3200 for everyday use?

[barrieeld]

ok ok...prob been posted here 100's of times but im in the market for an everyday performance car...really interested in the E55 but its a bit bland, and m3's are becoming more and more frequent on todays roads with "go faster" spoilers etc so ive ruled them out. For 20-30k what can i buy?

I love the 3200 Maser, it oozes class and is more of a unique sight but what i really want to know is running costs and how relable are they?

996 turbo's are a bit out of my range just now but my next car is a stop gap to one of these.

Any advise, info or anything at all would be appreciated from you guys here!

Thanks
Barrie

[catchme]

For around £28-£30k you could probably get an '03-'04 4200. Mine's been very reliable, no problems at all. Biggest bill so far is fuel...

[brownie111]

Hi,

Wish I had known about this site before I purchased mine. Nothing bad with mine just the more information the better. But I will give as much information as i can.

Got mine in October from a dealer but it ended up being another member from the forum cars. Generally you can use the car everyday. Just dont panic when you realise the dash lights flash more than a fruit machine.

I dont have the Red key. Read the other discussions and make sure you get one. My car has just been into the garage, as a fuse blew and left me with no lights indicators or windows. When the fuse was replaced the keys need the master red key to be reprogrammed. Without = £3,000. Luckily the key that used to work now doesn`t but the key that didn`t now does. I am not asking why just happy.
At the same time they told me the back box had gone. 340 plus vat.

My car doesnt really like the wet. The electrics seem to do their own thing until warmed up. Watch manual cars near 60,000 miles as they have a service needing belt changes. gets expensive. I went for an automatic which surprisd me as i am not usually a fan. The clutch on the manuals I test drove seemed hard work.

I really like the 3200. Everyone can have a preference but the lights make it for me. Maybe the 4200 has a better engine but I will never know.

Everyday car YES. Love mine to bits. Like my van though. At 45mpg thats minimum 30mpg more. But I like to use it. My insurance was only £600.

Overall I am pleased. Good luck keep me informed

[LittleBro]

Barrie,

I'm in a similar situation. I've had an E55 and an E46 M3 and am now looking for the next move. For c£30k, I've decided an early-ish 4200 GT is unbeatable. There are a number of things to look out for, reading through on this forum or on www.maseratiforums.co.uk should answer most of your questions. As for daily use, I dont have one as yet but from current owners, it seems that they are usable but are not happy in regular start/stop traffic.

Good luck

Jamie

Edited by LittleBro on Monday 19th February 17:28

[barrieeld]

Thanks for the help guys will begin my search and keep you up to date on the findings. Can i ask from masser owners has anyone owned both a 3200 and 4200? i prefer the looks of the 3200 but is realiability more of an issue?

Jamie can i ask hoe you found the e55 merc? vs the M3?

[LittleBro]

Barrie,

The M3 was awesome. Very quick, a pleasure to own and drive, but just a tad too common for my liking. Surprisingly small too when you want to put 4 people in it....unless they're kids.

The E55 was another incredible tool, but a different kettle of fish to the M3. Again, very quick and good to drive, but a bit more relaxed than the M3. Roomier too.

Both cars have great build (as you'd expect) but be sure to research the spec of the particular car you look at - they can vary widely.

Cheers
Jamie

[barrieeld]

I must say i was tempted by the e55's 474bhp but like i said earlier im looking for somthing just a little more exclusive but also somthing i can use everday.

Can i ask why your looking at a Maser? Especially coming from a stalwart german stable, you not concerned about reliability issues?

[3200gt]

barrieeld said:

Can i ask from masser owners has anyone owned both a 3200 and 4200? i prefer the looks of the 3200 but is realiability more of an issue?

I have owned mine for over 5 yrs now. Driven several 42's but you can not compare the 2. Yes they both look similar but the turbo's and throttle response make them completely different cars. My preference is for the more brutal on/off power delivery of the 32. Handling due to the power delivery is totally different also.
The 32 is a beast in wet conditions and with the traction off will have you facing the wrong way in a blink. The 42 is a more complete car for day to day use but so is a Mondeo but come dry windie road summer blasts the 32 is the one to be in.
re reliability, neither are like massers of the 80's n 90's and I've had no major issues in 30ish k miles. But all cars do go wrong at some time but get the best you can with a good history with the campaigns done and a RED KEY and you wont go too far wrong unless your very unlucky.

[barrieeld]

what milage should i be loooking for?

A sweet as a nut 30k'er or a well looked after 80k'er?

[3200gt]

Low as u can get, full dealer history, RED KEY!

[LittleBro]

barrieeld said:

I must say i was tempted by the e55's 474bhp but like i said earlier im looking for somthing just a little more exclusive but also somthing i can use everday.

Can i ask why your looking at a Maser? Especially coming from a stalwart german stable, you not concerned about reliability issues?

Why am I looking at a Maser? Lots of reasons. Soul for one. I think BMW M's and AMG's are awesome bits of kit, but the BMW's are too common (in London, at least) and the AMG's are a little to bland for my liking. I see a few Masers but not too many and I think they have a really special appeal to them. You know, the unquantifiable appeal that really cant be explained.

I'm thinking Maserati as I think they are stylish, have loads of nice touches, and have come on in reliablity from models of the 80's. I do have a few reservations about reliability (I dont drive to work, so would only really use it at weekends), but I think if I buy one with 25-40k miles on, 3-4 years old, I'm am really hoping I shouldnt have too many problems. As with many things, its definitely going to be a case of 'suck-it and see' though.

Jamie

[mr_tony]

see my running costs for 18 months of ownership on an as new 6000 mile car - and bear in mind the only breakdown was the aircon compressor. then bear in mind my servicing was limited to 600 a service...

[godzilla]

It's only his initial thoughts, but my mate who owns the car on the front cover of www.auto-journals.com seems pretty happy with his so far. He uses it every day.

[the.raven]

barrieeld said:

what milage should i be loooking for?

A sweet as a nut 30k'er or a well looked after 80k'er?

Well looked after everytime IMO. You must have a decent history and the RED key or walk away.

My 3200 is on 82K and used every day come wind / rain or shine - they are really crap in the snow!!! Have owned it since July 06.

I went for a higher miler figuring this shows a well sorted motor. I also wanted as later model year as I could find. I have had to have a new clutch at 2K but other than that the only break down has been a crankshaft sensor at 14 quid!! (hope thats not famous last words)

I prefer the looks of the 3200 and the great thing about Maserati is you can drive for weeks and weeks without seeing any others. I too had an E55 and it was a great piece of kit but the Mazzer has the soul the Merc lacked!

[Pacoryan]

Nice plug there Dave! Yes indeed, I'm with Raven on this, buy one that's done a few miles and has the history to show it's been fully de-bugged and you won't regret it. My car is now on over 55k and because the build quality is actually quite good I could spend a few quid on a wheel refurb and smart repair to a paint chip, give the interior a bit of care and it could pass for a much younger car. But because it's done a few miles I know it's had every little annoyance seen to immediately, and all the oily bits have been regularly exercised.

When they break down it's usually silly problems often aggravated by a lack of use.

I made the mistake of buying a low-mileage 308 once and it cost me a small fortune to repair the bits that had deteriorated from the car being laid up over winters in a dehumidified garage. I ran it relentlessly for 18 months and doubled it's mileage (I did the best part of 30k in it) and once sorted it didn't miss a beat.

My car with 25k would have cost me around £2,500 more, that covers a lot of little problems.