[Gfrfan]

Curious on which car you'd take if offered at the same price, either purchase or lease. I haven't driven a Ghibli, but sat in one but didn't like it - I thought the Giulia Ti w/ sport pack had a more understated yet "I belong" look.. To me the Ghibli was trying to hard to be a "real" Maserati, and fell a bit short.

Anyways the two cars aren't that far off lease wise.. https://forum.leasehackr.com/t/2017-maserati-ghibli-488-mo-0-down-10-000mi/4492

Even at that lease I still would have bought the Ti, but curious what those who have driven both think.

 

[Max]

Curious on which car you'd take if offered at the same price, either purchase or lease. I haven't driven a Ghibli, but sat in one but didn't like it - I thought the Giulia Ti w/ sport pack had a more understated yet "I belong" look.. To me the Ghibli was trying to hard to be a "real" Maserati, and fell a bit short.

Anyways the two cars aren't that far off lease wise.. https://forum.leasehackr.com/t/2017-maserati-ghibli-488-mo-0-down-10-000mi/4492

Even at that lease I still would have bought the Ti, but curious what those who have driven both think.

Hope I don't get flamed for this response, but the Giulia all day every day. I have driven the Ghibli, and I thought it was a tremendous disappointment, and growing up the 4.7 Quattroporte was one of my favorite cars of all time... not to mention they are using the name from something totally different ... this would be like Alfa Romeo using the name "Montreal" on a minivan... yes that is slight exaggeration but you should understand the point. The Ghibli as a car is not terrible, but its biggest problem is it wears a badge that is so much better than the car itself. Oddly enough, when it came out, I said that "if this was an Alfa Romeo sedan, it probably wouldn't be so bad." Now that the Giulia has come out, and is fantastic as an Alfa and a CAR in general, the Ghibli is basically nonexistent to me. The Ghibli is NOT a real Maserati to me, just like how today's Lancias are not real Lancias to me either. The Alfa Romeo Giulia is 100% a real Alfa Romeo and one of the best ones in my opinion at that...

Executive Summary: Giulia 100%

 

[jstelly]

Curious on which car you'd take if offered at the same price, either purchase or lease. I haven't driven a Ghibli, but sat in one but didn't like it - I thought the Giulia Ti w/ sport pack had a more understated yet "I belong" look.. To me the Ghibli was trying to hard to be a "real" Maserati, and fell a bit short.

Anyways the two cars aren't that far off lease wise.. https://forum.leasehackr.com/t/2017-maserati-ghibli-488-mo-0-down-10-000mi/4492

Even at that lease I still would have bought the Ti, but curious what those who have driven both think.

About a month ago, I walked into my local Maserati/Alfa dealer on a Saturday morning wanting to sit in a Ghibli, because I like the way they look and sound, and never had been inside one. I found myself with some time, and stopped in. I was in and out of the car in the showroom in pretty short order and said to myself, "this car is not me at all". I really wasn't shopping for a new car at the time. I turned to leave, and caught the Giulia out of the corner of my eye, and stopped to look. A week later, i drove away in that car. Completely different cars. The Giulia to me seems very true to the heritage of its company, and provides a driving experience that is unparalleled. I haven't driven a Ghibli, but then again, the car is of no interest to me to own. The Giulia fills certain voids that my Audi did not. I'm month into it, and love it more and more every day. As i was coming off a highway ramp today, i thought that I really do need to put summer tires on it, and then it should be just perfect for me.

 

[John_K_348]

Right. I've looked at some 10 year old Maserati Grand Sports with F1 transmissions, V8s, less than 50K miles for less than $30K. Aside from the clutch service, this is making it hard to stay focused on the Giulia prize. But then the interiors are a little beat and the GS lacks the tech refinements and systems. But it's very similar to my Ferrari but with 4 seats.

 

[Max]

Right. I've looked at some 10 year old Maserati Grand Sports with F1 transmissions, V8s, less than 50K miles for less than $30K. Aside from the clutch service, this is making it hard to stay focused on the Giulia prize. But then the interiors are a little beat and the GS lacks the tech refinements and systems. But it's very similar to my Ferrari but with 4 seats.

Other than the fact you own older Ferraris, I would not even touch 10 year old Maseratis, for basically any price ... you are probably used to maintenance costs though, so not so bad for you ... personally I don't plan on buying any used luxury car ever again unless it is something I drive perhaps on the weekends or even less ... however to me there is a difference between just 'used' and 'classic/vintage' ... then it's different

 

[jstelly]

Other than the fact you own older Ferraris, I would not even touch 10 year old Maseratis, for basically any price ... you are probably used to maintenance costs though, so not so bad for you ... personally I don't plan on buying any used luxury car ever again unless it is something I drive perhaps on the weekends or even less ... however to me there is a difference between just 'used' and 'classic/vintage' ... then it's different

that's a good point. the maintenance costs on older high end luxury cars can be quite steep. I just don't see the comparison though between a new Ghibli and a new Giulia... I wouldn't think to put them in a comparison test together. For the Giulia base/Ti/QV, i think more of A4/S4, 3 series/M3, C Class

 

[John_K_348]

Great points and thanks for keeping me on track. I just replaced my exhaust ecus and an O2 sensor on the 360 less than a year after purchase from the dealer with service. And yes, cost can be steep. Luckily I could handle the parts and labor myself on the electronics. Engine and trans mounts, F1 service were already done. A big help. I'll be changing the oil this month. New cam belts in 4 years or 15K. WAY easier than the 348. Engine stays in the car with access panels. Brilliant! It is NOT a daily driver

 

[Max]

Great points and thanks for keeping me on track. I just replaced my exhaust ecus and an O2 sensor on the 360 less than a year after purchase from the dealer with service. And yes, cost can be steep. Luckily I could handle the parts and labor myself on the electronics. Engine and trans mounts, F1 service were already done. A big help. I'll be changing the oil this month. New cam belts in 4 years or 15K. WAY easier than the 348. Engine stays in the car with access panels. Brilliant! It is NOT a daily driver

I have a friend who's dad owns a 348 ... have heard many things about it, good and bad ... overall an unloved car, which is sad -- I like it

 

[biscione1750]

Right. I've looked at some 10 year old Maserati Grand Sports with F1 transmissions, V8s, less than 50K miles for less than $30K. Aside from the clutch service, this is making it hard to stay focused on the Giulia prize. But then the interiors are a little beat and the GS lacks the tech refinements and systems. But it's very similar to my Ferrari but with 4 seats.

I've been very tempted by the Gransports. You can have a Ferrari engine in a beautiful body for not much money. If I didn't have the 4C I, it would have been one of my top choices. I wonder how the Gransport will fare if it's used as daily driver say doing around 15000 kms a year.

With regards to the OP's question, I agree. I'm a big Maserati fan and I absolutely loved the previous gen QP but other than the GT, I find the rest of the current range underwhelming. I would take the Giulia over the Ghibli. Maybe when they start using the Giorgio platform from Maseratis they will be more interesting.

 

[Max]

I've been very tempted by the Gransports. You can have a Ferrari engine in a beautiful body for not much money. If I didn't have the 4C I, it would have been one of my top choices. I wonder how the Gransport will fare if it's used as daily driver say doing around 15000 kms a year.

With regards to the OP's question, I agree. I'm a big Maserati fan and I absolutely loved the previous gen QP but other than the GT, I find the rest of the current range underwhelming. I would take the Giulia over the Ghibli. Maybe when they start using the Giorgio platform from Maseratis they will be more interesting.

Daily driving a 10 year old Maserati would be horrifying frankly, not saying it's unreliable at all, but just regular maintenance costs. This is a general statement not directed at you, but if the only way you're able to drive a Maserati is something older and used, you probably can't afford it in the first place (maintenance). One of the cars I was looking at as a first car was a used Quattroporte as I loved it so much, and I very quickly realized I am willing to piss away money, but not THAT much money ... so I bought a used Range Rover instead ... lol

As crazy as the 4C may seem to many people as a daily it is a far better daily than any used Maserati of that era ... with a 4C you're dealing with a relatively back-to-basics lightweight sportscar with a relatively simple 4-cyl engine. When things go wrong you will find it relatively quickly and shouldn't be as expensive as a Ferrari/Maserati. The Maserati is a luxury GT car with electronics (old electronics mind you) and a big Ferrari V8. There you go

I am also a massive Maserati fan, I think they did a better job with the slight update to the new QP but it will never be as special as the 2003-2012 models ... those were perfection

 

[dcpattie]

Daily driving a 10 year old Maserati would be horrifying frankly, not saying it's unreliable at all, but just regular maintenance costs. This is a general statement not directed at you, but if the only way you're able to drive a Maserati is something older and used, you probably can't afford it in the first place (maintenance). One of the cars I was looking at as a first car was a used Quattroporte as I loved it so much, and I very quickly realized I am willing to piss away money, but not THAT much money ... so I bought a used Range Rover instead ... lol

As crazy as the 4C may seem to many people as a daily it is a far better daily than any used Maserati of that era ... with a 4C you're dealing with a relatively back-to-basics lightweight sportscar with a relatively simple 4-cyl engine. When things go wrong you will find it relatively quickly and shouldn't be as expensive as a Ferrari/Maserati. The Maserati is a luxury GT car with electronics (old electronics mind you) and a big Ferrari V8. There you go

I am also a massive Maserati fan, I think they did a better job with the slight update to the new QP but it will never be as special as the 2003-2012 models ... those were perfection

Do we know what Alfa Romeo's labor costs are compared to Maserati? I've wondered this since my local dealership also sells Ferrari's.

 

[bigk200]

The Maserati Ghibli and the the Alfa Romeo Giulia are very different cars in my opinion. I was seriously interested in the Ghibli for more than a year prior to the release of the Giulia, but I never could pull the trigger because of its size. The Ghibli might not look big, but it really is a big car. It's overall length 13" (33 cm) longer and its overall width is 3" (7.6 cm) wider compared to the Giulia. I didn't mind the additional length, but the additional width was a problem for the width of my garage door.

I think the Ghibli is a really gorgeous car, but I never could get past it's large size.

 

[tommylotto]

Base Maserati Ghiblis as selling for about $17,000 lower than MSRP, or about $56,000. The Maserati is bigger than the Alfa and comes with a more powerful V6 than the 2.0 Alfa. Comparing them is like comparing a 3 series with a 5 series BMW. They are not in the same class. However, when comparing current lease deals, the Maserati actually seems to lease slightly better and be cheaper than the Alfa per month. That is a sobering thought. The Alfa 2.0 is a great car, and handles better in the curves. The base Maserati is "more car" and comes standard with many features (sunroof, navigation, limited slip differential) that are expensive options on the Alfa. I guess it depends on whether you want an Italian 3 series or an Italian 5 series.

 

[Gfrfan]

Base Maserati Ghiblis as selling for about $17,000 lower than MSRP, or about $56,000. The Maserati is bigger than the Alfa and comes with a more powerful V6 than the 2.0 Alfa. Comparing them is like comparing a 3 series with a 5 series BMW. They are not in the same class. However, when comparing current lease deals, the Maserati actually seems to lease slightly better and be cheaper than the Alfa per month. That is a sobering thought. The Alfa 2.0 is a great car, and handles better in the curves. The base Maserati is "more car" and comes standard with many features (sunroof, navigation, limited slip differential) that are expensive options on the Alfa. I guess it depends on whether you want an Italian 3 series or an Italian 5 series.

Tommylotto: good points, but for whatever reason it seems that lots of folks feel the Ghibli lacks something.. for me when I checked it out it just didn't seem to have a true identity - best way to describe it was it was a Maserati wannabe. But the minute I saw the Giulia, then sat in it, and then drove it, I found it really authentic, with true soul. So while the Ghibli is more car on paper, for me the Giulia was more car on the road.

I first brought this up because based on Ghibli discounts the two cars are pretty close in terms of price or least costs.. You'd think the Ghibli would be a no-brainer, but it doesn't appear to be capturing drivers hearts like the Giulia does.

 

[jstelly]

Tommylotto: good points, but for whatever reason it seems that lots of folks feel the Ghibli lacks something.. for me when I checked it out it just didn't seem to have a true identity - best way to describe it was it was a Maserati wannabe. But the minute I saw the Giulia, then sat in it, and then drove it, I found it really authentic, with true soul. So while the Ghibli is more car on paper, for me the Giulia was more car on the road.

I first brought this up because based on Ghibli discounts the two cars are pretty close in terms of price or least costs.. You'd think the Ghibli would be a no-brainer, but it doesn't appear to be capturing drivers hearts like the Giulia does.

I think the use of the word "Identity" is key here for me. In our family, we have a late model Dodge Durango. When I sat in the Ghibli, quite honestly, the interior layout of the dash, instrumentation, doors, console, etc, was so strikingly similar to our Durango that I felt very much uninspired. When I sat in the Giulia, I felt just the opposite.

 

[MDriver]

I believe that the NEW Ghibli's are said to be much better reliability wise than the initial cars....unfortunately the bad things stuck with the car going forward...
the caveat with these cars is you buy the best one available at the time...not the cheapest...as it will cost you much more in the end...
the beauty of these cars is that many have years but low miles as they are not DD by the owners....
personally I'd rather have the Guilia Ti Q4 than a Ghibli Q4.....just prefer the styling....

 

[Max]

tommylotto: Good points, but for whatever reason it seems that lots of folks feel the ghibli lacks something.. For me when i checked it out it just didn't seem to have a true identity - best way to describe it was it was a maserati wannabe. But the minute i saw the giulia, then sat in it, and then drove it, i found it really authentic, with true soul. So while the ghibli is more car on paper, for me the giulia was more car on the road.

I first brought this up because based on ghibli discounts the two cars are pretty close in terms of price or least costs.. You'd think the ghibli would be a no-brainer, but it doesn't appear to be capturing drivers hearts like the giulia does.

100%!!!

 

[John_K_348]

I have a friend who's dad owns a 348 ... have heard many things about it, good and bad ... overall an unloved car, which is sad -- I like it

Yeah and these are the reasons I was able to enter the Ferrari world in the first place. There are two main things that were wrong with the car. One, the track on the rear wheels was too narrow and the car would flick out under hard acceleration at times. The solution was to wider the track by 25mm each side. This was done on the wheel hubs AKAIK. My 1994 wheels used longer 80mm bolts and the wheel hubs were thicker. The other reason was the lack of power. This was the one that made Montezemolo furious and gave rise to the story about the loss to a VW in a stop sign race. The guys on the forums dug into this over the years. Many 348s have been modified with twin turbos and porting and so forth. The actual F119 engine has been used in prototype and sports car racing and done well. The problem was found to be restricted intake and MAF gear on OBDI Bosch electronics. The way it happened was splitting the ECU into two parts, one for each bank. These computers were set up as basically 4 cylinder units. The problem was, the airflow and displacement math left a lot on the table for NOT calculating the exchange of flow across banks and the true flow rate of both banks together. Tuners have found this and built new intakes and throttle bodies. Like 10+ more cc intake plenums and 1cm larger throttle bodies. Some as large as 1.7cm larger! Then the computer runs out of room and the injection system as well. You would need like an MSP box and larger injectors, fuel pump to really set that motor loose. When you do it, it's incredible. Even twin turbos is righteous and there is a YouTube video. I'll find it.

 

[John_K_348]

Daily driving a 10 year old Maserati would be horrifying frankly, not saying it's unreliable at all, but just regular maintenance costs.
...
I am also a massive Maserati fan, I think they did a better job with the slight update to the new QP but it will never be as special as the 2003-2012 models ... those were perfection

Yeah I can see what you mean. In fact, the one I saw with the beautiful exterior Marino style blue was kinda beat up inside. I had to wonder about the mileage since the leather was quite worn. I've seen worse, but the mileage was more in line with the wear. Of course, some leather can be brought back and a lot can be said for re-dying and treatment. The Grand Sport Coupes are the end of the line. Most of the quirks have been wrung out. Still, the clutch replacement will be a bear.

 

[John_K_348]

Ferrari 348 Twin Turbo.

My spider was stock but I did put in a K&N filter and replaced the rubber intake tubes with Spectre chrome flexible accordion plastic pipes. They were quite rigid and resonated really well. I discovered a "ghost mode" at about 3200 rpm cruise. Tons of fun, especially on back country roads. It howled softly like a wraith. Top down helps too