[maserati80]

Hello, I am thinking of buying a 2002 Maserati , but I am undecided between a Spyder gt or a Coupe gt. I like the manual gear more than the cambiocorsa , which seems a little hysteric to me while driving in the city. I will use my car everyday, what about quality /reliability of these cars ? Considering the everyday use, what do you suggest? thank you

Andrea

 

[MVP]

Hello, I am thinking of buying a 2002 Maserati , but I am undecided between a Spyder gt or a Coupe gt. I like the manual gear more than the cambiocorsa , which seems a little hysteric to me while driving in the city. I will use my car everyday, what about quality /reliability of these cars ? Considering the everyday use, what do you suggest? thank you

Andrea

Andrea,

I drive my car as a daily driver, it's fairly reliable but it' still an Italian exotic, allways have a backup. I picked the Spyder because I never need to haul around more than one person and I just love the open top on a windy road. It's all a preference. Regardless I really recommend the Cambiocorsa transmission, you should try it if you haven't.

Regards,
Kevin

 

[RQ]

Agree that you should at least test drive a CC...

I for one was bent on a manual tranny, by the time I found a GT I realized two things:

1) I think this car was designed for CC with manual being a secondary thought - the position and angle of the shifter would get old for me real quick, just not what I expected.

2) The cambio is actually a hoot, after one gets used to the strangeness of it. This is nothing like Tiptronic or so, this is way way better.

Just my opinion of course, good luck in your search.

 

[maserati of minneapolis]

I agree - I prefer driving the CC to the manual, even though I am otherwise hellbent on true manual transmissions. Tiptronic shifting is a joke, as far as I am concerned, especially with todays smart transmissions, with the throttle by wire, and intercommunication between all of the different systems.

Even BMW's SMG, while it might shift faster, pales in comparison. I find that system far more herky jerky and annoying than anything. Sure the launch control followed by full throttle shifts up to 80mph is fun, but I think any other use, like daily driving, is not nearly as good as the Maser's.

- Mark

 

[chris7469]

I love my coupe. A tad more practical.

While I think both the coupe and the spyder are beautiful cars, I would lean towards the coupe if you want to be a little more practical.

I bought an 04 white coupe with a Tubi in July. It had 1,000 miles on it. I have 4,000 miles on it now. I enjoy driving it all the time. I was even impressed with how it handled in a few storms I got caught in.

With the Tubi it just growls and I drive in normal mode with the paddles. I have gotten so used to the paddles that my ride is rather smooth..

Unless you really want a convertible, the coupe is a great choice if only because its bigger and has a backseat for storage, a baby seat, or two people on a short trip.. Plus you don't have to worry about anyone cutting your top to break into your car.

If its in your budget go for an 03. Or make sure you get all the updates and service records for your 02. I have spoken to a few owners of 02s and they all seem to have had some minor problems.

The fact that these car depreciate so much presents a great buying opportunity for someone looking for a practical exotic car. What else can you buy for 50 - 70K, that offers the same, performance, style and interior? How many Maseratis do you see each day on the road?

Sure the stereo it just ok and the car has it glitches, but so do all cars.

I plan on putting 10,000 miles each year and will keep this car for many years. I will follow all the service in the manual. I expect to pay to have this car serviced. You should factor in spending an additional 1,500 each and every year to keep your car running smooth. It just comes with the territory.

Bottom line, I am glad I bought this car instead of a CL or a Porsche. I see them all the time. This car offers a great bang for your buck and is very fun to drive.

Good luck with your purchase. CM

FYI. I searched very hard to find 5w/40 oil to top off. I found it at a VW dealer... $6.00....

 

[haha]

i agree with chris, coupe would be more practical... i have a spyder and am certain coupes can corner better than mine. however, weather is always nice here in so. cal, almost 345 days of sunshine every year, driving it with the top down, sun in your face and cool ocean breeze through you hair while blasting through ocean avenue...it is awesome

 

[PacoSaca]

Give Cambiocorsa a try and you'll be glad you did... driving the Cambiocorsa becomes natural after only a couple of days.

The Coupe vs. Spyder issue is mostly of personal taste... if I lived in a place like So. California I would most certainly have bought me a Spyder... it looks beautiful with the top off but we get lots of rain where I live and I just don't like the Spyder with the top on, any Spyder for that matter... not even the F-430

 

[Glenn Wallace]

Yep, I am glad I got the Cambio Coupe --- very roomy, and I am really getting the hang of the flappy paddle (err... Cambio).

Things I've been learning: automatic mode is great for traffic (not so great for clutch), sport mode suits my driving style most (the country road part of my drive to work), and I use normal mode on the freeway.

It can take a while to go from reverse to 1st - put your foot on the brake (not mentioned in the manual?). You also have to be more deliberate in how you use the accelerator... remember you are telling the car what you want to happen (ie please release the hill holder, engage the clutch, let's go...)

My quibbles are minor. Could have used an extra 1/2" headroom, vent fan noisy on low speeds, I'm tall enough that I see a reflection of the gauges in the windshield at night.

Generally speaking the car is big fun, comfortable, and it basically stops traffic and drops jaws whereever I go (which I didn't expect when I bought it).

Glenn