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Comments
The instructions concerning the phone show a convoluted setup, not at all as simple and direct as, say, a Mercedes S500 (one of the only good things about the car). Verizon doesnt want to touch the car to put in a Motorola bluetooth car kit, nor do I want them to, nor does the dealer recommend something hard wired which can cause screwed up signals to the 21 electronic control modules in the car which monitor things like electric current draw. I am about to try the Motorola Bluetooth phone with the separate wireless Bluetooth speaker; waiting for the speaker to come in. It would seem to be easily placed with velcro on any portion of the headliner or sun visor, and the velcro sticks directly without gluing backing piece. Will let you know if it works.
The Auto shifting takes some getting used to but it is good to have the auto mode in bumper to bumper traffic, where you can't have any fun in the manual mode.
on the other hand, i'm now on my third clutch ( after 7,000 miles ) and have just had a full new set of tyres
.....and the phone has never been usable
wonderful car all the same, though !
As to the overheating, there was a loose connection from one of the two fans. No problem since fix.
Have 7,700 miles on it now, no clutch problem or tire problem. We were told to expect to normally get 12-15,000 miles tops from the wide Z tires.
Thanks for your input,dc.
Pirelli Rossos, on the other hand, extremely poor wear on rear. Dealer says a number of cars are only getting about 8,000 miles on them.
Another question: What tires can on use for winter? I have Michelin Pilot now. They are great for summer, but terrible on the snow (and we have plenty of it already this season).
- CD player replaced (warranty)
- Water pump replaced (warranty; had not failed yet)
- Clutch at 28K
Has never stranded me. Lots of tire wear and replacement.
Favorite all time car
-Sam
Front and rear dame ugly, i don't buy this Quattroporte for $90,000 luxury car! :mad: :sick:
You're so wrong! :confuse:
What are you talking about? I had S-type with manual stick for more than two years. Initially, S-type had only auto transmission, but starting with the 2003 model they offer manual on the 3-liter one.
do you have experience now with your Michelin Sport in winter?
drwag
Also, there is a slot just below the radio buttons that looks like a small memory card could fit into it. What is this for? MP3's?
Quattroporte has the wiring for a cell phone. If you put a SIM card into the slot in the dashboard, you will be able to speak into the microphone and the sound will come out through the speakers.
Would like to buy a QP, new 2006 model, what are the known problems, how's the ride in heavy work-home traffic. Please some feedback.
Thanks
Norbert
there is one peculiarity: if in traffic jam the car stands longer than 1 minute with running engine and without put on the brakes (that´s possible), the gearbox change from 1. gear to neutral, that means before start again you have to shift the 1. gear again. No problem ar all, but you you have to know. The same thing after 10 minutes if car stands with running engine and brakes put on.
drwag
On the other hand, maybe if you wait a couple more years you could snap one up for 30K. But, even that may not be a good deal unless they throw in a complete Snap On red roll away, transmission jack, and flywheel grinder so you could do the clutch yourself every 10K.
My love affairs with cars began with a 1939 BMW 327 Cabrio, (with 328 racing engine), acquired in Germany while in OSS in WWII. There have been numerous affairs since then with many others: MBZ,Rolls, Bentley,Alfa,Audi,Ferrari,Lancia,Siata, Aston Martin,Porsche,Jag,VW Phaeton W12,
Iso,Mini,and more. At present I own 10 vehicles.
My latest love,a new 2005 Maserati QP in Dolomite Quartz,(Gold with Medium Tan),
with many options. As of now, she is so
utterly beautiful and seductive that she keeps me awake at nights. If,as I have heard it said, she proves to be an expensive and troublesome mistress, I may have to really consider whether or not she is worth the trouble. As of now, I am completely under her spell.
More later as I live with her.
"carfreak"
-your cogent comments were a huge
factor in my decision to buy the
QP instead of replacing my C4 with
a new Porsche Turbo. The seats in the
Porsche are still almost as hugely
uncomfortable as they were 40 years
ago. I guess I have come to insist on
some comfort along with performance
as I have grown older.
a/ka/a "carfreak"
If you are going to concentrate your
criticisms, as do do many of you, on
the electronic gadgets,
don't blame the car manufacturers,
blame Bill Gates. His is the software.
They build racing cars, not commuter
cars. You can go to the [non-permissible content removed] for that.
Many of you probably learned to drive on a Lexus type car which does the driving for you, rather than being engaged with with the vehicle itself.
The F1 tranny works for Michael
Schumacher, the present Formula One
Champion. I suggest you go to Monaco, see the Gran Prix there, and wonder why he
can beat all the other cars in the
world with a tranny you find either
frustrating or difficult. Have you ever heard, perhaps from your grandfathers,
what it was like to drive a stick shift
which was non synchronous, where one had to double-clutch, as it was called,
to shift gears? No wonder you are in
trouble with this vehicle, the answer
to every real driver's dream!!
Performance, luxury, exotic beauty
and quality all in one very reasonably
priced package. I suggest you buy the
overpriced Bentley GT or so called
Flying Spur instead of the
Maserati QP. As the Brits say about
the "new" Bentleys: " A VW Phaeton in
a hand made suit".
"carfreak"
P.S. I have always had at least one
or more real Bentley or Rollers in my
garage for the last 50 years.
I'm no spring chicken myslef, but I can't imagine anyone finding the seats of my 997S "hugely uncomfortable" unless they were excessivly bottom heavy.
If I get to the point where I would justify trading the performance of 911 Turbo for the comfort of the QP (or an SL or ...) my living will should allow my wife to pull the plug.
If I were bottom heavy, as you seem to
imply, I might find it more comfortable. Fact is I have not much butt at all. I weigh the same 143 lbs that I did when I first went to Columbia College in 1936. Also I have been a Porsche enthusiast for 4 decades, but as a weekend fun machine to play at being Fangio.
I have owned at least 14 different
Porsches over the years, including 4 different Turbo models, the first Turbo in 1979. The only truly comfortable
Porsche I ever found was my 928. Now those were seats which were comfortable
for me and my wife all the way from the Big Apple to Key West and back. 997's and any and all earlier 911 series have those antiquated one piece seats with a non ergonomic hard as nails quality, at least for me. Even the pitiful attempts at adaptive controls are minimal. I admit I am spoiled since
I have used my experience with owning
Rollers and Bentley sedans, 60's Flying Spurs, and Crewe manufactured 90's Continental R's as the standard. The new Bentley Continental GT is comfortable because it is a Phaeton in a hand made suit; but then VW makes their seats not Porsche. Porsches are great and so are their classical styling, but comfort and interiors are not their strong suits.
My Maserati Quattroporte has an adaptive seat system from which Porsche could learn. Porsche produces fantastic performers, and my C4 Cabriolet can handle winter roads and summer stares, but is not comfortable for trips over
50 miles, at least for me. Performance and reliability are its strong points, but its entire interior has made little
progress in the 45 years since the 911 series first saw the light of day, in my
opinion. My 1985 R5 Turbo 2 had seats that put the Porsche to shame.
Porsche has made and continues to make
superb, reliable high performance machines but will bever win any kudos for its interior or ergonomics.
I guess when it comes to comfort, it's all personal. I had an easier time driving a 900 mile rountrip in my 997 than I do in my Acura TL. I prefer a firm, Recaro style seat to one that is softer, but not supportive in key areas. Of course, the TL is hardly the comparison you were making to your other fine cars.
Accept my best wishes for continued good health and driving enjoyment.
As for the Acura, I have had no experience with the vehicle, but I understand it is a reliable and durable daily driver. I presume that is how it is used, and that makes it probably the best for that purpose. Depending on one's needs and uses,"the best car" choice should change.
As for the 997 Turbo, for reliability and performance in a sports car, you clearly
have "the best" and I admire your choice.
The hotties will sure jump into that car...there the Honda just doesn't
cut it!
So Happy Hunting in that Turbo!!
As for the seating, once the Hottie
manages to squeeze her way in, she can't
readily get out.And, depending on your
situation in life, that can be a good
thing or a bad thing.
As for the Turbo, she clearly is your
present love, as she should be. She is
loyal, reliable, exciting and beautiful.
What more could one ask for? And besides,
you can always trade her in or sell her
if things don't work out.
So, bottom line, you have clearly made
an exquisite choice.
Good Luck with her and thanks again
for your kind wishes for my good health.
We use the QP for commuting at least three days a week with no problems. It has been reliable and comfortable, though the trans is not as tractable as many other cars, and having a car that will go 172 mph in bumper to bumper traffic can be frustrating. But give me a little opening in traffic, and . . . . . And there is no other big car on the road that gathers more stgares or thumbs up signs.
I immediately, and perhaps prematurely, questioned his judgement. I am unfortunately old enough to remember the QP of the early 80's, but not so old to have forgotten it's horrific reliability issues and ridiculous depreciation. In the meantime, a good friend has a 4+ year old Ferrari 360 that he can sell for a small profit, whereas another associate has a 3 year old Maserati Spyder that will cost him an arm and a leg to dispose of. Not to mention numerous problems along the way.
I know there is a certain panache with the Maserati nameplate. And I'm far from a practical person that criticizes others indulgences. Part of me would tell my partner to go for it and let him experience whatever consequences result, good or bad. But another part of me finds it difficult to passively recommend a nameplate that left so many similarly enthusiastic buyers holding the bag 25 years ago - and is still a questionable value when it comes to depreciation.
P.S. Regarding seat "comfort", how would you who rate the QP very high (vs. Mercedes) rate it against the seats in the M5 (previous or current). I am just curious.
Now for my second Q. Just back from receiving a new drive shaft, had to send the main computer back to NJ for reprogramming and, yes, also replaced the clutch and throw-out bearing. All under one year of ownership.
The factory rep tried to tell me this wasn't so unusual and that MB and BMWs, etc, etc.
When it runs, nothing like it. But this is a troubled car/manufacturer. The service dept at the dealership has been wonderful. Maserati has yet to acknowledge their problems with this car's quality. If the owners ever got together, Maserati would have a real problem.
Avoid it for now, unless you want to buy mine...
My QP is now 13 months old, and I have 14K miles on it. The main problems that I had were related to the battery and the clutch (both were replaced about 6 months ago). There were several smaller ones, none of them urgent, and they were all resolved when I was bringing the car to the dealership for regular service.
The only one that is still not resolved is the climate control system. When it is cold outside and the climate system is set on "full auto," the speed of the fan is sometimes so high that I cannot hear the radio. The mechanics dealt with it three times without any luck. Finally I gave up and started setting the fan speed manually (When you cannot find a bug, call it "a feature"). Besides, it is warm now and it behaves fine anyway.
The service is excellent. The dealer normally picks up a car from my house and brings it back couple of days later. If I need a car during this period, they would give a loaner, but in that case I would have to drive to the dealership myself.
I also had a bad experience with the summer tires during the snow storm in February. I decided to buy winter tires, but cannot tell you the results because there was no snow since then, and now it is time to switch back.
The seat is very comfortable: I had several 4-5 hour trips last summer, and could easily make them without a single stop.
In summary, I am very happy with the car. Of course, I do not plan to keep it beyond the 3-year warranty period. But I very well may trade it in for a new one just before the warranty expires..
M
I would say he plans to get another QP. Not owning one I don't have a history to tell but I was fortunate enough to drive one for a few days and must say it is far superior to any 4 door I have ever driven.
Did anyone here consider the new M5 before buying the Quattroporte?
M
I almost purchased a Flying Spur, I had my 5k deposit down and everything until I drove the QP... I was sold on the first drive. To me it is (almost) as luxurious as the Flying Spur, but handles so much better there is really no comparison. So I guess my point is that there are trade offs in every car you buy, and it all boils down to what you want in an automobile. By the way, My Gransport will take the M5 off the line every time, (even with his power launch) but he does have the power to blow by me at around 95mph, but then I pass him by like he's standing still when we exceed his speed limiter at 150mph... (the 210 fwy at 6:30 - 7am on a Sunday, during the Highway Patrol's shift change is the place to be) for the most part we were the only cars on the road, until around 7, then I had to back off from 180mph (and still not peaked out) because there were a few too many cars on the road to insure the safety for all concerned.
Resale???? Who knows... Maintenance??? My S55 was the loneliest car I ever had, by that I mean it constantly needed the companionship of its brothers and sisters at the dealership... (Penske Motorcars) Not to mention any names of course...
If you want a rocket ship, buy a Nobel (0 to 60 in 3.2 seconds) If you want the ULTIMATE in Luxury... get a Bentley (Flying Spur or Arnage)... If you want a great compromise between the two, power, handling and luxury... There is only ONE selection in my book... the Quattroporte is phenomenal!
Just my 2 cents...
John
However, I do have to take a little issue with what appears to be overly enthusiastic performance claims. Over the last several weeks, I have driven a variety of cars in order to confirm my decision to order a 2007 997 Turbo. Amoung them, I drove a well broken-in Maserati Gransport extensively. I own a 2003 M5 (the 400 hp weakling, but with the proper 6-speed manual) and have also driven the new M5 with it's 507 hp V10 hooked up to a rather frustrating 7-speed SMG. And I have driven a new 911S extensively.
The following are my opinions: I liked the Gransport more than I expected, it is a very nice car in all regards. But it did not feel nearly as quick "off the line" in my hands as a 911S. The new M5 should be quicker yet, but I would agree, the SMG "launch control" is a mess. On one attempt, it shot forward like a rocket. But for the rest of my driving experience, I wished I could have "shot" the BMW engineer that authored this SMG travesty. My own 2003 M5 6-speed feels about as quick as the Gransport.
Being curious as to how you and I could have such different impressions / experiences, I looked up some road tests to see if I was mis-impressed. It appears not. Here are some results:
Road Tests
Maserati GS: 0-60: 4.9; 0-100: 11.7
BMW M5: 0-60: 4.6; 0-100: 9.8
Porsche 911S: 0-60: 4.2; 0-100: 10.7
My 2003 M5: 0-60: 4.8; 0-100: 11.6 (from Road and Tack)
It is kind of silly debating the relative quickness of cars that are all more than adequately fast, but the above results are pretty close to my own (relative) experience.
The Gransport and AM V8 appear to be destined to a Mexican showdown. Very similar performance, top of the line interiors. Italian vs. English appeal.
I am told by a reliable source that the Q's clutch is simply too small for the design of the car. I have just delivered my car to the dealer for the fourth (not yet documented, but I am sure) major service and if my ears heard what I've heard before, still another throw-out bearing and clutch.
Hears how to tell yours might be bad. Face the car up and incline and accelerate (doesn't have to be pedal to the metal) and listen for a rubbing noise an instant before the clutch grabs. If yours has none, you've won the Maserati lottery.
Best of luck. By the way, keep it for a while, trade in will disappoint.
Also, should I wait for 2007 in hopes that the manufacturer will fit a larger clutch for this car? Plus, I hear that the manufacturer will scrap the manual transmission all together. Is that for fact that they will do that?
Mike
This is the first we have seen Maserati release a subvented money factor for the QP, this plus the fact they are forcing dealers to discount the car a few thousand is how you get to the lease special. In the past the lease didn't make much sense and most were financed without the dealer having to discount much if any.
If you can live with the 10k per year then I would opt for the lease as I see it as an insurance policy. What I mean by this is that if the car's value is less than the residual at the end of the lease you can turn it in, if the car's value is higher than the residual then you have the option to purchase it and do as you like.
The funny thing is that you get a forced discount with the lease but if you plan to finance or pay cash a dealer would not be so inclined to offer the same discount.
From what I have been told east cost sales have been slightly sluggish and this is why the lease was introduced which in turn is effecting the west coast dealers by forcing them to discount when in the past they typically didn't need to.
You probably will not see the new full automatic until 2008. The 2007 model will only be getting bigger brakes from what I have heard.
If I haven't answered all your questions please ask again.
PRK