[taheemr]

Hello Guys,

I am new to this forum and follow with interest.
I am very tempted @ the purchase of a 4200 Coupe, would appreciate some advice before the plunge though.

1 - When is the new model out - is it soon given the deals to be had on the current one.
2 - Whats reliability and general build like on post 04 cars and is there anyting that I need to watch for.
3 - What about depreciation.
4 - Are servicing costs prohibitive.
5 - What colours spec should I opt for / avoid.

Finally I currently drive a BMW 645ci Coupe, has anyone made the transition from BM to Maser and what are your thoughts to date good and bad.

Replies received with thanks

Taheemr
UK

 

[surfnirnava]

Taheemr
I have owned an '03 4200 for just over two years and am exchanging it for an 05 model this Tuesday. I moved from a BMW to Maserati and have not regretted it. I would only advise that you buy from an official dealer and/or ensure you have a Warranty with it. They are expensive to fix. I have had a couple of warranty claims on mine and they have been dealt with by the dealer effeciently and without question - they also lent me a BMW while they fixed it.
I understant a new model will be released in '07. There have been rumours it will be based on the QP platform but also rumours that it might use an Alfa platform with a different, non-Ferrari engine. I guess all we can do is wait and see! However, I decided to dive in again and get another 4200. I wont buy a Maserati new as the first years depreciation is too high. I have just paid £48,000 for a 10 month old 4200 with only 2500 miles on the clock - the car was £63,000 new! The depreciation over the next couple of years is acceptable to me and not that different to other cars in its class.
If you buy from a dealer (I recommend Paul Train at Dick Lovett, Swindon) they will look after you and ensure the car is good. Otherwise watch out for clutch wear, cluth release bearing is a known weakness and are easily replaced under warranty, ensure your wheels are aligned properly or it will eat tyres - other than those experiences, my car has been extremely reliable and used as a daily transport.
Serviceing costs are high but not horrendous on a car of this type. Expect approx £800 for a 6000 mile service and approx £1000 for an 18,000. The cams are chain driven on the 4200 so no expensive belt change later.
As for colour etc - I guess the louder it gets the less appealing it will be for resale. I'd go for blue, silver, black (hard to keep clean). Yellow is ok if thats your thing but it wouldn't appeal to everyone. I'd also go for dark leather inside as opposed to light cream if you use the car regularly.
I mentioned warranties earlier - you can now buy a Maserati extended warraanty in the UK at a cost of about £2000 a year.
I think they are great cars - quicker than most 911's but rarer and more stylish.

Tim

 

[STARDOC]

I agree with everything Surf. said. Great cars, probably more reliable than an AMG but also more expensive to fix. I've had mine for almost a year now and absolutely no problems. As for the transition from a Beemer, I sold my '01 M3 for the Maser. and absolutely love it. It is a lot more quirky and the controls (esp. the Nav.) are poorly thought out but a lot more fun than my M3. If you plan to track the car, you'll find that it drives comperable to your 645 around corners but definitely faster.
A lightly used '04 or '05 is the way to go.

 

[Tex]

I have to agree with everything said, 4 months ago I switched my allegiance from BM (last one a Diesel! Previous one a Z3M Coupe) and don't regret it. I have a 2 and a half year old CC Coupe with 6k miles on it and a nice £25k discount on new. Somewhat of a bargain in my eyes, but then i am yet to satrt paying for servicing etc...

For me you have to put up with niggles, warning lights here and there and generally a driving environment not so well thought as modern BM's. But what you get in return is character, speed, noise and style - a pretty good trade IMO. People let me out of junctions these days and others take time to tell me how nice the car is - good for the ego! I certainly don't regret the change.

One thought, if you do a lot of city driving think twice about a CC. It's just not very good at it (see previous threads). I find it very frustrating in traffic - the clutch that is - and the car throws out ECU errors after stop start comutes and any long queues.

Other than that it's sex on wheels, buy one, get rid of the standard exhaust and enjoy...!

Tex

 

[taheemr]

Thanks Guys

Cheers guys, general opinion seems to be no issue with the 4200, note that I have been offered 4 cars all 05/55`s with and without CC, all less then 1k on the clock and specced with

NAV, Phone, Xennons, CD etc, etc,

As for reliability issues with my 6 range from

Dodgy electrics seats, software upgrades every week, new rear screen, new alloys, new Cd rack, new airbag etc, etc.

As for residual £62k paid 24 months ago, current bids ranging from £33 to £37k.

CONCLUSION - BM is now is like any other main streem volume maker, ie profit orientated, no customer focus, into oversupply, hence a bag of s"""t when it comes to residuals.