Maserati - Advice please! (3200 and 4200)
Discussion
Hi guys,
Sorry to invade your forum as I don't own a supercar, but I'm looking at getting a 3200 or a 4200 in a year or so.
From past experience I've always found it best to research cars well in advance so I know the pros and cons, so when it comes to crunch time I'll be able to make a decision based on my financial status.
Anyway - I really would like a 4200 GT, with a 3200 as a backup. I'm thinking of getting one in about 16 months time.
What sort of things should I be looking for? I'm 19 now so insurance will still be stupid prices but hey, supercars don't come with little bills. On the same note, how much is an average service? Including all the bits and bobs that "need" to be done etc.
As a comparison I'm currently forking out about £1200 a year on servicing for my Impreza, and I return about 27mpg on normal motorway driving. What sort of return should I expect from a Maserati? I'm not one of those idiots to buy a car at face value and then struggle for life to fund it - just be good to know a benchmark figure to ensure I can really afford it (peace of mind etc).
Sorry if I've rambled a bit but it's a big purchase for a little kiddy. If there's anything else you need to ask or feel needs answering then please do.
Thanks
Sorry to invade your forum as I don't own a supercar, but I'm looking at getting a 3200 or a 4200 in a year or so.
From past experience I've always found it best to research cars well in advance so I know the pros and cons, so when it comes to crunch time I'll be able to make a decision based on my financial status.
Anyway - I really would like a 4200 GT, with a 3200 as a backup. I'm thinking of getting one in about 16 months time.
What sort of things should I be looking for? I'm 19 now so insurance will still be stupid prices but hey, supercars don't come with little bills. On the same note, how much is an average service? Including all the bits and bobs that "need" to be done etc.
As a comparison I'm currently forking out about £1200 a year on servicing for my Impreza, and I return about 27mpg on normal motorway driving. What sort of return should I expect from a Maserati? I'm not one of those idiots to buy a car at face value and then struggle for life to fund it - just be good to know a benchmark figure to ensure I can really afford it (peace of mind etc).
Sorry if I've rambled a bit but it's a big purchase for a little kiddy. If there's anything else you need to ask or feel needs answering then please do.
Thanks
Good choice and I dont envy your insurance bill ! Do a search on here there is plenty of info of the kind your after, but to get you started dont expect to see north of 20mpg from either. The norm is approx 15.
Servicing is circa 600 for a minor and 1000 for a major. Dont be put off by what armchair critics say about masers, especially 3200's. Both are very different cars which look similar, 3200's are more hardcore with turbo lunacy and (imo) better design features. 4200s are more a continental cruiser and a little more forgiving.
As I said do a search and also on maseratiforum uk and you'll find all you need to know.
good luck.
Servicing is circa 600 for a minor and 1000 for a major. Dont be put off by what armchair critics say about masers, especially 3200's. Both are very different cars which look similar, 3200's are more hardcore with turbo lunacy and (imo) better design features. 4200s are more a continental cruiser and a little more forgiving.
As I said do a search and also on maseratiforum uk and you'll find all you need to know.
good luck.
Cool, thanks for the info. That mpg - is it real world? I've learnt to take online figures with a pinch of salt I can get about 30mpg from my Impreza if I bumble along at 65 on the motorway, but if I go anywhere near the loud pedal it drops to 22-24mpg. Is it the same story with the 3200/4200? I know it's a bit of a generalisation but since I spend a lot of time cruising on the motorway I'd probably be leaning towards the 4200 - I've got my turbo lunacy car at the moment and am thinking of something a bit more refined in a bit (but still able to pull my face off when it's necessary). Plus as you say it's slightly more forgiving, which perhaps with my exuberance might be a bit of a lifeline!
Servicing sounds reasonable given it's a Maserati. I did a bit of digging and found this site - has anybody used them? Their servicing costs seem incredibly cheap: Roberts Aerospace & Automotive
I'll hunt around some more and see what sort of information I can find. Thanks for the info so far!
Oh - one other thing. Any recommended dealers and ones that I should perhaps avoid? If it doesn't break PH's name-and-shame rules. I saw a nice Maserati for sale by a "DK Engineering" and the site checks out... although perhaps I'm moving a bit too fast at the moment.
I can get about 30mpg from my Impreza if I bumble along at 65 on the motorway, but if I go anywhere near the loud pedal it drops to 22-24mpg. Is it the same story with the 3200/4200? I know it's a bit of a generalisation but since I spend a lot of time cruising on the motorway I'd probably be leaning towards the 4200 - I've got my turbo lunacy car at the moment and am thinking of something a bit more refined in a bit (but still able to pull my face off when it's necessary). Plus as you say it's slightly more forgiving, which perhaps with my exuberance might be a bit of a lifeline!Servicing sounds reasonable given it's a Maserati. I did a bit of digging and found this site - has anybody used them? Their servicing costs seem incredibly cheap: Roberts Aerospace & Automotive
I'll hunt around some more and see what sort of information I can find. Thanks for the info so far!
Oh - one other thing. Any recommended dealers and ones that I should perhaps avoid? If it doesn't break PH's name-and-shame rules. I saw a nice Maserati for sale by a "DK Engineering" and the site checks out... although perhaps I'm moving a bit too fast at the moment.
That's mentioned annual servicing above, but not brakes, clutch, tyres, etc.
Discs and pads all round is approx. £1000.
A clutch (if you need a release bearing and flywheel) will be around £2000 minimum. Clutches can last as little as 10k and maybe as much as 25k.
Tyres all round are approx. £800 - £1000, and it will need rear tyres every 10000 miles or less.
F1 pump replacement costs £1200 plus VAT and fitting, that's a common fault (although there is a cheaper alternative by using an Alfa pump that will save you about £700 on the part).
If you're doing 10-15k a year, you could easily (potentially) add another £2-3000 to the annual servicing in wear and tear.
My last service was the biggy, 32k mile plus an annual, came out the door at £1600. Prior to that, around £600 - £800 a year.
I've also spent £300 on having the roof mech serviced, and another £300 on various parts, mirror gaskets, boot release solenoid etc. Normal wear and tear, but it isn't cheap.
That's all indy pricing too, not main dealer.
They're relatively cheap cars to buy, but they really are not cheap to run. Some of the parts prices will make your eyes water....
Unless you have at least £10k p/a of disposable income to spend on a car, I think you'd be better with something else.
I've had mine for 4 years. Purchased when I was 25, insurance started at £1100 a year, it's now down to £450, but I have full no claims, etc.
They are potentially NOT cheap cars to run.
HTH.
Discs and pads all round is approx. £1000.
A clutch (if you need a release bearing and flywheel) will be around £2000 minimum. Clutches can last as little as 10k and maybe as much as 25k.
Tyres all round are approx. £800 - £1000, and it will need rear tyres every 10000 miles or less.
F1 pump replacement costs £1200 plus VAT and fitting, that's a common fault (although there is a cheaper alternative by using an Alfa pump that will save you about £700 on the part).
If you're doing 10-15k a year, you could easily (potentially) add another £2-3000 to the annual servicing in wear and tear.
My last service was the biggy, 32k mile plus an annual, came out the door at £1600. Prior to that, around £600 - £800 a year.
I've also spent £300 on having the roof mech serviced, and another £300 on various parts, mirror gaskets, boot release solenoid etc. Normal wear and tear, but it isn't cheap.
That's all indy pricing too, not main dealer.
They're relatively cheap cars to buy, but they really are not cheap to run. Some of the parts prices will make your eyes water....
Unless you have at least £10k p/a of disposable income to spend on a car, I think you'd be better with something else.
I've had mine for 4 years. Purchased when I was 25, insurance started at £1100 a year, it's now down to £450, but I have full no claims, etc.
They are potentially NOT cheap cars to run.
HTH.
maser_spyder said:
Unless you have at least £10k p/a of disposable income to spend on a car, I think you'd be better with something else.
£10k?? Get real, I had a pig of a 4200 and it didn't cost anything like that, just make sure you have a slush fund, say £3 or £4k knocking around in case of a big bill, Most important thing to do is get it inspected before you make your purchase. I didn't, and I regretted not doing so. Roberts Aerospace has a fairly good rep, just don't expect bimbos serving you coffee. It's quite rough and ready, but you wont get ripped off. Try taking a look here www.sportsmaserati.com lots of help can be found there.Peter101 said:
maser_spyder said:
Unless you have at least £10k p/a of disposable income to spend on a car, I think you'd be better with something else.
£10k?? Get real, I had a pig of a 4200 and it didn't cost anything like that, just make sure you have a slush fund, say £3 or £4k knocking around in case of a big bill, Most important thing to do is get it inspected before you make your purchase. I didn't, and I regretted not doing so. Roberts Aerospace has a fairly good rep, just don't expect bimbos serving you coffee. It's quite rough and ready, but you wont get ripped off. Try taking a look here www.sportsmaserati.com lots of help can be found there.Plus £1000 for annual servicing, plus another (including contingency) £1500 for wear and tear/clutch/tyres/F1 pump, etc. Sure, some years will cost less, but some more. If a clutch lasts 3 years, that's around £800 a year in clutches, whichever way you spin it. Same for tyres/brakes/etc.
That's £4500 plus road tax at £300.
Leaving £5200 for fuel.
We know the 4200 does 15 mpg if driven normally (I know it will do 22 if you go everywhere at exactly 60, but what's the fun in that?).
So, fuel at £1.25 a litre, that's 4160 litres, approx 830 gallons, or 12480 miles.
So that's how a Maser will cost £10k a year to run.
Look after it, and do 12000 miles a year. £10k. Scary, but true.
maser_spyder said:
Peter101 said:
maser_spyder said:
Unless you have at least £10k p/a of disposable income to spend on a car, I think you'd be better with something else.
£10k?? Get real, I had a pig of a 4200 and it didn't cost anything like that, just make sure you have a slush fund, say £3 or £4k knocking around in case of a big bill, Most important thing to do is get it inspected before you make your purchase. I didn't, and I regretted not doing so. Roberts Aerospace has a fairly good rep, just don't expect bimbos serving you coffee. It's quite rough and ready, but you wont get ripped off. Try taking a look here www.sportsmaserati.com lots of help can be found there.Plus £1000 for annual servicing, plus another (including contingency) £1500 for wear and tear/clutch/tyres/F1 pump, etc. Sure, some years will cost less, but some more. If a clutch lasts 3 years, that's around £800 a year in clutches, whichever way you spin it. Same for tyres/brakes/etc.
That's £4500 plus road tax at £300.
Leaving £5200 for fuel.
We know the 4200 does 15 mpg if driven normally (I know it will do 22 if you go everywhere at exactly 60, but what's the fun in that?).
So, fuel at £1.25 a litre, that's 4160 litres, approx 830 gallons, or 12480 miles.
So that's how a Maser will cost £10k a year to run.
Look after it, and do 12000 miles a year. £10k. Scary, but true.
I dont think adding in fuel, insurance, road tax, tyres etc is what he was asking, after all, you have to pay for these regardless of whatever car you run. I think he was asking about specific service costs.
So removing these compulsary costs from your sums leaves a figure of £2500 which I dont think anyone would argue is a reasonable cost (over and above everyday costs) for annual outlay for such a car. Sure if things fail then spare parts can cost alot but its not like there 1970's rust heaps with dubious wiring anymore that fail every other day.
A slush fund of 2-3k in reserve should be ample unless he is unfortunate enough to have a major failure.
He's running a scooby at the moment so I don't think he was expecting mondeo money.
So removing these compulsary costs from your sums leaves a figure of £2500 which I dont think anyone would argue is a reasonable cost (over and above everyday costs) for annual outlay for such a car. Sure if things fail then spare parts can cost alot but its not like there 1970's rust heaps with dubious wiring anymore that fail every other day.
A slush fund of 2-3k in reserve should be ample unless he is unfortunate enough to have a major failure.
He's running a scooby at the moment so I don't think he was expecting mondeo money.
3200gt said:
I dont think adding in fuel, insurance, road tax, tyres etc is what he was asking, after all, you have to pay for these regardless of whatever car you run. I think he was asking about specific service costs.
So removing these compulsary costs from your sums leaves a figure of £2500 which I dont think anyone would argue is a reasonable cost (over and above everyday costs) for annual outlay for such a car. Sure if things fail then spare parts can cost alot but its not like there 1970's rust heaps with dubious wiring anymore that fail every other day.
A slush fund of 2-3k in reserve should be ample unless he is unfortunate enough to have a major failure.
He's running a scooby at the moment so I don't think he was expecting mondeo money.
Sure, appreciate that, you're absolutely right.So removing these compulsary costs from your sums leaves a figure of £2500 which I dont think anyone would argue is a reasonable cost (over and above everyday costs) for annual outlay for such a car. Sure if things fail then spare parts can cost alot but its not like there 1970's rust heaps with dubious wiring anymore that fail every other day.
A slush fund of 2-3k in reserve should be ample unless he is unfortunate enough to have a major failure.
He's running a scooby at the moment so I don't think he was expecting mondeo money.
However, what's the point in having the car if you don't drive it?
Absolutely, you can own it for £2500 a year (although it's likely to be a bit more in all honestly, all told), but you've got to drive it to make it worthwhile.
Fuel is, basically, double what you would spend on a 'normal' car (including a Scooby), so whatever your normal annual fuel bill is, double it.
Basically, you need at least £10k a year to do 12000 miles a year in one of these, unless you don't go far, or keep it for weekends, which is fair enough (it's what I do!).
The reason you see a lot of these about with lower mileage than similar age cars is a lot (like mine) are second cars rather than daily drivers, being used a couple of days a week.
If it's a daily driver, and you do 12'000 miles a year, you can't hide from the fact that this will cost you £10k a year to run, on a very rough average. That means you need £10k a year in disposable income.
In terms of servicing and parts, it's a huge step up from a Scooby.
I think you're being a bit pessimistic, maser_spyder. I've had mine (4200 manual) for 2.5 years and also had a few big bills - suspension, brakes, exhaust and 3 services etc. I do 12,000 miles annually and so far, total annual costs including fuel, insurance, tax, tyres etc but not depreciation average out at £5580.
I am an old git so insurance is cheap, and I also appreciate I may have been lucky - 4200 manual running costs are usually lower than those of the 3200 GT and 4200 CC. I think having a slush fund of £2k - £3k for the unexpected should be ample.
I am an old git so insurance is cheap, and I also appreciate I may have been lucky - 4200 manual running costs are usually lower than those of the 3200 GT and 4200 CC. I think having a slush fund of £2k - £3k for the unexpected should be ample.
I think the key issues with ownership of these types of cars is just being aware of what _can_ go wrong and how much it _can_ cost. By the time you're at this level, insurance costs/road tax etc tend to be much of a muchness (i.e. all expensive). I cost my cars based solely on fuel, servicing/maintenance, depreciation and risk of major expensive failure of something.
So, £2,500 per year for regular servicing and maintenance doesn't sound far off, you just need to be able to absorb a potential hit of say £5k if the car decides to self destruct one year!
Only other thing I would mention is probably the 15p per mile depreciation, depending on what mileage/age car you get. Between that and the fuel at 30p per mile, it adds up. So 12k miles a year will cost, when I work it out as I do relative to other cars I've owned:
£2,500 + (12,000 x (£0.30 + £0.20) ) = ~£8k
So, £2,500 per year for regular servicing and maintenance doesn't sound far off, you just need to be able to absorb a potential hit of say £5k if the car decides to self destruct one year!
Only other thing I would mention is probably the 15p per mile depreciation, depending on what mileage/age car you get. Between that and the fuel at 30p per mile, it adds up. So 12k miles a year will cost, when I work it out as I do relative to other cars I've owned:
£2,500 + (12,000 x (£0.30 + £0.20) ) = ~£8k
Absolutely, I'm being pessimistic. Mine for one costs a LOT less than this to run!
However, the chap needs an annual budget to run this car. His insurance is going to be expensive (unlike some of us old gits!) and is quite a large part of the costs above.
My whole point was, although you can try to run these on a shoestring, and you can run them cheaply (if you're lucky!), don't expect this to happen.
The chap above got it spot on when he said "what_can_go_wrong....".
For the first year, I had a few odd jobs when I bought the car, £1500 service including the extras. Second year very little, £600 total. Third year, big service (32500 mile one) about £1600 total. Fourth year, cheap annual service, plus wing mirror gaskets, odds and ends, roof service, rattly tappet fix, new clutch, this year is going to be a £5000 one.
If you asked what it costs to run a year, it's impossible to say. Mine has been all over the place in terms of running costs, I'm sure others have been the same!
The point is, don't try to run one of these without a disposable income of less than £10k a year. There's a good chance you'll come in significantly less than that though.
Hope for the best, plan for the worst.
However, the chap needs an annual budget to run this car. His insurance is going to be expensive (unlike some of us old gits!) and is quite a large part of the costs above.
My whole point was, although you can try to run these on a shoestring, and you can run them cheaply (if you're lucky!), don't expect this to happen.
The chap above got it spot on when he said "what_can_go_wrong....".
For the first year, I had a few odd jobs when I bought the car, £1500 service including the extras. Second year very little, £600 total. Third year, big service (32500 mile one) about £1600 total. Fourth year, cheap annual service, plus wing mirror gaskets, odds and ends, roof service, rattly tappet fix, new clutch, this year is going to be a £5000 one.
If you asked what it costs to run a year, it's impossible to say. Mine has been all over the place in terms of running costs, I'm sure others have been the same!
The point is, don't try to run one of these without a disposable income of less than £10k a year. There's a good chance you'll come in significantly less than that though.
Hope for the best, plan for the worst.
maser_spyder said:
Hope for the best, plan for the worst.
Exactly. I've taken this to the extreme with my F355: I've ringfenced £8k+ just for servicing and maintenance for the next 2 years. I've effectively written off that money in my head and other finances so any change I get back (which should be a decent amount touch wood etc) is a bonus as far as I'm concerned. Doing it this way enables me to enjoy the car without worrying about the costs.maser_spyder said:
I've had mine for 4 years. Purchased when I was 25, insurance started at £1100 a year, it's now down to £450, but I have full no claims, etc.
Sorry to hijack but could you tell me who that is with? I am currently looking to buy a 3200 and the best quote I can get is circa £700. I'm old, married, live in a quiet area and have full NCB!Thanks in advance,
Joe
swindorski said:
maser_spyder said:
I've had mine for 4 years. Purchased when I was 25, insurance started at £1100 a year, it's now down to £450, but I have full no claims, etc.
Sorry to hijack but could you tell me who that is with? I am currently looking to buy a 3200 and the best quote I can get is circa £700. I'm old, married, live in a quiet area and have full NCB!Thanks in advance,
Joe
I know they don't have the best reputation, but given I'm very short on claims in my driving history, I'm willing to take the gamble....
It's a multi-car policy with Admiral.
That was last years price though, I would expect it's gone up a bit since then.
They were really touting for new business back then too, I would expect that's come to an end now as well.
Worth a try though!
Plenty of advice - made for interesting reading. Thanks much. I'm still debating whether financially I'll be able to manage a Maserati at this age, especially with other exciting bills such as housing, food, excess alcohol, and so on. A good friend of mine (I know you're reading this, 
) is telling me to go down the two car route, whereas I can't seem to make up my mind about anything. I was drooling over a rather nice 4200 on the Classifieds earlier until an M5 rumbled past and made me start looking at those instead.
I really need to get my mind made up - although I'm not going to be getting a replacement car for another year or two (the insurance is eye watering for anything at the moment). Gives me enough time to make up my mind about what I'm going to get, and then veer off and buy something completely different instead.
Thanks again for your help. Hopefully I'll be attending PH meets in a lovely Maserati in the near(ish) future.
) is telling me to go down the two car route, whereas I can't seem to make up my mind about anything. I was drooling over a rather nice 4200 on the Classifieds earlier until an M5 rumbled past and made me start looking at those instead.I really need to get my mind made up - although I'm not going to be getting a replacement car for another year or two (the insurance is eye watering for anything at the moment). Gives me enough time to make up my mind about what I'm going to get, and then veer off and buy something completely different instead.
Thanks again for your help. Hopefully I'll be attending PH meets in a lovely Maserati in the near(ish) future.
well given that you've been given the black & white reality of what it's going to cost.. I'd say do it while you can!
I jumped into a 1.5 year old gransport & ran it for a couple of years & it was fantastic. So fantastic that now the nipper is here I'm saving up for a QP Lovely cars, plenty of indies in the south to service them. Parts are surprisingly easy to come by from places like eurospares, lots of good help on the forums & the dealers tend to be pretty good if you are using them. Mine was fault free & I still like the starting routine - oh & I did quite a few miles in it as it was a daily driver & parked outside on the drive. It also did a few jaunts around europe for weeks at a time. The factory were very pleased to see that I'd driven it down there & poped in.
It will cost but it you are a car nut, you'll find a way to justify it :P - it's certainly not significantly worse than the Evo8 or B5 RS4 all things considered. The main point would be avoid buying a dog as it'll be a money pit & you won't be able to shift it on later (or will struggle). Oh & if at all possible - don't get it on finance (see previous point).
good luck
I jumped into a 1.5 year old gransport & ran it for a couple of years & it was fantastic. So fantastic that now the nipper is here I'm saving up for a QP
Lovely cars, plenty of indies in the south to service them. Parts are surprisingly easy to come by from places like eurospares, lots of good help on the forums & the dealers tend to be pretty good if you are using them. Mine was fault free & I still like the starting routine - oh & I did quite a few miles in it as it was a daily driver & parked outside on the drive. It also did a few jaunts around europe for weeks at a time. The factory were very pleased to see that I'd driven it down there & poped in. It will cost but it you are a car nut, you'll find a way to justify it :P - it's certainly not significantly worse than the Evo8 or B5 RS4 all things considered. The main point would be avoid buying a dog as it'll be a money pit & you won't be able to shift it on later (or will struggle). Oh & if at all possible - don't get it on finance (see previous point).
good luck
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