Summary
The Alfa Romeo Mito is a compact three-door supermini that arrived in the UK in 2009 as an alternative to premium rivals like the Audi A1 and Mini hatch – built on the same platform as the third-generation Fiat Punto.
Named after Milan, where the car was designed, and Turin, where the car was manufactured, the Mito range consists of several petrol engines, the most expensive being turbocharged, and a more economical diesel engine. Both manual and automatic transmission models were sold.
Discontinued in 2018 with no direct replacement, the Alfa Romeo Mito has received average to poor review scores over its lifetime, with some reviewers commenting that the hatchback has aged gracefully since, while others assert that it is a dated model that never really lived up to the Alfa Romeo badge.
With its triangular grille and offset number plate, What Car? praises its distinctive styling that stands out in a very crowded supermini class, but concludes that “it’s all a little disappointing, with uninspiring performance from most of the engines, vague steering and an unsettled ride that for most of the time is downright uncomfortable.”
Several outlets, including What Car?, also add that, while the Mito is well-equipped for a car of its age, the interior “build quality feels disturbingly slack and space in the front and back is fairly limited” when compared to other premium superminis.
Parkers asserts that the turbocharged petrol engines at the top of the range are a highlight, while the diesel option “saps the fun” out of the driving experience. Lastly, some reviews question the reliability of the Mito – citing Alfa Romeo’s patchy history of reliability and a 2012 Mito recall that was triggered by braking system issues.
No longer in production, the Alfa Romeo Mito holds an Expert Rating of 44% based on 24 reviews, which is one of the lowest scores in our Expert Rating Index of over 440 cars.
Mito highlights
- Distinctive exterior styling
- Lively turbocharged engines
- Decent fuel economy
- Well-equipped
Mito lowlights
- Uncomfortable suspension
- Cramped rear seating
- Cheap interior materials
- Questionable reliability
Key specifications
Body style: Three-door hatchback
Engines: petrol, diesel
Price when new: From £12,705 on-road
Launched: Summer 2009
Last updated: Autumn 2016
Replaced: Winter 2018/19
Image gallery
Media reviews
Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.
Auto Express
Model reviewed: 2010-18
Score: 6 / 10
“The Alfa Romeo Mito is a stylish premium supermini, but it falls well behind the class best.”
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Model reviewed: 2010
“The Alfa Romeo MiTo should be a hugely enticing buy, with its distinctive styling, semi-premium badge and smart cabin.”
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Autocar
Model reviewed:
Score: 7 / 10
“The Alfa Romeo Mito is a usable, fun package, even if its DNA drive modes can prove frustrating.”
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Business Car
Model reviewed: Twinair
Score: 7 / 10
“The Alfa Romeo delivers petrol class-leading emissions, and adequate performance.”
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Car
Model reviewed: Quadrifoglio Verde (2014)
Score: 6 / 10
“The changes to the Alfa Romeo Mito for 2014 cannot transform a car that lacks a hard enough edge for enthusiasts to be drawn away from some brilliant rivals, yet it doesn’t have the polish to pass a performance-luxury offering.”
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Model reviewed: TwinAir (2014)
Score: 4 / 10
“Much as we love Alfa Romeos, and appreciate the Mito’s distinctive looks and game engine, its all-round ability simply isn’t convincing enough against newer, sharper opposition.”
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Model reviewed: 1.3 JTD Veloce (2010)
Score: 8 / 10
“The Mito is a flawed gem, with stunning looks but lacklustre dynamics.”
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Car Keys
Model reviewed:
Score: 7 / 10
“The Alfa Romeo MiTo is a stylish and well-equipped supermini that should prove fairly cheap to run.”
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Model reviewed:
Score: 7 / 10
“If you find MINI’s too common and the Audi A1 too sensible, the Alfa Romeo MiTo’s stylish looks could be right up your street.”
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Carwow
Model reviewed: 2010-18
Score: 5 / 10
“From the classic grille to the offset number plate, this is a car that could hardly be more distinctive, but the suspension is lumpy and there’s no sharp handling to compensate.”
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Daily Mirror
Model reviewed:
“The Alfa MiTo is great fun to drive.”
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Eurekar
Model reviewed:
“The Alfa Mito is a stunning and very distinctive three door with a lovely shape in the Italian marque’s tradition; and decent to superb performance from engines with a wide range of power outputs.”
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Evo
Model reviewed:
Score: 7 / 10
“The Alfa Mito TwinAir is one of those car that loves to be driven flat out at every occasion, and thanks to the very quick steering it’s not long before you find yourself having a ball.”
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Model reviewed:
Score: 6 / 10
“The Alfa Mito is willing enough, competent, but also rather plain and unmemorable.”
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Green Car Guide
Model reviewed: 1.3 JTDm-2
Score: 9 / 10
“The Alfa Romeo Mito is small and light, and has responsive steering, even though it may not be super-precise. Its chassis adds to the fun, providing agile handling and decent levels of grip.”
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Heycar
Model reviewed:
Score: 5 / 10
“The Alfa Mito has great looks and some very perky engines.”
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Honest John
Model reviewed:
Score: 2 / 10
“If style is your top priority then it’s tricky to top the MiTo, but it falls short in too many other areas.”
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Motors.co.uk
Model reviewed:
Score: 4 / 10
“The Alfa Mito has great styling, a good level of equipment, and is a good size for the city.”
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Parkers
Model reviewed:
Score: 6 / 10
“The Alfa Mito is a stylish small premium car that’s ageing gracefully.”
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The Sun
Model reviewed:
“The MiTo is a stylish alternative to other hot superminis like the Fiesta ST, Peugeot 208 GTI and Renault Clio RS. But it is also more expensive and that will hold it back.”
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The Sunday Times
Model reviewed: 1.3 JTDM-2 95HP Speciale
Score: 6 / 10
“The Alfa Romeo a car you could love, despite its irritations, as long as you’re not too fussy about the way it drives.”
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Top Gear
Model reviewed: 2010-18
Score: 5 / 10
“The Alfa MiTo has a decent engines, but good value it is not.”
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What Car?
Model reviewed:
Score: 2 / 10
“The Alfa Mito’s reputation for less-than-stellar reliability is somewhat off-putting.”
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Which?
Model reviewed: Range overview
“The Alfa Romeo MiTo is first and foremost a driver’s car that combines excellent engine performance with sporty handling in a package that delivers a five-star safety rating.”
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Safety rating
No safety rating
The Alfa Romeo Mito was originally crash tested by Euro NCAP back in 2008, and was awarded five stars for adult occupant safety. However, this rating expired in January 2014 and is no longer valid as the car no longer meets the standards required for such a rating.
Eco rating
No eco rating
The Alfa Romeo Mito preceded Green NCAP by about a decade and ended production before Green NCAP commenced, so it was never tested during its production cycle.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
Total claims: 39
Average repair cost: £356.55
Last updated: February 2023
Reliability score
All data based on MotorEasy average workshop costs for extended car warranty claims
The Alfa Romeo Mito has an overall reliability score of 60% as of February 2023, so that’s slightly below average if you’re looking at a used Mito. This score applies to all Mito models in MotorEasy’s database, registered from 2008 to 2018.
A particularly worrying concern is that braking system issues make up over a third of all Mito problems, though these problems are relatively cheap to fix overall, with an average cost just over £180. Gearbox problems are the most expensive on average, at more than £1,100, but the good news is that these are rare.
Awards
Trophies, prizes and awards that the Alfa Romeo Mito has received
2010
- What Car? Awards – Best Supermini
Similar cars
If you’re looking at the Alfa Romeo Mito, you might also be interested in these alternatives
Audi A1 | Citroën C3 | Ford Fiesta | Mazda 2 | Mini hatch | Peugeot 208 | Renault Clio | SEAT Ibiza | Skoda Fabia | Volkswagen Polo
