[brumma]

Hi Gents,

I have been looking for a GranSport coupe recently and test drove an '06 today with a tad over 6K on the odometer. I noticed what seemed like "torque steer" where the steering wheel would pull sharply to the left when doing a gear change at high RPMs. I noticed that if I kept my foot on the acceleration during the shift (as it should be) it alleviated the symptom somewhat. The dealer attributed it to uneven tire pressure--which he measured after the drive (front tires were each 2 lbs. low, and the rear driver's side was 7 lbs. low). Does this seem feasible, or am I looking at a more serious problem?

Secondly, regarding pricing... car is priced at $75900 w/ skyhook, all leather interior, special leather headliner, premium sound, CD changer, heated seats, & xenons. Is this a good price, and is there ever any room to bargain with a dealer? The guy we spoke to today said the price was essentially non-negotiable. Any recommendations?


Much appreciated,

-Christopher

 

[moosety2008]

I think you are getting a pretty good deal. you maybe able to negotiate another 500-1k, but not much else.

 

[BeeYouZeeZee]

The way I drive (digital throttle (1 or 0)), I have NEVER noticed a pull in either direction. My left front tire was 5 lbs low today and drives straight as an arrow. Have it checked out before you sign. I agree the price is about right on.

 

[bluyork]

The car shouldn't pull. Did you drive it again after he inflated the tires?

The price is in the ballpark, maybe a tad high, but there are enough cars on the east coast, so walk your walk (right out of the showroom). My chats with dealers are telling me that most GS are coming in because people's Granturismos and 430s are ready. Could be taking it on consignment.

Who's selling the car? An FM dealer? If so, not likely to carry a car with trouble, but you don't know.

 

[fade2grey]

Mine's what I would describe as twitchy (compared to the S4) - I'd not be surprised if tyre pressure & alignment wouldn't cause that sort of problem - either way, they shouldnt - mine follows seams in the roads, but doesn't torque steer - so if you go ahead get them to fix it to your satisfaction or get it checked elsewhere first.

 

[Fastfreddy]

Rear wheel drive cars do not torque steer so you have some other issue there. Mine will kick the ass out to the left when the tires spin, especially when the tires are cold. That requires a steer to the left but doesn't "pull" the steering wheel left. Maybe there's something broken in the rear suspension that shifts position under stress. I don't know, but that's either a weird suspension problem or a loose nut behind the wheel

 

[brumma]

Thanks for the responses, guys! It was an independent, not an official dealer. To be honest, I was less than impressed with them--I knew more about the car than they did, and I'd only tested one other GS. (I suppose I owe you all a word of gratitude!)

I would describe the pull I felt as sudden and fairly violent. At one point I was driving along a gradual right-hand curve in the left lane with a concrete divider next to me. I was pulling the shifts at about 6000 to 6500K (I think) and the steering wheel yanked hard enough to the left to scare the crap out of me! It also seemed to me that the alignment was off in general as the car seemed to drift to the right when on a straight line at a steady speed. I've only tested one other GS--an '05 available at a local FM dealer, but I didn't get to test that one anywhere that would let me give it a proper wringing out.

Another issue was the fact that it took a lot of accelerator input to pull away from a dead stop. I don't recall the '05 GS I drove before exhibiting that behavior.

One more question... Is there a list of options for the GranSport? I couldn't find one using the search.


Many thanks,

-Christopher

 

[Fastfreddy]

That car is broken and dangerous. There is a serious suspension fault. I would look elsewhere. I don't know enough about the GS to comment on options.

 

[fade2grey]

if the kick is hard enough to tug the steering when you are holding it there's something up with it.. walk away or acree an independant inspection if you really must have that car.

They can & do twitch if you are hard on the throttle & the rears struggle for grip etc but not like you are describing. Test drive a few more..

 

[BigFoot]

Regarding the options, see here: http://www.lotpro.com/cars/2005/maserati/gransport/options

 

[DoctorJim]

06 Gs

Hey Brumma,
That GS wouldn't happen to be a Bordeaux Pontevecchio with beige leather sitting in Pennsylvania, would it? I have talked to a salesman named Courtney about that car...same price you were quoted... it looks beautiful in the pictures at least...

 

[brumma]

Hey Brumma,
That GS wouldn't happen to be a Bordeaux Pontevecchio with beige leather sitting in Pennsylvania, would it? I have talked to a salesman named Courtney about that car...same price you were quoted... it looks beautiful in the pictures at least...

That's the one. Spoke to a different salesman though. Is very beautiful in person--pristine condition. However, it did exhibit the aforementioned issues.

The ad also lists upgraded stereo among the options, but I don't see a badge above the speakers??? Regarding the upgraded stereo... is there a way to tell besides the badges above the speakers? Is there more than one type of stereo upgrade, or is it just the Auditorium 200?

I was also wondering how to tell if a car has Skyhook suspension installed. I have always wondered why you can't check on factory-installed options based on the VIN number...

 

[Fred]

Those guys have a mixed reputation.
Do a search on Fchat or Rennlist to see more.

I get the feeling that they do a real nice clean up job on questionable cars.

 

[DoctorJim]

06 Gs

My 05 coupe drove straight as an arrow whether cruising, accelerating or full throttle shifting....I think these guys are holding a car that needs major attention from a veteran Maserati/Ferrari mechanic. Sounds like their Bosch team totally missed something very obvious. I for one will not be flying up to look at this car now...By the way, the salesman could not produce a window sticker on this car when I asked...I know when I traded my 05, I included every piece of paper that I had about the car along with my name and phone #!! Maybe I am just anal but the new owner called me a few weeks later and he really appreciated all the documentation. This car smells like a bad deal to me. BTW, I think the skyhook is standard on the 06 GS. Also, I think Maserati NA should have the specs on the car. It should be fairly easy to trace down the dealer who sold it and the service record on it...not that any of that info will make it quit pulling as you described..

 

[DeaneG]

Mine drives absolutely straight, even with wheels spinning.

 

[brumma]

Interesting comments about these guys... It's a good thing they weren't willing to negotiate or I might have been stuck with a money-drainer (even though I specified that I wanted that bit sorted out first). Doesn't sound like I could actually trust them to fix it.

Interesting tidbit... I just noticed a while ago while perusing the other parts of the site that this particular car is even listed here in the Buying & Selling section.

 

[brumma]

My 05 coupe drove straight as an arrow whether cruising, accelerating or full throttle shifting....I think these guys are holding a car that needs major attention from a veteran Maserati/Ferrari mechanic. Sounds like their Bosch team totally missed something very obvious. I for one will not be flying up to look at this car now...By the way, the salesman could not produce a window sticker on this car when I asked...I know when I traded my 05, I included every piece of paper that I had about the car along with my name and phone #!! Maybe I am just anal but the new owner called me a few weeks later and he really appreciated all the documentation. This car smells like a bad deal to me. BTW, I think the skyhook is standard on the 06 GS. Also, I think Maserati NA should have the specs on the car. It should be fairly easy to trace down the dealer who sold it and the service record on it...not that any of that info will make it quit pulling as you described..

What about Skyhook on the '05s? I assume it was an option that year?

Keeping in mind that I have only purchased one other "nice" car before (which excludes the '78 Toyota Celica I had in college), how would I trace down the original dealer as well as obtain the service records?

 

[BigFoot]

Why not try to email Maserati US?

 

[DoctorJim]

06 Gs

I would start backtracking with the current seller. They know where they got the car from. Then keep going backwards until you find all you need to know...at first blush...bail out! Or, just keep looking for something better. There is an 06 GSLE here in Houston owned by one of the forum members listed in the buying and selling section for 69900 with 5000 miles. I would trust him over some slick used car dealership..I'm just saying.....

 

[bluyork]

Brumma,

As a data point, I'm in Suffolk County, bought my car from FM in Silicon Valley and paid $2K to ship it across country. The dealer in Plainview will give you straight talk and won't carry bad cars. (But I was in the dealership 3 weeks ago they had 3 Coupes, no Gransports.) I told a tale on another thread a couple of months ago, where I drove a individual's car in Great Neck, was mildly suspicious about it, and when I mentioned it to the dealer, they knew that car and wouldn't buy it or sell it on consignment, even though the guy was on a waitlist for a Ferrari. The FM dealers are selling very serious cars (ours generally the least expensive) to the same people over decades (one guy on his 14th Ferrari over 30 years), so they don't mess around with bad machines. It's just not worth it for them, and it's not worth it on our end either.

I agree with what DoctorJim is saying - you're better off from a dealer or from a forum member. When I bought mine I was willing to go only to a dealer, but would seriously consider buying from a forum member now, as you get a sense of the ethics of the members. While I can understand you're probably chomping at the bit for a car, make the effort for the car you really want. A flight and a bit on shipping is much less expensive than fixing a bad car and dealing with the associated grief.

BTW, there was a guy on the forum (probably when I wrote this info before, and a NYer, not DoctorJim) who was looking at that beautiful Pontevecchio car and turned it down.