Saw the awesome Enzo at FOA, question on Maserati...

One thing to consider, all will depreciate "like car keys out of a Lear jet".

Wait 3-4 years and pick up 2 for the price of 1.

 

June's Car and Driver compares the Quattroporte with the E55 and the XJR. The Quattroporte wins! Apparently, the F1 software has improved. The 2nd generation is much better than early Quattroportes, and the 3rd generation will be out before the North American launch. Suspention improvements are in the works as well.

 

Im buying the next M5.. going to be fast.. the E55 is too soft..but very quick I still think the next M5 will be the king of sedans!

 

3 superb cars, I would choose the Q without hesitation. I love the car's lines, to me it is well drawn. I assume it will have a strong warranty, which reduces some of the newness risk.

 

i like you already . Welcome to FerrariChat...

 

Forget the M5, everyone hates the iDrive and you are NOT getting the same engine as the F1 BMW. That is clever advertizing. Maserati would be a better choice. Then the E55. Never buy the first new model. Too many "recalls" etc.

 

i would go with the Quatraporte....my main influence would be because very few people will have this car compared to the BMW or the Merc. it is also an original design and an original car. the BMW and Merc are old hat really....whens the last time maser had a 4 door "super" sedan?? based on this solely, i would buy it over the others....besides its italian

 

Go with the M5. BMW still builds the best driving sedan. The 7 speed SMG should be awesome. The Merc only comes with an automatic pulleeezzzeee, and the Maserati is just that, a Maserati; not a Ferrari, not a BMW. Looks wise (subjective) the Merc has clean lines, nothing controversial, and very conservative. The Maserati is handsome..? The 5 is controversial but will look better with the M styling pieces.

 

I'd go for the Quattroporte. Looks are fantastic. The wheels look absolutely sick! And plus, you get the F1 paddle shifters, which are fun to drive with.

 

What are the price differences? What is the Maserati going for in the States? The Maserati is a beautiful car!!! I don't know if you have seen it yet, but i have posted some pics on this general forums section titled under " Pucs from Korea" or something like that.
But as everyone says, all these are great cars! It's all what you want. They already have the Quattroportes here in Korea. The car itself sounds almost identical to a Ferrari(because it is the Ferrari motor^_^). It is comparably priced to a Mercedes S500(maybe about 12 grand more), but not as quiet^_^. Ha! But if you are a ferrari fan, you would LOOOVE it! I do!^_^! But I love the M5 too and I like the performance of the E55 but not too crazy on the looks.

 

The idrive in the 5 series is much better than the 7. If the 5 didn't have the weird trunk - there would be no comparison - the M5 hands down. 500HP, 7 speed SMG. E55 is fast but a slush box - plus it looks like 10,000 other E's. I would wait to see what the M5 looks like but right now I go - M5, Maser, E55.

 

The Quatroporte is not in the same class as the E55 and M5. It's more in the XJR class. But if you've booked the M5, then your choice is either the E55 or the M5. The M5 wins.

BMW spend much more time on their M cars than AMG would with theirs. AMG's concept is to bolt on a compressor and beef-up the suspension and the car is on the street. BMW makes a completely different engine for the M5, a V10 and design different suspension for it. They just don't beef it up. The M series is a drivers' car, so if you like driving that's the car for you. As for the looks, well let's say it's just different.

 

How is the "automatic only" E55 better than the SMG only or Cambiocorsa only M5 and Quatroporte? Isn't it just a matter of taste. Truthfully, I'd rather have a manual transmission in any of those cars, but it just isn't available. At least the SMG and Cambiocorsa allow you to shift quickly if you want to. Having driven the SMG M3 and the Cambiocorsa Maser coupe, I really prefer the SMG system; it responds extremely well. Conversly, I've driven the 7-speed '04 SL500, and the car behaves quite well. My choice, the M5, but I, unlike you, like the way the new 5-series looks.

 

Check the 'other Italian' section here. A gentleman recently drove the QP back to back with its competitors from MB, Audi and BMW, not the M5 obviously. He said the QP was hands down better than all of them, especially in the twisties.