Dolebludger

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I have been looking for a very late model Mercedes sedan for one of my daughters. In the process, I have come across a good number of Maserati Spyders (by accident) in the '04 - '05 year range with about 20K miles for in the $30s. These have a 4.2 liter V8. It has come to my mind that I could get one and sell my Honda S 2000 -- NOT my SLK 280. I checked MADA and found these cars were valued therein at $50K.

So, question. Would it be a good idea for me to sell my Honda S 2000 and get one of these? I know very little about Maserati -- even had to look up how to spell it! Any advice would be helpful.

firefox1

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I had no idea a Maserati could be had for such a relatively low price. In my opinion, Maserati is a status symbol, a luxury car with rich racing heritage and beautiful styling that is sure to turn heads here in the U.S. It has been through some rough patches throughout its history as it changed ownership several times in the past decades, however it, is experiencing a revival and the latest models such as the Quattroporte are competing with brands such as Jaguar and Aston Martin. I lived in Italy as a teenager in the late '80s and I had the opportunity to take a ride in a Maserati Biturbo, and boy, what an experience that was! It was an incredible vehicle. However, in the late '80s maybe early '90s, Chrysler did some joint venture with Maserati and produced a cheap knock-off - the Chryslerati. I saw it on display at the Detroit Airport terminal in 1989 and I was quite dissapointed and it devalued the Maserati brand in my mind. Lately, I've seen some new Maserati models here in Michigan and read some reviews in major auto magazines and it seems that Maserati is reclaiming its status amongst the best sports and luxury brands. I think the cars look gorgeous. They're usually categorized as grand tourers and they may not have the road handling qualities of small roadsters, but judging from what I've read in your posts, Dolebludger, a Maserati is so much more you than a Honda, and I mean it as a compliment!

Dolebludger

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Though I certainly have to go and drive an example to see if I even like it, I wanted some comments on whether the brand had low reliability and such. The example I have found locally supposedly has the F1 paddle manual transmission, so it should achieve its 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds time, which will beat my S 2000. The Maserati has a rag top, so it would replace the S 2000 and not the SLK. I have no idea yet of how the Maserati rides, but though I like a softer ride than some cars, the S 2000 does not offend me. As an old guy, I have advised my wife to shoot me if I should ever talk about buying a Buick!

In my "stable " of cars, I like to have a sedan (C 320), a GT (SLK 280) a "guts for leather sports car (now my modded S 2000), and a pickup truck (Ford). So another of my questions is whether the Maserati Spyder would be an improvement over the S 2000 in the "guts for leather" category, as well as being reasonably reliable.

Thanks for the response above, and for any other this post may receive.

MJawa 55

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i have a friend that owns a 2005 model with the F1 paddles and its a pain to keep the craftsmanship on the car is not that good (brakes down a lot) and you have to change the clutch every 2000 miles and that cost around $1000. there is a problem with the motor of the soft top also. be careful

admin

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I had a Maserati Biturbo back in 1995, and it always had some sort of issues but was a blast to drive and was a real head turnner. just not a good every day car

Tummy

 

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I happen to stop by Luxury Motors in Franklin Park, IL over the holidays. They had several QuatroPortes, a GranTurismo and a Spyder for sale.

I feel that the 2004 Spyder looks really dated, especially when next to the Granturismo. The interior doesn't look very nice, the stereo is just a regular rectangular stereo headunit stuck in the dash. It really stood out because it was very plastic looking black on a beige dash, like they didn't spend any effort to integrate the design. It also had a soft top, in comparison to the SLK hard top.

We really liked the exterior design of the GranTurismo, but wouldn't buy one due to the unknown Italian maintenance cost, and huge depreciation. The Maserati dealer is shared with Ferrari in Chicago, and that scares me. I think the GranTurismo convertible became the Ferrari California.

DansSlk

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Your probably looking at the 'old' version of the Spyder 4200 and from working on them and having mates/family with them i would not buy one, they are great while they work but they don't work for long and some of the issues they suffer are serious i.e Loss of vehicle control serious.

Look at 2007MY's or newer (silver dash panel) for a better built car but don't expect it to be anywhere near the quality of the Honda, it will break down or develop stupid little issues even if rarely used (my old man's 07 4200 Coupe with something like 14k on the clock is in my shop right now for a serious squeal at 60mph and above for example), these will obviously be more expensive as all the serious buyers will know this fact and sellers capitalize on it. This 'new' 4200 also has some nice features not fitted to the 'old' version plus some new and improved software that makes her a real performer.

The Cambiocorsa (F1) gearbox with the new software is great especially in sport mode where the shifts are practically instant but it does require a considerable amount of maintenance when compared to the GT (Manual) gearbox and also in comparison to similar offerings from German manufacturers for example.

If the car has Skyhook suspension (electrically adjustable system) then the ride will be rock solid and thats not an exaggeration, you will feel every single chip in the road and it will not provide any give, a friend of mine was coming over a bridge (think with a small hump but not a real humpback) at slightly over the speed limit and the car lifted then slammed back into the ground putting his back out so be aware. I am informed the standard suspension is smoother but i can't comment on that having never driven such a car at speed.

Maintenance requirements are huge (short service intervals and big lists of work to do) for reasons i don't really understand, we charge the same rate as we do for MB's but some dealers charge more (would equate to over $200 per hour) for Ferrari/Maserati, like the MB you need the car to be dealer serviced for the stamp in the book and never buy one that does not have a full Maserati service history. Going back to my point on the high maintenance requirements in comparison to other brands with car's of a similar / higher performance its almost silly, a BMW M5 for example will eat the Maserati for breakfast and has a similar sort of drivetrain but obviously with a larger displacement plus two cylinders and it will look almost cheap to run and i simply cannot figure out why that is since common sense says the BMW should be more expensive.

I hope this helps you out and explains why they are so cheap, i just want to clarify however that when they are working properly or not in the dealer being serviced they are really great car's and based on driving experience alone i would highly recommend it, however taking an overall view i would say stay away.

If you do get one try and find one with Info Center because then you get a nice headunit with nav and possibly a phone (optional) that also displays the climate control system settings on-screen instead of the crappy but F/M standard single-DIN headunit.

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DansSlk

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Ferrari and Maserati are like bread and butter, basically the companies are one and the same. Maserati used to be the 'exclusive' brand with less of them being produced than Ferrari's but this is no longer true.

For a long time both brands rolled out of the same factory and Maserati engines are really Ferrari engines de-tuned and rebadged, the testing for both brands still happens at Fiorano.

Servicing equipment is the same and so are the techs so it just makes sense to integrate the 2 brands right down to the dealer level, having F&M dealers is basically the accepted standard.

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UK-C200

 

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I agree with everyone's comments - I had a Biturbo back in the 90's as well, and I developed special leg exercise to keep in shape for the clutch. Was an awesome car when I could keep it on the road, and was absolutely a sleeper - a sedan that hauled @ss!

I spent god knows how much money on it in the shop, and I think at the end of the day drove my POS Mustang more than the Maserati.

I have a friend with an '05 reg Coupe, and he seems to be happy with it, but spends a fortune with upkeep. I see it parked more than I see it driven!

Legin

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All i can add to the above is that the early 4200 engine suffered oil pump issues and that open top shells wobble like a jelly. Think Ferrari running costs and your near. Not worth it.

Dolebludger

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All:

Thanks much. I think I'll pass on this one! Especially because the closest Maserati dealer and service dept is 225 miles away from where I live. The car is a 4.2 liter V8. I know the old bi-turbos weren't reliable. If this model is also unreliable, it is the last thing I need. The Honda S 2000 it would replace is like a fast and reliable little go-kart. Parts and service aren't really very expensive, and the dealer up the street and around the corner has a good service department. I've gotten on very well with it for over seven years, and she still looks like new. I think I'll keep it, and thanks to all for saving me from a big headache!

DesignoSLK

 

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They're together in Orlando, FL along I-4 as well.

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Kevin
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DBPLS

 

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That is correct, did you live in FL before Germany?

DesignoSLK

 

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FL, Vegas, then Germany. I had a house in Deltona for just under a year, commuted to S. Orlando. I was a technician at Wonder Works after getting screwed on flying gig in Deland.

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Dolebludger

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As I mentioned in the OP, I stumbled upon the Maserati while searching web sites for an '08 Mercedes C 300 Luxury one of my adult daughters wanted. (Clicked the wrong link, as "Maserati" was right above "Mercedes Benz" on the dealer's site.) Thanks to the advice you gave me above, I will not buy that Maserati (or any other) now -- or ever. See, your advice is appreciated and followed!

In any event, I continued the search for the C 300, found one at a good price, and my daughter bought it this evening. (Yes, she paid with her own money!)