RE: Maserati Levante S Gransport: Driven

[GranCab]

Look out for the full fat Levante with the 3.8 V8 and 530 BHP - coming soon ....

[Kringle]

Oh my, all that sand and all those italian electricals...

[Clivey]

athol said:

Have you looked at the rear quarter of the Discovery 5? It doesn't matter how good it is, it's the most appalling piece of automotive design this side of the latest Civic Type R. I'd buy a Landcruiser now if I wanted off road ability. You don't see wars being waged with Land Rovers, only a Toyota can be trusted.

I thought it was the number plate holder that some were getting their knickers in a twist over? I’m not “tribal” when it comes to 4x4s; I’d drive whichever Jeep / LR / Nissan / Toyota etc. was most suitable for my needs. It’s telling though that Toyota have withdrawn the V8 Cruiser from the UK market yet seemingly every manufacturer is in a blind rush to churn-out as many tasteless “crossover” stboxes as they can!

[Ruskins]

Kringle said:

Oh my, all that sand and all those italian electricals...

....made by Bosch..

[anonymous-user]

Unless this is a huge, and I mean HUGE leap forward from the Ghibli then it will be a very poor car to live with. I had the "pleasure" of a diesel Ghibli for 3 months and it completely blew the idea that nobody makes a truly st car any more out of the water. These things are Chryslers with trident badges on the nose, and boy does it show. In my brand new Ghibli several bits of trim were literally falling off or not fitted properly from the factory. The only car I've been in with worse assembly quality was a Daewoo Lacetti.

I could write an essay on why it was a compete bag of st, but Doug DeMuro has it covered. The only thing he has any praise for is the V6 petrol engine, which of course almost none of them have in the UK so you have the thoroughly mediocre VM diesel.

https://www.autotrader.com/car-video/the-2015-mase...

There is no reason I can see to buy a Ghibli other than the badge, which makes you a bit of a knob really. I think I'll avoid any more "Chrysler Vanden Plas" models from now on, thanks.

[swisstoni]

dme123 said:

Unless this is a huge, and I mean HUGE leap forward from the Ghibli then it will be a very poor car to live with. I had the "pleasure" of a diesel Ghibli for 3 months and it completely blew the idea that nobody makes a truly st car any more out of the water. These things are Chryslers with trident badges on the nose, and boy does it show. In my brand new Ghibli several bits of trim were literally falling off or not fitted properly from the factory. The only car I've been in with worse assembly quality was a Daewoo Lacetti.

I could write an essay on why it was a compete bag of st, but Doug DeMuro has it covered. The only thing he has any praise for is the V6 petrol engine, which of course almost none of them have in the UK so you have the thoroughly mediocre VM diesel.

https://www.autotrader.com/car-video/the-2015-mase...

There is no reason I can see to buy a Ghibli other than the badge, which makes you a bit of a knob really. I think I'll avoid any more "Chrysler Vanden Plas" models from now on, thanks.

That's a shame as I had them down as a potential future luxo-shed.

[TheDrBrian]

swisstoni said:

dme123 said:

Unless this is a huge, and I mean HUGE leap forward from the Ghibli then it will be a very poor car to live with. I had the "pleasure" of a diesel Ghibli for 3 months and it completely blew the idea that nobody makes a truly st car any more out of the water. These things are Chryslers with trident badges on the nose, and boy does it show. In my brand new Ghibli several bits of trim were literally falling off or not fitted properly from the factory. The only car I've been in with worse assembly quality was a Daewoo Lacetti.

I could write an essay on why it was a compete bag of st, but Doug DeMuro has it covered. The only thing he has any praise for is the V6 petrol engine, which of course almost none of them have in the UK so you have the thoroughly mediocre VM diesel.

https://www.autotrader.com/car-video/the-2015-mase...

There is no reason I can see to buy a Ghibli other than the badge, which makes you a bit of a knob really. I think I'll avoid any more "Chrysler Vanden Plas" models from now on, thanks.

That's a shame as I had them down as a potential future luxo-shed.

It just screams "I couldn't be arsed"

[3yardy3]

Is it just me that thinks that excluding the screen in the center the dials look like a more upmarket version of the 2010 Ford Fiesta??

[anonymous-user]

TheDrBrian said:

swisstoni said:

dme123 said:

Unless this is a huge, and I mean HUGE leap forward from the Ghibli then it will be a very poor car to live with. I had the "pleasure" of a diesel Ghibli for 3 months and it completely blew the idea that nobody makes a truly st car any more out of the water. These things are Chryslers with trident badges on the nose, and boy does it show. In my brand new Ghibli several bits of trim were literally falling off or not fitted properly from the factory. The only car I've been in with worse assembly quality was a Daewoo Lacetti.

I could write an essay on why it was a compete bag of st, but Doug DeMuro has it covered. The only thing he has any praise for is the V6 petrol engine, which of course almost none of them have in the UK so you have the thoroughly mediocre VM diesel.

https://www.autotrader.com/car-video/the-2015-mase...

There is no reason I can see to buy a Ghibli other than the badge, which makes you a bit of a knob really. I think I'll avoid any more "Chrysler Vanden Plas" models from now on, thanks.

That's a shame as I had them down as a potential future luxo-shed.

It just screams "I couldn't be arsed"

Yes. One of my biggest motoring disappointments. It combines the "our customers are fking idiots" attitude of Chrysler with the "fk it that'll do" attitude of Fiat, and mixes it up with some of the nastiest parts of any manufacturers parts bin. It was very underwhelming on first acquaintance and it all went downhill from there. When they are £5k they might be worth it for a laugh, but I bet they'll be utterly riddled with faults.

[Ares]

dme123 said:

Unless this is a huge, and I mean HUGE leap forward from the Ghibli then it will be a very poor car to live with. I had the "pleasure" of a diesel Ghibli for 3 months and it completely blew the idea that nobody makes a truly st car any more out of the water. These things are Chryslers with trident badges on the nose, and boy does it show. In my brand new Ghibli several bits of trim were literally falling off or not fitted properly from the factory. The only car I've been in with worse assembly quality was a Daewoo Lacetti.

I could write an essay on why it was a compete bag of st, but Doug DeMuro has it covered. The only thing he has any praise for is the V6 petrol engine, which of course almost none of them have in the UK so you have the thoroughly mediocre VM diesel.

https://www.autotrader.com/car-video/the-2015-mase...

There is no reason I can see to buy a Ghibli other than the badge, which makes you a bit of a knob really. I think I'll avoid any more "Chrysler Vanden Plas" models from now on, thanks.

I had a Ghibli S for the weekend when I was looking at changing my car. I have to say I disagree with everything you say above. The cabin fit was a league ahead of BMW/Merc/Audi/etc, the engine was a beauty, the drive and ride brilliant.

I know of two others than have Ghibli's (one S, one normal Petrol), and I spoke to two diesel owners. One of my good pals has a diesel Levante as well - all echo my thoughts.

Either you and Doug drove a very old (or pre-production model), or the cars have radically changed rom 2015 to now.

[anonymous-user]

Ares said:

Either you and Doug drove a very old (or pre-production model), or the cars have radically changed rom 2015 to now.

It is quite possible the cars have been developed substantially since launch. This was always a British Leyland and later Rover Cars trick too; launch a car 80% ready for market and have it critically slated, and then over the first two years improve it to the point where it should have been at launch. Of course the damage is already done then and the opportunity squandered.

This would be a very, very Fiat/Chrysler thing to do. I'll see if I can try another one because I so very badly wanted the Ghibli to be good.

[Ares]

dme123 said:

Ares said:

Either you and Doug drove a very old (or pre-production model), or the cars have radically changed rom 2015 to now.

It is quite possible the cars have been developed substantially since launch. This was always a British Leyland and later Rover Cars trick too; launch a car 80% ready for market and have it critically slated, and then over the first two years improve it to the point where it should have been at launch. Of course the damage is already done then and the opportunity squandered.

This would be a very, very Fiat/Chrysler thing to do. I'll see if I can try another one because I so very badly wanted the Ghibli to be good.

Easy to say that just because FCA own the brand, the cars go crap. Most of their Italian brands have gone the other way.

[R400TVR]

I wonder why they felt the need to develop two V6 engines for different cars? Seems an odd thing to spend money on when one would surely be enough.

[Ares]

R400TVR said:

I wonder why they felt the need to develop two V6 engines for different cars? Seems an odd thing to spend money on when one would surely be enough.

Two V6 engines?

The S and non-S? They are the same engine is different states of tune. Same as most other manufacturers do.

[Aeroresh]

Ares said:

I had a Ghibli S for the weekend when I was looking at changing my car. I have to say I disagree with everything you say above. The cabin fit was a league ahead of BMW/Merc/Audi/etc, the engine was a beauty, the drive and ride brilliant.
.

Really? The leather bits are nice enough but the cabin plastics, switchgear and general fit is the same as in any other daimler chrysler offering , ie pretty rubbish compared with the german equivelants. I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee which suffers a similar affliction and Maserati dont seem any better.

[R400TVR]

Ares said:

R400TVR said:

I wonder why they felt the need to develop two V6 engines for different cars? Seems an odd thing to spend money on when one would surely be enough.

Two V6 engines?

The S and non-S? They are the same engine is different states of tune. Same as most other manufacturers do.

I meant this section "I reckon most Maserati owners would prefer that narrow-angle 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol motor (made by Ferrari, but different from the F154-family 2.9-litre V6 that powers the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio)"

[Ares]

Aeroresh said:

Ares said:

I had a Ghibli S for the weekend when I was looking at changing my car. I have to say I disagree with everything you say above. The cabin fit was a league ahead of BMW/Merc/Audi/etc, the engine was a beauty, the drive and ride brilliant.
.

Really? The leather bits are nice enough but the cabin plastics, switchgear and general fit is the same as in any other daimler chrysler offering , ie pretty rubbish compared with the german equivelants. I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee which suffers a similar affliction and Maserati dont seem any better.

Yes. I owned a 640d at the same time as I borrowed the Ghibli S (2017), ditto when I borrow the M3 CP, Alfa QV and Merc C63S.

The Ghibli was easily the best cabin, fit and finish of the lot. To say it is no better than a Jeep is, I'm sorry to say, laughable.

[Ares]

R400TVR said:

Ares said:

R400TVR said:

I wonder why they felt the need to develop two V6 engines for different cars? Seems an odd thing to spend money on when one would surely be enough.

Two V6 engines?

The S and non-S? They are the same engine is different states of tune. Same as most other manufacturers do.

I meant this section "I reckon most Maserati owners would prefer that narrow-angle 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol motor (made by Ferrari, but different from the F154-family 2.9-litre V6 that powers the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio)"

The QV engine was developed a long time after the Ghibli was launched. The engine also wouldn't suit the Ghibli as much as the 3.0 in the Ghibli S.

Not unusual for two different manufacturers to use two different engines. I'm sure if you look across the FCA group, there will be more 3.0 V6 engines. Ditto across the VAG group etc.