Life used to be simple: Italian car
companies made sports cars and German
car companies made luxury ones. But that
all changed when Maserati introduced the
latest Quattroporte. Combining the space
of a luxury car with the performance and
heritage of a sports car, the
Quattroporte was intended to be a
stylish cruiser for managing directors
who hadn’t yet given up on the idea of
driving.
Launched in the UK in 2004 the new
Maserati Quattroporte came with a price
tag of about £80,000, putting it head to
head with the top spec BMW 7-series,
Mercedes-Benz S-class and Jaguar’s
supercharged XJ.
But thanks to a deserved reputation from
the 1980s and 1990s for producing models
with dubious build quality, patchy
reliability and appalling residual
values many industry commentators
proclaimed the new Quattroporte a white
elephant. Three years on and the model
has proved them wrong, with used
examples now commanding stronger
residual values than cars from many of
their competitors.
Much of this success is due to a
glorious 4.2 litre V8 engine producing a
lusty 400bhp, enough to power the car
from standstill to 62mph in just over
5sec. And with no artificial limiter on
the top speed the Quattroporte is
capable of 171mph.
However, in the world of luxury saloon
cars, performance is just one
ingredient; the car must also offer a
sumptuous driving environment. In this
regard the Maserati also plays a strong
hand. Soft leather and fine wood veneers
abound and the centrally mounted clock
is more reminiscent of a luxury
gentleman’s watch than a mere timepiece.
Whether you are sitting in the front or
the rear of the Quattroporte you will
almost certainly feel special, something
lacking with many of its more obvious
competitors.
As with most cars with an original
£80,000 price tag, you get most of the
options boxes already ticked, but new
buyers will still have had to shell out
for metallic paint (essential) and rear
parking sensors (desirable).
One option that is worth paying special
attention to is the choice of
transmission. The standard six-speed
manual was criticised for a rather heavy
gearchange and some clunkiness,
prompting many owners to skip a couple
of gears under normal use. The second
option, the Duo-Select clutchless
manual, gave the benefit of auto changes
in town but was also criticised for
being rather ponderous in operation,
particularly when the car was driven
slowly.
On later cars the Duo-Select gearchanges
were improved and on balance they look
the better option, particularly for
owners intent on using the car for the
daily commute. A new hydraulic six-speed
ZF gearbox was added to the range in
December 2006; with a smoother, quicker
change it looks in time likely to make
for the most desirable car in the range.
On the road the Quattroporte drives like
few other cars. Despite its size it soon
feels wrapped around you and the engine
note is truly intoxicating. In truth it
feels more GT than limousine and owners
will struggle to keep a light right
foot.
The electronic Skyhook suspension can be
adjusted to firm up the car’s ride,
making it corner with even greater
ability, although for everyday driving
the standard setup is more than
adequate.
In typical Italian style the Maserati
could be factory ordered in a range of
exterior and interior trim combinations
that could be further enhanced by a
veritable forest of different wood
veneer inserts. The result is that few
used examples will be identical, adding
to the car’s unique character.
A secondhand Quattroporte is certainly
not cheap and given the heavy fuel
consumption (Maserati is unlikely to
offer a diesel option any time soon)
ownership is never going to be a
bargain.
So if you start to compare it rationally
with a used BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Jaguar
it starts to look like a bit of an
indulgent purchase. But think again and
consider it a competitor for the likes
of the mighty Ferrari Scaglietti and it
starts to look like one of the used car
bargains of the decade.
