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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  Italian exotic for less - 2003 Maserati Coupe
  By ital - September 26 - 10:00 am

  cambiocorsa transmission (F1 style paddleshift behind steering wheel) is a definite plus over the manual. Shifts are quick, but they need some getting used to (take off your foot from the accelarator whenever shifting), but once this is mastered, what a blast to drive. Ferrari engine & transmission, Brembus brakes, italian workmanship for a the price of a S500 - take it any day.

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  Great used buy luxury GT but slow car - 2011 Maserati GranTurismo
  By mastersj - September 21 - 12:27 pm

  I love this car except it is VERY SLOW and heavy and lacks the performance of similar cars like the Mercedes SL63 AMG and BMW M6. I mean come on Maserati, 0-60 in 5.1 seconds! Thats slow as can be considering my BMW M3 costs half as much and is much faster! Also, Maserati drops like a rock in value. Best bet is to buy a 1-2 year old car and save 50%! The looks and interior are superior however to BMW and Mercedes in price point however! So if you want a great cruiser and not a performance coupe, Maserati is the ticket. Otherwise, I would look at an AMG Mercedes like the CL63 AMG or SL63 AMG or maybe a Porsche 911 Turbo for same amount of money. Perhaps even an Aston Martin V12 Vantage.

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  Not Ready for Prime-Time Player - 2005 Maserati Quattroporte
  By Murrayr1 - September 9 - 3:26 pm

  I may be the only person in the US to own two Maserati Quattroportes. My first had multiple problems that included sensors, transmission and finally the main computer; all in the first three months of ownership. OK, anything is possible with a new model, right? Maserati of NA gave me a new one and I had the transmission re-built (clutch and throw-out bearing) same as the first. The dealer bent over backward to help. Corporate gave me a song and dance about wanting to study my car and then sold it without disclosing the problems. Beware, the "clutch is a wear item", 2500 to replace (they did mine free due to 3k miles) and , "good for 20k mi" (srvce mgr). Not disclosed.

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  Midlife Crisis?? I dont think so! - 2004 Maserati Spyder
  By d blair - September 3 - 10:00 am

  Ok so I am a 55 year old man who has come to the point in my life when I can afford some of the nicer things in life. I know this might be sounding like a CRISIS Eulogy.. but let me tell you after a week of The John Barber Racing School and then the following week my felivery of my Masserati and there is nothing midlife about this baby. ABSOLUTELY the finest piece of Machinery That I have ever had the pleasure of driving.. From the onlookers to the behind the wheel guts of this bad boy and it all becomes perfectly clear when the Italians Do It Better slogan comes from... WOW!!

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  Sooo Pretty - 2005 Maserati Quattroporte
  By Chris M - May 7 - 2:26 pm

  This car is a gem. Its great to see a business class sedan done in such a sporty and elegant style. Elegant and sleek is the design. I fell in love with it when I first saw it.

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  Itallian beast - 2002 Maserati Spyder
  By mike mansour - April 23 - 12:30 am

  I purchased my Spyder used in august of 2005 and it has been my daily driver ever since. The thrust of the V8 is incredible and the sound is very satisfying. The electric top neatly stows in within seconds. I previously owned a 2002 BMW M3 convertible, and their is no comparison. My M3 struggled in winter driving as I live in Minnesota, but the skyhook suspension on the Maserati makes winter driving suprisingly pleasant, I have driven this car through the 2 winters without a problem. The customer service could be better with Maserati, my car has had numerous problems with the windshield wiper motor, and needed to be replaced, but thats it, great car would highly recommend.

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  06 Maserati Cambio Coupe - 2006 Maserati Coupe
  By arnold feldman - April 14 - 12:00 pm

  Only problem is that in the Northeast, low profile tires with original rims are a disaster: have blown 3 tires and two rims 9 (at 30 mph)!

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  "Poor mans" Ferarri - 2004 Maserati Spyder
  By zeeb - March 26 - 2:00 am

  For a sticker price of around $100,000 you can have all the thrills of a Ferarri. Giving up 2 or 3 tenths of a second in the 0-60 race saves you $50- 60,000. Trust me, you will never miss them. And with the money you save, you can buy a 4x4. (If you live in the north, youll need it. If you live in a warmer climate, youll probably spend it on gas).

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  Best. Car. Ever. - 2004 Maserati Spyder
  By alexthegreat - March 22 - 10:00 am

  Best. Car. Ever. Great looking, rides great and a ferrari engine. I love my car. Period.

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  Fun and Fast - 2006 Maserati Quattroporte
  By bruce bordelon - February 18 - 11:46 pm

  This car is very interesting to drive. The suspension and handling feel like you are on rails and the car is drop dead gorgeous.