[sjn2004]

I'm looking to buy a Quattroporte later this year (Dec as prices here in the UK tend to dip that month) due to arrival of new baby and the need for four doors/luggage space.

How reliable have the cars been? Are there any issues with the earlier cars and what options should I look for. Here in the UK, "comfort" seats are a £3000 option, what is the difference to the standard seats?

I recently suggested in a BMW thread on another board in a M5 vs RS4 thread that the reader should also consider a QP. This was meet with anger by a few BMWers, one who claimed that he had several friends who bought QP's and they wouldn't start and returned them to the shop for a refund(sounds like BS to me).

thanks in advance..

 

[M!]

my QP's trunk does not look that big... i wonder if a baby stroller would even fit....

and the leather is tooooooo delicate for your baby seat...

granted the m5 boards have a lot more traffic, but IF this 'friend' who dumped the QP has anything to say, why don't we see them here? if you count the percentage of transmission problem of Duoselect vs SMG, you will probably see more M5 owners get stranded than QP owners. in addition to problems with vanos line and steering angle sensors...

m5's are very good but some owners need to get out more and enjoy more cars.

 

[QPIE003]

First of all - Congrats to your decision of considering a QP. I drive my QP extensively. Since April I have put about 6000 miles on it, mostly long-distance travel. The reliability I have experienced is exceptional and my car has no problems technically. Granted the QP is to be considered an Italian exotic there are some issues like the DuoSelect clutch wear, and some peculiar quality like the hinges of my glove compartment whereas the left hinge does not engage and the left side of the glove compartment dips down a bit. If you compare the fun-to-drive factor of the QP to any other compareable vehicle it is the hands down winner and I have never driven a large sedan which is so much fun to drive and "doesn't get old".
I constantly carry two large golf bags and at least one duffel bag in the trunk. It holds it just fine, so I think you should be fine with the stroller in the back. The leather quality is very good. That said M! is correct it is delicate and needs to be cared for. The BMWers need to get a life and see beyond the propeller. The M5 is a wonderful car, very capable and electronically very advanced. Too advanced for my taste. I am not an engineer and do refuse to learn to manipulate the I-drive. A car is a car and shouldn't require the driver to have a degree in engineering or computer science. Also the M5 gearbox is not as advanced as the QP DuoSelect. Again that is just my opinion and you should go on a test drive to figure out what is more appealing to you. Teutonic precision without too much soul, or Italian style, performance and panache with some character.
Have fun during evalualtion and again congrats to your new car, whatever it will be!

 

[bundas]

i never considered

a bmw as an option for car ownership. had one bmw so far, but that was many years ago. i enjoyed the car, but am now older and wiser. well not so sure about that part. i would not even consider a bmw now. the starbucks lot is full of them every morning. owners all looking at my maserati, wishing they had one, you make your call for ownership. close the door on a z4 and it sounds like a tin can. try that, just for starts. starting my car, i hear a low rumble of power. wow! love my maserati!!

 

[M!]

a bmw as an option for car ownership. had one bmw so far, but that was many years ago. i enjoyed the car, but am now older and wiser. well not so sure about that part. i would not even consider a bmw now. the starbucks lot is full of them every morning. owners all looking at my maserati, wishing they had one, you make your call for ownership. close the door on a z4 and it sounds like a tin can. try that, just for starts. starting my car, i hear a low rumble of power. wow! love my maserati!!

z4's suspension and chassis is alot more solid than your spyder btw, before you calling it a tin can. an m roadster with a proper exhaust will sound just as good. i have owned a few BMW's and ///M's included. all of them are good. bmw does have its appeal to many people.

btw, if you are oh-so-special with your maserati, why are you settling for starbucks?

 

[maseratifan]

Z4s are a dime a dozen. Making them "M" doesn't make them more special IMO, just faster.
I would much rather have a Maserati, much more special.
Nothing wrong with Starbucks coffee, why is there some new snob coffee place out now?

 

[QPIE003]

Agree with M! BMW are very well engineered machines. Knocking their capablilities and technical achievement - not really founded on facts. There emtional appeal - very different and no comparision to an italian automitive work of art like Maserati. Bella macchina!

 

[Colossus]

I agree with QPIE003, BMW's (in particular the M's) are very well engineered cars but are perhaps a little too efficient for their own good. I have moved from my E39 M5 to my Maserati and have not one moment's regret. As good as the M5 was (and it really was a phenomenal car capable of things cars that size and weight should not) it had no real soul and although I could appreciate its ability and performance I never "fell" for it. 5 minutes with the Maserati and you cannot help but come under its spell, the style, the finish, the driving sensation and the noise all add up to something the BMW could never achieve, soul. In addition I had numerous problems with the M5, all dealt with under warranty but I do not believe the new M5 will be any more reliable than a QP, particularly given the electronic complexity that is now in the new car. Good luck with the search for the QP and let us know how you get on. Hope this helps.

 

[sjn2004]

thanks for the feedback guys. One further question regarding the seats. What exactly are "comfort" seats vs the standard seats? On the cars I've looked at closely, the rear seats were electric and could be moved individually. Is this the reason the boot is a bit small for the size of the car?

 

[M!]

comfort seats are ventilated seats, as well as massage function.
quite expensive for the massage, (get an osim or panasonic or your fav masseur), but on long drives it seems to relax your thighs a little.

 

[houghn]

Just to balance the responses a bit, I have a QP and it hasn't been without its problems. Headlight self levelling failed, unfixable battery drain, steering pump noise, air con not working properly and an irritating dashboard rattle. I would have considered this just about acceptable for a hand built car for 15 mths of ownership everyday use, but it has been made ten times worse by the fact that my dealer is incompetent and has had four attempts at fixing the problems and they all still exist.

I have a four month old boy and have no problems fitting a stroller and all the other junk in the boot (U.S. read "trunk"), plus a car seat.

On balance I'd buy another as my problems seem unusual and it is a beautiful car to own and drive.

 

[houghn]

IMO don't bother with the comfort seats unless money no object, massage function is waste of time, air-con function has limited effect, and heated seats can be specified alone for much lower cost.

 

[maserati of minneapolis]

I have a QP and it hasn't been without its problems.

Do you still have the dash rattle? A kit was made available recently for fixing this issue.

 

[Frankie P]

Dear Membership,

Kudos to those who have contributed to this thread, as the discourse is quite sophisticated. I don't know why I feel compelled to contribute, but here goes. I'll try not to dumb it down too much.

Maserati is not for everybody. I think their suitability has much to do with the person owning and driving it, particularly their personality and approach to cars and for that matter, other things in life. There are those who buy a luxury item i.e. car, watch, pen even, exclusively for the wow-factor it illicits. Others buy these items for their intrinsic, "Goodness," i.e. engineering, craftmanship, experience in operation, etc. These are the enthusiasts, who are a little obsessed in their pursuit of perfection. That obsession and enjoyment of the whole Maserati experience helps us get past check engine lights, failed steering columns, oil leaks, coolant leaks, water pump replacments, transmission leaks, ECU malfunctions, and all of the other things my car has experienced. I LOVE MY CAR! Without a certain level of enthusiasm for the mark and appreciation for the driving experience, I think these kinds of problems would overwhelm the average luxury car driver. Having owned 3 M3's consecutively prior to my Maserati purchase, you can be rest assured I never had anywhere near this level of mechanical failure. Yet, I purposefully left the M3 fold after one drive in the Maserati. Why? The aural and tactile sensations I experienced in that first drive was more exciting and stimulating and fun than anything I ever did in my M3's, to include tracking them. Thus, there was a tradeoff that I was and continue to be willing to make. Not everybody wants what we want in our cars, and therefore are unlikely to tolerate the downside of that tradeoff.

Thus, some soul searching is necessary in deciding whether to take the Maserati plunge. If you're buying a status symbol but otherwise don't know a camshaft from a driveshaft, Maserati is probably not for you. For the enthusiast, it is the bargain of the century considering the Ferrari componentry, hand-made interior, etc. And, hey, I've never been stranded by my girl. Can't say that for my wife's 7 series!

Ciao,


Frankie P

 

[maserati of minneapolis]

Frankie; I think you nailed this one.

 

[Troesma]

Frankie, spot-on...

Ed

 

[QPIE003]

Frankie - there you go - right on the money!

 

[project917]

I am also considering a Maserati but am somewhat troubled by what seems to be a very short clutch life.

Also, the post from Frankie P: "These are the enthusiasts, who are a little obsessed in their pursuit of perfection. That obsession and enjoyment of the whole Maserati experience helps us get past check engine lights, failed steering columns, oil leaks, coolant leaks, water pump replacments, transmission leaks, ECU malfunctions, and all of the other things my car has experienced." seems to indicate that a new definition of "perfection" is called for when one owns a Maserati. Don't get me wrong, I understand everything that he said. When I was young a poor I had an MG and it broke all of the time and it cost me most of what I made and I loved it too. I would still have it except that I had to sell it to raise some cash. It's just that for $100,000 +, and that's a fair hunk of change to me at least, I would hope for at least the build quality of a Honda Civic.

I'm still heading out the the Maserati dealership in a few hours though.

 

[Steeldream]

There's no doubt it's a high strung car. If you're looking for build quality get a Rolls or a Bentley. If you're looking for something to get the blood flowing (somtimes out of frustration) go with the QP.

BTW I'm not sure the clutch complaints apply to the QP - most of them seem to be coming from Coupe/Spyder owners, and I'm not posititve, but I think there are more differences in the DuoSelect (QP) and the Cambiocorsa (Coupe/Spyder) than just the name.

 

[Shankybally]

well said Frankie

:autofahrer:

Dear Membership,

Kudos to those who have contributed to this thread, as the discourse is quite sophisticated. I don't know why I feel compelled to contribute, but here goes. I'll try not to dumb it down too much.

Maserati is not for everybody. I think their suitability has much to do with the person owning and driving it, particularly their personality and approach to cars and for that matter, other things in life. There are those who buy a luxury item i.e. car, watch, pen even, exclusively for the wow-factor it illicits. Others buy these items for their intrinsic, "Goodness," i.e. engineering, craftmanship, experience in operation, etc. These are the enthusiasts, who are a little obsessed in their pursuit of perfection. That obsession and enjoyment of the whole Maserati experience helps us get past check engine lights, failed steering columns, oil leaks, coolant leaks, water pump replacments, transmission leaks, ECU malfunctions, and all of the other things my car has experienced. I LOVE MY CAR! Without a certain level of enthusiasm for the mark and appreciation for the driving experience, I think these kinds of problems would overwhelm the average luxury car driver. Having owned 3 M3's consecutively prior to my Maserati purchase, you can be rest assured I never had anywhere near this level of mechanical failure. Yet, I purposefully left the M3 fold after one drive in the Maserati. Why? The aural and tactile sensations I experienced in that first drive was more exciting and stimulating and fun than anything I ever did in my M3's, to include tracking them. Thus, there was a tradeoff that I was and continue to be willing to make. Not everybody wants what we want in our cars, and therefore are unlikely to tolerate the downside of that tradeoff.

Thus, some soul searching is necessary in deciding whether to take the Maserati plunge. If you're buying a status symbol but otherwise don't know a camshaft from a driveshaft, Maserati is probably not for you. For the enthusiast, it is the bargain of the century considering the Ferrari componentry, hand-made interior, etc. And, hey, I've never been stranded by my girl. Can't say that for my wife's 7 series!

Ciao,


Frankie P