I just have a few questions about the 2002 Maserati Coupe (GT?). I've read about the concerns many have about cowl shake on the '02 Spider, as well as the Cambiocorsa gearbox and its mechanical and electronic complexity. Lucky for me, my ideal Maserati would be the 6-speed coupe. Practicality combined with performance. 1. Have any weak spots been discovered on these cars yet? 2. They seem to depreciate like crazy, is that a Maserati thing or are there flaws in the design which make buyers wary? 3.Both of these are around $70k, what other cars would you consider in that price range? There are a couple of great-looking ones on Ebay right now, for example, with very few miles. The red one is fantastic (red seems rare with these also). The blue, though, is the best one I've seen in pictures. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6313&item=2482211462&rd=1 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6313&item=2481893925&rd=1
I just saw a new (demo?) spider discounted down to 87K. Spotted at the dealer's F1 watching party in CA. 02 Coupes can be had in the 60-65K range. I am still considering one, but the styling does not grab me as much as some of the other cars. I need a make an appointment to drive one, but there might be no coming back. I would want the Cambiocorsa.
I am a 2002 Coupe Cambiocorsa owner. I picked it over the Porsche 911 Turbo http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13429 As you probably already know, the cowl shake issue only applies to the 2002 Spyder. The Coupe and 2003 onward Spyders are better in this regard Depreciation will probably lower going forward as the brand gets re-established in people's minds with a "Ferrari-related" association versus the Chrysler association. Also, the stronger Euro means higher prices in the near future for many European cars, and lower depreciation for 2002-2004 cars. For what it is worth, I would recommend purchasing from a dealer instead of ebay. Unless you are knowledgeable about Maseratis and about checking out used cars, it is much nicer to have an authorized dealer stand behind the car. You will be visiting the dealer for service and for all the free updates provided by Maserati North America. Also, any Maserati will be still be under its 4 year warranty. And hopefully, you will be buying more Maseratis or Ferraris from the same dealer in the future. Perhaps other people in this forum, who have bought cars over ebay can offer more information as to merits... Best of luck finding the right car! - Jon
I am considering an 02 Coupe at a dealer right now (silver/bordeaux, cambiocorsa). It is priced in the 60s, which is not that far off. Depreciation does worry me once these beasties go out of warranty. I wander if in two years they will be $40K cars. It takes forever to erase a negative image of a given brand. I think that the 02 Coupe is a fantastic car, but what proceeded it was garbage. Just talk to any Italian mechanic about Biturbos. On a side note, the Maser looks so much better with the fan wheels than with the more standard open ones, don't you agree? Are they an extra cost option, bigger rims?
Hi Luke I completely agree on the Biturbos! I have the same wheel preference - the "fan" ones are standard on 2002 cars, the "open" designs came in 2003. Most $80K-$100K cars will depreciate at least $10K a year in the early years. If you are not happy about taking that hit, your choices are pretty limited. Buy it and enjoy it, life is short! Best - Jon
I did this calculation the other day. It turned out that over the last 21 years I have purchased a new (or used) car every 6 months. Granted, some of the cars were in the sub %K range, but I am not a stranger to depreciation. There is a saying in my language that indicated empathy and translates fairly well. "I know the pain, I have been a mother"
2002s Radio reception can be a bit spotty at times Steering assembly bolts recall Fuel line recall A few early updates, minor stuff. We have a coupe, my wife is the primary driver. We love the car, have been very happy with it, we will buy the coupe successor. Good luck, Will
On my 04 the 7 spoke wheel is the default if none specified, Or you can get the "Fan" ones for no extra cost. I went with the 7 spoke as I was so sick of cleaning all the spokes that my BMW had. Plus as I was paying another $400 for red brakes I wanted them noticed.
That's a big reason I would not buy the car on Ebay, All Maserati dealers have 02 and 03's that you could get at a decent price and I am sure that the cars would have had all the recall stuff done already by them.
I would never buy from ebay... for the simple reason I wouldn't want to pay a higher price for the car than anyone else would pay.
