JBI

Playing with the idea of getting one. Any one have experience with them? I wanna know everything... Thanks.

1 BAD BURB

what yr and what model? i know a lil bit about them, considering one myself here soon.

the coupes came out in 02', STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM THEM!!! lots of factory defects/issues. the quattroporte is very nice, no real big issues.

the manual is a LOT better and the clutch lasts a lot longer (30-40k). a clutch is really the ONLY thing that needs constant attention in the lifespan of the ownership. the auto (cambiocorsa) tend to wear out much quickly b/c the trans is always riding it. clutch changes range from 1200-1400 in parts and 2100 for labor.
ways to make clutch last longer in a auto:
-drive it in manual mode 100% of time
-don't drive in reverse, up hill, you will burn clutch and smell it
-lift on gas during the shifts (paddle shifts like F1 race cars)

Again, the early automatics had the F1 pump failures, another 2500 repair.

otherwise, its lil issues like window motors or other electronic gadgetry.

motorwise, these cars are solid and can handle daily driving duty.

oil changes are called out for every 5K miles. Just like a vette or porsche, i'd do it every 3K. If you are mechanically inclined and can work on a vette, then you can do most of your own work on this maserati.

Chevy Guy

Check the Maserati forums.

They require lost of expensive maintenance, and most people believe dealer maintenance is a must to keep the cars pedigree. This guy spent $13,500 within 19,000 miles for pretty much nothing.

http://www.maseratilife.com/forums/s...ead.php?t=2777

JBI

Thanks. I'm looking at 03 and 04 coupe gt's. I never really looked at them until today and was shocked at the low pricing on them and figured that there had to be something way wrong. Hence why I asked here about them. I think the looks are great and I'm really looking for a car that has that nice kinda Ferrari interior, but family friendly. Having a new son means I really don't get to drive the Vette and the Volvo I bought for a work and kid car just isn't doing it for me.

Do these have the dreaded Ferrari timing belt issue or are these V8's a little more friendly?

JBI

Wholly smokes!! That's crazy..... Thanks for the link. I'm gonna have to scan through there..

PeterK

Just get a porsche! More fun to drive, a lot more reliable and are much cheaper to service e.g. $200 for a minor service every 15K and between $500 and $1000 for a major service depending on the model, every 30K

1 BAD BURB

porsches and maseratis have about the same service costs... i have been watching these cars since they came out and more so in 05' as we were going to buy a quattroporte.

just recently i started heavily looking again b/c i am thinkin of buying an 05' GranSport that is local to me. guy is in a bind and needs it gone.

The values of these cars have tanked, i believe, and will stable out in the next yr. but of course, its buyers market right now so many good deals can be had.

the link that chevy guy posted, is exactly correct with maintenance horrors that u would think of. however, like i said, if you are a DIY guy, these normal maintenance things can be done cheaply. Its not hard at all. the clutch job is the ONLY thing that would be tough and require a indy or a dealer. prices on clutches depend on where you go. i've seen it for 1200-5K. so it just depends on who you know and where to get parts.

and lastly, JBI, no, these cars do NOT have a timing belt thus those issues. they now come with chains. have not read a single issue regading that on the forums.

honestly, they are good cars to buy, rock solid motors, amazing interiors. if you can afford a slightly higher maintenance cost then a vette and do most of the work yourself, i think you be fine...
insurance on the other hand, might wanna check that out before hand... you'll be surprised...

Aj

JerriVette

I always used the vette when my newborn child came along. I was one of the first people to get the air bag cutoff switch installed in my first vette...my 1999 and thats when you had to government approval before the dealer would install the air bag shutoff switch..

Keep the vette. IMO

Good luck with whatever you decide.

johncbourg

Dont do it. I have a bud who deals in high end exotics..You dont want the repair bill trust me

PeterK

Are you quite sure about this? Granted I have no direct knowledge about maserati service costs but the numbers that have been thrown around here are much higher than the typical service costs for a porsche.

1 BAD BURB

^^^ yes I agree, doesn't seem like costs are similar but they in fact are. I have talked to a few Indy mechanics and dealerships. Porsches are difficult to work on since everything is crammed into a small and tight spaces. The maserati is very comparable to e vette, lots of openness and smartly placed items. It's easy to work on thus costs stay low.

Now what you read above is just an isolated instance or hear say, u don't have any actual owners chiming in and saying anything. I have read the forums for yrs now and have kept up even more so these last couple weeks. They are dependable drivers so long as you maintain them. Not any different ten our vettes. Heck, I et I'd do less maintenance on a Mas then my current heavily built c5.
Even my 07' e63 Benz just requires the basic maintenance and is cheaper then my Vette.

I suggest getting on the forums and really do some heavy read and research. I posted above what the key problems are already. Find the long term research articles from motor trend or motorweek, that'll be your best, real world, answers.

PeterK

Thing is, with 911 you can drop the entire rear subframe providing nice and clear access to pretty much everything.

lionsfan5454

Yeah... just "drop it", takes about 2 min and you can even do it wearing a suit

PeterK

It does take hours but it takes a less time than to take the engine out of the corvette and there are plenty of people on 6speed that have done in their own garage even w/o a lift. I've seen porsche technicians to drop the rear subframe on a 996 turbo in about 2-3 hours. After that everything was very easy to work on.

tjZ06

I've been sort of looking at Gran Turismos. They are getting pretty reasonable on price, but of course I want an "S" and those are still holding value well... too well for me to consider one.

-TJ

BoostManiac

Thanks to Ferrari's cash and engineering infusion, Maserati has come a long way in recent years. But they are still a very luxurious proposition. Still a long way from being a pratical exotic, even if you find one cheaply.

See also Porsche 928. The $80,000 car that you can pick up for $29,000, that costs you Fort Knox if/when it ever has problems. You can pick up '80s 928s for $10,000, but spend more than that on repairs over time. These were the cars of the rich and famous in the '80s, very highly regarded, but as we all know, often rich folk don't even keep fancy cars long enough to have to deal with problems.

vetteship

Run Forrest,.., run. Putting up with it is going to be a hastle and will negatively effect the joy of owning one.

986_C6

I currently own two Masers.

06 Coupe Cambiocorsa
06 QP duoselect tranny.

My wife drives the QP as her dd, she hates it because in auto mode, it jerks the heck out of you I love it because I only drive it in manual mode. She actually prefers her 05 XJR over the QP and her 02 S-type over the XJR (I think we are regressing a bit with her needs vs my needs). My 15 month old daughter don't seem to mind the QP though.

Our last clutch was changed at 20k miles, which is about avg.

My Boxster is dd/track and C6Z06 is dd(winter)/track.

My Coupe is strictly my Fri car.

I do the oil changes myself.

Ask me any questions you like.

JBI

Thanks, I actually ended up putting the Vette up for sale and getting rid of other toys. Had a long "discussion" with the wife recently and "we" (when I say we I mean SHE lol ) decided that it would be a good idea in this economy to downsize a bit. So the Maserati idea has faded.

I do appreciate the reply though and if the Midterm elections go my way I'm sure I'll be coming back to wanting one again. I will, for sure, be contacting you in the future for some info on these beauties.

986_C6

No problem man and good luck with you. As you said, they really are just toys.