maserati quattroporte obd

Why do people buy Maserati when it’s such a low quality car?

The question assumes facts, not in evidence. I have owned a total of five Maseratis over my lifetime, including the one in my garage right now. Let me say that all Maseratis are not created equally, and if you’re going to spend a lot on a car, you should study it first. I have owned two Quattroporte and three GT-coupes. I have not had any significant problems with any of them. However, I believe there are reasons for that result. I bought all of them as a second or third car. While they are reliable enough to be driving as a daily driver, that is not really what the cars were built to do. All exotics have precise maintenance schedules, and they must be followed. This is true of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Aston Martin, and Lotus. They all require high-quality gas, oil, and service. They all need the use of manufacturer sourced replacement parts. To me, they are works of art (the merging of style and engineering, man and machine), need to be kept in a garage (not parked in a condo parking lot), and have a protective owner. Wax or have it waxed with top-grade products. Detail it or have it detailed regularly. Enjoy it and appreciate it like a thoroughbred horse. If you are not interested in such a relationship with your car, don’t waste your money. If you are buying one without service records or high mileage or for a fixer-upper, you can expect to spend a lot on the car. Otherwise, follow the schedules and care for the car. You will find them very reliable and with very few problems. Just understand what your buying, play by the rules, and you will be fine. Maserati warranty and service are top-notch. My experiences have all been good, although I have heard of others not being as satisfied. It seems to depend on the dealer in your area. In my case, I used a dealer in Atlanta (Ferrari Maserati of Atlanta) and Ft Lauderdale (Shelton and then Maserati of Ft Lauderdale). The Atlanta dealership is fantastic, and they treat you very well. They go the extra mile every time. Shelton was the same with outstanding sales and personalized customer service. When Shelton sold to Ferrari/Maserati of Ft Lauderdale, there was a step-down, but still excellent service. My experience with several different makes of exotics is if you stick with the dealer or the top-rated authorized service providers, your service experience will most likely be excellent. In owning and driving an exotic, you are dealing with people that appreciate the cars as much as you do. A service manager or technician for exotics are at the top of their careers and make very good money. They are professional and represent their brands well. It is just different in a good way than going to a BMW, Audi, or Mercedes dealership for service. The cars get service updates that are usually software updates. These are important and have the dealer notify you when one is out. The software controls everything about the car, all the way down to how the clutch is engaging at different points in driving. If you’re not using the paddle shifters, the software is making the shift decisions. Even if you are using the paddle shifters, the software is watching and won’t let you do stupid things. Replacing a clutch for the F1 transmission is about $5500-$6200, so respect the software. Yes, this is expensive, but this is not your everyday car. It is a performance car that performs like a performance car. It is a blast to drive, gives you choices on how hard the suspension makes the ride (controlled electronically), and always has a deep well of power ready to go. I have seen some complain about the sound system in the cars. If you’re looking for a car that has Apple Drive or Google Drive stock, your buying the wrong type of car. To me, the best sound in the world is the sound of the engine and exhaust on one of these cars when you are pushing it. However, if you join the Maserati driver’s forum, you will see where 50 owners went together and ordered a customized Android-based sound system that makes use of the stock Bose speaker system to give you all of the most up to date interfaces. It supports both Apple and Android, is a touch screen, is a direct swap out for the factory system, and provides all the hooks into the car systems. It cost around $1100, but the people that have done it are quite pleased. After installation, it looks like original equipment. It includes the Maserati script logo to match the one that is on the original equipment. My instinct is to keep everything stock, but this is a worthwhile upgrade. It is very much plug and play from the factory system. The group had the system customized where it has an interface box for the original cables from the car to the sound system; just plug directly into the box. It provides all the access to things like door lock controls, lighting choices, locking behavior, TPMS, and even the OBDII with the optional WiFi-based OBD II adapter ($35). To sum this up, Maseratis are not unreliable or even costly cars to own. You get what you pay for, and if it is cared for as it is supposed to be, you will have an exceptional car with enormous performance and heritage, however, if you buy a used one without books and records showing all the maintenance performed by authorized shops on schedule, you’re taking a chance. The Highline Maseratis are tweaked exotic performance cars, and they must be treated as such. Their handling, shifting, road grip, and with deep power reserves that will push you back hard into your seat guaranteed to make your heart beat a little faster. It will put a smile on your face as well. If you want a car that you can buy cheap gas, wait a long time between oil changes, not have serviced on a schedule, then don’t buy a Maserati. That is not what they were built for, and you will end up paying for such treatment. All of the preceding is for the Highline cars (QP, Coupe, GT coupe/convertible.) I have no idea why anyone would buy a Ghibli or Levant. These are different class cars, in my opinion. The market demographics for performance exotics are very narrow and highly competitive. Car companies need to make money, so they branch off into the mainline car models to generate revenue and margins to support corporate investors. In my opinion, that is why Maserati makes the Ghibli and the Levant. The heart and soul of Maserati are found in the two models I have bought and driven (Quattroporte and GT models). They are hand made and signed by the chief engineer. You can order one to your specifications and visit it while it is in production. Good luck and make sure you are selecting your cars for the right reasons