[Marc in NY]

Hello all, I've spent a little time reading the archives here and gathering a bit of info.

I've recently become interested in acquiring a used Spyder and selling my '02 C4S. I rented a Spyder in Vegas a year and a half ago and have thought about that exhaust note ever since.

In searching for used cars, I see '02 Spyders as low as $62k or so. I've seen '03s as low as $74k or so.

I've read some discussion from the forum and I see that the Cambiocorsa has seen updates since '02 that can be retrofitted. I also see that Maserati has made strides to improve rigidity and reduce cowl shake. Clearly, it appears that Maserati is making the appropriate effort to take care of customers and their concerns. Its also clear that progress has been made with successive model years.

My question is whether or not the updates/improvements from '02 to '03 to justify spending $10-12k additional.

I'm also concerned about resale value. I lost 15k on both my '01 M3 and my '03 M3 in about 15 months for each car (total loss $30k). I bought my C4S used at a price that I could still easily sell the car for. Any thoughts on how the Maser is depreciating from year to year?

Thanks in advance for any input...

 

[scott]

I would go for at least an 03 or even order an 04, Maserati is a great car to personalize. You pay more but will have longer warranty and car will always be a year or two newer when selling. Great discounts being offered on brand new, I paid about $88,000 for a fully loaded Spyder GT, Which is another option you could consider, If you would go with GT that would save you over $4,000 and would help off set the cost of a newer car. I also traded a BMW M3 SMG for this car and really enjoy having the 3rd pedal again. Car shifts fabulously, My brother who has a Boxster S tells me he likes the way mine shifts better than his. It seems you took a pretty big hit on the M3's, I had mine for two years and lost about $13,000. But every time I go for a drive and listen to my engine with it's Tubi exhaust makes that 13 grand seem like nothing. It had got to the point where I disliked the sound of my M3 that I pretty much stopped driving it. And about the ride quality, I rate it very good for this style of car. Past 3 cars I had were the M3, a Boxster S and Honda S2000. I find the Maserati is at least as good ride as the Porsche and BMW and far superior to the S2000

 

[JohnD]

I was thinking of an 02 versus an 03, and ended up with an 02. I've never driven an 03 but have test driven several 04s (all coupes, no spyders). The depreciation factor turned me off of the 04s. Anyway, this car is such a thrill to drive I have a feeling no matter what year you buy you won't be disappointed. Cosmetically, the wheels on the 02 are different, and I think there's some difference in the antenna. Mechanically, there have been several updates to the software for the 02, presumably to make them more like an 03/04. I'm sure if I drove them back to back I'd be able to tell a difference, but then again, maybe not. Anyway, it gets down to how much you want to spend (closer to 60, 70 or 80). On the other hand, I just saw an 04 spyder advertised on Luxury Motors' website for $67k (perhaps that was a typo). I think whichever way you go you won't be disappointed (unless, of course, you don't buy one at all -- this is one amazing car).