults fade into the forgotten.