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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  Ghibli SQ4 - 2014 Maserati Ghibli
  By pluther - November 29 - 7:08 pm

  Purchased the Ghibli SQ4 after being a BMW 5 series driver for over a decade. There are so many BMWs on the road now that they are just not that unique anymore. The Ghibli seemed like a very unique option and I am overall very pleased. I only have 500 miles on the car but it has been a lot of fun. The Ghibli is not a luxury car...its a true sports car that is built do drive. It has a firm ride (which I love) and its pretty noisy compared to BMW or Mercedes but thats what I wanted. Its handling and exhaust are second to none in this class...really awesome. The paddle shifters work terrific and shift instantly unlike many competitors. The car design is beautiful!

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  "My Baby" - 2005 Maserati Spyder
  By Cynthia Edelman - November 20 - 3:00 pm

  I bought my Maserati Spyder on the Internet. I have driven many different, high-end sports cars and my Spyder is the most fun to drive because of the Formual One transmission. The car can be driven in automaic mode or you can shift manually with the paddles on the steering column. The top goes up or down in about 30 seconds with the touch of a button, and it is really a head turner on the road. I had the Tubi Eghaust put on mine and it souds awesome! I love it!

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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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  Ferrari substitute? - 2002 Maserati Spyder
  By Maserati Spyder - October 22 - 3:40 pm

  Dealer service was expensive but good, and many items were upgraded and checked. Engine is wonderful both in appearance and performance. Wide rev range and great Ferrari sound over 5K. A chain belt gives a Ferrari- designed engine performance without the superexpensive belt changes.Interior is beautiful, throttle progressive, brakes good, steering and clutch light, but first and second gear are baulky. Free dealer upgrade helped a bit, but still not as good as Porsche. Scuttle shake is the only other issue, especially when starting off for some reason, but overall this is a super secondhand value and a fun ride.

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  Theres nothing like a fast Italian! - 2002 Maserati Spyder
  By MJC - October 16 - 10:00 am

  At long last Im back in a convertible, and what a convertible it is. Everything about the look of this car is fabulous inside and out. But for those who believe that beauty is only skin deep, get in, hit the gas and hold on. This car is not only fast but it corners "as if its on rails". Another nice feature is that at six foot three I fit comfortably in the car and also can get out gracefully. I was on a waiting list for the new SL500 but saw the Maserati at the car show. With the luck of the Irish I was in my new Spyder 2 weeks later. If you enjoy the drive more than the destination, get this car its a GREAT ride!

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  Maserati QP is a Four Door Ferrari - 2007 Maserati Quattroporte
  By Limacs - October 13 - 5:23 am

  I recently purchased the fully loaded Executive GT Duoselect QP by Maserati. To me, QP is a Four Door Ferrari. Its got all the power it has in a 8 cylinder ferrari plus more interior space. It rockets to 60mph in just 5.2 seconds and it has the most comfortable frictionless left and right turns you can make with any upscale sedans. Its got the sexiest engine noise you will ever hear in any car (since ferrari makes Maserati) and has brembo brakes that wont let you down when you really need it. The exterior design of QP is absolutely beautiful and it turn heads wherever you go. The only problem I have is the cabin noise. It is not as quite a Lexus or Merc.

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  The car for real enthusiasts - 2005 Maserati Quattroporte
  By LAFORZAGOP - August 20 - 1:26 pm

  This car is sick. My dad bought his this July after driving the likes of the Mercedes-Benz S500, S55 AMG, BMW 745Li, and Jaguar XJR. Of these cars the Maserati is definately the most special. It looks like nothing on the road and people will constantly stare and give appeasing gestures. It drives like a dream. It corners absolutely ridiculouslt for a 5,000 lb. + four door sedan. In fact I think it handles better than my Dads heavily modded Porsche C4. After driving this car I just dont think its possible to go back to the mass produced German and British cars. It makes you feel special and you will find yourself just going outside just to look at it. This is by far the best designed sedan on market today.

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  Supercar - 2005 Maserati Gransport
  By Speedy - August 14 - 6:56 am

  An incredible machine. Fast, beautiful, flawless, and a fantastic sound. A work of art inside and outside. Drives andfeels like no other automobile. Perfect!

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  Best performance vehicle for the dollar - 2002 Maserati Coupe
  By JSN - July 31 - 3:53 am

  I bought the Maserati Cambiocorsa because ist was within my budget, $60,000. I saw NOTHING that even came close. It has 390hp, dry sump oil, ferrari motor, dry clutch/paddle shifter, 18 inch wheels... it is all about speed, control and fun. This car is a blast. I drive it every day to and from work (10 miles each way), and sometimes even on errands like shopping. The trunk is adequate for most tasks. It seats four adults comfortably. Has hooks a for child seat. My four year old LOVES to ride in it. She calls it Daddys "race car" and urges me to go faster. So far it has been extremely reliable. It did have one major repair, the clutch. This was probably from pervious owner abuse, but dealer replaced entire clutch under warranty - which, by the way, is five years!

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  Maserati Masterpiece - 2006 Maserati Gransport
  By Rich - July 8 - 11:10 pm

  I had an 2002 Coupe Corsa and loved it. It had no reliability problems. Its tires got around 10,000 miles. I attended the Master Maserati Driving school, which used mostly Gransports. I was amazed at how stable the car was on the Road Atlanta race course. It was almost impossible to get into driving trouble. I saw the spy photos of the new Maserati Coupe for late 2007/2008 and thought the car was going too large and too much like a 2-door Quattroporte, despite the 470 (est) horsepower. So my warranty was running out and I purchased a new 2006 Gransport LE. I could not be happier or be having more fun. It seems to me, that if you want a true GT coupe, who wants bigger rear seats.