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2010 QP Sport-GTS - requesting feedback

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12 cylinders

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Hello Everyone! In my forever on-going QP search, I made a 3 hour drive to look at a 2010 Quattroporte Sport-GTS. I was not really considering this performance oriented version of the QP, but they are so rare, I decided to at least go and look at it. This GTS is Nero Carbonio with Nero Interior, full leather with no alcantara in the seats, and lots of carbon fiber - even the steering wheel is carbon fiber. From the pictures provided, the car just looked "nice" but in person it looks REALLY nice! I was surprised at how great the interior looked, and how comfortable the seats were. A cold-start up did not reveal any variator "rattle", and the exhaust note was just awesome. I took the car on a test drive, and the first thing I noticed was that it felt like the front tires were flat-spotted from sitting, but the "shudder" in the steering wheel never did go away completely. The ride was firm, but I was too busy soaking up the sights and sounds...and didn't really pay much attention to it. The check-engine light was on, and the sales guy says it's an O2 sensor issue - maybe...but I don't know for sure. I got back to the lot and backed the car into the space - the car has back-up sensors but no back-up camera. There were a few cosmetic issues like scrapes and chips in the front bumper, the usual road rash in front of the rear wheels, the rear bumper had a dent/crease just above the left side exhaust tip, and the left-front wheel had a curb scuff. All of these cosmetic issues are getting fixed now. This GTS is a 1-owner car, has 42k miles on it, and the dealer is asking $29k - which seems a bit high to me. But then again, these cars are rare and maybe that increases it's value?

I also have a couple of model year 2012 cars that I'm considering. One is a grigio alfieri / tan with 32k miles, very nice shape, 20" wheels, priced at $27.4k, and the other is a grigio granito / Couio with 46k miles, 19" wheels, priced at $27k but I think the dealer will consider less.

Your feedback is welcomed....thank you Maserati Gang....!
 
#2 ·
1.) a GTS has a pretty firm ride...It maybe too much for some people.
2.) Never buy a car with a check engine light on or listen to the sales guy....They are liars.
3.) I would never buy a car thinking it is going to increase in value...It rarely happens...


Jason
 
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Discussion starter · #3 ·
Thank You Jason for your input....

Yes the ride was rather firm, and I was rather impressed by how "tight" the car felt, no squeaks or rattles. I totally agree with you about the check-engine-light, I never believe the sales people about that stuff. Regarding the value of the car, I was not clear in what I was asking. Due to their rarity of the GTS, do these cars command a higher price that the other "lesser" versions of the Quattroporte? It appears so based on what I'm seeing....
 
#4 ·
Sorry...I'm not real sure....Some of these guys would probably know better than me...Service is more my thing rather than sales...Jason
 
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#5 ·
I'd like to say that options packages, even desirable ones, influence resale value, but the truth is they rarely do. I just ran into a 2008 GTS, equally as rare, with miles in the 20K's, owned by a south Florida physician since new. It sat at $19,000.00. BTW, that's the one with the lowered suspension, 20" wheels, valved exhaust, all carbon and alcantara interior. Didn't matter.
 
#6 ·
I acquired a 2012 QP5 GTS in May 2018. 48k miles, from a private party, not onsite examined, only with pictures. The car came exactly as presented. Alcantara, 20" wheels, carbon fiber, partial Exel treatment, with 2 years factory CPO warranty left. Cosmetically like new, no deferred maintenance, all factory repair records, I spoke to the local Maserati service advisor who knew the car well. I had confidence in its provenance. I paid upper $30s. I'd pay it all over again for this particular car without a quibble. Yes, the ride is "firm", but not excessively so, and it soaks up sharp bumps very well. I love how the car drives and sounds. It drives like a smaller car - very "tidy". I could have purchased a 2016 used Chevy SS for the same cost. Nice car, no doubt. I'll stick with my GTS. Just acquired snows for the Chicago winter. I'm driving this steed.
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
Surprisingly another 2010 QP Sport-GTS has just popped up for sale only 25 miles north of me...!! So my wife and I are going to look at it this afternoon. The pictures show a very clean car, but the history shows there have been 2 accidents, both involving only sperficial damage to the nose of the car. That explains why there are no stone chips or other marks...I thought nose looked a little too clean for 33k miles. So far it looks like the asking prices are generally in the $28k to $32k range from what I've seen. I'll report back on this car soon.....
 
#8 ·
Considering that most 2005s were asking over $30K at dealers in 2016, I'd say prices have cratered if this all they are asking for a 2010. Now on the other hand, these cars have issues. In particular the check-engine light?? Like WTF? You drove all that way for nothing, which is something I've done before. This is the problem with these dealerships. What kind of dealer was that?
 
Discussion starter · #9 · (Edited)
Well....we made the 24 mile drive up to look at the 2010 Quattroporte Sprort-GTS. At first glance it looked nice but the interior was a bit "unusual". The car is grigio granito which is just stunning in person! The interior is couio, all leather, with medium gray carbon fiber pieces throughout. As I said the interior is a bit unusual but it grows on you. The body was straight as a arrow with no dings or dents....very nice. We took the car for a test drive and it was like the other GTS I drove, tight but not to the point of loosening any teeth. There is the usual road rash on body just ahead of the rear wheels, but other than this it looked just fabulous. No check engine light, but it did have the TPMS light on - not a big deal to me. The more we drove the car the more we fell in love with it.

There are only 3 real issues with the car. It has a severe case of the "stickies" on all of the interior switch gear. The driver's side rocker panel is not aligned very well to the bottom edge of the doors, I assume there is some adjusting that can be done. The black anodized exterior window moldings have a faded look to them, and also show colors sort of like gasoline on a puddle...you know those swirly colors? Oh...and I had the mileage wrong, it has 44k miles on it....not 33k as I originally thought.

So overall I really liked the car, and I'm driving back up tomorrow to take a second look. Stay tuned....
 
Discussion starter · #10 ·
Update - Saturday - Jan. 26th. We went up to look at the QP Sport-GTS again, since today was bright, sunny, and warm. I drove the car to an empty parking lot so I could get a really good look at it, and have decided to pass on this QP. I totally loved the color combination as it was just stunning in person, and it drove great. But the condition is just too rough for a car with 44k miles. My reasons for walking are, lots of road rash on rear doors and quarters, numerous scrapes along the lower body - all the way through the paint, aftermarket tint on the windows, wheels refinished but only the outside surfaces. I'm a bit heartbroken, but just couldn't live with these issues on a daily basis. My 13 year old Audi Q7 with 125k miles has much better paint than this QP. What that heck do people do to these cars to get them so beat up? Are they just so wealthy that details don't matter to them?
 
#12 · (Edited)
SeanFulop said:
Considering that most 2005s were asking over $30K at dealers in 2016, I'd say prices have cratered if this all they are asking for a 2010. Now on the other hand, these cars have issues. In particular the check-engine light?? Like WTF? You drove all that way for nothing, which is something I've done before. This is the problem with these dealerships. What kind of dealer was that?
Click to expand...
If prices were that high in 2016 in California, then I'd definitely take a short flight to buy a car any day.

Back in 2014 in neighboring Scottsdale, AZ at Penske Ferrari, I test drove a 2008 GTS with mileage in the 20's. Perfect, showroom car. They were asking $29K. That was 2 years earlier on a car that was 3 years newer. Any time in 2016, I pay even close to $30k for a 2005, there better be $15K in the glove box!
 
Discussion starter · #13 ·
Yes the price of admission into the Maserati world is low, but the cost to stay high. I'm willing to pay more for a pristine car. Sadly all of these cars I'm looking at are not in the condition that is described, or implied. I'm sure these dealers truly know how rough these cars are....but are hoping the mystique of the brand...will cause an impulse buy. I'll admit that my emotions get all charged up, but my brain fights it out with my feelings and in the end...wins.
 
#14 ·
ErikDiSomma said:
If prices were that high in 2016 in California, then I'd definitely take a short flight to buy a car any day.

Back in 2014 in neighboring Scottsdale, AZ at Penske Ferrari, I test drove a 2008 GTS with mileage in the 20's. Perfect, showroom car. They were asking $29K. That was 2 years earlier on a car that was 3 years newer. Any time in 2016, I pay even close to $30k for a 2005, there better be $15K in the glove box!
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They are still high here. Did you see my Autotrader post on the other thread (Dumbfounded at Barrett-Jackson)? It shows about half of the 2005-07 cars in this region are still asking over $30K. Some sellers are more realistic under $20K, so it is almost impossible to navigate such a divided marketplace. $15-35 K range for the same cars?
 
#15 ·
12 cylinders said:
Yes the price of admission into the Maserati world is low, but the cost to stay high. I'm willing to pay more for a pristine car. Sadly all of these cars I'm looking at are not in the condition that is described, or implied. I'm sure these dealers truly know how rough these cars are....but are hoping the mystique of the brand...will cause an impulse buy. I'll admit that my emotions get all charged up, but my brain fights it out with my feelings and in the end...wins.
Click to expand...
This why I hate looking at cars at dealers. They are dealing in junk, mostly. It is so hard to find anything worth buying, and they all seem to look OK in pictures. Really makes you think twice about buying sight-unseen also, if you had ever considered that option. Like, ebay? Fuggeddaboudit.
 
Discussion starter · #16 ·
SeanFulop...I couldn't agree more! However...over the years, I have bought 2 cars "sight unseen" after a LOT of emails, phone calls, and pictures - and luckily the vehicles were exactly as described. But this is extremely rare. I am watching 8 Quattroportes at the moment. It's hard to believe, but one of the QP's I'm considering is at a Chrysler dealer, the sales lady I've been in contact has been wonderful, and responds quickly to all my requests. She has also sent me a bunch of close-up pictures. The car has 46k miles but the paint work looks extremely good. The miles are a bit high but it's a 2012 model, 1 owner, and in colors that I really like. The previous owner who has several other Maseratis, traded it in on a newer QP, so this car looks like it has been treated well.

This week I will also be following up on the 2010 QP Sport-GTS mentioned in my first post on this thread. The front and rear bumpers were getting resprayed, so I may need to take another look when it's done.
 
#17 ·
SeanFulop said:
This why I hate looking at cars at dealers. They are dealing in junk, mostly. It is so hard to find anything worth buying, and they all seem to look OK in pictures. Really makes you think twice about buying sight-unseen also, if you had ever considered that option. Like, ebay? Fuggeddaboudit.
Click to expand...
HAHA you're right on!

Sometimes, I see what appears to be a nicer car than mine for a great price and I get depressed lol. Then, I go see it and my confidence and mood is immediately restored.
 
Discussion starter · #18 ·
I couldn't agree more with Erik and Sean! You get the "players" out there who see ALL Quattroportes as the same - regardless of condition....I can't stand to breath the same air as these types!

When we were looking at the QP Sport-GTS just to the north of us, the dealer said others were coming to look at it too. We got there first, and as I was getting in the car to drive it over to an empty lot, the dealer says "we have it priced aggressively". A short while later another guy shows up (he was driving a Maserati GT!) and starts looking at it, and he then says..."wow...the price is aggressive". At which point I stop dead in my tracks, look over at him with a sneer...thinking to myself, that there is no way both the dealer and a prospective buyer would both use the word "aggressive" about this price of this car. It smelled like "low tide" to me!

I'm a fuss-budget detail freak, and I can accept mechanical issues, but I do NOT accept paint issues very well. A resprayed front / rear bumper if done right is fine. But when a fender, door, or other major body panel is repainted and then they try and blend it to the rest of the car - I will walk away.

I recently drove over to Warner Robins, GA to look at a 2009 QP-S, dealer said "excellent condition" and in the pictures it looked good. I finally see the car in person and many areas were repainted, there was dust and dirt in the clear coat, etc....I almost threw up! How can the dealer say "excellent"....? Don't they have eyes?!?! How can you be in the car business and NOT see this stuff? Or...are they just playing stupid, in the hopes that I am stupid...and will buy it once I'm on the lot?
 
#19 ·
Definitely get a Sport GT S ;)

I got mine a year and a half ago but only drive it as a daily for 3 or 4 months. It's a fantastic car. I was using my CLS63 (2009) as a daily driver but the Quattroporte is such a better driver's car!!! It won't appreciate for sure but it drives great.

I have about 70k km on it and just replaced the alternator which failed (common) and serviced everything that could be serviced at the same time (all fluids: trans, diff, brakes, etc.) and threw in BMC filters instead of the stock ones because it was cheaper. I also replaced the intake manifold gasket (good idea when you do the alternator job) and the valve cover gasket because there were a couple of slight leaks at spark plugs location. The previous owner replaced front suspension components because of bearings failing (common, did it on the GS too) which is great. Oh and the trunk gas struts, I used standard ones from another brand. Another glitch I had is the oil light came on in between the time I agreed to purchase the car and the time I took delivery. I had an oil change done at that time, light was still on although level was perfect. It went off after the car ran out of battery in storage and never came back.

I still have my Gransport, which I am trying to sell. The QP is slower than both the Gransport and the CLS63 but I couldn't care less, it's way more than enough for road use. I always drive it in sport mode, most of the times in manual mode. The ride is acceptable on good roads, if the road is not that great, normal mode does it in terms of suspension setting.

Take your time, as you seem to be doing and find the right one. Good luck!
 
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