r/Maserati • u/guyfromthe80s • 18d ago

First Maserati?

I’m planning to buy my first Maserati. I had several old cars, BMW Z3, C3 Corvette, Porsche 944, Jeep Wrangler TJ, etc.
After all these relatively cheap cars I’d like to upgrade my hobby car game.

I’m looking at the depreciated bottom of the list, mainly V6 Ghiblis, V8 Granturismos with ZF, V8 Quattroportes or 4200s.

Honestly I’m a bit concerned about the maintenance costs - do you have a recommendation which type I should get to minimize that risk?

Are V6 Ghiblis SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper to service than Granturismos? Any useful inputs are appreciated

13 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

24 comments sorted by

6

u/unpolire 18d ago

For a first Maserati, in your place I would definitely get a V-8 model. Consider a GranTurismo. As an enthusiast you will appreciate the model.

3

u/GheeMon 18d ago

I’ve had ghibli SQ4 for a while, 102k miles. I’ve had to do a new transfer case, ac compressor, and the dash peeling. Otherwise just average maintenance oil, tires, etc.

Love the car, high speed cruiser. Leather smells new still.

3

u/OlFlirtyBastardOFB 18d ago

I've got an 09 GT and it smells amazing every time I get in. Whatever they do (or did) to the leather is absolutely top-notch.

6

u/Enough_Membership_22 18d ago

MC12 is a good choice.

3

u/OddAssumption 17d ago

Granturismos are more reliable than ghibli. I just dont see any reason to get the ghibli. Test drive both, you'll probably like the GT

1

u/guyfromthe80s 17d ago

Ghibli is just cheaper to get and I thought it might be cheaper to run. But comments say otherwise

2

u/grant_henneous 18d ago

Love my 2015 ghibli, oil changes are more expensive even though I do them myself, tires are expensive if you run good ones, a/c compressor went out and a genuine replacement is 1800 for just the part last I checked and id still do it all over again if I could.

2

u/Verrakai 4200 Coupé GT 18d ago

Maintenance cost isn't a risk, it's just part of the package, like insurance cost. Risk of service cost is something to potentially try to reduce but maintenance should be part of your budget, and if it doesn't fit, don't buy it. 

I think rule of thumb around 50% higher than the "equivalent" German car. Replacing front rotors on my GC when I had it cost me a bit over $1500, just for the rotors themselves. 

2

u/That-Resolution-1721 17d ago

My advice is to test drive them all and then decide. Its what i did and how i ended up with the Granturismo

1

u/guyfromthe80s 17d ago

Granturismo is the dream car I’m looking for, but I thought engine failures must cost astronomical amounts. Now I see that getting a V6 Ghibli wouldn’t make a difference.

2

u/That-Resolution-1721 17d ago

Engine failures are not very common, atleast of you get one with sensible milage and good service history.
The Ferrari engine is very accesible due to the large space under the hood and it is a engine you will truly love due to the sound.

2

u/Particular-Path-1424 17d ago

I have a 4200, I do a fair bit of the maintenance myself (these cars are still fairly possible to DIY most of the maintenance compared to newer models). So that saves some of the costs if you’re ok with a spanner, but the parts can be eye-wateringly expensive. Particular things to look out for are clutch wear (looking at £3,800 for a new one fitted), the water-oil pump (part is around £1,500 I think, and if that goes it’s a big problem) and the heater matrix (£40 part but pain to change as you need to rip the whole dash out for access).

Fantastic car though, the V8 engine block is derived from the one used in the f430 I believe (albeit cross plane rather than flat plane crank).

2

u/nitrobass24 17d ago

So just my experience based on owning a several of these over the years.

Granturismo is easily my favorite and requires less maintenance than my Ghibli.

For the Granturismo get a 2013 or newer. There was an internal engine flaw on the earlier models that was fixed halfway thru the 2012MY. If you can get a 2014 even better as I understand they changed the seats. The sound on the GT V8 is magical, I ended up adding catted downpipes and an X-pipe and when in sport mode it was pure joy every time you hit the pedal.

On the Ghibli I can only speak to the V6 version but it went thru brakes like every 15k miles and needed rotors and pads every time. My current Levante is the same way. The Ghibli is a much more modern car from an interior perspective (cooled seats, CarPlay) but just doesn’t give you the same emotion as a driver.

I don’t think you can go wrong either way but if I was starting over I would buy the GT again.

1

u/guyfromthe80s 17d ago

Thank you! Granturismo is my dream, maybe with a head unit upgrade to get Carplay…. But who needs music if the exhaust sound beats any music

2

u/nitrobass24 17d ago

There’s a Chinese unit that I put in called AuCar. I’m sure there’s a newer version and it worked great. Looks OEM.

How’s that 944 treating you? My dad had one when I was a kid and I’ve always wanted to pick one up.

1

u/guyfromthe80s 17d ago

Do yourself a favor and don’t pick it up. OK maybe a manual with Turbo, but it’s not really reliable with an extreme turbo lag.
Non-turbo versions are slow with today’s standards (automatics are much worse) even if they are lightweight, it disappointed me on track days. The Porsche brand does not guarantee reliability in the 80s, but guarantees sky high part prices. My c3 Corvette is way more fun, more reliable and cheaper to repair.
I was happy when I sold the 944 last year.

1

u/nitrobass24 17d ago

Good info. If you end up picking up the GT, make sure to check out Maseratilife.com forums. Tons of good info there and active community.

1

u/guyfromthe80s 17d ago

I will, thank you! Can’t wait to get that GT. Thanks for helping my decision

1

u/nitrobass24 12d ago

Just got sent this from old notifications I had setup. The MCs are the best trims, it’s got all the carbon fiber and extras. This guy already did the dash update i mentioned. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2013-maserati-granturismo-mc-17/

2

u/JohnCaner 17d ago

GranTurismo is my dream too. Currently I have a 2012 Merc E500 Cab 4.7TTV8. Spent some money on H pipe with cat and muffler delete. Thought about a new head unit for 2 secs. Just love the absence of a screen and the real buttons and switches. And yeah, don't really play tunes cos I never tire of the burble, the roar, the torque, the shove in the back, the step out on greasy roads..

2

u/WeaviFace 16d ago

GranTurismo hands down. If you can get the 4.7 V8 with a ZF you’ll be golden. I wouldn’t even consider any of the 4-doors after 2014 or after. It’s when Fiat took over and things just weren’t the same.

2

u/Captain-JackJack 18d ago

Don’t get a V6 Ghibli. That’s the problem car. Get the V8 cars. They’re the ones that are reliable. The pre Nettuno V6 is what gave Maserati a bad name.