[New2Roundel]

I had a Ghibli for a weekend about 3 months ago--same trim that your dad is considering. It's an interesting car that I think is best for someone who wants a maserati. It's definitely a luxury car, but isn't as luxurious as a MB or as sporty as a BMW---somewhere in the middle of both. The sport button is your best friend as it open up the exhaust baffles, making the car literally scream at high rpms. Reminded me just a little of a ferrari.

I drove a 650 vert and SL550 back to back fairly recently as well. Personally, in cars like this, I prefer luxury and comfort over speed and a harsh ride. I think the Mercedes just does it better than the BMW. I found the swell of torque and throttle calibration to be much more satisfying in the MB.

OTOH, I have a friend with a '14 CLS, who thinks that it's too soft.

[Dackelone]

Get the MB... he's old and they are really nice cars. The Maserati will be nothing but headaches and the 550i isn't really that sporty(although a nice car). Get the Merc.

[Red Bread]

Friend of mine got a Ghibli. Motor failed under 1k miles and they're dragging their feet on taking blame for it. Get a real brand.

[IEDEI]

let your father decide what he wants. he should get whatever he wants.

[gtron]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

let your father decide what he wants. he should get whatever he wants.

i prefer to think of him in the dark basement tied up with an oily sock stuffed in his mouth while his son paces back and forth thinking about which he should get. there's likely a small glowing from the corner - that is his laptop displaying this poll which only complicates things and prolongs his fathers suffering.

this is serious business, sir.

[PLCZ4MC]

Used Audi R8?
Used Ferrari 430?

[PatrikG]

Never heard anything good about Maserati's except from the sound and looks.

[SaMaster14]

Originally Posted by New2Roundel

I had a Ghibli for a weekend about 3 months ago--same trim that your dad is considering. It's an interesting car that I think is best for someone who wants a maserati. It's definitely a luxury car, but isn't as luxurious as a MB or as sporty as a BMW---somewhere in the middle of both. The sport button is your best friend as it open up the exhaust baffles, making the car literally scream at high rpms. Reminded me just a little of a ferrari.

I drove a 650 vert and SL550 back to back fairly recently as well. Personally, in cars like this, I prefer luxury and comfort over speed and a harsh ride. I think the Mercedes just does it better than the BMW. I found the swell of torque and throttle calibration to be much more satisfying in the MB.

OTOH, I have a friend with a '14 CLS, who thinks that it's too soft.

Thanks for the post. The SL is an amazing car. The transmission is a bit lazy and the handling isn't perfect, but it is nuts in a straight line for a non-AMG car and is extremely comfortable with all the bells and whistles. I think my dad really does want something 'different' and has dealt with Maserati before. I'm going to take him to sit in one this weekend so he can make the ultimate decision. He probably will go CLS if he dislikes the ghibli interior, but knowing him, I just don't think he can pass up the deal and feel 'young again' in a Maserati haha.

Originally Posted by PLCZ4M

Used Audi R8?
Used Ferrari 430?

Way too 'sports car' at his age and for his personality in general. And my dad, for some reason, has never considered a used car.

Originally Posted by PatrikG

Never heard anything good about Maserati's except from the sound and looks.

I think that's exactly what my dad is going for haha. He won't put many miles on it and a relative knows a dealer very very well, so I really don't think we will have any blame issues if something goes wrong.


And thank you to everyone else for voting and the replies also!

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by gtron

i prefer to think of him in the dark basement tied up with an oily sock stuffed in his mouth while his son paces back and forth thinking about which he should get. there's likely a small glowing from the corner - that is his laptop displaying this poll which only complicates things and prolongs his fathers suffering.

this is serious business, sir.

i lol'd.

carry on then!!

[SaMaster14]

Going to check out a Ghibli this Saturday. Reviews online seem pretty positive and considering he won't be putting too many miles on the car, unless we see some glaring issues when we go, that's probably the car he will go for. I priced one out to his spec and it came to just under 90k give or take... But the lease deals are just too good even if the msrp is higher than the other cars mentioned.

[gtron]

Originally Posted by SaMaster14

Going to check out a Ghibli this Saturday. Reviews online seem pretty positive and considering he won't be putting too many miles on the car, unless we see some glaring issues when we go, that's probably the car he will go for. I priced one out to his spec and it came to just under 90k give or take... But the lease deals are just too good even if the msrp is higher than the other cars mentioned.

report back with your findings. what kind of lease deals are they saying?

[SaMaster14]

Originally Posted by gtron

report back with your findings. what kind of lease deals are they saying?

Will do. I don't remember off the top of my head, but I know they are saying 699 for ghibli, 899 for sq4 with very little down. Those are mass advertised prices so I'm sure they can be negotiated even further down, especially on a MY15 with larger down payments.

[EyeGuy]

My friend has a ghibli s q4, and it is a very nice car. What's not so nice is the crazy amount of throttle lag. The drive by wire is terrible in that car. I believe it's a known issue.

[Aatish]

Even though I stated my disapproval for the Maserati in my previous post, I will say that the exhaust note from the V6 is just perfect. I test drove it through downtown Chicago when it first came out. The way that the exhaust note echoed through the city streets was orchestral.

Keep us posted on what goes down over your bonding session.

[slayer72]

I shopped around and checked out the GHIBLI, I would hate telling people I have a Ghibli, Maserati sounds much cooler. I couldnt get past the repair costs for these cars, its not a Ferrari after all, but one of the most damaging reviews I saw was the CNET tech review where the big screen is identical to the Dodge Darts, thats luxury. What other parts are used?

2:30 in starts the comparison.

[gtron]

Originally Posted by slayer72

I shopped around and checked out the GHIBLI, I would hate telling people I have a Ghibli, Maserati sounds much cooler. I couldnt get past the repair costs for these cars, its not a Ferrari after all, but one of the most damaging reviews I saw was the CNET tech review where the big screen is identical to the Dodge Darts, thats luxury. What other parts are used?

2:30 in starts the comparison.

80-85% of the money spent is on the brand "maserati". i hate to say it but not only is speed and performance second, the tech is even further down the list.

i do agree with you though. i love technology in cars. it's likely the only thing i like abt tesla's for example.

still, it would be nice to have one to "cross it off the list" as one might say.

[omegaSMP300]

CPOD BMW M5 gets my vote. Otherwise CLS.

No on the Ghibli. Other than the engine note and the semi exotic look I don't think it is worth the money and looks a bit cheap IMHO.

[New2Roundel]

Originally Posted by SaMaster14

Thanks for the post. The SL is an amazing car. The transmission is a bit lazy and the handling isn't perfect, but it is nuts in a straight line for a non-AMG car and is extremely comfortable with all the bells and whistles. I think my dad really does want something 'different' and has dealt with Maserati before. I'm going to take him to sit in one this weekend so he can make the ultimate decision. He probably will go CLS if he dislikes the ghibli interior, but knowing him, I just don't think he can pass up the deal and feel 'young again' in a Maserati haha.

I think that if your dad has previous experience with Maser and is interested in possibly getting back into one, I think he will like the Ghibli. It doesn't have that weird pornstar meets kit car look or feel to it like the 80's+ maseratis. It's a legit car, but still Italian. They spent a lot of time on noises and sounds. A little less time on the engine. And a lot less time on the interior. It's not bad, but nothing really special or unique. The current Lexus interior like in the IS and RC look a lot more interesting to me.

If your dad wants something different and doesn't like the maser, I like the other suggestion here of looking at a Jag. The XJ is a very graceful looking car that I'm sure drives very well. One day I'd like to own a British vehicle.

[TXSTYLE]

Maserati all the way without ANY question! It is always nice to have an Italian ride that stands out from the crowd. And the sounds alone...

[E94]

A7 all day. Chose it over Ghibli, Tesla, and Panamera

[hellrotm]

I would say CLS, but isn't the next gen due as a 2017 model.

If I was in the market for a sedan wouldn't look any further than C63-S. At least it sits five people unlike the CLS.

Would take an Audi S6 over any in the poll.

[SaMaster14]

Hey guys! Just thought I would share an update. After my dad checked out the Ghibli, he initially liked it, but became less and less enthused. He also doesn't need a car that might end up being a headache down the line.

So... he just made the deal for a fully loaded '16 CLS400 (329hp/354tq 3.0L twin-turbo V6). The car has pretty much every option checked minus the driver assist package (steel grey on black interior w/ grey stitching, both Premium pkgs with full LEDs, AMG steering wheel, 19" AMG wheels, spoiler, lane tracking and parking assist).

I will write up a short review w/ pics once he gets the car and lets me drive it! Obviously I wanted him to go for the 550 with the monster bi-turbo V8, but not only does it seem like nobody has any 550s (there are a BUNCH of barely optioned 400s and loaded 63 AMGs, but no 550s), the financing and money factor makes a big difference. We found a 550 that was optioned identically to the 400 he is getting and the MSRP was barely 2k more... seems like a steal until you see the lease price is $400/month more!