QP, E55 & XJR Comparo | FerrariChat

QP, E55 & XJR Comparo

Discussion in 'Maserati' started by ebrigham, May 1, 2004.

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  1. ebrigham

    ebrigham Karting

    Nov 1, 2003
    155
    NYC
    Just got my June 2004 C&D in the mail. C&D ranked the QP first over the E55 and Jag XJR. The Jag came in third. In a nutshell, the QP wasn't the fastest among the 3 in a straight line, but had the best braking, handling and driver involvement. The reviewers felt the styling and the driving experience was too seductive to resist - their words (basically) not mine. Downsides such as slightly firm ride and unproven build quality were outweighed by the QP's other qualities.

    Considering that the automotive press rarely ranks my favorite cars this highly, I hope this doesn't mean Maser's latest efforts don't match my tastes! Oh well, I am not really in the market for a sedan right now anyway
     
  2. 95spiderman

    95spiderman F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 1, 2003
    15,057
    ny
    i was very surprised at how well the qp did in this test.

    styling is still controversial but i dont see how stiff ride for good handling and jerky f1 trans work in a luxury car. maybe if you want a sports car but need 4 doors qp would work. problem is people with 100k to spend usually would have a sports car already and are looking for reliability and luxury in a 4 door.
     
  3. dave_fonz_164

    dave_fonz_164 Formula 3

    Mar 11, 2004
    1,658
    Montreal, Canada
    Full Name:
    Davide Giuseppe F.
    ya i just bought the mag and was suprised to find the maser first, rarely do italian cars finish first in mag tests, just in last months car and driver the maser coupe finished lasy between the 645 and clk amg.

    i guess the masers visual impact and experience are too stunning to go unnoticed. only complaints are like usual, firm ride and gearchange wich will changed and improved for us, i think its a great achievement for maserati to be considered in such a dominated car segment
     
  4. Okam2000

    Okam2000 Rookie
    BANNED

    Apr 29, 2004
    25
    Car and Driver's editors are VERY slanted towards rewarding sedans that pretend to be sports cars. Even luxury sedans that might not be sought after by their customers for spirited driving are rewarded for punishing rides and high rpm capability by the mag.

    It's been this way for 20 years, issue after issue, with BMW usually crushing all competition in their comparos endlessly due to this very reason.

    I would say based on knowing their way of reporting that potential owners of the QP need to drive it first, no question. This is a much less posh car than say the Jag that came in third. It's not a luxury car in the Lexus LS sense. It's more like an Italian BMW in terms of ride, performance, and the F1 tranny.
     
  5. scycle2020

    scycle2020 F1 Rookie

    Jan 26, 2004
    3,477
    potomac
    i totally agree, good point!!!
     
  6. ebrigham

    ebrigham Karting

    Nov 1, 2003
    155
    NYC
    Italian BMW is a good way to describe the car. Definately not the car for someone wanting a cruise missile and isolated ride like Lexus. I am curious to see how much more refined the ride and F1 will be once it comes to the US - this is like their third or fourth refinement of the system.

    Anyway, the article was more of an amusement for me than anything, rarely does C&D jibe with my personal tastes. One interesting thing is that the previous issue with the Maser Coupe, 645 BMW and the CLK55 - the Maser finished dead last and the Benz first. Numerical scores for all 3 cars were very very close.

    Another thing that startled me was the 70 - 0 mph braking for the QP; it was 153 feet I think. That is only 2 feet longer than the Enzo IIRC.
     
  7. Jordan Ross

    Jordan Ross Formula Junior

    Nov 4, 2003
    601
    Austin
    Man, everyone but me has the new C&D, its getting annoying! I have a good idea that the mailman is a car fanatic like me, I think he is reading it before I get it.

    I usually get mine on the 2nd of the month, last month I had to wait until the 8th, thats insane!

    Ok, so I know theres a test of the Carrera GT, and now this spoiler for the sedan comparo. Ill have the mag read before I ever get it...
     
  8. dave_fonz_164

    dave_fonz_164 Formula 3

    Mar 11, 2004
    1,658
    Montreal, Canada
    Full Name:
    Davide Giuseppe F.

    ya they mite be more slanted but hey thats good for most of us here since we all love or drive spirited cars. other mags put to much emphasis on cupholders and nonsense where these guys seems to have liked the masers overall combo of speed, style, handling, quality and character. i wouldn call them biased since in C&D of the previous month, the Maserati Coupe finished last although being the most interesting one to drive
     
  9. Carnut

    Carnut F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed

    Nov 3, 2003
    3,797
    Gladwyne PA
    Full Name:
    Morrie
    If you read the the point totals on the Maserati coupe comparo, you will find that in every catagory thats truly matters to the driver, the Maserati came in first.
     
  10. Carnut

    Carnut F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed

    Nov 3, 2003
    3,797
    Gladwyne PA
    Full Name:
    Morrie
    As for the QP, I have yet to dive one. might get a chance next week. Since I'm looking at this car for my wife, I'm most interested in how it drives in the auto mode.
     
  11. Carnut

    Carnut F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed

    Nov 3, 2003
    3,797
    Gladwyne PA
    Full Name:
    Morrie
    As for the QP, I have yet to dive one. might get a chance next week. Since I'm looking at this car for my wife, I'm most interested in how it drives in the auto mode.
     
  12. dave_fonz_164

    dave_fonz_164 Formula 3

    Mar 11, 2004
    1,658
    Montreal, Canada
    Full Name:
    Davide Giuseppe F.

    ya very true, and many times in other comparisons between maser spyder and other competitors, where the driving and experience count, the maser is the best

    ive said many times and will continue to say it, Italians build cars for people who want to drive, who need something fun with style. Car and Driver said it with the QP: " driving thats this addictive is why God created Italy"
     

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