Overview & Reviews

Italian sports-car excitement doesn't have to come at super-steep prices. Maserati has made a name for itself as a maker of lust-worthy exotics that, though costly, are bargains relative to their stratospherically priced competition. Maserati cars currently come in a number of configurations that range from an open sports car to a spacious luxury sport sedan.

The company was founded in 1914 by six Maserati brothers: Carlo, Bindo, Alfieri, Mario, Ettore and Ernesto. Based in Bologna, Italy, the brothers were racing enthusiasts and planned to craft racecars for private use. Mario, an artist, was believed to have based the company's trident emblem on a statue of the mythological god Neptune found in a Bologna square.

Throughout the '20s and '30s, the Maserati brothers scored many wins around the globe in their custom-built racecars. In 1937, the surviving brothers sold their stake in the company to the Orsi family, who moved the company's headquarters to Modena. A couple of years later, one of the automaker's cars won the prestigious Indianapolis 500.

Postwar, Maserati continued to rack up impressive racing victories with cars like the famous Tipo 60 and 61 "Birdcage" models. The company didn't start building road cars until the A6 coupe, which was made from 1947-'57. With only 138 cars produced in that long span, most of Maserati's money came from its other products: spark plugs and car batteries. The Maserati 3500 GT, fitted with a double-overhead-cam inline six, debuted in the mid-1950s.

By the 1960s, the automaker had shifted its focus from racecars to road cars. The company rolled out sexy models like the Mistral Coupe and the Sebring. But it wasn't until 1966, with the introduction of the sleek Giugiaro-styled Ghibli, that Maserati fielded a truly powerful (330-horsepower V8) and sexy Italian sports car. In 1968, the marque was purchased by Citroën.

Throughout the 1970s, Maserati made the most of its partnership with Citroën, using some of that company's suspension and steering components in Maserati cars such as the V8 Bora and V6 Merak models. The decade's fuel crisis took its toll, though, wreaking havoc and killing demand for the sort of gas-guzzling sports cars that were Maserati's specialty. Citroën was driven into bankruptcy and Maserati was placed in liquidation. In 1975, the company was purchased by Alejandro de Tomaso, an Argentinean who had a previous life as a successful racecar driver. He quickly rolled out a new model, the Quattroporte III, a four-door luxury sedan.

The 1980s were an especially dark time for Maserati. Its main model for the U.S. market, the Biturbo, was bland and notoriously unreliable. In 1991, the company stopped importing cars into the U.S. Fiat bought Maserati in 1993 and variants of the Biturbo continued to be produced until the factory closed in 1997 for a total refurbishing. During this time, Ferrari bought 50 percent of Maserati and went on to acquire full control of the marque.

After the factory's rebirth, Maserati started production of a pair of world-class cars, the two-seat Spyder roadster and the four-seat Coupe. With powerful V8 engines, the availability of an F1-style gearbox, styling by Giugiaro and vastly improved build quality, the new Maserati cars were introduced to the U.S. market for 2002 and restored prestige to the Italian sports car company.

In 2005, Maserati was split from Ferrari but remained within the Fiat fold. That year also saw the reintroduction of the Quattroporte luxury sport sedan, which was followed a few years later by the voluptuous GranTurismo coupe and convertible. Today's Maseratis may lack the ultimate brand recognition of the marque's main rivals, but they hold the advantage of being considerably more affordable while still offering sexy Italian styling and impressive performance.

User Reviews:

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  poorly manufactured - 2006 Maserati Quattroporte
  By massimovolo - October 31 - 8:23 am

  i bought this car in 2010 it was used. Im more disappointed in the quality of the equipment. in the same year i was driving from VA to NJ my car broke down halfway there- air condition pump went bad with only 17,000 miles on it. Also I felt a hesitation in cruise control when i was going downhill so I took it to the dealership. They said I had a bad clutch at 17,000 miles also. I am 100% Italian, born in Italy, I am ashamed to say this is an Italian made car. Its already cost me 3,900 for the compressor for the air condition and its going to cost me another $5900 to replace the clutch. I cant believe that 140,000 car has this kind of equipment in it.

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  Disappointed - 2008 Maserati Quattroporte
  By Robert Schaffuan - November 15 - 3:26 pm

  I am disappointed with this car. I am very glad I set up a lease instead of purchasing it. At first, the car looked stunning in the dealer. I took a test drive, and it drove well on the streets. I wanted to experiment with Maserati. I thought this car was great, until I saw the Mercedes Benz CLS 63 AMG. My lease was nearing an end, and I already had complaints with the car. The rear seat comfort was not acceptable. I didnt realize this, since I am normally the one driving. Also, the Navigation malfunctioned. The power is lacking compared to my former Mercedes Benz E55 AMG. Overall, I think it was a good experience to try the Maserati, because now I now to stick with Mercedes AMG.

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  Worst Quality EVER - 2005 Maserati Quattroporte
  By forspam - October 15 - 2:43 pm

  Bought with 9,000 miles and 12 months left on warranty. More time with Ferrari/Maserati Houston than driving. Throw-out bearing/seals warranty replaced but clutch plate not covered ($1000 part). Software problems=failed plugs ($1000). Failure both fuel pumps ($3,500). Door mechanism failure, plus numerous trips to get transmission software upgrades. Car has total 15,000 miles on odometer. Even the most trivial parts are special order from Italy. I will NEVER buy an Italian car again.

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  Not Impressed - 2014 Maserati Ghibli
  By Kingsley Ozoude - November 23 - 4:44 pm

  I have had my Ghibli QS4 since July, 2014. The car has the worst upgraded radio of any car most readers of this review has today. The dealer replaced my amplifier but the problem persists. The airflow to the floor is terrible, comes out mostly at the windshield. That they also dont know how to fix. The seat belt clip is low that it takes spraining ones back just to click the seat belt. The car even would not start on 2 occasions, embarrassing! Its a shame that since 1914, Maserati has not figured out these seemingly simple things. If you have more than $75K to spend, you better spend it on a car with luxury and performance. I own high end BMW, MB, Porsche, AUDI. Ghibli is a disgrace.

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  Maserai Clutch Problems - 2002 Maserati Coupe
  By jeffm - August 3 - 9:13 am

  This is a nice car with the worst clutch I have ever had. Ive gone through three clutches in 17,000 miles and the new one seems no better. Save your repair money and buy something else. The clutch is a real lemon and Maserati will not cover any repairs (the warranty is void for the clutch the day you drive it out the door, as in a zero mile warranty). Ive owned many sports cars over the years and the clutch problem is the worst I have seen.

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  Ever see a lemon on wheels? - 2005 Maserati Coupe
  By e - April 17 - 1:36 am

  First a blowout then the sensors couldnt differentiate between a stop sign, red light and intentional turn off of the car. The result was the car spent more time in the shop and with AAA roadside assistance or Maz roadside assistance than on the road with me. The little gear shift is easily broken (esp by valets @ $1500 a pop ) and you can get service for an easy $500-800 anytime it is due. The 1st 2000 miles were awesome. The rest absolutely stunk and I felt extremely insecure. Maybe if I rotated the tires every 5k miles it would have handled better but this turkey is not recommended.

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  A Not Ready for Prime Time Player - 2005 Maserati Quattroporte
  By murrayr1 - November 4 - 3:56 am

  I have had two, count them two Quattroportes. My first was a disaster. Computer, sensor and transmission failures. The bright shining star has been the dealership and support. They have ALL been wonderful and tried very hard to make things right. BUT, my second Q is currently having the transmission re-built. This car is a beauty and fun to drive. It cannot, however be what Maserati would like it to be, an entry level exotic. I dont know what they are smoking on the other side but someone needs to do some serious re-thinking about quality control in a 100k car. What I will do? Ball is in Maseratis court to make me real happy. For now, this is not a prime time player.

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  Looks Good But Hunk Of Junk - 2005 Maserati Quattroporte
  By dane17 - February 21 - 7:24 am

  This car is strictly "looks only", it is not reliable or even close to it. I have already sank $13,760 in repairs at only 23K miles. This is totally unacceptable for a $140K car when new. I am taking it to the auction next week to "unload" before it can empty my wallet again. But if you want a sharp car that sits good in the driveway - this is it! Just dont drive it anywhere!!