[Mr. M]

From the get-go, I can say Mercedes, BMW and Audi can finally be cautious of the Quattroporte. While the DuoSelect option was a sporty derivative of Ferrari's F1 system, it was frequently criticised for its clunkiness and jerkiness moving around town.

The new colour offered on the Quattroporte automatic, featured in the rest of this article.

Not any more. The superb ZF six-speed automatic transmission first seen in the E65 7er has been fitted into the Quattroporte. Mating it with a 400bhp 4.2L V8, the car surges from 0-100km/ in 5.6 seconds, just 0.4 seconds behind its DuoSelect cousin. It's as smooth as anyone can want the Quattroporte to be, changing gears with no dramatic pause nor with a story to tell.

The manual shift button is sorely missed

And that's where the Auto falls short. While it shifts like a pro, it keeps the revs low most of the time, unable to unleash the full potential of the engine until you nudge it a little harder. It looses the hard-edge of the DuoSelect transmission, which, whether you're gentle or aggressive with the accelerator, shifts above 4k/rpm and keeps the engine on its toes. The automatic however, gives the engine a very lacklustre character, as if it is paired to an unwanted partner unwillingly.

The automatic is not all that bad, though. If you're genuinely looking to change from that S-Class or 7er, there's no doubt that the automatic Quattroporte will suit your needs perfectly. It's a sports car by all means, but it won't be the Ferrari-like car you'd expect from Maserati. It'll be a cruiser, a smooth-sailing automobile that you'll love to drive around town.

The new electromagnetic parking brake.

However, if you're looking to buy a true-blue Maserati, it has to be the DuoSelect version. Every drive with the DS-equipped QP is an event, a culmulation of a sensory experience that can never be match with the Quattroporte Automatic. The engine here is more willing than ever to rev, and the gears are entirely under your control. And, when you're tired and need a rest from all the fun, automatic mode on the DS ain't that bad, either. It just isn't as smooth as the automatic QP but hey, you can't have everything.

New interior wood trim. Personally, I hate it

As for me, well, it's an obvious choice. I'll take the problematic, emotional, saucey and angry DuoSelect Quattroporte anyday.

 

[Mr. M]

More pictures:

The ubiquitous shifter.

 

[Alex]

looks great. right side drive? you in HK?


I would say i wish the wheels did look better tho

 

[Mr. M]

looks great. right side drive? you in HK?


I would say i wish the wheels did look better tho

Singapore.

I actually like the stock rims a lot. They don't shout as much as the Sport GT's and gets the job done well.

 

[jbondox]

No offense, but before you can say it to comapre to a 7 or an S550, you can't. What you guys complained about is what set it apart from them to begin with. the shift. A race car feel in a luxury vehicle.

the quattroporte falls short in so many categories, they are advertising it on MSN for something like $100k

No it will never have the room of the S550, nor the luxury, nor ease of use of the vehicle, nor the safety . Same with the 7 series

I wanted a maserat since a kid and watching miami vice. the qp wa nice once you understood what and why it was doing it. but by no means is it a step up from the 7 or the S550. a step up of the S550 is the s65

i would like to compare those numbers 550 to qp. They should of left it as it was, with the regular tranny in it, and market it as luxury with aggression.

also the other day I almost crashed thinking I seen anothe qp around the area... It was a buick though... somebody needs to be sued for the vents on the fender...

Also drive a new S550 before even comparing, in fact a more realistic vehicle to compare the two would be the CLS550 and the qp.. or the AMG version and the qp

 

[Steve]

No offense, but before you can say it to comapre to a 7 or an S550, you can't. What you guys complained about is what set it apart from them to begin with. the shift. A race car feel in a luxury vehicle.

the quattroporte falls short in so many categories, they are advertising it on MSN for something like $100k

No it will never have the room of the S550, nor the luxury, nor ease of use of the vehicle, nor the safety . Same with the 7 series

I wanted a maserat since a kid and watching miami vice. the qp wa nice once you understood what and why it was doing it. but by no means is it a step up from the 7 or the S550. a step up of the S550 is the s65

i would like to compare those numbers 550 to qp. They should of left it as it was, with the regular tranny in it, and market it as luxury with aggression.

also the other day I almost crashed thinking I seen anothe qp around the area... It was a buick though... somebody needs to be sued for the vents on the fender...

Also drive a new S550 before even comparing, in fact a more realistic vehicle to compare the two would be the CLS550 and the qp.. or the AMG version and the qp

I've been fortunate to have driven some exceptional vehicles in my life. Among those, the BMW 7 series and the new Mercedes S class vehicles. I have the utmost respect for the German brands (I just purchased a 2006 BMW M5), but let's call a spade a spade. The 7 series is a bloated pig. Even the recent facelift can't hid that. Further, in the pathological quest to up the "electonics" ante, we all ended up with Idrive.....still a complete mess. The new S class is very nice, if you find yourself wanting a gigantic land yacht. As for the Maserati, it is what it is. Not quite as polished as the Germans, not quite as sophisticated, but far more passionate and far more fun. If I wanted to be like every other old rich fart who buys the BMW or Mercedes (and who, by the way, has no idea how to use even 10% of the gadgets) then I would buy one of these cars. If I was more interested in a passionate, beautiful car (notwithstanding some of the indiosycracies), then I would buy the Maserati.
Personally, I'd buy the QP.....hands down.

Jbondox.....sounds like you're a bit of an old fart and that you one of the Germans would suit you better. Just my 2 cents.
Steve

 

[jbondox]

yep, I am very old... turned 38 on the 10th. and having the 760 Li for a few years, and currently looking atthe s550... I think i know my cars, and driving the qp for a few weeks, I hated it at first, then i realized what it is all about. It is a cool car don't get me wrong, but it isn't the 760 or the S550. If i am buying a luxury sedan, the qp isn't it, maybe for a cool sedan that i could commute in showing my ripe ol age.

look at the interiors of the 3, the 550 has it beat then the 7, then the qp.

idrive is easy to learn and if you can't grasp it... well i am an ol dog and learned new tricks, so i can say that maybe someone as young as you can figure it out. By the way, the rolls phantom is also using iDrive, and range rover also uses a version, minus the habic controller. S550 also. trustme when i say i have driven pretty much everything out there in luxury vehicles, the s550 is the only one that impressed me with it's affordability compared to detail, fit and finish and luxury.

The qp, mid life crisis car... and buick or qp really need to come up with a solution to the fender vents

I am not knocking the qp at all, but to say the benz and bmw aren't comparabile is wrong. they actually are in a different class, luxury saloon, right there with the maybach 57. Hell why didn't this guy compare it to the new lexus? I mean lexus compares themselves to the bmw and s550? oh I forgot the lexus is 56% cheaper.

I had fun for the month I had the qp, think i raced everything that wanted to race and was never destroyed by anything, didn't win all the time, but it was a fun ride.

-Ol man

 

[Steve]

yep, I am very old... turned 38 on the 10th. and having the 760 Li for a few years, and currently looking atthe s550... I think i know my cars, and driving the qp for a few weeks, I hated it at first, then i realized what it is all about. It is a cool car don't get me wrong, but it isn't the 760 or the S550. If i am buying a luxury sedan, the qp isn't it, maybe for a cool sedan that i could commute in showing my ripe ol age.

look at the interiors of the 3, the 550 has it beat then the 7, then the qp.

idrive is easy to learn and if you can't grasp it... well i am an ol dog and learned new tricks, so i can say that maybe someone as young as you can figure it out. By the way, the rolls phantom is also using iDrive, and range rover also uses a version, minus the habic controller. S550 also. trustme when i say i have driven pretty much everything out there in luxury vehicles, the s550 is the only one that impressed me with it's affordability compared to detail, fit and finish and luxury.

The qp, mid life crisis car... and buick or qp really need to come up with a solution to the fender vents

I am not knocking the qp at all, but to say the benz and bmw aren't comparabile is wrong. they actually are in a different class, luxury saloon, right there with the maybach 57. Hell why didn't this guy compare it to the new lexus? I mean lexus compares themselves to the bmw and s550? oh I forgot the lexus is 56% cheaper.

I had fun for the month I had the qp, think i raced everything that wanted to race and was never destroyed by anything, didn't win all the time, but it was a fun ride.

-Ol man

-Ol Man,

38 is old....I'm chasing 36, and my back hurts. So I know how you feel. In some respects, you're right. If you're looking for big, pimping, luxurious, smooth riding transportation, then the S or 7 are tough to beat. But I guess that's the point. If that's what you're looking for, then why even consider the QP, whether in manual or new automatic? The QP is the alternative to these well executed, but fairly boring cars. At least to a "young" one like me. But I hear what you are saying.

All of that said, maybe you should also consider an Audi S8. I just completed lease on a 2005 A8, and found it to be the easy choice over the BMW and Mercedes. And, for what it's worth, the MMI (idrive equivalent) is excellent. Ultimately, if I were looking for "big German", I would take the S8 (or even W12) over either the BMW or Mercedes. Or maybe even consider the M5 or S6 as alternatives. Either way, it's nice to have choices.
Steve

 

[jbondox]

When the A8 hit the New car auto show here in Cleveland, i thought it was the best looking vehicle there. I just can't see myself as an audi person. I just never caught on to it, and steered away from them.

Back to the QP, i think it needs to be sporty to define what it is. A Maserati powered by a ferrari, the idiots at pina suck for the interior... tan, cream, black,and wood grain don't do it..

Anyways it needs to be a bad arse ride, which it is, I like the way it shifts after I realized the damn thing was a manual tranny... plus when i drove home I could get to 4 th gear 5 houses from mine and start paddle shifting down... the hottie across the street wants me to teach her how to drive stick

Anyways, it is in a class of it's own, it won't measure up to the others mentioned and then the others won't measure up to the QP. It is a 4 door Ferrari and should be marketed like that

 

[M!]

yep, I am very old... turned 38 on the 10th. and having the 760 Li for a few years, and currently looking atthe s550... I think i know my cars, and driving the qp for a few weeks, I hated it at first, then i realized what it is all about. It is a cool car don't get me wrong, but it isn't the 760 or the S550. If i am buying a luxury sedan, the qp isn't it, maybe for a cool sedan that i could commute in showing my ripe ol age.

look at the interiors of the 3, the 550 has it beat then the 7, then the qp.

idrive is easy to learn and if you can't grasp it... well i am an ol dog and learned new tricks, so i can say that maybe someone as young as you can figure it out. By the way, the rolls phantom is also using iDrive, and range rover also uses a version, minus the habic controller. S550 also. trustme when i say i have driven pretty much everything out there in luxury vehicles, the s550 is the only one that impressed me with it's affordability compared to detail, fit and finish and luxury.

The qp, mid life crisis car... and buick or qp really need to come up with a solution to the fender vents

I am not knocking the qp at all, but to say the benz and bmw aren't comparabile is wrong. they actually are in a different class, luxury saloon, right there with the maybach 57. Hell why didn't this guy compare it to the new lexus? I mean lexus compares themselves to the bmw and s550? oh I forgot the lexus is 56% cheaper.

I had fun for the month I had the qp, think i raced everything that wanted to race and was never destroyed by anything, didn't win all the time, but it was a fun ride.

-Ol man

ol man, 38 is old to me. lol.

very difficult seeing any QP owners going back to S class or 7er.
enjoy your future S550.

 

[Mr. M]

Hell why didn't this guy compare it to the new lexus? I mean lexus compares themselves to the bmw and s550? oh I forgot the lexus is 56% cheaper.
-Ol man

If you read my review very carefully, I did not compare the QP to its German rivals. It's just that the automatic QP will potentially draw S/7er/A8 buyers. Mind also that the QP intrudes into CLS63/M5 territory... I should say it is difficult to choose a fair comparison for the QP.

I agree with your general sentiments that the QP should remain a 4-door Ferrari. I'm not with the idea of an auto QP, but that's how it is for Maser to make its money in the world, especially the US.

PS. I'm a true-blue German car fan, but I still do love the QP a lot. Cheers.

M

 

[Steve]

When the A8 hit the New car auto show here in Cleveland, i thought it was the best looking vehicle there. I just can't see myself as an audi person. I just never caught on to it, and steered away from them.

Back to the QP, i think it needs to be sporty to define what it is. A Maserati powered by a ferrari, the idiots at pina suck for the interior... tan, cream, black,and wood grain don't do it..

Anyways it needs to be a bad arse ride, which it is, I like the way it shifts after I realized the damn thing was a manual tranny... plus when i drove home I could get to 4 th gear 5 houses from mine and start paddle shifting down... the hottie across the street wants me to teach her how to drive stick

Anyways, it is in a class of it's own, it won't measure up to the others mentioned and then the others won't measure up to the QP. It is a 4 door Ferrari and should be marketed like that

Give the Audi more of a look. I had only owned BMW prior to the A8. I liked the A8 so much I bought my wife a Q7. Very seriously considered the S8 this time, but wanted more sporty so went with the M5. That said, if I were looking for large, I would pick the Audi over the BMW, particularly in S8 trim. I also like the uniqueness.....in one year, we'll be seeing tons of new S Class Mercedes, but not too many S8's.
Good luck which ever direction you go.
Steve

 

[jbondox]

If I were to throw some money around, my vehicle choices are limited with 5 kids, butin my garage I would have the new Ferrari, QP (before the new tranny) and a Maybach 57S. unfortunately I would have to toss in Escalde.

Oh the wife gets an R500 Benz

 

[jbondox]

Also if you noticed the Steve, the radio/nav inthe QP is pathetic compared to with what we mentioned. The sound system isn't that bad, but the features and options are definately not up to todays technology.

Which is a major turn off for me, but i do it for a living so it would be jetisoned and a new system would be brought in

 

[Glenn Wallace]

I looked at the CL55 etc. when looking at the coupe. Nothing from Mercedes excites me. I felt like a doctor or a hairdresser sitting in it.

 

[mookie]

QP vs Merc

Hey guys, I drive a Mercedees E55 AMG Wagon and love it. My wife drives a QP and we both love it. The E55 is faster, smoother and really does everything better than the QP but I would rather drive the QP. I do have to agree that the stereo and Nav are tricky and the Nav is really not too good. My wife has to pull out the manual everytime she wants to set the radio. BUT it is really fun to push the engine and feel the road. That is where it beats the Merc., road feedback. Also, it may be a mid-life crisis but it is fun not seeing any other QPs in the carpool line! You guys chill out too, oh I'm an old 37. It is wierd that we are all the same age-wait, no! it is a mid-life crisis! Thanks a lot.

 

[Steve]

old

We shouldn't complain too much about being old in our mid-thirties....we might offend some of the 50 something members of this board...

You're right about the radio....it's horrible in the GS as well. That's why I can never see having this car (or the QP) as a daily driver.

Weird that Maserati can make such a nice car with such a great engine, but can't put in a decent radio. They get the hard part, but overlook the easy things. Or maybe it's hard to put in a good radio.....I don't know. I do know that my brother's 2004 Nissan Altima has a much better stereo than the GS.

 

[M!]

the radios are horrible so turn them off and enjoy the car.

 

[maserati of minneapolis]

Mercs are old man's cars, and internally they admit it and embrace it - engineering their cars to suit that profile more and more. The closest Merc gets to making a fun to drive car are the AMG cars, but even then they're not that great. The S65 AMG, a twin-turbo V12, making 600hp and 700lb-ft of torque, and its slower on the track than the QP. The MB interiors have gotten a lot better over the last 4-5 years. We can thank Bimmer for making bloated ugly cars with Idrive to make the Maser radio look fantastic.

The A8's are hard to fault. They've got a ton of room, a decent engine \ drive train, the MMI system is really quite good, with good sound. With the adaptive suspension they even handle all right. They still can't match the passion of the Maseratis. If I were choosing among the big bodies today, the QP and A8\S8 would be the cars I would choose from. And thats got nothing to do with being a Maser dealer, we sell all of this stuff used, and I've gotten to spend a lot of time behind the wheel of all of these cars from mid ninety model years on.

As an aside; Mr. M. I'm confused about your test drive write up. The Automatic does indeed default to lower rpm, and shifting at whatever rpm you're requesting. If you get into the throttle it will shift at a much higher rpm. It's illogical to expect anything different, because high rpms at partial throttle are just wasteful. In particular if you compare the shift programming to the BM, MB or Audi, its far sportier, both tending to hold gears longer, and shift higher when driving aggressively. I've driven the QP AT on an aggressive twisty road, back to back with the MB and 7, and theres no comparison. No its not quite as Ferrari-like as the DuoSelect car, and you better believe the DuoSelect is what I would buy, but at least be fair to the car, its a hell of a lot better than you're painting it out to be.

 

[Mr. M]

As an aside; Mr. M. I'm confused about your test drive write up. The Automatic does indeed default to lower rpm, and shifting at whatever rpm you're requesting. If you get into the throttle it will shift at a much higher rpm. It's illogical to expect anything different, because high rpms at partial throttle are just wasteful. In particular if you compare the shift programming to the BM, MB or Audi, its far sportier, both tending to hold gears longer, and shift higher when driving aggressively. I've driven the QP AT on an aggressive twisty road, back to back with the MB and 7, and theres no comparison. No its not quite as Ferrari-like as the DuoSelect car, and you better believe the DuoSelect is what I would buy, but at least be fair to the car, its a hell of a lot better than you're painting it out to be.

I stand corrected... Thanks.