Maserati Granturismo (2014-2016) Thoughts

Sinistar

Sinistar

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Brad
I think I am past wanting an old muscle car. For some reason not interested in a vette.

I figured the exact opposite of a reliable boring Toyota would a Granturismo. Mentioned the GT to my wife and she was like "really?". A few days later there was a black convertible ahead of us and she was like "That car?". :) The lines on the GT convertible are pretty nice!

I think a 2014-2016 gets past several of the early model engine problems (variators, leaking coolant hose, etc). Seems more models in this range with less sticky button problems. Pretty sure you get a hands free blue tooth phone and back up camera after 2013. So all of life's needs are met LOL. I do expect whatever I get to need $$$$ work. Goal is to keep it 2 years and dump it if not really liking it.

Curious if anyone has one and has any thoughts?

Still not sure I understand the whole automatic with paddle shifters yet seems to have a manual gearbox thing - unclear on years and what this even means???

Last question - disregarding the specific car mfg/model what does everyone think about convertibles vs hardtop / coupes. Are convertibles better for resale or just stay away.

Thanks for any help!!!
 
I have nothing to add, but I am following because I've been thinking about pulling the trigger on the same car. It's a bad looking b!tch !!
 
I saw one of these last week. Meh. But everyone has their preferences.

Paddle shifting is just like like putting it in L1/2/3/4 by hand instead of putting it in D and zoning out. You pick the gear you want to be in.

Convertibles will leak at some point. Not a question of if, but when. If you are moving to The Atacama or never plan on getting caught in the rain, a convertible will be fine.
 
I considered a Quattroporte about a 8 years back. I was a bit underwhelmed in the fit and finish compared to a Mercedes S class and it seemed anemic in acceleration performance. I passed and bought an S 63. Like old Jaguars, hard to beat the styling of the Maserati though....sure are lookers. If I were to buy a foreign convertible sports car I would stick with Porsche. The reliability of the cabriolet I had was unmatchable. Even though it was a rag top it still was very durable in 12 years of ownership. Even Mercedes has done away with hard top convertibles in favor of soft tops. I have a 2013 Bentley GTC and I need the entire convertible top/frame replaced in just 30,000mi and currently the cost will be over $30,000! For the near future I consider it a coupe with a rag top as it is INOP...:rolleyes:. I certainly would avoid any high end Italian convertible unless you had a 'top fund'....like an engine OH set aside fund. :)
 
I've lusted after a Quattroporte since the 2000ish era when the first ones came out. I really love the styling on them, although I don't like the styling of the ones post 2010 quite as much. That 2000ish one I think was a slam dunk styling wise.

Mechanically, I haven't heard good things about the early ones. Originally they used what was truly a manual transmission that was actuated by servos and computers as I understand it. That didn't work well and was unreliable and clunky in normal operation. The dual clutch transmissions that you see a lot of these days are better, but Maserati had actually gone to a standard slushbox automatic in I think 2007 or so.

These days I believe Maserati drivetrains are similar to what's in my wife's Alfa Romeo. Still Ferrari derived, but used in a number of different brands and vehicles. I can say my wife's Alfa has been a remarkably reliable car.

Personally I would buy the coupe not the convertible. If it's anything like the XK8/XKR, most people bought the convertible, and long term that makes the coupes more desirable for resale.
 
Doc Holliday said:
Like elephants, I enjoy looking at them, but no way would I want to own one.
Click to expand...

Gotta agree! I think I'm past the whole sports car thing. 70 is the fastest you can drive on public roads in my area. And from what I remember track days were a lot of hassle for too few minutes of fun (I can only imagine what its like now).

If I had enough money to buy a used Maserati, I'd probably spend it on another airplane.
 
I can't imagine touching a Maserati that wasn't a classic. They still have a pretty poor reputation for quality/reliability, so I wouldn't be putting much money into one. The only upside is that they depreciate so fast that you can pick up used ones for under $20K all day long as people tend to dump them often.

I'd be looking at something with a better pedigree as Maserati has been living off their reputation for decades.
 
Back in the 80's, my father had the itch to buy a Mercedes-Benz SL roadster. He thought about it for a year or two, then finally bought one. He kept it for a year or two and then sold it, having scratched that particular itch. I drove it a couple of times, I didn't much care for it, it encouraged sedate driving, something like what a retired gentleman would drive to the country club, but I don't know where you'd put the golf clubs, or maybe they stayed at the club.

If this is what you want, go for it. Make sure that it's been maintained properly and realize when you need work done it will be expensive.
 
It's kind of a boring looking car for its price. And it's not going to get me from the Central Valley to the Bay Area and back any faster or more comfortably than a Sentra, which is roughly one tenth of the cost.
 
Look awesome, don't want to own one. I've been casually looking for a Porsche Cayenne, and while at a dealer a few weeks ago I saw in one of the Maserati SUVs. Looks fantastic, but you can just feel the build quality isn't there. The interior looks nice, but feels super cheap and flimsy. Pretty underwhelming.
 
I think if I were willing to put up with the threat of high repair costs and wanted something a bit unique in that space, I'd find an Aston Martin DB9/Vantage.
 
Thanks for all the input. Not sure what I'll do in the end. I know for me it will be a 2-3yr thing at most. Several say buy a plane instead but we're good there. I did briefly research the DB9's and I thought I was seeing it would cost even more for the same year, most likely even more expensive problems and I still think the styling of the 2008-2017 GT's win out over the same year Aston Martin. But that is just personal preference.
 
Update:

After some dedicated looking then a break then looking again I finally found one. Its not everything I wanted...but the price and condition work for me. Our biggest concern (after mx costs) was road noise in the convertible with top up in heavy fast traffic. Pulled a grancabrio onto the 4-lane at evening rush hour. Was up to 80mph in what seemed like 8 seconds :) It was actually only about 10% louder than the coupe. So convertible it is.

Quick Details
2012 Grancabrio with MC package (some carbon fiber)
Exterior is black, Interior is burgundy (black was first choice)
44K miles

Updates:
Replaced wheels and tires (it had non-staggered snow tires)
Fabric top repair to re glue window, remove some unneeded material and reseat all window gaskets.
Headlight restoration (when purchased you literally could not see through them or drive at night)
Needs interior door panel work or replacement
Head unit actually has media storage and hands free but no backup camera until around like 2018 LOL

Price negotiated: $21,700 (started at over $30,000)
Updates to date: $3,500
Future (interior): $1,000
Total: $26,200

Not many around here so somewhat unique. Love the look, sound, comfort and torque :)

Maserati_Full_Passenger.jpgMaserati_Front_Passenger.jpgMaserati_Back_Passenger.jpgMaserati_Front.jpgMaserati_Rear.jpgMaserati_Front_Driver.jpg
 
That Grancabrio is one bad ass looking ride, congrats!
 
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I have always wanted a 1975 Cadillac Coup deVille. Mid 70s styling, plush comfort, 500ci engine, 1mpg highway, 0 city, taking up 4 parking spaces, 12 yards long and 2 lanes wide, 65 tons of American pride, it'l blind everyone with it's super high beams, it's a squirrel squashin' deer smacking driving machine, (Unexplained fires were a matter for the courts) I will be sure to drive slow enough so you can look at me and see how important I am to have a car this size.

So get your all electric Tiny Spec car outta the way before I flatten it like a bug.
 
Zeldman said:
View attachment 130669

I have always wanted a 1975 Cadillac Coup deVille. Mid 70s styling, plush comfort, 500ci engine, 1mpg highway, 0 city, taking up 4 parking spaces, 12 yards long and 2 lanes wide, 65 tons of American pride, it'l blind everyone with it's super high beams, it's a squirrel squashin' deer smacking driving machine, (Unexplained fires were a matter for the courts) I will be sure to drive slow enough so you can look at me and see how important I am to have a car this size.

So get your all electric Tiny Spec car outta the way before I flatten it like a bug.
Click to expand...


Pink, brother. Gotta be pink.

 
Zeldman said:
View attachment 130669

I have always wanted a 1975 Cadillac Coup deVille. Mid 70s styling, plush comfort, 500ci engine, 1mpg highway, 0 city, taking up 4 parking spaces, 12 yards long and 2 lanes wide, 65 tons of American pride, it'l blind everyone with it's super high beams, it's a squirrel squashin' deer smacking driving machine, (Unexplained fires were a matter for the courts) I will be sure to drive slow enough so you can look at me and see how important I am to have a car this size.

So get your all electric Tiny Spec car outta the way before I flatten it like a bug.
Click to expand...



Don't forget "Made in the You Ess of Effing A Bubba" :D :) :p :cool:
 
Zeldman said:
View attachment 130669

I have always wanted a 1975 Cadillac Coup deVille. Mid 70s styling, plush comfort, 500ci engine, 1mpg highway, 0 city, taking up 4 parking spaces, 12 yards long and 2 lanes wide, 65 tons of American pride, it'l blind everyone with it's super high beams, it's a squirrel squashin' deer smacking driving machine, (Unexplained fires were a matter for the courts) I will be sure to drive slow enough so you can look at me and see how important I am to have a car this size.

So get your all electric Tiny Spec car outta the way before I flatten it like a bug.
Click to expand...
I know a guy who had one of those turning 14-second quarter mile times on drag slicks… that fit inside the skirts. It was awesome.
 
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