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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  King of its category - 2009 Maserati GranTurismo
  By Paul - January 26 - 1:23 am

  Driven BMW 645, 750, 545, Mercedes 550, Porsche Boxtser Spyder and many, many more. Rolled the 550 and Porsche immediately following a test drive of the S. Never regretted the move, the car is special and if having to respond constantly while driving what type of car this is Ill take that as cost of ownership. Wonderful ride each and every day on the road.

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  Cambiocorsa coupe 2004 - 2003 Maserati Coupe
  By hoopsking - January 6 - 2:00 am

  Very quick, Good torque, I got the Tubi exhaust it is great. Gas mileage is what they predict about 11 per. It gets a lot of stares and the girls like it.

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  A gorgeous Italian with Ferrari blood - 2002 Maserati Coupe
  By Jonathan Epstein - December 24 - 10:00 am

  A gorgeous car on the exterior with the best interior of any car I have seen. People stop on the streets to stare, give the thumbs up, or shout flattering comments. The car is unbelievably fast and handles great. The F1 paddle shifting is a blast giving you all the flexability of a stick with out the tired legs. The car will automatically downshift at 1,300 rpm when you are stopping if you dont want to actively downshift. A great car all around.

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  Fun to drive - 2005 Maserati Spyder
  By mbutter104 - November 29 - 2:46 am

  We just purchased a 2005 spyder with 9,500 miles. Half the price of new and all the fun. So far LOVE IT! Fun to drive and the quality is better than I had expected. As a corvette owner this is a blast to drive and very unique. The overall quality is very good. Not many around and a real head turner. The auto makes it easy to drive for those who just want to cruz.

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  Great Car - 2003 Maserati Coupe
  By KLP - November 19 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this car for a year now. Great fun to drive. Had the opportunity to go to a high speed driving coure last spring where you got to drive your own car on a closed track with a driving instructor. None of the instructors had drive a F1 Maserati before. Beside my driving this car at over 125 mph on the straights and 60mph turns, the instructors asked to drive it. They were all very impressed. They rated its performance with the 200K Far, AMartin, Porsh, etc. I have been very pleased. Its a keeper

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  Bonding with my Maserati Coupe - 2005 Maserati Coupe
  By Tom R - November 13 - 10:06 pm

  Just completed a 2,100 mile round trip from Florida to Tennessee. During this time I got a chance to experience everything the Maserati has to offer. My car was extremely comfortable on long highway in Florida and Georgia were I averaged 80 mph. The Skyhook suspension is amazing, even with ultra low profile performance tires the ride is never harsh in normal or sport mode. In Tennessee on the curvy mountain roads the Shyhook suspension kept the car flat and predictable. It is much easier to drive at high speeds in the curves than my wifes Corvette. Its overall gas mileage for the trip was 21.2 mpg, which is really not too bad especially with the aggressive driving done in TN.

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  I Love This Machine - 2006 Maserati Gransport
  By Love It - November 5 - 2:33 am

  This is the only true sports car GT that is a beautiful inside as it is on the outside. The interior has plenty of room for 4 and beats the heck out of the plastics native to the porsche or the jag xk. I spent a lot of time in my search for the perfect car and this is as close as it gets. Moreover, once a "stick only" guy, the F1 paddles have won me over.

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  Very nice luxury sports sedan - 2015 Maserati Ghibli
  By Richard DeLoskey, PhD - September 28 - 6:37 am

  I have owned this car for about 6 months and have driven it just under 6,000 miles. I have driven a Porsche Panamera for about 120 miles. Both cars are excellent and a blast to drive. The Maserati Ghibli is not quite as responsive as the Porsche Panamera, but it has a softer ride and nicer interior. The navigation is the best I have ever used, very user friendly; you dont have to read the intruction to use, it is that intuitive!!!!! I do not understand the complaints by reviewers about the shared Chrysler knobs and similar navigation system. None of the other manufacturers (Mercedes Benz, BMW, Audi, or Porsche) use significantly better knobs and most have less intuitive navigation systems that require one to at least read part of the instructions. If your only compliant are the knobs and the easy-to-use navigation unit, then I would say, it is a great sports sedan. I chose the Maserati Ghibli over the Porsche Panamera mainly because of the price for two very comparable cars; these 2 luxury sports sedans stand out from the others in style and driving performance on windy roads. Dont believe the reviews, drive it for yourself and experience the Ghibli or the Quatroporte. If you like to drive spirited, then you will love the Maderati Ghibli, the Quatroporte Q4 and the Porsche Panamera 4/4S. The others luxury sports sedans just arent the same, even though they are nice, just not as exciting.

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  Flying Horse - 2006 Maserati Gransport
  By Salman - September 5 - 5:10 am

  When they say that this is a poor mans Ferrari, its true. It has a Ferrari F-430 engine and its acceleration and handling are comparable. It is fun to drive in both auto and paddle shift but the latter keeps one more engaged. It clings to the road like gum and is extremely responsive in both steering and acceleration.

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  I love the performance - 2014 Maserati Ghibli
  By csperling - August 18 - 11:30 am

  I love the sleek and sexy look of the car....performance is incredible and sound is amazing...it ends there... ...inside the vehicle you would not expect to find the following lack of quirks and lack of details from the manufacture; THOUGH HERE THEY ARE: constant rattles from the glove box, dashboard, rear doors, windows and rear seats. Window seals inviting in the open road air in as you drive. The worst sound system I have ever had in any vehicle. Car floor mats which are of the lowest quality I have ever had. The CHEAPES PAINT "MICA which scratches if you blow on the vehicle too hard.. Even with all of the above conditions, driving the vehicle is still a pleasure and an art.