i have seen some very nice looking models for cheap....does this indicate they are a headache of epic proportions? just how bad are they?
Don't do it. Unless you enjoy setting money on fire. Mid year 2007, they went to the ZF Auto and things got better but still gonna drop large wads of cash on repairs, tires, and service.
There is a reason that they're priced that cheap.... The first thing that comes to mind are variators ....if/when they are needed. Interior sticky trim, leather shrinkage, suspension, brakes, tires, annual service can all add up to over 50% of the price of a car. Once you have addressed all of the above items, you will have a nice car, just keep up the preventative maintenance. Andy
I bought a 2006 in 2006 and just loved it. 1st of the true automatics and I had the car for 4 years with nothing at all going wrong. All the guys here are right about the earlier ones being trouble for sure with that F1 crap.. Its all about who had the car before you. I sold mine to a 70 year old lady that was a car nut and she really took care of the car. But I have seen others not so good.. Like everything else in life, get it all checked out beforehand. Still love those cars better than the new ones for sure...
Wait ... the cambiocorsa is so much worse than the F1? The sticky trim is the same issue found on the earlier Coupes which are still very nice cars too. Oh and Ferraris have that issue as well. It's of Ferrari lineage so expect all that portends. I have friends who have 70K miles on their cambiocorsa trannies and because they know how to drive it it's just fine. But it's not an automatic like showed up in 2007. So if that is what's needed then pass on the earlier ones. I know I couldn't let my wife use one as a DD. I prefer the looks of the previous QP too but the infotainment systems are not so hot according to my friends. Is that important?
I had a few of them, great cars for the money. I personally like the F1s so I always stay with the Sport GTS, Automáticas are just boring to me, it changes the weight distribution and dynamics of the car. The best description I have would be having a Ferrari California motor mate with a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti F1 transaxle for less than $30k.
I had a 2005 4200 (same engine, coupe body) from 2012 to 2015. Fabulous car. Glorious engine sound, beautiful interior. Handling was so-so and the CambioCorsa gearbox was awful.. but that's just "character"..
They're great cars. I work with a couple guys who have them, also 09 and '10. They've never had anything go wrong with them. I would have snapped one up but I prefer the user interface from newer Mercedes, hence E-class.
ross, these are great cars, we have had two driven 60,000 miles each with no prob except the variators which seem to be a big issue for the posters but in the real world it takes maybe four days to fix the issues and then it is done. My previous 2009 brought around 30,000 dollars with 60,000 miles on the clock and should be good for many miles. On the other hand some seem to think if you pay $30k for a used car it shouldn't require repairs ever-my real world experience tells me this is not a realistic expectation. The comment about "rims" [at what point did "wheels" become "rims"] is nonsense, the wheels are no better or worse than anyone else...If you hit a pothole with low profile tire the wheel will likely be damaged, no matter the brand. When I replace tires I get the wheels repaired and the thing is ready for another 20,000 miles. It is just part of "expendables". Malcolm
nonsense my rear - i have a dozen cars i drive daily - the qp has major issues, atleast in the northeast
I have an 05...stay far, far away...go for one of the 07+ models with the ZF auto box....I love the engine, handling and interior but my car has 11k miles on it and I've already spent 12 grand on a new tranny...
I use my 06 QP as a daily driver in Moscow Russia. Great car, although the clutch replacement was a bit expensive. I like the idea Im driving a four door saloon with a Ferrai engine and tranny with a transaxle layout. Variator issues apply to the automatic versions. Due to the absense of the dry sump and lower revs. Currently I have 50k kms on odometer (30k miles). No issues. Runs and drives perfect. Obviously doesnt like stop n go traffic. But thats character and use of a launch control makes me forget the traffic issues.
I purchased an 2006 Quattroporte, everything was fine but now the clutch won't engage. Could it be the hydraulic pump?
The pump should prime the system for a few seconds when driver door opens - governed by a switch in the lock mechanism. Can you hear the pump start ? Could be the grey 50A relay on the right side of trunk. The relay feeds the hydraulic pump.
I think the earlier cars feel a little more exotic. If you know how to drive the F1 properly then you shouldn't have problems that are out of the ordinary with any other Ferrari or Maserati. That said the later cars are really nice as well, especially if you are going to be driving them in regular situations.
Great post. All is correct, absolutely! These are phantastic cars. Mine is from MY2005. Nuvolari Grey with all beige interior. I have owned it since 2012, it came with 45k kilometers and meanwhile, I added 23k kilometers. People just don't do justice to these cars when they buy only because they are cheap. Reasonable maintenance costs some money.
Some people have great experiences, some have terrible. Just know when it breaks, it won't be cheap. Scott
If you treat the cambiocorsa system like F1 should be treated and change the fluid every three years with a bleed, leak check, system self test, and PIS optimization, it should work great. Takes a while to learn how to drive them smoothly, and the Auto mode will take a lot of enjoyment out of the process. If you want to use Auto all the time, buy a later one with an automatic. Drive her like you drive your 3 pedals, except with one pedal missing, and you will love her. Incidentally, that is not an F1 transmission, it is a manual transmission and clutch with electro-hydraulics to shift and operate the clutch.
How are they different? An F1 is also electro-hydraulics isn't it? I've always heard just leave your foot down and shift. Then again I've only ever driven a couple F1 trans cars. I'm kind of interested in this. I am always looking for something different when it comes to cars. I love the power of my Cayenne but I've had it a few years, thinking it might be time for something else before long and a QP just might be the ticket. So from what I'm reading and seeing online it sounds like the "duoselect" could have issues but then what I'm seeing here is if it's maintained properly no worse than a regular manual. the actualy ZF auto trans started in 2007, is that right? More reliable but maybe less snappy?