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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  Maserati Coupe Corsa - 2002 Maserati Coupe
  By R. Strain - May 19 - 2:00 am

  Received car in late 2002. The cambiocorsa (F-1)transmission program had been upgraded so it was less clunky sounding. Build quality is excellent and the interior exudes italian leather class. Ordered the skyhook suspension and even with lower profile tires the car is better riding than my Lexus SC 430. The thrill factor and engine sounds are great. The car is better looking from the rear than pictures illustrate. Prefer the Michelin tires and tread design. All in all I am very happy with the car--the car I had on order and changed was a 911 Carrera 4S with tiptronic--I think the Maserati has more cache and better sounds

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  A wonderful convertible. - 2002 Maserati Spyder
  By Raf Aviner - April 19 - 10:00 am

  Pros: This is a car that shows how Porsche cars should have been built post 993 model. Interior is gorgeous, and the performance is immense. The body styling is classic so its looks wont fade. Handling is very good, and many thoughtful designer touches are added. Engineering is excellent. Cons: Why could the engineers not reduced the cowl shake??? Overall Review: A great convertible that would have been perfect had Maserati managed to reduce cowl shake to the level of a Porsche Cabrio.

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  maserati coupe - 2004 Maserati Coupe
  By pnc47 - March 8 - 2:00 am

  New toy. Very fast. F1 transmission is a bit quirky to drive especially at low speed, ie., parking and the like. At speed it is awesome. Dont know how reliable this car will be. Looks good.

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  Perfect balance between a smooth and sporty ride - 2015 Maserati Ghibli
  By Paolo - January 12 - 10:32 pm

  If your priority is a very smooth ride there might be other good choices, however, if you (like me...) actually also enjoy driving, this is a GREAT choice. I agree with some criticism about the interior, a few marginal features could have be done better, but overall I tested many other cars in this class and no one came close to offer the same emotions. Update: after 6 months still very happy and deeply in love with this car !! Best vehicle I ever (& proudly) owned.

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  An excellent GT - 2003 Maserati Coupe
  By BACKNBLACK - January 1 - 10:00 am

  I really wish i would have gotten a Cambicorsa. It really catches people off guard. I still havent seen another one on the road. A really great GT.

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  Maser Coupe GT - 2003 Maserati Coupe
  By michael006 - December 26 - 10:00 am

  Awesome engine, so-so transmission, lots of fun to drive. Not so reliable.

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  A lot more automobile - 2003 Maserati Spyder
  By JCAP - December 14 - 2:00 am

  This is a lot more automobile than a Mercedes with style that turns heads and performance which is a joy to drive.

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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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  Maserati - 2003 Maserati Coupe
  By SLC - November 14 - 10:00 am

  Best car I ever owned. Ive had Mercedes, Ferraris, BMWs, etc, but none have given me the enjoyment my Maserate Coupe has.

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  Ghibli/Ferrari! - 2015 Maserati Ghibli
  By Jon Peterson - October 10 - 7:00 pm

  The car magazine guys are crazy . This is a great car. for the price of a 5 series or boring E class you get an all wheel drive Ferrari powered car and you can pre-pay for all service costs for 4 years for less than $2000.00. People complain about Chrysler parts ... but they dont call these same parts Chrysler when the see them in a Mercedes! (most modern Chrysler stuff is from when Mercedes owned them) Certified deals are out there making it an even better choice (5 year 100,000 mile certified warranty). When in Manual setting it STAYS in gear . When in Sport the engine sound is as good as it gets. Drama + head turning + Ferrari ... this car has a soul... go drive one! Ferrari engine built on a Mercedes/Chrysler block .. Italian style ... American electronics that work .. German 8 speed manu/matic transmission... what is not to like?