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2009 Maserati Quattroporte Quality Review

May 28, 2009

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 7 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Four adult passengers won't be complaining about room
Automobile Magazine

Too many bits have still been plundered from the Fiat parts bin
Edmunds

Always seems to have enough room to keep a person from feeling confined
Car and Driver

The 2009 Maserati Quattroporte features a price tag starting well north of the $100,000 mark, but don't expect that tally to include a wealth of luxury features and usable space. In fact, reviews read by TheCarConnection.com show that the 2009 Maserati Quattroporte is much more capable as a performance machine than a luxury tourer.

The Quattroporte sacrifices some interior room compared to the competition, according to most review resources. The seating arrangement within the Maserati 2009 Quattroporte provides seatbelts for five, but the practical limit is four adults, based on TheCarConnection.com's research. Up front, Edmunds reports that the "seating is comfortably supportive, but taller drivers might find the Quattroporte a bit lacking in headroom." Automobile Magazine contends it "may not offer the vast interior space of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class," but at least "four adult passengers won't be complaining about room." Car and Driver remarks that the Maserati Quattroporte's interior is "none too roomy, but like a well-tailored Italian suit, it always seems to have enough give to keep a person from feeling confined." The major criticism of the interior of the 2009 Maserati Quattroporte comes from TheCarConnection.com's own editors, who feel that rear headroom is compromised due to the sloping rear roofline.

One of the other downsides to the tidy capacity dimensions of the Maserati Quattroporte is that it doesn't offer much in the way of storage space, especially if four adults are riding inside. Edmunds notes "you can blame the layout of the car for that, with its V8 engine significantly behind the centerline of the front wheels," which means you won't "be able to fit quite as much designer luggage in the trunk." Interior storage isn't too bad, though, and TheCarConnection.com observes a more-than-adequate number of cup holders and interior storage compartments.

Many may be surprised by one aspect of the Maserati 2009 Quattroporte lineup's interior: Some materials are not exactly top-notch. Road and Track reviewers are disappointed to find that the "paddle shifters are plastic," and Automobile Magazine points out "some of the plastics—especially those on the shift paddles—aren't quite as high-quality as we'd like for a car costing nearly $140,000." Edmunds is even more critical, chiding that "too many bits have still been plundered from the Fiat parts bin." Not everyone gets down on the interior of the Maserati Quattroporte, however; Car and Driver proclaims that it features "hectares of gooey-soft leather, so-genuine-it-looks-fake wood, and Alcantara," making the Maserati Quattroporte's cabin an "olfactory and tactile feast."

When it comes to cabin noise, conventional wisdom dictates that the quieter the cabin, the better. However, the 2009 Maserati Quattroporte features such an appealing engine noise that, once you catch the faintest hint of the sound, you'll be begging for more. Jalopnik reports that the Maserati 2009 Quattroporte is "extraordinarily loud and gloriously obnoxious—pure Maserati."

Conclusion

There’s a mix of impressive, opulent trims and materials in the 2009 Maserati Quattroporte—interrupted by a few cheap-looking plastics. Interior space isn’t vast but good enough for four.

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 7 out of 10Expert Quotes:Four adult passengers won't be complaining about roomAutomobile MagazineToo many bits have still been plundered from the Fiat parts binEdmundsAlways seems to have enough room to keep a person from feeling confinedCar and Driver The 2009 Maserati Quattroporte features a price tag starting well north of the $100,000 mark, but don't expect that tally to include a wealth of luxury features and usable space. In fact, reviews read by TheCarConnection.com show that the 2009 Maserati Quattroporte is much more capable as a performance machine than a luxury tourer. The Quattroporte sacrifices some interior room compared to the competition, according to most review resources. The seating arrangement within the Maserati 2009 Quattroporte provides seatbelts for five, but the practical limit is four adults, based on TheCarConnection.com's research. Up front, Edmunds reports that the "seating is comfortably supportive, but taller drivers might find the Quattroporte a bit lacking in headroom." Automobile Magazine contends it "may not offer the vast interior space of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class," but at least "four adult passengers won't be complaining about room." Car and Driver remarks that the Maserati Quattroporte's interior is "none too roomy, but like a well-tailored Italian suit, it always seems to have enough give to keep a person from feeling confined." The major criticism of the interior of the 2009 Maserati Quattroporte comes from TheCarConnection.com's own editors, who feel that rear headroom is compromised due to the sloping rear roofline. One of the other downsides to the tidy capacity dimensions of the Maserati Quattroporte is that it doesn't offer much in the way of storage space, especially if four adults are riding inside. Edmunds notes "you can blame the layout of the car for that, with its V8 engine significantly behind the centerline of the front wheels," which means you won't "be able to fit quite as much designer luggage in the trunk." Interior storage isn't too bad, though, and TheCarConnection.com observes a more-than-adequate number of cup holders and interior storage compartments. Many may be surprised by one aspect of the Maserati 2009 Quattroporte lineup's interior: Some materials are not exactly top-notch. Road and Track reviewers are disappointed to find that the "paddle shifters are plastic," and Automobile Magazine points out "some of the plastics—especially those on the shift paddles—aren't quite as high-quality as we'd like for a car costing nearly $140,000." Edmunds is even more critical, chiding that "too many bits have still been plundered from the Fiat parts bin." Not everyone gets down on the interior of the Maserati Quattroporte, however; Car and Driver proclaims that it features "hectares of gooey-soft leather, so-genuine-it-looks-fake wood, and Alcantara," making the Maserati Quattroporte's cabin an "olfactory and tactile feast." When it comes to cabin noise, conventional wisdom dictates that the quieter the cabin, the better. However, the 2009 Maserati Quattroporte features such an appealing engine noise that, once you catch the faintest hint of the sound, you'll be begging for more. Jalopnik reports that the Maserati 2009 Quattroporte is "extraordinarily loud and gloriously obnoxious—pure Maserati." ConclusionThere’s a mix of impressive, opulent trims and materials in the 2009 Maserati Quattroporte—interrupted by a few cheap-looking plastics. Interior space isn’t vast but good enough for four. 2009 MASERATI QUATTROPORTE STYLING | [9 out of 10] Road and Track: "Sport GT S [gets] the more aggressive look it deserves" Automobile Magazine: "All Quattroporte models received a light facelift for the 2009 model year" Motor Trend: "Quantum improvement in ergonomics" The stunning ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

For now, the Quattroporte holds the market captive; the Mercedes S63 AMG is perhaps the closest match to the Maserati in performance and spirit (it outdoes the Maserati for acceleration), but it feels much heavier, doesn't handle as well, and doesn't have that unmistakable Ferrari sound. And it looks too close to lesser S-Class models. The Bentley Flying Spur is a close match from another direction; it's very exclusive, like the QP, but it's more of the strong-and-silent type. For high-speed highway storming, it's our choice over the Maserati, though. A more affordable alternative is the all-wheel-drive Audi S8, which won't exactly stand out at the most exclusive events but has very satisfying performance from a Lamborghini-derived V-10 engine. Next year the Quattroporte will have some heavy competition, in the way of the 2010 Aston Martin Rapide. The Rapide will be perhaps the closest rival to the Quattroporte but packs the DB9's 5.9-liter V-12 engine, rated at around 500 hp. And that's even before considering the heat from the 2010 Porsche Panamera!

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See the Maserati Quattroporte in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004

Comments (1 total)

  1. By stetsonglines #1, Posted: 11/19/2009

    I hope they have changed the soft touch plastics used in models from 2000 through at least 2007 as they melt after about 3 years and will cost you several thousand dollars to renovate without any help from your dealer or Maserati of N America. Nothing like paying over $100k for a car and having it turn to asphalt gooo, covering you, your clothing and the cars interior. All plastic parts must be removed, refinished and refitted...a very difficult, time consuming and expensive process!

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