Well sooner than later my paychecks will be big enough to buy a new car of a new level, $20-30k price range will be targeted. Its always stuck me as odd that used Maserati's from 2002-2006 or so can be had for directly in that price range. While most young people out there who can purchase a $25k car would purchase an STi, a Cobra Mustang, maybe an entry level Mercedes-Benz, I on the other hand intend to purchase something rather uncommon, not seen everyday; something along the lines of a Maserati, maybe an Acura NSX, something a bit more uncommon than a "regular" everyday car.

Now my question is, how reliable are these beautiful machines? Upon doing a quick autotrader search a used 2002 Maserati Coupe GT with 32k can be had for $20,000 flat! A 2004 Coupe Cambiocorsa with 40k can be had for $25k, a 2004 Spyder GT with 16k is yours for under $30k! I would absolutely love to own one of these pieces of art, however I would like to gain a bit more knowledge on the pros and cons of these cars before I bought. I see several listed for sale with higher mileage, 60, 70, even 90k on them, which stands out to me as being able to be driven without worry. I am asking you, actual owners of these makes and models listed to please list some pros and cons of your cars. From reliability, to basic maintenance (brakes, oil changes, etc), to how these cars hold up with miles put on them.

After doing a quick search I noticed some people claim that they never had a single issue with their car, as others claim its a nightmare and nothing but problems. If I bought one of these cars, THE CAR WOULD BE DRIVEN ON A REGULAR BASIS. It would NOT sit in my garage most of the year, pretty much on any given nice day, I would plan on driving this car. To work, to dates, to run errands, it would practically be a DD. I plan on having another car available for bad weather, winter, miscellaneous duties, but like I said the Mas would be driven pretty much all the time.

Also should mention any car I get will be true manual transmission, no E-Gear or F1 Style shifters.

I thank you for any input given, and with time I hope to join here being an actual owner!

 

I hope I'm not assuming too much here but I just want to add that people are getting into these "newer" cars because thats what they are able to finance. I doubt that banks are giving out auto loans for a 10 yr old car. That being said having a Maserati or an NSX would sound a lot better to any car enthusiast and you'd see younger people having them even if they couldn't really afford the maintenance.


Just something to consider if you are thinking about financing the car. In terms of reliability I'm not sure... but good luck. Maybe in a few more years they'll be going for less than 20k.

 

I see you're in NE Pa. I am too.
It might be worth visiting Rayco Eurospec in Kingston as I noticed they sold a few Quattroportes and I recently saw one there at their workshop.
They might be able to offer some advice on what to expect if buying a Mas.
I just bought a Quattroporte myself and realize that any parts will have to be ordered through the Mas. dealer in Philly. In fact I have to drive all the way there just to buy a spare key (which I heard will cost about $500.) Just some food for thought.

Jack

 

I would not be pulling a loan out, I am more than halfway there now and plan on paying for the car with cash. I am hoping to find a car that has recently been serviced, I am just curious on the day to day operating costs of one of these cars.

Thank you for posting up fellow Pocono member. It may be worth taking a look at Rayco Eurospec, I actually work up in Wilkes-Barre which is not far from Kingston. I am more interested in Coupe and Spyder GTs than a Quattroporte, maybe they will have some to take a look at and answer some of my questions. Thank you for the input, maybe i'll see you around.

 

Though I don't own a Maserati and a Granturismo has been recently taken off my car buying list, one thing though, is always to keep money aside for future repairs. As a previous poster explained that $500 is the cost of a replacement key (is it hand-crafted and finished?), one can only imagine what the mechanical and/or electronics costs would be, let alone for one that would be out of warranty when you buy.

Good luck on your search!

 

its tempting, since those maserati coupes look and sound fantastic IMO.... but...

i spoke with a maserati/ferrari technician on another forum about this, he said that even though they are good cars, you have to realize that even though the older masi coupes are relatively cheap now, they were low production, high end italian cars.... this means very high priced repairs, frequent service intervals, expensive parts, and expensive insurance. if you plan to drive it daily, items like brakes, clutch, start becoming verrrrry costly.

call a local maserati technician, the place you would end up going to if you buy the car, and get a quote on the next scheduled major service for the car, clutch, brakes, transmission, etc.... add that up and see if youre still interested.


the NSX on the other hand, its a honda.... relatively inexpensive to maintain, VERY reliable....... the only expensive maintenance to be done on them is the timing belt (it requires dropping the engine out), but i believe that is only every 60k. brakes, clutch, tranny, etc will be MUCH less expensive than the Maserati, and also more aftermarket parts available.

 

I looked at Maserati's ( and others) after I sold my Porsche. They are awesome in design , have a a great Ferrari build engine, fabulous interior with assorted leather. Indeed you will find some garage queens but in general these things ( 10 year old ) have been driven several 1000's of miles per year and 40-70 K miles seems to be a good estimate. Then, to the details. Gearbox with or without F1 and clutches seem to last between 5 K and 15K miles, you will find most of the cars that are for sale with " a recent or newly installed clutch". Why would that be I wonder. Note that little deal will cost between 5 and 10K dollars ( if new bell housing is needed), count on that every 10K miles to be on the safe side ia every 2-3 years. The 2002-2004 Spyder has a heater core that fails, you will need to pull out the complete dash, 10's of hours of labor. I heard 5K for the work. The core is 1500 dollars but an identical core from Alfa Romeo, when bought in Europe costs about 200 dollars. Assume all spare parts are horrendously expensive. And the list goes on. Count 5K per year for repairs and set 5K per year aside for the major repairs coming your way. Cars built after 2007 are most likely a better buy , they are also substantially more expensive but better built I would say.... for the rest ... I drool on the design, engine sound, interior and chick magnet capacity.

 

I appreciate the constructive feed back you guys have left.

After reviewing this, I think it may sway me a bit from a Maserati and more in the direction of a more affordable "exotic" such as an NSX or Lotus's have noticeably cheaper. However I have never really been a fan of either car, I am a Lambo guy at heart but until then....

 

Just a little more info for you coming from a Quattroporte and Coupe owner.

Set aside $2500/year minimum for maintenance that doesn't include major repairs...this is based on driving 12k miles per year.
1) rear tires every 10k miles ($800)
2) rear brakes every 15k miles ($200-300)
3) new clutch every 15k-20k miles ($4-5k) for duo select or cambiocorsa

Even an oil filter retail will be ~$75 each, good thing my original dealer where I purchased the car lets me have it for $25 each.

Had a rear trunk actuator/mechanism whatever replaced that cost me $700.

This is also assuming that I do my own oil changes, brake jobs, and minor diy stuff.

It is not the cost of the car, but the maintenance. Hell, you can buy a Ferarri 308/Mondiale for ~15k-20k, but the upkeep will cost you a heckuva lot more than that!!!

Price of admission my friends!!!! BUT, I get the biggest smiles driving my daughter to daycare in a QP

 

I have also had an 04 NSX-T...front tires every 5k-7.5k miles, some window actuator that can set you back thousands, etc.

Every car has its $$$ pit thing. Just buy what you like and drive the p*ss out of it. Then your grin will be wider than the new Mazda grills regardless of what you paid.

 

I was in your shoes and bought a 07 XK

 

Jags are awesome and more reliable than most people think.

I have owned 01 XJR, 02 S-Type, 05 XJR and no problems at all. They even come with the factory maintenance up to 50k miles.

Thinking of picking up an 03-06 XKR for fun (kinda like the old body style better than the newer 07 ones).

 

Shows how screwed up we are . You don't NEED a warranty at all......if nothing goes wrong. So, we are being sold a bag a goods (worms perhaps) at a huge cost, that - by manufacturers own admission - WILL go wrong and thus require another lump sum of money to cover THEM for problems and issues that THEY (typically) caused... Sounds like a perfect storm.

 

I truly appreciate all the info you guys have shared with me. As much as I would love a car such as a Maserati, its just not time. I am not interested in setting aside 1/4 the cost of the entire car for yearly maintenance. I really want an "affordable" exotic car but this is not it. The NSX is a great option, however I am not a huge fan of them. Also like Lotus's but again not a huge fan.

I think for the time being I am going to get the most bang for my buck performance wise and look into a CTS-V or something of that nature...

Ultimately will own an orange Murcielago....

 

If you want to go that route..meaning American you should check out a Dodge Charger SRT-8 or a Challenger SRT-8...or Chrysler 300 SRT-8...as you can see there is a theme here...LOL...cheaper than a Cadi and you can keep saving for that Murc!